Elijah and Elisha By Noella Bamigbola
1 Kings 17:1 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab: “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
God says, "Leave here, go east and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan."
God tells Elijah that he will drink from the wadi and ravens will feed him bread and meat in the morning and night.
Insight: Elijah means "The Lord is my God."
- The wadi has dried up, and the Lord tells Elijah to go to Zarephath of Sidon where a widow will feed him.
- When he arrives at the city, he asks the widow for bread and water.
- She tells Elijah that she does not have enough water and oil to prepare something for Elijah now, she can't even feed her son.
- *God said to Elijah that the jar of flour and oil shall not go dry, until rain is brought upon the earth.
1 Kings 17:17 Some time later the son of the woman, the owner of the house, fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
Elijah brings the boy into his bed, and asks the Lord to heal the boy of the mother that God brought him to.
1 Kings 17:22 The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body and he lived.
The woman then sees that Elijah is a man of God.
1 Kings 18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you, you disturber of Israel?”
1 Kings 18:18 He answered, “It is not I who disturb Israel, but you and your father’s house, by forsaking the commands of the LORD and you by following the Baals.
Ahab brought 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah of Israel to gather at Mount Carmel.
Elijah on Mount Carmel
- Elijah said to the people that he is the only remaining prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal!
- Elijah took 2 bulls, one for the Baals and one for him.
- He cut it into pieces and placed it on the wood, and did not start a fire.
1 Kings 18:24 You shall call upon the name of your gods, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “We agree!”
The Baals slashed at themselves and sacrificed. But got no answer.
Then Elijah took 12 stones for the number of tribes of Jacob for an altar, and made a trench around it. He cut the young bull and laid it on it.
The LORD’s fire came down and devoured the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and lapped up the water in the trench.
Elijah seized the prophets of Baal! Took them to Wadi Kishon where he slaughtered them.
He then commanded a servant to look at sea, and the 7th time he looked he saw a small cloud of a man's hand rising from the sea. Ahab mounted a chariot for Jezreel, but the hand of the Lord caught up to him.
Insight: the Lord was challenging Baal’s power by the event on Mount Carmel
The Lord Appears to Elijah
- Elijah flees from Jezebel and goes to Beer-sheba of Judah
- He takes shelter in a cave. There, the word of the Lord comes to Elijah, and tells him to stand on the mountain before the Lord, and the Lord will pass by him.
- The Lord then tells Elijah to go back to Damascus to anoint Hazael as king of Aram, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as the prophet to succeed him.
- Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha as he is plowing with oxen, Elisha left and followed Elijah to serve him.
The Lord’s command means that Elijah is to take up once again the job of a prophet.
Naboth's Vineyard
- Ahab asked Naboth for his garden because it was next to his home, or he'll pay him the value in money
- Naboth says that it is his ancestral heritage
- Ahab doesn't eat, and Jezebel says that I will give you the vineyard of Naboth.
- Jezebel sends a letter to the nobles of the city of Naboth
1 Kings 21:9 This is what she wrote in the letters: “Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.1 Kings 21:10 Next, set two scoundrels opposite him to accuse him: ‘You have cursed God and king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
1 Kings 21:15 When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he refused to sell you, because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
- Anyone of Ahab’s line who dies in the city, dogs will devour; Anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will devour.
- Ahab had been humbled, so the Lord will bring evil upon his son's time.
Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead
- The King of Israel, Ahab, dresses in King Jehoshaphat of Judah’s robes when they are about to go into battle at Ramoth-gilead and takes his place in battle.
- The kingdom of Aram was to fight only the King of Israel. They came up to King Jehoshaphat disguised as the King of Israel, until they realized that it was not he.
- Someone drew their bow at random and wounded Ahab, King of Israel, and he died in the evening.
The phrase "at random" shows that the archer who fired the bowshot killed Ahab was unaware that he was shooting toward the king of Israel. This shows that God's will was accomplished in spite of Ahab's disguise.
Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
- The Lord was going to take Elijah up to heaven and Elijah and Elisha were on their way back from Gilgal.
- Elijah tried to convince Elisha to stay behind while he went on to Bethel as the Lord instructed him, but Elisha would not leave him.
2 Kings 2:5 The guild prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master from you?” He replied, “Yes, I know that. Be still.”
Elijah tells Elisha that he may request anything before Elijah is taken, and Elisha asks for “a double portion of your spirit,” which Elijah agrees to grant if and only if Elisha sees him taken into heaven.
Elisha does see when a fiery chariot and horses come to get Elijah, and Elisha cries out as Elijah is taken.
Insights: As a series of kings and kingdoms continue, The Lord continues to have prophets work as his mouthpiece.
Elisha's Miracles
After Elijah had been brought into heaven by the Lord, Elisha tears his garments into 2 pieces and picks up Elijah’s fallen mantle.
Elisha stands at the bank of the water and asks the Lord, “Where is Elijah now,” then he strikes the water with the mantle and the water divides for him to cross.
He meets the prophets in Jericho, and they bow to the ground before him. 50 men think that the Lord has put Elisha on some mountain, Elisha urges them not to search, they go anyways and find nothing after 3 days.
The inhabitants complained the water was bad and soil sterile. He orders a bowl with salt, he throws salt onto the spring and the water is purified.
Elisha goes to Bethel, little boys came to him and said “Go away, badly.” He cursed them, 2 bears came and devoured 42 children. Then he went to Mount Carmel and Samaria.
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
Naaman, army commander of Aram, had leprosy. The Lord brought victory through him to the land of Aram.
The Armeans captured a little girl from the kingdom of Israel, and she was the servant of Naaman’s wife. She said to the wife if only he'd go to the prophet of Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.
The master sent the king of Israel a letter asking if he could cure Naaman of leprosy. The king was angered thinking he was looking for a quarrel and tore Naaman’s garments. Elisha heard, and told the king to send Naaman to him, a prophet of Israel
- Naaman said, “Could I not wash in other rivers and be cleansed?”
- Servants came and reasoned with him to wash in the Jordan and he was then healed.
- Elisha would not take any payment from Naaman. Elisha told him not to make burnt offerings to anyone except for the Lord. Elisha said to “Go in peace”
2 Kings 5:21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Seeing that someone was running after him, Naaman alighted from his chariot to wait for him. He asked, “Is everything all right?”
2 Kings 5:22 Gehazi replied, “Yes, but my master sent me to say, ‘Two young men have just come to me, guild prophets from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.’”
2 Kings 5:23 Naaman said, “I insist! Take two talents, ” and he pressed him. He tied up two silver talents in bags and gave them, with two festal garments, to two of his servants, who carried them before Gehazi.
2 Kings 5:26 But Elisha said to him: “Was I not present in spirit when someone got down from his chariot to wait for you? Is this a time to take money or to take garments, olive orchards or vineyards, sheep or cattle, male or female servants?
Insights: Elisha healed Naaman of his leprosy because he promised to worship the King of Israel. When Gahazi comes and asks to get silver talents from Naaman, Elisha knows there are no people running after him. Because he lied, Elisha cursed him with Naaman’s leprosy.