June 7: Elisha the Prophet

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Elisha the Prophet (2 Kings)

In today’s passage, we meet Elisha, who had become Elijah’s understudy and had studied Elijah’s ministry in close proximity.  From this vantage point, he could witness both Elijah’s humanity and his deep reliance on God, particularly the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

In the first segment, we see Elisha’s rejoicing at Elijah’s triumphant entry into heaven.  God did not allow Elijah to die like other men, but rather He gathered Elijah up to Himself.  Perhaps for this reason, Elijah will make some other appearances in the rest of the Scriptures, notably at the Transfiguration and in the case of a mysterious letter to King Jehoram.  His transportation to heaven also caused some confusion among observers in Jesus’s time, as they struggled to understand the connection between Elijah and John the Baptist and Jesus.

 

Elisha seeks wholeheartedly to follow in Elijah’s footsteps, asking for a double portion of his spirit.  Clearly, Elijah’s ministry did not emanate from his own personal goodness or power, but rather from the power of the Holy Spirit.  If you recall, Elijah fled, afraid, from the threats of the evil queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19); in his hour of need, God strengthened Elijah with His voice and His presence.

 

Miracles, including those that the Spirit works through Elisha, ultimately bring glory to God, as they point out human frailty and divine power and sovereignty.  Notably, the miracles in today’s passages point to God’s concern for physical needs:  the overflowing oil to cover debts; the opening of a barren womb; the purification of water and stew; the multiplication of loaves; the raising of a dead young boy; and the floating axhead.  Much like Jesus, Elisha, whose name means “God is my salvation,” points to God’s redemptive work through his ministry.  His concern for people calls to mind the reaction of Jesus at seeing the crowds:

 

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’“ (Matthew 9:35–39)

 

 

We will later read how the Holy Spirit worked miraculously through His servants in the early church.  Please consider the list just from Acts that reference these manifestations of the Spriit’s power:  2:43; 4:16; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6; 14:3; 15:12; and 19:11.  These signs testified to the power of the One Who had sent them and the purity of the Gospel message.  In Acts 14:3, we read:  “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”

 

Paul’s ministry did not rest solely on persuasive words or personal charisma, but rather on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his life.  In 1 Corinthians 2:1–5, he points out how the Gospel transcends mere worldly wisdom:  “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”

 

In 1 Thessalonians 1:4,5, Paul notes the complementarity of the Word and these demonstrations:  “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction…. ”

 

In His sovereignty, may God demonstrate His power anew through such signs:  that all people might see His glory and respond to His love.

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

1) Where are you seeking a miracle in your life?

2) Where do you see people hopeless and hurting?  How can you call upon God to bring mercy to them?