Bible Study - Elisha (1) - GOD'S Calling Us to Serve - 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:7-15 - April 27, 2025 (Blessings)

 

Bible Study – Elisha (1) – GOD’S Hand in Calling Us to Serve – 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:7-15 – April 27, 2025

GOD invites us to join HIM in HIS Work.

We considered this statement in our previous lesson series. When we see where GOD is working that is our invitation to join HIM. JESUS made it clear. HE only did what HE saw HIS FATHER doing. We may have to ask GOD to open our Spiritual eyes to see where and how GOD is working.

When we ask JESUS to forgive us for our sins and for JESUS to come into our hearts (life/the very core of our existence where truth/Holy Spirit resides)

We get to study the calling of the Prophet Elisha to continue the work GOD began through Elisha’s predecessor, Elijah.

If you have followed my lessons, you know that Elijah is one of my favorite prophets.

When studying Elijah, we get to follow him as he builds an intimate relationship with GOD. I believe many of us can relate to the Spiritual journey of Elijah. GOD did many mighty works through Elijah. When his life was threatened after witnessing the mighty power of GOD, he fled to the mountains. He fled because Queen Jezebel was out to kill him. It could have been GOD’S way of relocating Elijah so HE could complete HIS work in Elijah. Elijah arrived at GOD’S Mountain and GOD revealed Himself to him.

Let’s read 1 Kings 19:9-21:

Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah), and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.

¹¹ Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”

At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

GOD desires for those who are called to be honest with HIM when they lose confidence in HIM. It was time for Elijah to confess why he was running to the mountain of GOD. GOD desires for those who seek the right relationship with HIM to be honest with HIM and reveal to HIM what blocks us from serving HIM or trusting HIM as we serve HIM.

I studied, “Experiencing GOD” written by Dr. Henry Blackaby. Before I began the study, I prayed and told GOD, I was not going from one chapter to the next unless what I learned. I understood. Bottomline, be honest with GOD!

¹⁴ “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ But I will leave seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

This is where our study picks up.

Elisha’s Appointment as Elijah’s Successor By GOD.

¹⁹ Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him. ²⁰ Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”

“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

In essence, “Elisha, do you understand what it meant when I placed my mantle over you?”

Have you experienced a predecessor’s mantel being placed on you? I did sometime after my father went to be with our LORD JESUS. It was a knowing.

²¹ So he (Elisah) turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered^[b] them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.

GOD called Elisha to be a prophet, he responded in a very active way by terminating his farm life to follow GOD’S leadership. Elisha’s response showed commitment to GOD’S Call.

The Prophet Elijah had the joy of placing his mantel over Elisha.

As we continue in our study after Elijah placed his mantel over Elisha was GOD threw with Elijah? No!

We read in Mathew 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, ^[a]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Moses represents the “Law” and Elijah represents the “Prophets.”

JESUS passed their test and JESUS was approved to continue to fulfill GOD’S redemptive plan of salvation through faith in JESUS.

Now we fast forward to 2 Kings 2:7-11:

Elijah in the Whirlwind

2 The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, ² and Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”

But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So, they went down to Bethel.

³ Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So, they went to Jericho.

⁵ Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁶ Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So, the two of them went on.

⁷ Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground. ⁹ When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”

So, Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.”

¹⁰ Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won’t.”

The firstborn son in the Jewish family received a double portion of the family inheritance when the head of the family/father died. The eldest son received a double portion so he could continue caring for the family.

Elisha understood that he would continue to minister to GOD’S chosen when Elijah was taken into Heaven to be with GOD.

Three times Elijah told Elisha to stay where he was, but Elisha said “NO” I am continuing to travel with you.

Elisha understood his calling from GOD, and he wanted to be fully equipped to serve GOD and HIS chosen people after Elijah was taken up into Heaven to be with GOD.

¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind. ¹² As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

So, Elisha got his request for 2 shares of Elijah’s Spirit.

Elijah gave Elisha three opportunities to remain where he was rather than continuing to journey with Elijah and fulfill GOD’S calling.

Being called by GOD to minister is not to be taken lightly. It is a lifetime commitment.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two, ¹³ picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha put aside his old life and now was committed to walk with GOD. As Spirit-born Christians, we are to take off our old self and put on our new self that has been redeemed by our faith in JESUS and HIS shed blood. It is the same physical body with new purpose and direction as led by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were observing saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.

¹⁶ Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are fifty strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”

He answered, “Don’t send them.”

¹⁷ However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment, so he said, “Send them.” They sent fifty men, who looked for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to him in Jericho where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

²⁰ He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”

After they had brought him one, ²¹ Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” ²² Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. ²⁵ From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel, and then he returned to Samaria.

One of the curses described in Leviticus 26 as judgment upon Israel’s covenant breaking is this:

And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted (Leviticus 26:22).

The use of the word Children has been interpreted as older teens/young adults. Some Bible scholars tie the actions of these young adults to evil people, doing the work of Satan, which I lean towards. We don’t like to think of GOD causing children to be mauled by female bears. But we do know that GOD sends harsh messages to get our attention.

Blessings!!!