ELISHA'S SPIRIT

Passage: 2 Kings 2:12-25

Key verse: 14

NIV

12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots(A) and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore(B) it in two.

13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak(C) that had fallen from Elijah and struck(D) the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

15 The company(E) of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit(F) of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit(G) of the Lord has picked him up(H) and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed(I) to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

Healing of the Water

19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 Then he went out to the spring and threw(J) the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure(K) to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

Elisha Is Jeered

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered(L) at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse(M) on them in the name(N) of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel(O) and from there returned to Samaria.

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ESV

12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! (A)The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes (B)and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, (C)the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15 Now when (D)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that (E)the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when they urged him (F)till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. 18 And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and (G)threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, (H)he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to (I)Mount Carmel, and from there he returned (J)to Samaria.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Elisha is filled with the Holy Spirit (12-22) As the chariots took Elijah to heaven, Elisha mourned the loss of his spiritual father. He grasped Elijah's robe, and the Spirit of God came on him in power. Like Elijah, he struck the Jordan River, it divided, and he crossed over on dry ground. Elisha proclaimed, "Where now is the Spirit of Elijah?" When the searching party could not find Elijah after three days, they verified that Elijah was indeed taken up into heaven. His Spirit departed to Elisha as promised Elisha used his spiritual authority to bless Jericho and healed the contaminated water supply. Spiritual leaders are marked by their concern for the people they oversee. 2. Elisha is jeered (23-25) When he went to Bethel, Elisha was jeered at by rowdy boys for his baldness. Elisha called down a curse from the Lord, and two bears mauled 42 youths. It is a serious sin to insult the Lord's servant and disrespect them based on their human appearance.

Prayer: Lord, raise up spiritual leaders filled with your Spirit to serve and to heal.

One Word: Be filled with the Holy Spirit to serve