2 Kings 2:13-25 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 2:13-25. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
2 Kings 2:13-14 (NIV)
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
On verse 13: From their earliest interactions with one another, it was always Elijah’s intent to give Elisha his cloak, that is, his mantle as Israel’s prophet (see 1 Kings 19:19). And now as Elijah is taken up to heaven, the cloak falls back on earth for Elisha to pick up. It’s because his cloak fell that Elisha had assurance that Elijah had not been taken to some other place on earth but had gone to heaven. That’s because Elijah’s cloak represented Elijah’s calling, anointing and gifting. The fact that it fell back down to earth for Elisha to pick up shows two simultaneously: first, Elijah had finished his task on earth and, second, it was Elisha’s turn to be Israel’s prophet.
Notice that the cloak fell, but Elisha still had to pick it up. God has a calling for you from heaven about your life on earth, but nothing will happen until you decide to pick up the calling yourself. That’s what Elisha is now doing. Like a gift left at your doorstep, God’s calling is waiting for you to pick up.
14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck 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.
On verses 14: Elisha could not cross the Jordan River on his own power. But when he picks up his mentor Elijah’s cloak and strikes the river with it, the waters part and he crosses over. When Elisha sees this, he realizes that God’s power which rested on Elijah is now also with Elisha.
Likewise, on our own we sinners have no way of crossing over to heaven where God is. But Jesus gave us His robe of righteousness, and it is because we are armed with Jesus’ robe of righteousness that we can cross over to where God is and have a relationship with Him.
2 Kings 2:15-18 (NIV)
15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit 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 of the LORD has picked him up 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 ashamed 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?”
On verses 15-18: The company of prophets recognize Elisha as their new leader by bowing down to him (v15) and calling themselves “we your servants” (v16). Yet when Elisha commands the company of prophets not to bother trying to find the now departed Elijah, the company of prophets still insist on doing so. They send 50 men to look for Elijah for three days but to no avail. They return to Elisha, who basically tells them, “Told you so.” (v16-18)
Notice that the company of prophets had no problems offering token submission (such as bowing down to Elisha), but they refused to follow Elisha’s advice. In so doing, they wasted time and resources. They also showed that, despite bowing down to Elisha and calling themselves his servants, they were still insistent on doing things their way, even when their leader had told them otherwise.
God tests our faith, humility and maturity by how well we submit to the imperfect leaders God places over us. A person can bow down and say all sorts of kind words, but the best measure of how submissive a person is to their God-given leader is in how well and how quickly they follow their leader’s command. Godly submission is proved more by action than by words, though both are important.
2 Kings 2:19-22 (NIV)
19 The men 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 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 wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
On verses 19-22: The “men of the city” were possibly city officials (probably of the city of Jericho) who hoped that Elisha could help them with their water contamination issue. Elisha throws salt into the city’s water spring, speaking of how God has healed the water, and indeed the water become wholesome. This is now the second time that we see Elisha having command over nature through God’s power.
What can we learn from this? Just as Elisha threw salt into a contaminated spring and the contaminated water became healthy and wholesome, Jesus calls you and me the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). He sends us out into the world to bring healing, restoration and health to the cities where he places us. Christians ought to be the hope of every city and every community, the biggest difference makers. May God use you to be a difference maker wherever God has sends you, someone who brings hope, life and health to those around you.
2 Kings 2:23-25 (NIV)
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!”
24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.
On verses 23-25: Up to this point God had already demonstrated that He is with Elisha to two groups of people: (1) the prophets, being the spiritual leaders of Israel (v15-18); and (2) the political leaders of Israel (v19). Now in these verses God shows that He is with Elisha to a third important group, the youth of Israel. Unfortunately, many of the youth learn this truth the hard way. They disrespect and mock Elisha, who then in the Lord’s name calls down a curse on those youths, who are then mauled by bears.
What can we learn from this?
1. When we disrespect and mock our God-given leaders, we open ourselves up to attack.
2. God wants the youth of our city to know and respect the power of the Lord.
Father, thank You that every miracle You perform is also a parable by which you teach us more about who You are. You are the God of miracles. May I not take Your miracles for granted, and may I learn every lesson You want me to learn from the miracles You accomplish in and through my life. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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