2 KINGS LESSON 2
We will begin this lesson in II Kings 2:1 And it came to pass,
when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that
Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Elijah was in this world, but he had never been of this world.
His life had been full of dramatic happenings. More than once, Elijah
had called down fire from heaven. He was the prophet, who had
miraculous happenings, more than the others. He will go to heaven as
he had lived on the earth, in a miraculous happening. It is stating in
the verse above, the ascension of Elijah in a whirlwind, as if it had
already happened. Elijah, like Enoch, is still alive. They did not go
the way of the grave. Elisha had abandoned home and family to follow
Elijah. It seems, they had now gone to Gilgal.
II Kings 2:2 "And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray
thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said [unto him,
As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
So they went down to Beth-el."
Elisha had stayed with Elijah for years. He was not about to
leave him, now. Elijah knows that his life on earth is coming to an
end. He, possibly, does not want Elisha to see his last hours. He
could want to be alone. It is, probably, evident to Elisha, too, and
he wants to be there and witness the home-going of Elijah.
II Kings 2:3 "And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Beth-el
came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD
will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I
know [it]; hold ye your peace."
It seemed, that many of the prophets and their sons knew, it
would be that very day that Elijah would go home to be with the LORD.
Elisha tells them, he knows it, too.
II Kings 2:4 "And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I
pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the
LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they
came to Jericho."
This is the second time that Elijah had tried to get away from
Elisha. Elisha will not be left, though. If Elijah goes to Jericho, so
will Elisha.
II Kings 2:5 "And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho
came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will
take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I
know [it]; hold ye your peace."
It appears, that even at Jericho the prophets and their sons
know, Elijah is about to leave this earth. This is the very reason
Elisha will not let Elijah out of his sight.
II Kings 2:6 "And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here;
for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD
liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two
went on."
This is the third time that Elijah had tried to get away from
Elisha, but Elisha will follow Elijah wherever he goes, because he
wants to witness his home-going.
II Kings 2:7 "And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and
stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan."
These sons of the prophets wanted to view from afar Elijah going
up to heaven in the whirlwind. The older prophets were not that
curious, thinking that the LORD might not approve of them looking on,
even from a distance. By the Jordan River, just Elijah and Elisha
stand together.
II Kings 2:8 "And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it]
together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and
thither, so that they two went over on dry ground."
This man of miracles had done it, again. He had struck the water
of the river with his folded up garment, and it parted for Elijah and
Elisha to walk over.
II Kings 2:9 "And it came to pass, when they were gone over,
that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I
be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon me."
Elisha had seen so many of the miracles done through Elijah, that
his only wish was for the Spirit within Elijah would be twice as
strong within him. We see that Elijah loved Elisha, and had asked what
he wished.
II Kings 2:10 "And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing:
[nevertheless], if thou see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall
be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be [so]."
This is a very hard thing, because the miracles of Elijah had
been so fantastic, themselves. Elijah places this directly in the
LORD's hands. It is the LORD's decision, whether to grant this wish,
or not. Elisha will know the answer, when Elijah is carried up. If he
sees the ascension of Elijah, God had granted his wish.
II Kings 2:11 "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and
talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses
of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven."
They had to be separated, so Elijah would go up, and not both of
them. God divided them with His fire. Psalms 104:4 "Who maketh his
angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" The chariot of fire
and the horses of fire accompanied Elijah up, but he went up in the
whirlwind.
II Kings 2:12 "And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my
father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw
him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two
pieces."
Elisha saw it, so he, indeed, received the double portion of a
son. Elisha is calling Elijah father, here. He received the favorite
son portion. He was so humbled by it all, that he rent his clothes.
This tearing of the clothes in this manner was showing complete horror
at the magnitude of God. It was, also, a way of mourning for the loss
of Elijah. This close encounter with God would put horror in anyone's
heart.
II Kings 2:13 "He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell
from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;"
The mantle of Elijah had come to Elisha. He went back to the
River Jordan that had parted for them to come over.
II Kings 2:14 "And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from
him, and smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of
Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither
and thither: and Elisha went over."
He did exactly as he had seen Elijah do, and had the very same
results. The Jordan opened, and he walked over on dry land.
II Kings 2:15 "And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to
view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on
Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground
before him."
Prophets have an insight from God, that not everyone has. They
were suddenly aware of what had happened, as they saw Elisha. He was,
probably, greatly changed in appearance.
II Kings 2:16 "And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with
thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy
master: lest peradventure the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up,
and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye
shall not send."
The fifty sons of the prophets are not sure that Elijah had
ascended into heaven. They know something had happened, but they are
not aware of what. It was too far for them to see Elijah, as he
ascended. It was several miles, in fact. They thought, perhaps, the
whirlwind had taken him up, and dropped him, to cause him to die. They
wanted to go and seek his body for burial. Elisha, tells them they
need not go. He is in heaven.
II Kings 2:17 "And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he
said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days,
but found him not."
They did not believe Elisha, and kept asking him over and over
until he finally let them go to look. He knew Elijah was not there,
but he could not convince them. They did not understand a person going
to heaven without benefit of the grave. They looked three days, but of
course, they did not find him.
II Kings 2:18 "And when they came again to him, (for he tarried
at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?"
Elisha waited at Jericho, until they finished their three days of
hunting for the body of Elijah. He reminds them, he had said it would
be futile to look.
II Kings 2:19 "And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold,
I pray thee, the situation of this city [is] pleasant, as my lord
seeth: but the water [is] nought, and the ground barren."
In this verse, the miracles for others to witness of Elisha
began. They liked their city, but the water was bad.
II Kings 2:20 "And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt
therein. And they brought [it] to him."
Salt, generally, would make bad water worse. Salt water is not
what they needed, but fresh. The new cruse was used, so that no
uncleanness had ever been in the cruse.
II Kings 2:21 "And he went forth unto the spring of the waters,
and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have
healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or
barren [land]."
Elisha cast the water into the spring of waters and they became
fresh and clear. They took on a new name, Ain-es-sultan. This spring,
now, had become a beautiful fountain of sweet water. Notice, Elisha
tells them, that the LORD healed the waters.
II Kings 2:22 "So the waters were healed unto this day, according
to the saying of Elisha which he spake."
The waters obeyed the Word of the Lord spoken by the prophet
Elisha.
II Kings 2:23 "And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as
he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of
the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go
up, thou bald head."
Many of the prophets were at Beth-el. He, possibly, could have
been going to relate to them what had happened to him. We will find,
in this, that it is a dangerous thing to speak ill of a true prophet.
These children laughed at the prophet, because he was bald.
II Kings 2:24 "And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed
them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out
of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."
The boys were, probably, following Elisha and jeering at him.
This is a terrible time for anyone to come against him. It would be
important for all to show great respect for the one the LORD had
chosen to follow in Elijah's footsteps. This cursing them was in the
name of the LORD, which meant they had tried to defame his position
with the LORD. They were suddenly punished by being torn of she bears.
This is not something for Christians to do. This was under the law,
and Christians live under grace. It is, however, a very dangerous
thing to say bad things about God's anointed.
II Kings 2:25 "And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from
thence he returned to Samaria."
Elisha was, probably, telling the other prophets what had
happened to Elijah. Carmel was a spot, where Elijah had been well-
known. This is where he called down fire from God to lap up the
offering by fire. Elisha went on to Samaria, because much of his
ministry would be near there.
2 Kings 2 Questions
1. How did Elijah go to heaven?
2. Why was Elisha following Elijah?
3. How had Elijah lived on the earth?
4. Who, besides Elijah, went to heaven without going the way of the
grave?
5. What did Elijah try to get Elisha to do?
6. Why would Elisha not do what Elijah asked him to do this time?
7. Why did Elijah not want Elisha to follow him?
8. What did the sons of the prophets at Beth-el ask Elisha?
9. How did Elisha answer them?
10. Where did Elijah go after Beth-el?
11. What did the sons of the prophets at Jericho say to Elisha?
12. Where was the third place that Elijah went?
13. Who followed Elijah and Elisha from a distance?
14. Why had the older prophets not followed them?
15. What miracle did the LORD do, at the Jordan River, for Elijah?
16. Who went over Jordan with Elijah?
17. What did Elijah ask Elisha?
18. What did Elisha want?
19. How did Elijah answer Elisha's request?
20. Who will decide, whether Elisha's request will be answered, or
not?
21. How were Elijah and Elisha separated?
22. How did Elijah go up into heaven?
23. Quote Psalms chapter 104 verse 4.
24. When Elisha saw Elijah go up accompanied by the chariots of fire
and the horses of fire, what did he do?
25. What did Elisha pick up and carry back with him?
26. What did Elisha do at the River Jordan?
27. What was the first thing the fifty asked Elisha to let them do?
28. How long did they look?
29. Where did Elisha wait for the fifty?
30. How does Elisha make the water sweet?
31. Who laughed at Elisha for being bald?
32. What happened to them?
33. Why did he go back to Carmel?
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