Friday Facts - Elisha

This week I’ve been trying to learn a bit more about the prophet Elisha. We can read about Elisha’s life in 1 and 2 Kings in the Old Testament. I really like Elisha’s message – it was a message to those in charge (at the time the Israelite kings) that they should turn back to traditional religious practices and acknowledge God’s absolute sovereignty over every aspect of life, personal as well as political. Personally, I think that’s a message that our leaders today should heed. I don’t want to get into a political discussion here, but it seems to me that acknowledging God is missing today in the offices of those running our countries, our states, and our cities. Not in all offices of leadership, but in many. I think this speaks to me more so this year than in others, too, as this is an election year and we are deep into the process of choosing the next leader of our country. Oh, how I want it to be someone that will acknowledge God and lead this country in a way that would be pleasing to Him.

As I dug in to find out more about Elisha I found quite a bit of information. Here is some of what I learned.....

√ Elisha’s name in Hebrew means “God is salvation”. In Greek and Latin he is known as Saint Eliseus.

√ He was the son of a farmer in Galilee named Shaphat.

√ Elisha was an Israelite prophet and disciple of Elijah.

√ He was called by Elijah while tilling one of his family’s fields.

√ Elisha was a prophet during the reigns of Israelite kings Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and Joash.

√ He preached and worked in the northern kingdom of Israel and eventually came to live on Mt. Caramel with a servant.

√ Elisha saw Elijah taken up into heaven by a whirlwind in a fiery chariot. He was going with Elijah to Jericho and on to Jordan. After Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha went on to Jericho and won the gratitude of the people for healing with salt its barren ground and waters.

√ Elisha inherited the wonder-working power of Elijah. Here are some examples:

He relieved the widow from a hard creditor by multiplying the small amount of oil she had so she could repay her indebtedness and provide for her family. (2 Kings 4:1-7)

He rewarded the rich lady for her hospitality by obtaining for her from God the birth of her son and then later the resurrection of her child. (2 Kings 4:8-37)

He nourished the sons of prophets pressed by famine. (2 Kings 4:38-41)

He cured Namaan from leprosy by asking him to wash 7 times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:1-19)

√ When Elisha was near death, Joash comes to mourn over his approaching death and speaks the same words Elisha spoke when Elijah was taken away, “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel, the horsemen thereof.” (2 Kings 13:14-19)

√ The touch of his corpse brought back to life a dead man. After Elisha’s death a dead body was laid in Elisha’s grave (about a year after Elisha’s death). No sooner did it touch Elisha’s remains than the man “revived, and stood up on his feet”. (2 Kings 13:20-21)