2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2

After seeing several shifts in power amongst the kings of Israel and Judah, 2 Kings 2 offers a unique perspective on some of God’s prophets. We have seen prophets come and go from time to time, but it was never as clear as to how that transfer of leadership happened as it is in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2. One of the most recognized prophets, Elijah, came to the end of his life and ministry, but before God was done with him, He had Elijah prepare another prophet to take his place. Elisha had learned well from Elijah, and like his mentor, he was a man of God. He followed God’s commands and went where God led him. He stayed with Elijah as much as he could, trying to learn all he could before Elijah was taken away.


Then on Elijah’s last day, Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind and begin his ministry as he went to meet with God. But Elisha would not allow Elijah to leave him. This was the person he looked up to the most, his mentor. Elisha was not ready for Elijah to be gone for good. So as Elijah made his way to the other side of the Jordan River, where God was going to take him away in a whirlwind, Elisha never separated himself from him, supporting him and sticking by his side until the end. Elisha was truly a great friend. Along the way, the sons of the prophets tried to get Elisha to stay behind, warning him of what was to come. They knew that Elijah’s time had come to an end and tried to keep Elisha away lest it be too hard for him to endure. Despite their concerns, Elisha stood by Elijah’s side.

When the time had come for Elijah to be taken away, he asked Elisha what he could do for him in his final moments. Elisha humbly asked that the spirit that had resided on Elijah be transferred to him. Out of admiration for Elijah, he wanted to serve God as admirably as his mentor had done. When Elijah was taken away, his cloak fell from the skies, and Elisha picked it up. With it, he crossed back over the Jordan River into Jericho where he met back up with the sons of the prophets who had advised that he stay behind. They immediately noticed the change in Elisha, that Elijah’s spirit not resided on him.

The sons of the prophets wondered, however, what had happened to Elijah. They assumed that he had died on the other side of the river and Elisha had left him there. Despite Elisha’s insistence that they should not go for they would find no body, they sent 50 men to find him. At this point, his position of authority had been established, and he had assumed the role as prophet in the place of Elijah. The rest of 2 Kings 2 outlines some of his earliest miracles that he performed. First, he healed the water in the city, purifying it so that they would always have clean water in the land. Then, in a rather odd story, he called up 2 huge bears that attacked 42 young men who had made fun of him for his bald head.

Elisha shows us the importance of having a mentor(s). We all need people in our lives that can help direct us, giving us much needed advice. Having lived life before us, they can relate to situations that we find ourselves in, and we can learn from their experiences. God did not create us to live this life alone. He has given us people to live life alongside of, some of which serve in the role of mentors. There comes a time, however, when we must begin to live life on our own. We can still learn from the experience and advice given by our mentors, but we must begin to seek out people that we can pour our lives into as well. That is the place in which Elisha found himself. His mentor was gone, and he had been promoted into a great position. It was time for him to be the leader, helping to lead others in following God.

Matt