1. Behold, I Send You

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Hymns: 411 Stand Up for Jesus 412 Fight the Good Fight 413 Rise Up, O Men of God!

Life of Elisha

(Serving Our Faithful God)

– Behold, I Send You Forth

 

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. 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. 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. 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? 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 naught, and the ground barren. 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 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. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: 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. 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. 25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

 

OUTLINE

  • The Commissioning (v15-18)
  • The Curing (v19-22)
  • The Cursing (v23-25)

 

INTRODUCTION

Jesus said to His disciples these words when He sent them forth into His service in His vineyard:

Matthew 10:16-33 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus spoke of the dangers that His disciples is exposed to in the course of their ministry – they are sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. He spoke of possible fierce persecutions, betrayals, even death. Yet, He encouraged to endure persecutions and hardship like a good soldier to the end. He promised them God’s care and protection. He charged them to be courageous, be faithful to the end. We serve a faithful God. He will take care of His servant. There is reward awaiting the faithful servant.

Both prophets Elijah and his successor Elisha served in a time of gross spiritual darkness in Israel wherein they served as light to show forth the presence of God with His people. The ministry of Elisha will span a longer period than Elijah. Elijah served during Ahab’s reign (B.C. 918 – 897 = 22 years) and Ahaziah (B.C. 897 – 896 = 2 years) and part of Joram’s reign (B.C. 896 – 884 = 12 years).

 

Elisha would be God’s appointed spokesman to the Northern kings Joram (B.C. 896-884 = 12 years), Jehu (B.C. 884-856 = 28 years) and Jehoahaz (B.C. 856-839 = 17 years) and also during the reign of the Jehoram (B.C. 889-885 = 4 years) , Athaliah (B.C. 884-878 = 6 years), Joash (B.C. 878-839 = 40 years).[1] Elisha’s ministry was estimated by Bible scholars to be about 60 years.

See chart below as guide.

time chart

Three thoughts: (1) The Commissioning (v15-18) (2) The Curing (v19-22) (3) The Cursing (v23-25).

 

(1) The Commissioning (v15-18)

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.

Elisha was called of God and anointed by Elijah according to God’s instruction (1 Kings 19:19-21) to carry on the prophetic ministry to the North Kingdom of Israel after Elijah’s departure to be with the Lord (2 Kings 2). Elisha followed in the shadow of Elijah, according to Bible scholars, for about 10 years. The name Elisha means “God Is Salvation” while Elijah means “My God Is Jehovah”. The mantle of Elijah now rested upon Elisha. Recall the last moments of Elijah’s life:

2 Kings 2:11-14 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. 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. 13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 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.

John Whitcomb commented well, “Like Joshua, the tried and proved successor to Moses, who crossed the Jordan by the miraculous power of God, Elisha exercised his new prophetic authority by wielding the mantle of his master” and the waters of the Jordan River “parted hither and thither.” “Even if the nation rejected him, at least the forces of nature seemed fully aware of the “double-portion” of Elijah’s spirit that was now his, and this must have been most encouraging to the young prophet. If the enemies of God thought that His power was crippled by the disappearance of Elijah, they would soon discover otherwise!”[2]

Just as did the Apostle Paul commissioning Timothy, Elisha followed in the steps of Elijah.

God commissioned Elisha by enabling him to do the same miracle that Elijah did in the parting of the Jordan River and walking over on dry land. The people saw that God was with Elisha as He was with Elijah. They were convinced that Elisha was sent by God in the steps of Elijah.

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. 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. 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?

The people were not convinced that Elijah had indeed been taken to heaven. They felt the need to make a thorough search of the area. Elisha, of course, understood it was the will of God to take Elijah home to glory. 

Proverbs 2:10-11 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

Nevertheless, Elisha acceded to their request. He permitted them to confirm their curiosity. Indeed, Elijah’s body could not be found after three days of searching.

 

(2) The Curing (v19-22)

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 naught, and the ground barren. 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 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. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

Here at Jericho, there was a crisis at hand. The water supply has been contaminated. The land barren. Water supply is the life-line for the vitality of the land. Without a clean water supply, the land stood barren. The people’s subsistence were in jeopardy.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

God gave Elisha the cure by the use of salt to purify the water. It was a notable miracle. Elisha asked for a jar and put salt in it and sprinkle the salt into the spring. He invoked the name of Jehovah, Israel’s God, to heal the water supply. It was done. God wrought the miracle to bring life back to the land through His prophet. Elisha was there at hand to provide the needful cure for the land. He was God’s man to meet the need of God’s people in a time of crisis.

 

(3) The Cursing (v23-25)

23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: 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. 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. 25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

The “little children” that came to Elisha is an expression that King Solomon used to describe himself in his dream at Gibeon, where he asked God for wisdom – “Am I but a little child” (1 Kings 3:7). Surely, King Solomon was not a child but a young man possibly 20 years of age. It is the same term used of David when Samuel anointed him.

1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

David had already established a reputation as “a mighty valiant and a man of war”.

1 Samuel 17:34-37 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

These were “a large mob of irresponsible young delinquents”[3], influenced by the pagan worship system introduced in the land of Israel, so that they have no regard for the living and true God and His servants. They challenged Elisha “go up, go up” as a mocking statement perhaps of the ascension of Elijah to heaven. And “bald head” was an expression showing extreme contempt! It is as if they were pronouncing a divine curse upon him for which baldness was often the outside sign (Isa. 3:17a, 24).[4]

Isaiah 3:17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

 Isaiah 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

It is likely that the “calf-worshipping priest of Bethel had masterminded this plan, in order to discredit and humiliate Elijah’s successor”. It was an official challenge to His God-appointed ministry.

2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Indeed, Moses had warned Israel against national apostasy and an indictment of being devoured by wild beasts are given as a warning to the people.

Leviticus 26:21-22 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

The greatest cursing would only come 4 generations later when God sent the Assyrian army to strike the heart-hardened Israelites [5]

There is a consequence to sin. When men continue to be unrepentant, God’s judgement, when it comes, will be too late.

Proverbs 1:22-33 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

– And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

There is a consequence to sin. God used His servant as His mouthpiece to pronounce His judgement before He sent to bears to devour them!

 

CONCLUSION

The first three miracles – parting of the Jordan, healing of the waters in Jericho and the bears devouring the wicked men – marked the beginning of a life-long ministry that would span 60 years. The unbelief in Israel would deteriorate but God is faithful, He will not abandon His people, but sent His prophet to bring comfort to His people and chastisement upon the rebellious.

So it is today, the Lord sends us forth, to a sinned-darkened and dying world it which serve as salt to retard decay and light to dispel the gross darkness. May God grant us strength to serve Him in our generation. Amen.

 

[1] W. Graham Scroggie, The Unfolding Drama of Redemption, Kregel, 1994, 281-293.

[2] John Whitcomb, unpublished notes of “Elisha to Daniel” (Teacher’s annotated syllabus), Christian Workmen’s Schools of Theology, VI-1.

[3] Ibid., VI -1-2.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Richard Messner, “Elisha and the Bears,” Grace Journal (Sprng, 1962).