2 Kings 7, Hear the Words of Elisha

First, here are the answers to yesterday’s 4 quiz questions.

1.    Women who were barren, then later in life had children: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, mother of Samson, Hannah, Shunamite (Elisha), Elizabeth.

2.    Large number of people fed with small amount of food: 5000, 4000, 100 (2 Ki. 4:42-44, Elisha).  Also, add the multiplying of oil for 2 widows (Elijah, 1 Ki. 17:8-16; Elisha 2 Ki. 4:1-7).

3.    How many people raised from the dead? Widow of Nain’s son, Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, Shunamite’s son (Elisha), dead man thrown into Elisha’s tomb, Jesus, Dorcas.

4.    How many times waters of Jordan divided? Joshua, Elijah, Elisha

Lastly, in our survey of the ministry of Elisha, let me give you a list of great teaching and preaching and applicational truths from Elisha. 

Some great truths:

·       2:9: Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.  This is such an important matter.  Elisha knew that there was no ministry apart from God working in and through the prophet.  And Elisha also knew that God had worked through Elijah in mighty ways.

·       2:14: Where is the LORD God of Elijah?  To the above comment, add this thought.  Elisha knew that it was not the “mantle” of Elijah but the God of Elijah.  This was not like the sad story in 1 Samuel of Israel taking the Ark of the Covenant into battle as if it was a magic charm.

·       3:18: This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD.  Elisha spoke these words to Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and the King of Edom.  These three went to battle against Moab.  But they and their armies ran out of water while they were chasing their foe.  Jehoshaphat had sense enough to seek out Elisha, and these were his words.

·       4:40: Man of God, there is death in the pot!  This happened to the School of the Prophets.  They fixed a stew with whatever plants they could find, and one plant was poisonous.  The statement has always reminded me of the current situation.  Jehoshaphat allied himself with the house of Ahab which wasn’t good.  One poisonous person in the group will kill them all if they are not careful.

·       5:13: Wash and be clean! Yes!! Amen !!!  These words to Naaman are true in the call of the gospel.  “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”

·       6:16: Those who are with us are more than those who are with them! Yes! Amen!!  These words Elisha said to his servant who was worried when he saw the city surrounded by the army of Syria.  God opened his eyes to what Elisha knew was there: the hosts of the LORD!

·       7:9: We are not doing right. This is a day of good news and we remain silent.  This is what the four lepers realized when they found the Syrian army had fled the scene and left behind all their supplies.  These words have been convicting to me since I first heard them in a sermon in Bible college.  A man spoke on the four men, naming them “Harley, Farley, Charlie and Claude.”  Funny.  Entertaining.  But then, profound!  Inside the Israelite capital there was a famine because of the siege.  They didn’t realize God had already provided deliverance, and that they just needed to go out and feast on the spoil from the defeated Syrians.  So many today do not realize their deliverance has been provided at the cross outside the city of Jerusalem.  They just need to go to Him, to Christ (Heb. 13:13-14).