2 Kings 2:15-18 (ESV)
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the LORD has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
The above passage is very interesting as to the conduct of the group of prophets. In the verses prior to this they, on two occasions, told Elisha that his mentor, Elijah, was going to be taken up to heaven. Note:
2 Kings 2:3-5 (ESV)
And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
Yet, when Elijah is taken up they are the ones who want to go and find Elijah. It may have been that they thought he simply died and they wanted to recover the body. It may have been they simply thought, as stated, that Elijah was just taken somewhere. Whatever the case, they do go and search for the old prophet while the new, young prophet, Elisha, sits and waits. When Joshua took over for Moses, Moses died first. This time, Elijah was simply ushered off to heaven. This all must have been so strange to these lessor prophets and to Elisha himself. Yet, this was the transfer of God’s power that Elijah spoke about. It was true that Elisha would get a double portion of the Spirit. It was true that Elisha would now carry Elijah’s mental. But, the skeptics in the crowd had to be shown and had to have visible signs. It reminds us of Thomas when the Lord appeared to the disciples but he was absent. Note:
John 20:24-28 (ESV)
Jesus and Thomas
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Blessed are those who have faith to believe without signs and physical evidence for their eyes.
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