Friday, May 22, 2015

69. Elisha

A Miracle Worker -


The story of Elisha is found in 2 Kings 2-9 and his death is recorded in chapter 13.  Even though so much literary space is attributed to him, the common perception is that Elisha is not outstanding.  The Bible mentions about a dozen miracles which he performed but only one of them was momentous to the nation of Israel.  We will now pick out some of the highlights of his career.

Elijah said to Elisha. Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken away from you. And Elisha said, please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. 2:9.   Naturally, we would read this as if Elisha wanted twice as much "spirit" as Elijah had.  However to the Hebrew way of thinking, Elisha's request related to an inheritance settlement, and it was understood that the oldest son would receive a double portion compared to what any of the other children in the family would receive; that is all that Elisha was asking for; twice as much as the normal child of Jehovah would receive.

In looking at the record of the miracles which happened at the request of Elisha it is fitting to remember the words of the Expositor's Bible Commentary, As to their literal historic accuracy, ... many will be unable to escape the opinion that they bear some resemblance to other Jewish haggadoth, (traditional Jewish literature, Collins English Dictionary) written for edification, with every innocent intention.  This means they were tales to teach a moral lesson; not based on historical accuracy.

We ran into this genre of literature in the post about the wayward prophet.  This method of expression seems so normal.  Why should we not allow the Jewish people the liberty of writing stories simply for good moral influence rather than insisting that every word that is in our Bible must be historically absolutely true as stated?  

1. The men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, please, the location of this city is pleasant, but the waters are bad, and the ground is barren. And he said, Bring me a new jar and put salt in it. And they brought (it) to him.  And he went forth to the spring of the waters and threw the salt in there, and said, So says Jehovah, I have healed these waters. There shall not be any more death or barrenness from there (the meaning of the Hebrew text is that the waters caused abortions and stillbirths in both humans and animals). And the waters were healed to this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke. 2:19-22.

If we want to give this story a new twist we can move it forward into the time of Christ, who said, You are the salt of the earth.  If a country's morals are bad, add the teachings of those who respect Jehovah and the moral standard will rise significantly.  Christ continues by saying, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? Mat. 5:13.  A true Christian cannot blatantly condone the low moral standards set by the world at large!  Persecution must be borne unless you are to lose your moral tone, which is to be to the earth what salt is to its surroundings, preserving from corruption. Pulpit Commentary.

With An Attitude


2. And he (Elisha) went up from there to Bethel. ... And little boys came out from the city and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!  He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths. (2:23-24. WEB)   The lesson in this story is, don't tease bald men.  LOL.
Calling a man bald is an epithet of contempt in the East, applied to a person even with a bushy head of hair. JFB Commentary.

The Bible distinctly says, little boys came out; and it also uses the word, youths.  In spite of that, Gill's commentary has the audacity to write, the word for "children" is used of persons of thirty or forty years of age.  O! really?

Perhaps the boys had heard Elisha tell the story of Elijah "going up" to heaven and now the boys were ridiculing him about telling such a story.

He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name.  2:24 (WEB).  Because of this, two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths.  None of the commentaries checked found any fault with Elisha for what he did.

3. When the armies of Judah, Israel and Edom were contemplating attacking Moab, Jehoshaphat (king of Judah) said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, that we may ask of Jehovah by him? And one of the King of Israel's (Jehoram) servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah (he was Elijah's personal attendant).
  
Jehoshaphat said, "I have heard of him, The Word of Jehovah is with him."  When the king of Judah, the king of Israel and Elisha met, Elisha said to the king of Israel,  "What do I have to do with you?  You know that I serve Jehovah and you have turned your back on Him; we have nothing in common!"

Elisha said, "Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother."  Jehoram was a worshipper of Jeroboam's calves, and of his mother's idols, Baal and Ashtoreth.  "Why don't you go and ask the prophets of the gods you serve?" The king of Israel said to him (Elisha), "No, my gods are "fair weather" gods, but now we have a serious situation, we need Jehovah's help."  And Elisha said, "As Jehovah of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you nor see you. I would not even acknowledge that you exist." 3:11-14.   Does the world still have any religious leaders who are willing to stand up to royalty even though it might mean imprisonment or worse?

When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him ... he took his oldest son, who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall, that it might be seen by the camp of Israel, and move their compassion; or rather this was done as a religious action, to appease the deity by an human sacrifice so dear and precious, to give success, ... the Carthaginians had this custom, who at one time offered up two hundred sons of their nobility, to appease their gods. 
Gill's Exposition of the Bible


And there was great anger against Israel. And they, the three armies,  left him, the king of Moab, and returned to the land. 3:26-27.  When they saw the Moabites would ... hold out to the last man, they thought fit to break up the siege. Gill's Exposition of the Bible

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