Elisha Succeeds Elijah

II Kings 2:15–25
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Following his return across the Jordan, Elisha was faced with three situations that confirmed his call.  The first situation established his authority. The 50 prophets from Jordan did not realize that Elijah had permanently been ushered into the presence of God. Therefore they searched futilely for three days to see where God might have dropped him. Elisha reminded them that he had told them they would not find him. No doubt this experience marked Elisha as a man of leadership.

The second situation distinguished his power. The citizens of Jericho were faced with a problem.  This ancient city had trouble with its water supply. The leading men of the city came to Elisha asking if he could help them. Taking salt, a cleansing and preserving agent, he sprinkled it on the contaminated spring and the waters were made good. This was clearly miraculous.

The third situation established him as a person of great respect. The older men were always to be treated with respect. As Elisha left Jericho and was traveling to Bethel (a distance of 20 miles) he was met by a band of rowdy teenagers. This gang mocked and made fun of Elisha and implied that if he was such a great prophet of the Lord, he should go up to heaven as Elijah had reportedly done. As a result Elisha called down a curse on the villains and all 42 were mauled by two bears. This miracle identified him as a person of great respect and a representative of the living God.

Application

Making fun of God’s messengers has been a popular sport for many years. The young men who failed to respect Elisha and mocked and made fun of him in this passage paid for it with their lives. I need to be very careful about criticizing God’s messengers.