This week as we continue on our Quest, we are looking primarily at stories associated with the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The books 1 and 2 Kings discuss not only the monarchy but also the ministry of the prophets God used to convey his messages. In fact, in the Hebrew bible these writings are grouped together in a section called the “former prophets.”
Our text begins with the story of Elijah prophesying to Ahab that there would be no rain for the next few years. During this drought, people suffered greatly. The story of the widow at Zarephath provides a stark example. In this story, Elijah prayed for God to save the life of the woman’s son; God heard him and brought the boy to life.
In the third year of the drought, Elijah and Ahab met again. This time Ahab referred to Elijah as the “troubler of Israel.” Elijah explained that Israel’s troubles were not a result of his actions, but of the actions of Ahab and his family. The people had followed the Baals, resulting in God’s judgement against them. This led to a showdown on Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to bring fire to light a sacrifice. When Elijah had demonstrated the power of God through fire, in contrast to the pagan priests, the people declared that the Lord was indeed God! When the people turned back to Yahweh, the drought ended and the rains returned.
Once Jezebel learned what Elijah had done, she was furious. 1 Kings 19 depicts Elijah running for his life. Elijah ran into the wilderness of Horeb, the mountain of God, for refuge, and remained there for forty days and nights. (Here we can observe parallels to the story of Jesus. When our Quest study moves into the book of Matthew this fall, we will see how Matthew connects the story of Elijah and Elisha to John the Baptist and Jesus.) The writer of 1 Kings paints a beautiful picture of the prophet, who has been hiding in a cave, hearing the Lord speak through a gentle whisper.
Fast forwards to 2 Kings 2, which describes the end of Elijah’s life and the transition to Elisha. When the two prophets reached the Jordan River, Elijah took his cloak and struck the water causing it to divide so they could cross over to dry ground. This imagery reminds us of the parting of the Red Sea and the people crossing over into the Promised Land. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit; when Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha was left with his cloak indicating that Elisha now had the spirit of Elijah. (This is soon followed by one of my favorite stories, in which Elisha brings down a curse on those jeering at him because of his baldness.)
The Elijah/Elisha narrative contains many miraculous events and demonstrates God working through his prophets in the midst of political and social upheaval. We should take courage in the truth that God continues to work in and through his people in the challenges of our time as well.