We have seen how so much of the problem with kings of Israel was diminishing Jehovah to a mere political symbol. The choice of whom to worship was determined by human wisdom based on perceived human loyalties. The people of power and wealth preferred the Baals and Asherah, while a less powerful faction longed for the service of the Temple in Jerusalem, and would gladly return to the reign of the House of David. They saw that as their Golden Age, and resented the upstart House of Omri. None of this mattered to Elijah and Elisha. For them, the issue was Jehovah, the One true God, who ruled Israel whether acknowledged or not.
2 Kings 2:1-9 -- There are two places named Gilgal. This one was just southwest of Shiloh, and was apparently the location of an Academy of Prophets. It had been a seat of Jeroboam's false worship of the calf god, according to Amos 4:4 and Hosea 4:15. Quite likely this site was used when Israel lost control of Bethel (2 Chronicles 13:19, battle between Jeroboam and Abijah) for a time. Tradition says Jeroboam rebuilt his southern temple there, as much to challenge the memory of Shiloh as a place of Jehovah, as well as asserting his own national gods. When Israel regained possession of Bethel and restored Jeroboam's temple, they kept the one at Gilgal of Ephraim active. It's no surprise Elijah would build a prophet's academy near both false temples. Certainly Ahab would have converted them later to major centers of worship for Melkarth and other Baals. Thus, Elijah made one last circuit to strengthen his students against the coming spiritual battles, and subtle inroads of pagan elements in their service.
Elijah would have set out at dawn. He challenged Elisha by suggesting the latter stay there at Gilgal. Elisha refused. As the man groomed to take Elijah's place, he was determined to follow to the end. Along the way, the students accurately prophesied the day's final events. The third academy was near Jericho, down in the Jordan Valley. This final farewell before crossing the Jordan brought out 50 men, perhaps the entire body of students and teachers. This entourage followed the two prophets to the spot Elijah chose to cross. He pulled off the cloak that every man wore or carried while traveling, rolled it up in a long bundle, and slapped it down on the surface of the river. The water simply divided, much as it had at the Red Sea crossing under Moses. The description of it takes away any possible natural event, but was rather sudden, leaving a dry crossing on the river bed. Up to this point, the two prophets had traveled over 30 miles (48km), so the day was nearly gone, even with Elijah's vigorous stride.
2:10-18 -- Most likely the school was watching from a bluff overlooking the river, and could observe the whole thing. Elijah turned to Elisha and asked what boon he could offer his closest disciple. Elisha's answer is one of the most misunderstood requests in all of Scripture. In the context, he asked the first-born's portion. A "double portion" is what was given the first-born son of a man who had more than one son. The man's estate was divided into equal shares numbering one for each son, plus one more share. A man with 6 sons would parcel out 7 shares. The first-born, carrying the full responsibility of the father's business and covenant obligations, received two shares, and the rest got one. Elisha asked for a confirmation that he had fully inherited the calling and office of Elijah. The act of dropping his cloak on Elisha's shoulders some years before was indeed a calling to at least try and succeed Elijah in ministry. Confirmation was what Elisha sought, and that was the "hard thing" he asked. The confirmation would hinge on whether Elisha was acceptable to God, and would come in the form of seeing Elijah taken up.
Elijah had known beforehand where he was to catch his ride into the spirit realm, and as they strolled along the East Bank of the Jordan, he described what would happen within the next few moments. The whirlwind recalls the pillar of cloud and fire that Israel followed from Egypt. It was the earliest symbol of God's might in battle, as well as the chariot. In this case, it was to be Jehovah's own battle chariot. Sure enough, Elisha saw both symbols. The glowing chariot pulled alongside and picked up Elijah, then rose into the sky on a whirlwind. Elisha cried out in ecstasy, letting Elijah know he had seen it all. Then he tore his clothes near the collar to indicate bereavement. Picking up the mantle was both literal and symbolic, as it was his in flesh and spirit to carry the cloak of Elijah's ministry. Repeating Elijah's act at the river side, he called out -- not a question of doubt, but a rhetorical question with an obvious answer: the Lord was with him. Upon repeating the crossing on a dry river bed, he was met by a respectful proclamation by the school. Their words and act were a commitment to treat Elisha with the same respect they had held for Elijah.
Their obsession with finding the body of Elijah shows a clear lack of understanding. While it was almost unprecedented that a man would simply leave earth without dying (Gen 5:24, Enoch), it was not beyond comprehension. The school had not seen Elijah's glorious departure, so had to accept Elisha's word on it. They didn't. Insisting they would find the body, they harassed Elisha until he gave in to their request for a search party. Three days of fruitless searching brought them back in shame.
2:19-25 -- Immediately the miracles that clung to his predecessor followed Elisha. First off, the academy at Jericho suffered with the city. While the area is known today as a tropical paradise, the whole area was plagued by bad water. Most likely soluble material from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah polluted the ground water. The context indicates women were suffering an unusual level of infertility and still births. Elisha called for symbols: a new bowl because God's vessels must be His first, and salt as a symbol of cleansing and purification. In a brief ceremonial act, he declared the waters healed by the power of Jehovah. To this day, the main spring of Jericho is sweet, while all the rest are brackish.
As Elisha began a return circuit, heading toward the school at Bethel, he was accosted by some young men of Bethel. Keep in mind this is as much politics as religion. Elisha was in their eyes a reactionary partisan trying to draw the Kingdom of Israel back under the House of David. Everyone forgot that Jehovah Himself had called for the division of the nation, and it was loyalty to Himself that was at issue. The youths may well have been a group organized by the opposition party to harass Elisha as they had Elijah. The point was Jehovah was the same God. As best we can tell, they are taunting him about Elijah's translation. They encourage him, too, to disappear into the heavens ("go up") so that the land may be rid of him. At the same time, they ridiculed his balding head. Most baldness then was the result of leprosy, so they were implying he was unfit to enter the city. Their behavior was deplorable, beyond rudeness to the point of cursing him, as it were. He turned and pronounced God's curse on their sin and some forty-two of them were badly injured or killed by she-bears. It is well known female Syrian bears that roamed the area were more vicious than males, who were simply bad tempered by comparison. His next stop was Mount Carmel, symbolically claiming to inherit the legacy of what happened there several years before. Then he headed to Samaria, the capital.
[ Return to Lesson Index ]
[ <-- Previous Lesson ]
[ --> Next Lesson ]
Ed Hurst
14 January 2005
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)