Welcome! Today we come to the end of our series on Elisha. Throughout the series we have mentioned that the story of Elisha’s life serves as a kind of foreshadowing of the life of Jesus. Now that we have been through most of the events of Elisha’s life, I want to briefly discuss these similarities together. For me it is quite a striking picture.
I want to start by summarizing similarities between Elijah the Tishbite and John the Baptist. We can say that Elijah was a “forerunner” for Elisha, and John was a forerunner for Jesus. The New Testament writers clearly understood this; in Matthew 11:13-15 and Matthew 17:10-13, John is called “the Elijah to come.” You can also read a prophecy pointing from Elijah to a future person who is very like him. People at the time of the gospels knew of this prophecy, and many wondered whether John the Baptist actually was Elijah. Where is this prophecy? Significantly, it is in the very last verses of the Old Testament, in Malachi 4:5-6. Talk of the Elijah to come closes the Old Testament, and talk of the new Elijah who has come is one of the first topics of each of the gospels.
I want to start by summarizing similarities between Elijah the Tishbite and John the Baptist. We can say that Elijah was a “forerunner” for Elisha, and John was a forerunner for Jesus. The New Testament writers clearly understood this; in Matthew 11:13-15 and Matthew 17:10-13, John is called “the Elijah to come.” You can also read a prophecy pointing from Elijah to a future person who is very like him. People at the time of the gospels knew of this prophecy, and many wondered whether John the Baptist actually was Elijah. Where is this prophecy? Significantly, it is in the very last verses of the Old Testament, in Malachi 4:5-6. Talk of the Elijah to come closes the Old Testament, and talk of the new Elijah who has come is one of the first topics of each of the gospels.
Briefly, here is a summary of some similarities between Elijah and John:
(1) They both spent extended amounts of time in the wilderness. For John, this was where he lived. For Elijah, this was where he fled after his life was threatened.
(2) They had very similar but very strange clothing: rough clothing made of the hair of an animal, with a leather belt around their waists. The degree of similarity in the descriptions in Mark 1:6 and 2 Kings 1:8 is striking.
(3) They both called on the people to repent; Elijah told the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him…” (I Kings 18:21), and John “preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4).
(4) For both of them, there was a very powerful woman who wanted them dead. In the case of Elijah, this was Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, who, after she learned that the false prophets had been killed, was so furious that she sent a messenger to proclaim that she solemnly vowed to have him killed within 24 hours (I Kings 19:1-2). In the case of John, this was Herodias. Herod had been married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Petra. But Herod divorced her and then married Herodias. However, according to the historian Josephus, who lived and wrote his accounts only a few decades after these events, Herodias was already married, to Herod’s brother, Philip. John the Baptist, according to Mark 6:17-20, told Herod that this was unlawful, and this made Herodias plot to kill John. Verses 21-27 explain how she ultimately succeeded through trickery to cause John’s death.
(5) Both were Baptists, of sorts. In the case of Elijah, the people repented after the showdown with the false prophets, shouting, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” and shortly thereafter there was a pouring rain that came down, the first rain in years. In a sense, this was a baptism on everyone, on the entire land. As for John, he is of course known as John the Baptist because he went around baptizing people who had repented of their sins.
(6) Both baptized a sacrifice accepted by God. In the case of Elijah, in the showdown with the false prophets at Mount Carmel, Elijah prepared an animal sacrifice and poured water all over it and all around it. A little later, God sent fire, consuming the sacrifice, showing that God was real and that He accepted this form of sacrificial offering from Elijah. You can read about this in I Kings 18. What about John the Baptist? What sacrificial offering did he baptize? The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, that is, Jesus. And the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came and rested on Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” So there was a sense in which the “sacrifice” was accepted that day. But even this was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate death on the cross, and the fact that this once-for-all sacrifice for all sin was accepted by God was Jesus’ resurrection after three days.
So what about the similarities between Elisha and Jesus? We have talked through this some throughout this series, but here is an incomplete summary:
(1) Elisha was “filled” with Elijah’s spirit (a double portion, 2 Kings 2:9-15); Jesus received the Holy Spirit – it rested and remained on Him at His baptism. Note that John the Baptist is repeatedly mentioned as having the Spirit even as a baby, even before birth (Luke 1:15); yet Jesus, being God, has “more” of this Spirit that is in John – He has the Spirit “without limit” (John 3:34). Elisha has a “double” portion, but Jesus has an “infinite” portion.
(2) Elisha can be said to be “greater” than Elijah, for example, in the quantity and variety of miracles – by some counts, Elijah did 8 miracles whereas Elisha did 16; John himself stated that Jesus would be greater than him, so much so that he was not even worthy to carry His sandals (Matt. 3:11-17, John 3:30).
(3) The location in which Elisha “replaced” Elijah (where Elijah was taken up) was the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:6-9). Similarly, the Jordan River was also the place where Jesus “replaced” John (Matt. 1:28, John 3:26). In fact for both it says it was on the “other side” of the river (the “Jordan” side of Jordan).
(4) Elisha acted as a “minister to the Gentiles” – for example, healing Naaman of Aram (2 Kings 5:1-16); so did Jesus – for example, healing the demon-possessed daughter of a Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:21-28).
(5) People tried to take Elisha by force (2 Kings 6:13-14) but he escaped. Similarly, people tried to take Jesus by force (John 8:59, 10:39) but He escaped.
(6) Elisha “opened the eyes” of his servant so that he could see spiritual realities – the chariots and armies of heaven (2 Kings 6:17). Similarly, Jesus opened the eyes of His disciples (Mark 9:2) so they could see Jesus’ spiritual reality – the transfiguration.
(7) Elisha rebuked His servant/disciple (2 Kings 5:26-27). Similarly, Jesus frequently rebuked His disciples (Matt. 8:26 – the twelve for having so little faith, Matt. 16:23 – Peter, for saying “surely not, Lord” in response to Jesus saying He would die, Luke 9:54-55 – James and John, when they wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy people who would not welcome Him, Mark 16:14 – the eleven in a post-resurrection appearance for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Jesus after He had risen)
(8) Elisha miraculously cleansed a leper, the soldier Naaman (2 Kings 5); so did Jesus clean a leper, multiple ones in fact, (Mark 1:40-45, Luke 17:11-19).
(9) Elisha miraculously reversed death by raising a dead son and restoring him to his mother (2 Kings 4:1-7); so did Jesus (Luke 7:11-17).
(10) Elisha restored sight to the blind (2 Kings 6:8-23); so did Jesus, on multiple occasions (Mark 8:22-26, Matt. 9:27-31).
(11) Elisha reversed the laws of gravity and made something float that should not float – an axe head (2 Kings 6:1-7); so did Jesus – Peter and Himself (Matt. 14:22-36).
(12) Elisha miraculously feeds the hungry – feeding the 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-5:19); so did Jesus – feeding thousands (Mark 8:1-12).
(13) Elisha eats a meal with “sinners” – the army of Aram (2 Kings 6:22-23); so did Jesus (Mark 2:13-17, Matt. 9:10).
(1) They both spent extended amounts of time in the wilderness. For John, this was where he lived. For Elijah, this was where he fled after his life was threatened.
(2) They had very similar but very strange clothing: rough clothing made of the hair of an animal, with a leather belt around their waists. The degree of similarity in the descriptions in Mark 1:6 and 2 Kings 1:8 is striking.
(3) They both called on the people to repent; Elijah told the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him…” (I Kings 18:21), and John “preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4).
(4) For both of them, there was a very powerful woman who wanted them dead. In the case of Elijah, this was Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, who, after she learned that the false prophets had been killed, was so furious that she sent a messenger to proclaim that she solemnly vowed to have him killed within 24 hours (I Kings 19:1-2). In the case of John, this was Herodias. Herod had been married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Petra. But Herod divorced her and then married Herodias. However, according to the historian Josephus, who lived and wrote his accounts only a few decades after these events, Herodias was already married, to Herod’s brother, Philip. John the Baptist, according to Mark 6:17-20, told Herod that this was unlawful, and this made Herodias plot to kill John. Verses 21-27 explain how she ultimately succeeded through trickery to cause John’s death.
(5) Both were Baptists, of sorts. In the case of Elijah, the people repented after the showdown with the false prophets, shouting, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” and shortly thereafter there was a pouring rain that came down, the first rain in years. In a sense, this was a baptism on everyone, on the entire land. As for John, he is of course known as John the Baptist because he went around baptizing people who had repented of their sins.
(6) Both baptized a sacrifice accepted by God. In the case of Elijah, in the showdown with the false prophets at Mount Carmel, Elijah prepared an animal sacrifice and poured water all over it and all around it. A little later, God sent fire, consuming the sacrifice, showing that God was real and that He accepted this form of sacrificial offering from Elijah. You can read about this in I Kings 18. What about John the Baptist? What sacrificial offering did he baptize? The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, that is, Jesus. And the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came and rested on Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” So there was a sense in which the “sacrifice” was accepted that day. But even this was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate death on the cross, and the fact that this once-for-all sacrifice for all sin was accepted by God was Jesus’ resurrection after three days.
So what about the similarities between Elisha and Jesus? We have talked through this some throughout this series, but here is an incomplete summary:
(1) Elisha was “filled” with Elijah’s spirit (a double portion, 2 Kings 2:9-15); Jesus received the Holy Spirit – it rested and remained on Him at His baptism. Note that John the Baptist is repeatedly mentioned as having the Spirit even as a baby, even before birth (Luke 1:15); yet Jesus, being God, has “more” of this Spirit that is in John – He has the Spirit “without limit” (John 3:34). Elisha has a “double” portion, but Jesus has an “infinite” portion.
(2) Elisha can be said to be “greater” than Elijah, for example, in the quantity and variety of miracles – by some counts, Elijah did 8 miracles whereas Elisha did 16; John himself stated that Jesus would be greater than him, so much so that he was not even worthy to carry His sandals (Matt. 3:11-17, John 3:30).
(3) The location in which Elisha “replaced” Elijah (where Elijah was taken up) was the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:6-9). Similarly, the Jordan River was also the place where Jesus “replaced” John (Matt. 1:28, John 3:26). In fact for both it says it was on the “other side” of the river (the “Jordan” side of Jordan).
(4) Elisha acted as a “minister to the Gentiles” – for example, healing Naaman of Aram (2 Kings 5:1-16); so did Jesus – for example, healing the demon-possessed daughter of a Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:21-28).
(5) People tried to take Elisha by force (2 Kings 6:13-14) but he escaped. Similarly, people tried to take Jesus by force (John 8:59, 10:39) but He escaped.
(6) Elisha “opened the eyes” of his servant so that he could see spiritual realities – the chariots and armies of heaven (2 Kings 6:17). Similarly, Jesus opened the eyes of His disciples (Mark 9:2) so they could see Jesus’ spiritual reality – the transfiguration.
(7) Elisha rebuked His servant/disciple (2 Kings 5:26-27). Similarly, Jesus frequently rebuked His disciples (Matt. 8:26 – the twelve for having so little faith, Matt. 16:23 – Peter, for saying “surely not, Lord” in response to Jesus saying He would die, Luke 9:54-55 – James and John, when they wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy people who would not welcome Him, Mark 16:14 – the eleven in a post-resurrection appearance for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Jesus after He had risen)
(8) Elisha miraculously cleansed a leper, the soldier Naaman (2 Kings 5); so did Jesus clean a leper, multiple ones in fact, (Mark 1:40-45, Luke 17:11-19).
(9) Elisha miraculously reversed death by raising a dead son and restoring him to his mother (2 Kings 4:1-7); so did Jesus (Luke 7:11-17).
(10) Elisha restored sight to the blind (2 Kings 6:8-23); so did Jesus, on multiple occasions (Mark 8:22-26, Matt. 9:27-31).
(11) Elisha reversed the laws of gravity and made something float that should not float – an axe head (2 Kings 6:1-7); so did Jesus – Peter and Himself (Matt. 14:22-36).
(12) Elisha miraculously feeds the hungry – feeding the 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-5:19); so did Jesus – feeding thousands (Mark 8:1-12).
(13) Elisha eats a meal with “sinners” – the army of Aram (2 Kings 6:22-23); so did Jesus (Mark 2:13-17, Matt. 9:10).
(14) Elisha has a covetous, greedy disciple and God’s punishment falls on him – Gehazi (2 Kings 6:22-27); so did Jesus – Judas (John 12:6, John 13:18-30, Matt. 27:5-8)
(15) Elisha seemed to be almost continually in contact with God the Father (he was surprised when something big happen that God didn’t tell him first – 2 Kings 4:27); similarly, Jesus was continually in contact with God the Father – He had to be or He couldn’t have been continually doing His will (John 5:19-23).
I am sure there are many more parallels. I am encouraged by studying these things because it builds my faith; it shows the unity and continuity of God’s story through history, and it also shows the absolute centrality of Jesus; Jesus is the climax of the story. Just as in good fiction writing foreshadowing is used to build the tension, to add “weight” to the situations unfolding, so has God done this with history. It is true that the fact that we enjoy this in fiction is part of the reason why we enjoy it in the Bible, but I think it is equally true that the fact that we enjoy this in the true-life story of the world as revealed in the Bible is the reason we enjoy it in fiction. It is profound and weighty to us in fiction because there is a part of us that resonates with the truth of God’s word, God’s story, and it resonates with these things because God made us to yearn for Him.
Now on (at last!) to today’s short passage.
Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” – 2 Kings 13:14
(15) Elisha seemed to be almost continually in contact with God the Father (he was surprised when something big happen that God didn’t tell him first – 2 Kings 4:27); similarly, Jesus was continually in contact with God the Father – He had to be or He couldn’t have been continually doing His will (John 5:19-23).
I am sure there are many more parallels. I am encouraged by studying these things because it builds my faith; it shows the unity and continuity of God’s story through history, and it also shows the absolute centrality of Jesus; Jesus is the climax of the story. Just as in good fiction writing foreshadowing is used to build the tension, to add “weight” to the situations unfolding, so has God done this with history. It is true that the fact that we enjoy this in fiction is part of the reason why we enjoy it in the Bible, but I think it is equally true that the fact that we enjoy this in the true-life story of the world as revealed in the Bible is the reason we enjoy it in fiction. It is profound and weighty to us in fiction because there is a part of us that resonates with the truth of God’s word, God’s story, and it resonates with these things because God made us to yearn for Him.
Now on (at last!) to today’s short passage.
Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” – 2 Kings 13:14
Jehoash is now king of Israel. In the lists of the kings in the book 2 Kings, his entry is quite short, only from 2 Kings 13:10 to the rest of today’s passage. He is described in the way of most of the kings: “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat.” That is, he continued to lead his people to worship false Gods, bow down to idols, and basically continue the false religion made in imitation of the worship of the true God that came about at the time of Jeroboam when the nation was split into two.
If the king was evil, why did he weep to see Elisha on his deathbed? One reason I suspect was pragmatism. If you have been going through this series, you have seen how repeatedly God used Elisha to save Israel, both in the lives of individuals and even to the nation as a whole. Jehoash did not have a personal relationship with God, and so Jehoash believed that with the loss of Elisha would be the loss of, if nothing else, a connection to a tremendous source of power. The “My father” was an exclamation of respect, and the phrase “the chariots and horsemen of Israel” meant that he feared for the future of Israel which would be left to this relatively weak army. Interestingly, Elisha used this entire same phrase himself decades earlier in 2 Kings 2:12 when Elijah was taken away from him in the whirlwind.
Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” – 2 Kings 13:15-17
If the king was evil, why did he weep to see Elisha on his deathbed? One reason I suspect was pragmatism. If you have been going through this series, you have seen how repeatedly God used Elisha to save Israel, both in the lives of individuals and even to the nation as a whole. Jehoash did not have a personal relationship with God, and so Jehoash believed that with the loss of Elisha would be the loss of, if nothing else, a connection to a tremendous source of power. The “My father” was an exclamation of respect, and the phrase “the chariots and horsemen of Israel” meant that he feared for the future of Israel which would be left to this relatively weak army. Interestingly, Elisha used this entire same phrase himself decades earlier in 2 Kings 2:12 when Elijah was taken away from him in the whirlwind.
Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” – 2 Kings 13:15-17
By placing his hands on the king’s hands, Elisha was communicating that there would be spiritual and prophetic significance and symbolism in what was about to happen. And after the king shot the arrow, Elisha prophesied a total victory over the Arameans of one location, the foes who had plagued them again and again in the past.
Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” – 2 Kings 13:18-19
The king did this strange action, shooting at the ground, three times and quit. Why? Perhaps he felt foolish, or self-conscious. The king did not have faith to believe that the more he did this, the more additional victories would occur. To me, it is such a contrast to someone like the disciple Peter, even though sometimes misguided, had faith to say that if a little leads to good, then more leads to better. For example, Peter wanted Jesus to not just wash his feet, but all of him. Like I said, he was sometimes misguided, but I would much rather have a Peter than a Jehoash.
How do we apply this to our lives? I think the constant danger in our culture and in our times is that we become jaded, that we think so pragmatically that we give up really asking for “impossible” things in faith. How prayer interacts with the “real” world is a topic far more complex than we have time for today, but I don’t think we can say it is as simple as imagining God saying to us, “You only prayed for a job three times. If you had prayed five or six times, you would get a job.” I think it is actually somewhat dangerous to think like this. It’s not as simple as saying that our prayers change God’s mind. God is God, and He will do what is good and right. But He desires to grant our prayers, to see us pray full of faith, believing and growing in Him. I am sure He is disappointed when our pragmatism leads to us ceasing to hope, ceasing to ask, ceasing to believe. It is better to be a Peter than to be a Jehoash.
Elisha died and was buried. – 2 Kings 13:20a
That should be the end of the story, shouldn’t it? Of course, that’s what the Pharisees and the Romans thought when Jesus died, too, isn’t it? Well, there’s a lot more to that story, and there’s a little more to this story as well:
Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. – 2 Kings 13:20b-21
I so love this account! It’s ironic that this happens because the Israelites were hiding from Moabite raiders. If their kings had had real faith, there wouldn’t be any Moabite raiders. But the way I would summarize this is as follows: He may be dead, but there’s life in him yet. Remember he is the foreshadowing of Jesus. How would I put this? Perhaps as (16) Through death, brings life.
Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” – 2 Kings 13:18-19
The king did this strange action, shooting at the ground, three times and quit. Why? Perhaps he felt foolish, or self-conscious. The king did not have faith to believe that the more he did this, the more additional victories would occur. To me, it is such a contrast to someone like the disciple Peter, even though sometimes misguided, had faith to say that if a little leads to good, then more leads to better. For example, Peter wanted Jesus to not just wash his feet, but all of him. Like I said, he was sometimes misguided, but I would much rather have a Peter than a Jehoash.
How do we apply this to our lives? I think the constant danger in our culture and in our times is that we become jaded, that we think so pragmatically that we give up really asking for “impossible” things in faith. How prayer interacts with the “real” world is a topic far more complex than we have time for today, but I don’t think we can say it is as simple as imagining God saying to us, “You only prayed for a job three times. If you had prayed five or six times, you would get a job.” I think it is actually somewhat dangerous to think like this. It’s not as simple as saying that our prayers change God’s mind. God is God, and He will do what is good and right. But He desires to grant our prayers, to see us pray full of faith, believing and growing in Him. I am sure He is disappointed when our pragmatism leads to us ceasing to hope, ceasing to ask, ceasing to believe. It is better to be a Peter than to be a Jehoash.
Elisha died and was buried. – 2 Kings 13:20a
That should be the end of the story, shouldn’t it? Of course, that’s what the Pharisees and the Romans thought when Jesus died, too, isn’t it? Well, there’s a lot more to that story, and there’s a little more to this story as well:
Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. – 2 Kings 13:20b-21
I so love this account! It’s ironic that this happens because the Israelites were hiding from Moabite raiders. If their kings had had real faith, there wouldn’t be any Moabite raiders. But the way I would summarize this is as follows: He may be dead, but there’s life in him yet. Remember he is the foreshadowing of Jesus. How would I put this? Perhaps as (16) Through death, brings life.
When Jesus was there in the tomb, He may have been dead, but there was life in Him yet. And as we think about friends and loved ones who have passed away, and as we all grow older and closer to the day of our departure from this world, it can be also said that they may be dead, but there’s life in them yet. We may be dead, but there will be life in us yet. Perhaps the best way to say it is this: They may be dead and we may be dead, but there is and there will be life for them and for us in Him, that is, in Christ, yet.
And with these thoughts in mind, I encourage you now to spend some time reflecting on our Savior. As music plays quietly, reflect on how Jesus became dead for you, so that it could be said that there’s life, eternal life, in Him yet. And not just life in Him in the future, but life in Him now. He so desires to transform our lives here and now – so that we live by faith in Him and are transformed ever more into His likeness. He desires life with us now. Spend some time now opening up to Him in prayer, asking Him for forgiveness for the things you have been doing that have been drawing you away from Him, thanking Him for going to the cross so that we could live in Him, and asking Him to help you draw nearer to Him so that your life, like Elisha’s, could point people to Christ.
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