bible study miracles of elijah and elisha

Bible study miracles of elijah and elisha movie#

In 2 Kings 4, Elisha absconds to the restful town of Shunem and one Shunammite home in particular. There’s one story of Elisha that I’d like to note because it really mattered to Jesus. If we know that God is, in fact, God over all, do we also know that His heart is to save and rescue His people? It is no wonder Elisha’s name means “God saves.” Throughout 2 Kings, we find Elisha performing many miracles, like multiplying oil vessels to save a widow from debt, rescuing friends from a poisonous soup, multiplying food that feeds hundreds, and even healing a gentile! Does this sound familiar? Elisha tends to mirror the ministry of Jesus. In contrast to the ministry of Elijah, with Elisha, we get a window into what this all-powerful and sovereign God cares about and why it matters. We even see this paralleled in the name of Elijah, which means “Jehovah is my God.” Even through Elijah’s name, God is displaying His ultimate sovereignty.Īs the story continues in 2 Kings, we see Elijah taken up into heaven in a miraculous whirlwind and the mantle of his ministry landing squarely on the shoulders of his protege, Elisha. Through Elijah, God displayed His true power over His creation, His kings, and His world. A paraphrase of Elijah’s message to Israel would be something like, “Hey, this Baal god isn’t needed or necessary! You have a true God that hears you and can move in the natural world around you! Ask Him for help!” With Elijah, we have a powerful picture of who God is-sovereign over all, even an idol as powerful as Baal. We’ve all heard these stories about Elijah confronting King Ahab and challenging his god, Baal, to a duel. We see Israel’s kings fall further into idol worship until finally, King Ahab initiates state-sanctioned idol worship, specifically to the god Baal. The book of 1 Kings provides an account of the death of David, the rise and fall of his son, Solomon, and the decline and division of the Kingdom of Israel. In Matthew and Mark’s gospel, just after the Transfiguration, the disciples ask Jesus about the prophecy given in Malachi 4:4-6: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first (Mark 9 and Matthew 17)?” Jesus explains to them that Elijah has indeed come, and he has come in the person of John the Baptist, fulfilling that prophecy.Įlijah is a big deal, even in the New Testament but what about Eli sha, the successor of Eli jah? Was Elisha an enigmatic character, a prophet whose only claim to fame was based on his association with the great Elijah?įirst, let’s look at Elijah’s life through the book of Kings. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Peter would later write, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Of course they were scared! Just as the baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his public life, the Transfiguration celebrated its capstone. All three synoptic gospels portray this event as a powerful demonstration of the divine nature of Jesus and the manifestation of His glory. In Luke’s gospel, Elijah and Moses were present at what the gospels call “the Transfiguration,” the event in which Jesus’ appearance was so glorified and transformed that it frightened onlooking Peter, James, and John. No wonder he held such a superhero status. A symbol of hope and redemption in Judaism over the centuries, Elijah’s return is prophesied to mark the messiah’s earthly arrival. Those stories gave me a sense of hope and spurred me on to know more about the God of the Bible.įirst-century Jewish messianism found superheroes in prophets, notably Elijah, the prophet who never died. As a teenager, I remember reading stories of revival by Jonathan Edwards late into the night with a flashlight. For me, my heroes were all behind a church podium. My husband has a short list of superheroes: his father and Roger Staubach.

Bible study miracles of elijah and elisha movie#

Even as adults, we look to figures holding larger-than-life personas, generally on the sports field, movie screen, or church platform. We all have our superheroes that shape us, whether real or imaginary.