A prophet watched as his master was lifted into the sky in a whirlwind, borne away on a chariot of fire and horses of fire, until he disappeared from sight. Left behind with the older man's fallen cloak, the prophet must have wondered if he could possibly replace such a towering figure as his master in the annals of history.
The prophet was none other than Elisha. And true to his word, he used the discarded cloak to part the Jordan River, walking across its bed on dry land. Elisha is a biblical character whose life is one of miracles, most of which were relatively minor incidents that took place in the day-to-day life of the people.
A Cloak and a Chariot of Fire
Elisha had served the legendary Elijah as his assistant and had to learn the lessons of the great prophet. When it became clear that Elijah was preparing to leave, Elijah asked his devoted disciple what he could do for him before his departure. Elisha asked that the old prophet pray that he would receive a double portion of Elijah's spirit, so that he could have as much power and success as Elijah. Elijah told him that the prayer would come true if he saw him taken up to heaven. And so when the two were walking one day, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared before them and bore Elijah into the skies, and Elisha cried out in mourning. When the disciple saw that Elijah had vanished into thin air, he picked up his master's cloak that had fallen to the ground during the whirlwind. Elijah was one of only a few biblical figures to ever be taken up to heaven, and now his disciple Elisha was to inherit his mantle.
Fire and horses appeared from nowhere, and Elijah was swept up to heaven in a whirlwind. His cloak fell to the ground. Elisha picked it up — and with it, the task of carrying on what Elijah had started.
The Successor Proves Himself
Standing alone at the Jordan with the cloak in his possession, Elisha had to prove himself worthy of his great predecessor. He took the old prophet's cloak and struck the Jordan, asking where was now the God of Elijah. Then the waters of the Jordan River were parted before him, and Elisha walked across the dry river bed. It was a sign that he had received the power of Elijah. A company of prophets bore witness to the sign and knew that the spirit of Elijah had passed into his disciple. Thereafter Elisha performed an astonishing array of miracles, as well as serving as a prophet and advisor to the kings of Israel and Syria.
It is here, however, that the story of Elisha differs significantly from the story of Elijah and other prophets. The miracles performed by Elisha were, for the most part, more mundane and less spectacular feats of the powers of the Lord. The mighty prophet Elijah was a fiery and dramatic character and often performed impressive displays of divine power. Elisha, for his part, was a caring and compassionate figure who often went out of his way to provide people with what they needed in their time of need.
Miracles of Compassion
Elisha displayed his concern for ordinary people on numerous occasions. When a poor widow, whose husband had died, came to him in despair, worried that her sons would be taken by their creditor, he told her to make as many clay jars as she could out of her neighbors' jugs and fill them with oil. He told her to sell the oil and the jugs to pay off the debt and to keep her sons out of slavery. As it happened, the oil did not run out until the woman had finished filling all the vessels.
Elisha cared for even the poorest and most desperate members of society. A woman of Shunem was kind enough to allow Elisha to stay in her house and even constructed a small room for him there. He rewarded the woman by promising that she would have a son, and she did. However, years later, the child fell gravely ill and died. The grieving mother brought the child to Elisha, who raised the child back to life and returned him to his mother. On other occasions he told a group of prophets that their poisoned stew would not harm them, and it miraculously made them well, and he gave a group of one hundred men a small portion of fresh bread that proved enough to feed everyone with some left over. Again and again, he used his gifts to intervene when people were at their most vulnerable moments and needed help the most.
A poor widow was about to lose her sons to slavery for her dead husband's debts. Elisha told her to borrow every jar in the neighborhood and fill them from her last drop of oil. The oil did not stop until every vessel was full.
Healing a Powerful Enemy
One of Elisha's miracles is famous throughout the Bible. He once healed a powerful foreign general from leprosy. Naaman fought against King David and his son Solomon and was a strong enemy of the Israelites. Naaman was a terrible leper and asked Elisha to cure him. When Elisha sent his servant to inform Naaman that he would cure his leprosy, the general became offended and threatened to kill him. He had expected the great prophet of Israel to receive him in person and perform some impressive public miracle.
Elisha sent messengers to Naaman, telling him to take a bath of seven times in the Jordan River to cure his disease. The commander was annoyed and insisted that the rivers of his country were far cleaner. His servants reminded him, however, that the prophet had told him to bathe in the Jordan River, and they urged him that if the prophet had asked him to do something great, he would have done it. And so, despite the insults and the inconvenience, Naaman did as he was asked and was cleansed of his leprosy. He returned to Elisha and proclaimed that no other god was as great as the God of Israel. The self-assured, boastful Naaman was humbled before God and became a follower of His.
A foreign general who expected a grand ceremony was told to wash in the Jordan seven times. He almost refused — and the humbling of Naaman became his transformation. He came out clean, and then he changed his gods.
A Prophet of Grace
Elisha walked the land of Israel for years, performing miracles and offering his services to the kings of the region. He had a long and storied career, and the miracles he performed were as varied as they were numerous. He once saved an entire village from poisoned water and caused an iron axe head that had fallen into a river to float to the surface so that it would not be lost. Elisha cared about the people of Israel, and even more specifically, about individual people. He was one of the most caring prophets in the Bible, and no hardship was too insignificant to capture his attention or for God's power to be manifested in this world through him.
Elisha played his part as the assistant and eventual successor of the great prophet Elijah while also leaving behind a legacy of his own. He served as an advisor to the kings of Israel and warned them that the might of their enemies could not rival the power of the Lord. When he died, the king of Israel mourned over him, saying that Elisha had been the might and salvation of Israel.
Power Even After Death
It was not long before Elisha's power started to earn him respect even after death. After his body had been buried, some Israelites who happened to be passing through the caves where Elisha was laid to rest were accosted by a group of raiders. Instead of continuing their journey, the Israelites threw the body of the dead man into the cave with Elisha's remains. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man came to life and stood up. Even in death, God's power rested on the bones of the prophet who had spent his life serving ordinary people in their most desperate moments.
Great Prophets and Great Miracles
It is hard to say exactly when Elisha's greatness truly shone through. His role as the successor of the legendary Elijah was destined to make him a great prophet, and he had a long and fulfilling life as a prophet of God. It is his kindness and devotion that makes him a memorable character in the Bible, and his many miracles are a testament to the power of God. They also show that God cared about ordinary people and was willing to answer their prayers and intervene when they were at their most vulnerable.
Elisha is a great biblical figure whose legacy lived on in the hearts and minds of the people long after his death. He may not have been the most dramatic prophet, but he was one of the most caring and kind. His many miracles are a testament to the power of God, as well as evidence of the compassion God showed to the people of Israel — especially the many individuals who found themselves in desperate need of divine intervention. For all these reasons, Elisha will forever remain one of the most enduring prophets in the history of the Israelites.
