Sometimes the lives of the kings of Israel and Judah become too predictable. They follow after other gods, erect Asherah poles and altars and in general prostitute themselves to gods who have no ability to save them. Fortunately, in their wicked midst, God always placed his prophets. Sometimes they felt like they were fighting the battle all on their own, but they were always true to their Lord God.
Elisha was now following Elijah around, anxious to learn all he could from this godly man. Elijah had just had another encounter with a king This time it was Ahaziah and Elijah had delivered the news to him that he would die without leaving his bed because he consulted the god Baal-Zebub. Now they were on their way from Gilgal.
The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."
Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho."
And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.
The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."
Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan."
And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. - 2 Kings 1:3-6 NIV
Elisha was determined to get as much as he could from Elijah. He knew he would soon be on his own, so he asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. 'You have asked a difficult thing,' Elijah told him, 'but if you see me taken up into heaven, it will be.' And so Elisha was with him when the horses and chariot of fire appeared and took Elijah away in a whirlwind. He picked up Elijah's cloak and as Elijah had done, struck the water and it parted so he could cross. The prophets on the other side all recognized that Elisha now had the same power that Elijah possessed. And subsequently Elisha, the bald headed prophet, healed the bad water, prophesied victory for Jehosaphat, miraculously provided an abundance of oil for the widow to pay her debts with, restored the Shunammite's son to life, cured the poisoned pot of stew and fed one hundred with twenty loaves of bread and some grain.
Many of these miracles are a foreshadowing of what God's own son would do a few centuries later, and they proved that God's spirit continued to reside with men who followed after Him with all their hearts.
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