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ELISHA; HIS FINAL ACTS!

On the 20th of Adar in the year 795 B. C. a memorial service was held for Elisha - Israel's prophet of mercy. It was attended by those from every walk of life. In attendance on the outer edge were the poorest of the poor standing while straining to hear every word that was said and up front, seated near those who spoke, were the richest of the rich.

The Shunammite woman and her son were present. Seminary students from both Israel and Judah set aside their differences and attended in mass. Joash, king of Judah, and his cabinet came a day early to attend the service. Jehoash, king of Israel, and all his officials attended and paid their respects to this man of God. Even Gehazi, though no one seen him, was present and knew that without Elisha's presence in and prayers for Israel that the nation faced its darkest days.

Hazael, king of Aram, didn't attend but he sent a sympathy card from Hallmark which expressed his condolences. Naaman's family and the young servant girl who was now married and had a family of her own attended the service. Naaman, of course, was well along in years by this time and getting around wasn't easy for him but he insisted on making the trip to Samaria.

During the course of the service those who wished to do so were invited to come up front and share their memories of Elisha. The Shunammite woman, as you can imagine, walked up and told those in attendance of how Elisha had blessed her life in so many ways. Her son was alive today because of Elisha, in fact, as most knew, he had given the boy's life as a gift to her twice in a very real sense. She had a wise counselor in Elisha, one that she could trust to have only her interest at heart. But most of all she had, in this man, a good friend who loved her as God loved her. Many in attendance that day nodded in agreement and if they had the courage to stand up in front of others they would have echoed the woman's story.

The present mayor of Jericho stood up and reminded the group that it was Elisha who had given his city spring-fresh water. To this day the land had remained productive and Jericho, as everyone knew, was like an oasis in a thirsty land. He told of how the citizens of Jericho planned to erect a statue in honor of Elisha so that no one would ever forget what a blessing he was to the city. An old man from Baal Shalishah stood up and told of how Elisha had used his meager gift of twenty loaves of barley bread (dinner rolls) to feed a hundred men and had some left over.

Then some seminary students stood up and related some of the great lessons they had learned from their professor. One, in particular, stood and told of how Elisha, who by that time was an international figure, was willing to pitch in on a construction project. That in itself was impressive, but what has stuck with him all these years is how Elisha stooped to help him recover an ax head. For here was a man of international prominence willing to spend his time on energy helping a nobody solve a problem that, at best, simply put temporary ripples in a muddy river.

Someone stood up and told of how Elisha was Israel's secret weapon in its many skirmishes with Aram. He told of how his family, though Elisha never knew it, was protected from harm one night because this man of God had information that was passed on to those in charge of national security. And, of course, Naaman stood up white as snow and told others of how this man had literally given him a new lease on life. He praised the God of Israel for his mercy and goodness and on that day there were more than a few who rejoiced with Naaman.

Now the present king of Israel, Jehoash, Jehu's grandson, heard all of this and knew of stories that were never told on that day. He grew up knowing all about Elisha and his many deeds. He cut his teeth on stories of Elisha. Nevertheless, like all the kings of Israel, he never put his faith in Elisha's God. Yes, he had enough respect for Elisha, or enough political savvy, not to turn the man away when he dropped in for a visit. But he couldn't fully commit himself to the God of Elisha. To him that seemed more like political suicide than anything else.

This lack of faith revealed itself in one of Elisha's final acts of mercy. It was an attempt on the prophet's part to provide for the nation even after his death. It was also a story that was never told at the memorial service for to do so would have been an embarrassment to the current administration. Then too, it was never told for to tell it would mean putting stock (faith) in God. This was something the king was unwilling to do - neither personally nor officially. We pick up the story in II Kings 13: 14 - 25. We read: Now Elisha was 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!" 15 Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. 16 "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. 17 "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." 18 Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. 19 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."

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21 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.

Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. 24 Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.

Clearly, Elisha was well along in years and not a well man. He probably knew that his remaining days on earth were numbered and that number would be reached within a month. All may have been well with his soul, but the wellness of his body was another story.

The king, though clearly not a man of God, grieved when he heard that Elisha was very ill. In his grief he went to visit this man who again and again had been instrumental in preserving Israel against its enemies. He had heard the old old stories and he believed them. He respected Elisha, but he personally never really made the connection between Elisha and the God of Elisha. He failed to understand that Elisha was great because he served a great God.

In the midst of the visit, Elisha instructed the king to pick up a bow and some arrows. When the king had done so, he placed his own hands on those of the king indicating that something significant was about to take place. After placing his hands on the hands that contained the bow and arrows he explained that the arrows were the "Lord's arrows of victory" against Aram (Syria). He then instructed him to shoot the arrows out the east window, toward Aram.
He shot three of them. He shot three when he could have shot two or three times that number. He shot three and thought that three would satisfy the old prophet. He shot three not fully believing they were the "Lord's arrows of victory." He shot three out of respect for the old prophet, but shot none out of faith in God.
You see, Faith is . . .
"the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
"the sixth sense of the believer."
"expecting God to accomplish miracles through twenty dinner rolls."
"rejecting the feeling of panic when things seem out of control."
"knowing that it is not what I am doing but what He is doing through me
that really matters."
"refusing to turn and run in the face of giant-size problems."
"realizing that feeling inadequate, weak, and needy is not the worst that can
happen to me but the best for the kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit."
"the dependence of a newborn."
"the way to please God."

However you define faith, King Jehoash had little of it. He angered Elisha by shooting just three arrows and with just three arrows he wasn't going to shock and awe Syria. Now note, Elisha was angry with the king not disappointed in him. He was angry for there was enough evidence before him in the life and ministry of Elisha to at least put his faith in the prophet's words when he couldn't put his faith in an invisible God.

It wasn't too many days later that Elisha died and was buried. When Scripture tells us he was "buried" it is telling us that he was certifiably dead. His death had been verified by the nation's foremost Medical Examiner in the presence of two witnesses. He was dead and he was buried, an era of mercy had come to an end.

A month later, at another funeral, some Israelites were surprised by a band of Moabite raiders. In fear for their lives, they quickly ditched the body by throwing it in Elisha's tomb. When the body landed on the bones of the old prophet the man sprang to life, stood up, and took off after his friends. Rumor has it that he never did catch up with them until the next day when they were too exhausted to keep running away from their fears.

Again God reaches out to the dead in Israel. In vivid incontestable fashion he reminded the nation that he was the God of the living not the dead. In him was life, not only for Elisha and the unknown man who was restored to life but for the entire nation. If they would simply put their trust in him and not in themselves, for in themselves they could do nothing, they'd experience true life.

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