IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Elisha Begins His Ministry

Date: Mar. 18, 2025

Passage

2 Kings 2:12-25 (ESV)

12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the LORD has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. 18 And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 2:15

Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Elisha witnessed the glory of the Lord when Elijah was taken up to heaven. He tore his clothes and began his new life. He picked up Elijah’s cloak, returned to the Jordan and asked, “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” He struck the waters, just as Elijah had, and the waters parted. The God of Elijah was present., and the spirit of Elijah indeed was resting now on Elisha. The accompanying prophets wanted to search for Elijah, thinking the Lord may have taken him to a mountain or valley somewhere. But Elisha told them not to go. The Lord was now ministering through Elisha.

Elisha came to a town that was situated in a wonderful place, but whose water was foul. Elisha brought healing to the water and to the town. The Lord worked through Elisha to bring healing and life.

There were some who made fun of the prophet and mocked him. Elisha rebuked them for disrespecting his God. Elisha came to restore honor to the God of Israel. He had received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He used it for the restoration of God’s people.

Prayer: Lord, help me to carry on the work of God. Help me to serve God’s purpose and pray for the healing and restoration of our nation.

One Word: Minister with God’s Spirit

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2 Chronicles 23:1-21

Key Verse: 23:16

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