Ep. 137. 2 Kings 1-2 | See Ya Elijah
EPISODE 137
SEE YA ELIJAH: 2 KINGS 1-2
Elijah is one of two men in the Scripture who doesn't die, the other being Enoch in Genesis. However, since we are told very little about Enoch's departure, we are left wholly convinced that Elijah's departure is infinitely cooler. Elijah departs for heaven via a whirlwind of chariots and horses of fire. What a unique sight that must have been. As I noted in the video, when Elisha dies, the king present declares, "The chariots of Israel and its horsemen." Could it be that the spirit of Elisha departed similarly to the way the body and person of Elijah departed? Did the king see the same thing Elisha beheld when Elijah was taken? We won't know the answer to that. There isn't another place in the Bible when this imagery accompanies someone's death. I find it fascinating and wonderful.
This story also has two of the four places where water is parted for someone or a group of people to travel across on dry land. The first was the Red Sea, and the second was when the people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Of course, the significance of it here is to show that Elisha had the same spirit as Elijah and to confirm him as Elijah's successor to the prophets of God. That is the same reasoning for Moses and Joshua. When Joshua led the people across the Jordan on dry land, it was reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea and confirmed Joshua as the rightful successor to Moses.
Now, let's talk about the boys and the bears. What in the heck is going on with that? Elisha is obviously not a fan of being mocked by the boys for his baldness, but Elisha doesn't "call" the bears out against the boys. Instead, Elisha curses the boys, and the result of the curse is that two bears come out of the woods and rip apart 42 boys. That begs another question: why in the world are 42 boys hanging out? What is going on there? I've never socialized with that big of a group of people.
Whatever the point of the boys and the bears, it is certainly decided that Elisha has taken up (literally and figuratively) the mantle of Elijah.
ADDITIONAL READING: 2 Kings 13:14; Acts 8:39; Exodus 14:21-22; Joshua 3:14-17; Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5
