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Texts -- 2 Kings 2:15-25 (NET)

Context
2:15 When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho , who were standing at a distance , saw him do this, they said , “The spirit that energized Elijah rests upon Elisha .” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 2:16 They said to him, “Look , there are fifty capable men with your servants . Let them go and look for your master , for the wind sent from the Lord may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys .” But Elisha replied , “Don’t send them out .” 2:17 But they were so insistent , he became embarrassed . So he said , “Send them out .” They sent the fifty men out and they looked for three days , but could not find Elijah. 2:18 When they came back , Elisha was staying in Jericho . He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go ’?”
Elisha Demonstrates His Authority
2:19 The men of the city said to Elisha , “Look , the city has a good location , as our master can see . But the water is bad and the land doesn’t produce crops .” 2:20 Elisha said , “Get me a new jar and put some salt in it.” So they got it. 2:21 He went out to the spring and threw the salt in . Then he said , “This is what the Lord says , ‘I have purified this water . It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops .” 2:22 The water has been pure to this very day , just as Elisha prophesied . 2:23 He went up from there to Bethel . As he was traveling up the road , some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying , “Go on up , baldy ! Go on up , baldy !” 2:24 When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces. 2:25 From there he traveled to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria .

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses' place.God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised La...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • The Gilgal in view may have been the one between Jericho and the Jordan, or it may have been one about seven miles north of Bethel since Elijah and Elisha went down to Bethel (v. 2).10This account presupposes previous revelat...
  • Had Elijah still been alive on the earth Elisha could not have exercised authority as his successor. In this chapter note the parallels between the succession of the prophets and the succession of the kings that the writer re...
  • Even though Jehoram was better spiritually than Ahab (v. 2) he was still so much of an idolater that Elisha had no use for him (vv. 13-14).Mesha had rebelled against Israel earlier (v. 3), but he continued to do so. This upri...
  • Naaman (Aram. gracious) was commander of the Aramean army under Ben-Hadad II (cf. 1 Kings 15:18, 20). Leprosy in the ancient world degenerated the bodies of its victims and eventually proved fatal. At this time no one could c...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • 7:1 We have already read of two dreams that Nebuchadnezzar had (2:1; 4:5). Now God gave one to Daniel. It too was a vision from God that came to Daniel as he slept."In referring to the experience as a dream' (sing.) Daniel wa...
  • 7:14 Amos replied that he was not a prophet by his own choosing; he did not decide to pursue prophesying as a career. Neither had he become a prophet because his father had been one. In Amos' culture it was common and expecte...
  • This event is the climax of the "identity of Jesus"motif in all the Synoptics. Here the disciples saw and heard who Jesus really was. Luke's particular emphasis was the sufferings of Jesus that were coming. This comes through...
  • "John evidently wants us to see that the activity of Jesus as the Light of the world inevitably results in judgment on those whose natural habitat is darkness. They oppose the Light and they bring down condemnation on themsel...
  • The key to the apostles' successful fulfillment of Jesus' commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus' example,...
  • Luke recorded this incident to show the method and direction of the church's expansion to God-fearing Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism at this time. This man had visited Jerusalem to worship, was studying the Old Testam...
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