Bible character overview - Elisha

Written by: My Store Admin

June 3, 2024

Time to read 5 min

Introduction:

Welcome to an insightful character overview of Elisha. Here you'll learn about who Elisha was, what he did, and his strengths and weaknesses. Also, we have provided questions related to the story of Elisha to provoke thought. They can also be used for personal/small-group studies.

Who was Elisha from the Bible?

Key facts

When: roughly around 900 B.C
Where: Samaria
Name meaning: ‘God is salvation’ or ‘God is my salvation’

Glimpse: Elisha was a great prophet of Israel who followed Elijah with great obedience and loyalty. He eventually succeeds Elijah and goes on to do even more miracles than he did. He was a strong character but had a few insecurities when it came to looks. He advised several kings who restored Israel back to God and purged the nation of evil and idolatry.

The call of Elisha

Elisha was the successor to the great prophet Elijah. Before Elijah called him to be his apprentice, Elisha was working as a farmer, plowing the fields with twelve yoke of oxen (1 Kings 19:19). Elisha left everything behind to follow Elijah and become a prophet.

Later, while traveling to Gilgal, Elijah instructed Elisha to stay behind three times, but Elisha refused to leave his side. Suddenly, Elijah was taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot, and Elisha received a double portion of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

In 2 Kings 2:23-24, Elisha encounters a group of boys who mock him by calling him “baldy.” Elisha then curses them, and two bears come out of the forest and maul 42 of the boys.

Questions

→ Do you have a testimony of how you had to sacrifice things to follow Christ?

→ Have you ever struggled with what others think about you?

"Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."

2 kings 2:9

Miracles

Elisha performed twice as many miracles as Elijah, fulfilling the promise of a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Among his notable miracles were raising the dead and causing a small amount of oil to multiply, filling an entire house with jars.

One significant miracle is described in 2 Kings 4:2-7:

Elisha asked a widow, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

Elisha then instructed her, “Go and borrow empty containers from all your neighbors. Don’t get just a few. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set aside the full ones.”

So she went, and after closing the door behind her and her sons, they brought her containers, and she kept pouring oil into them. When all the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.”

He replied, “There aren’t any more.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God, who said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt; you and your sons can live on the rest.”

Questions

→ Do you agree with the saying 'If you don't ask, you don't get'?

→ Does reading about the miracles of the Bible stir your faith? Why don't you think we see as many miracles today in the West?

" And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.''

2 Kings 5:15

Kings and Queens

Elisha also provided counsel to several kings of Israel. One notable mission involved sending a young prophet, as described in 2 Kings 9:1, to anoint Jehu as king of Israel.

Jehu went on to fulfill his divine mandate by killing Jezebel, a wicked queen who despised the prophets of the Lord and sought their destruction while promoting idolatry and corruption. Jehu also eradicated the entire house of Ahab, Jezebel's husband.

In the final days of his life, Elisha met with King Jehoash, who was apprehensive about an impending war. Elisha instructed him, “You are to strike down the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” He then asked Jehoash to take some arrows and strike the ground with them. Jehoash struck the ground three times and stopped.

Elisha was angered by this and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have defeated Aram until you had put an end to them. But now you will defeat Aram only three times.”

Shortly afterward, Elisha succumbed to the illness he had been suffering from and passed away.

Questions

→ Why do you think loyalty is important?

→ What stands out to you from Elisha's life?

“ So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.”

2 kings 13:21

Strengths:

Loyalty: He followed Elijah until the very end. Even when Elijah told him not to
Miracle worker: Received the double portion and performed double the miracles of Elijah
Courage: Advised kings and influenced a nation to turn back to God

Weaknesses:

Insecure: Elisha sometimes got a bit angry, especially with the boys calling him 'baldy'
Peer pressure: We read about a situation in 2 Kings 2:17 where he was forced by the masses to send a search party out for Elijah even though he had just seen him go to heaven

Conclusion

We can learn a lot from Elisha's story. He was loyal to his predecessor and therefore learnt a lot over the time he spent with him which would have aided him in his own ministry. He dared to ask for a double portion and therefore received a double portion. Sometimes we just have to ask otherwise we will never get what we are looking for. In the end, Elisha helped influence a nation because he was willing to be used by God.

''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life''

John 3:16

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The Author: OluKoye Williams

Koye Williams is the creator of the international game biblebumps. His mission is to see the people of the Bible brought to life in a new and exciting way whilst also providing opportunities to spend quality time with the family.

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