Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 237
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SAMUEL–KINGS
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Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him,
“Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you
today?”
“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go
to the Jordan River.”
But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself
live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.
Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a
distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah
folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided,
and the two of them went across on dry ground!
When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I
can do for you before I am taken away.”
And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit
and become your successor.”
“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when
I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you
won’t.”
As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating
them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and
cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and chario teers of Is
rael!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up.
Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck the water
with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?”
Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.
When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, “Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha!” And they went
to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. “Sir,” they said, “just say
the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your
master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or
in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha said, “don’t send them.” But they kept urging him until they
shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, “All right, send them.” So
fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah. Elisha was still at
Jericho when they returned. “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” he asked.
One day the leaders of the town of Jeric ho visited Elisha. “We have a problem, my lord,” they told him. “This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.”