Elisha gives us a concise question to summarize the main theme of these chapters when he returns to the banks of the Jordan River: “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?’” (2 Kings 2:14) We see abundant evidence of the response here: reigning on high in His glorious dominion, attentive to the needs of the remnant that He has preserved by grace.
He protects His prophet Elijah from the threat of arrest by Ahaziah. He
receives Elijah, and then manifests His power through Elisha. He heals the waters of a city. He preserves the kings of Israel, Judah and Moab by giving them water in
the desert and victory over the Edomites. He provides abundantly for a widow. He blesses the Shunammite with a son and resurrects him from the dead. He removes the poison from a stew for the prophets and fills them when there is little food. Over and over, Yahweh demonstrates His caring provision and protection for His
remnant.
On the other hand, He demonstrates His justice. Elijah has a question for
King Ahaziah: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3) At least Jeroboam in the middle of all his idolatry looked for the prophet of Yahweh when he sent his wife to consult him on the life of their son (1 Kings 14:1-3); Ahaziah prefers to listen to a pagan god, and therefore will die (2 Kings 1:16). A large group of young men leave the center of idolatry called Bethel to threaten, berate and humiliate Yahweh’s prophet. In accordance with the curse of Leviticus 26:22 (“And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children”), 42 of them are mauled (2 Kings 2:24). Though Yahweh’s enemies may have terrestrial power and superiority of numbers, they cannot withstand the burning of His wrath.
Throughout these events the same questions confront us: Will we identify ourselves with Yahweh even in times of need, of weakness, of threat and
tribulation? Or will we be carried along by the thinking of the majority and of the powerful in the world? Will we maintain our devotion to Yahweh even when it is not fashionable? “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Elijah, Elisha and the remnant in 2 Kings experience that Yahweh is sufficient and worthy of praise especially in these kinds of situations.
He protects His prophet Elijah from the threat of arrest by Ahaziah. He
receives Elijah, and then manifests His power through Elisha. He heals the waters of a city. He preserves the kings of Israel, Judah and Moab by giving them water in
the desert and victory over the Edomites. He provides abundantly for a widow. He blesses the Shunammite with a son and resurrects him from the dead. He removes the poison from a stew for the prophets and fills them when there is little food. Over and over, Yahweh demonstrates His caring provision and protection for His
remnant.
On the other hand, He demonstrates His justice. Elijah has a question for
King Ahaziah: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3) At least Jeroboam in the middle of all his idolatry looked for the prophet of Yahweh when he sent his wife to consult him on the life of their son (1 Kings 14:1-3); Ahaziah prefers to listen to a pagan god, and therefore will die (2 Kings 1:16). A large group of young men leave the center of idolatry called Bethel to threaten, berate and humiliate Yahweh’s prophet. In accordance with the curse of Leviticus 26:22 (“And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children”), 42 of them are mauled (2 Kings 2:24). Though Yahweh’s enemies may have terrestrial power and superiority of numbers, they cannot withstand the burning of His wrath.
Throughout these events the same questions confront us: Will we identify ourselves with Yahweh even in times of need, of weakness, of threat and
tribulation? Or will we be carried along by the thinking of the majority and of the powerful in the world? Will we maintain our devotion to Yahweh even when it is not fashionable? “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Elijah, Elisha and the remnant in 2 Kings experience that Yahweh is sufficient and worthy of praise especially in these kinds of situations.
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