1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's chapter two, 5 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: and this is what we read. When the Lord was 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: about to take Elijah up to Heaven in a whirlwind. 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, and Elijah said 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has told me 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,639 Speaker 1: to go to Bethel. But Elisha replied, as surely as 10 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never 11 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: leave you. So they went down together to Bethel. The 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, 13 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: did you know that the Lord is going to take 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: your master away from you today? Of course I know, 15 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: Elisha answered, but be quiet about it. Then Elijah said 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has told me 17 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: to go to Jericho. But Elisha replied again, as surely 18 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will 19 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: never leave you. So they went on together to Jericho. 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha 21 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: and asked him, did you know that the Lord is 22 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: going to take your master away from you today? Of 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: course I know, Elisha answered, but be quiet about it. 24 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: Then Elijah said to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: has told me to go to the Jordan River. But 26 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: again Elisha replied, as surely as the Lord lives and 27 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: you yourself live, I will never leave you. So they 28 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: went on together. Fifty men from the group of prophets 29 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and 30 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his 31 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, 32 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: and the two of them went across on dry ground. 33 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, 34 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: tell me what I can do for you before I 35 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: am taken away. And Elisha replied, please let me inherit 36 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 1: a double share of your spirit and become your successor. 37 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: You have asked a difficult thing, Elijah replied, if you 38 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: see me when I am taken from you, then you 39 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: will get your request. But if not, then you won't. 40 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot 41 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove 42 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried 43 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: by a whirlwind into heaven. Elishah saw it and cried out, 44 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: my father, my father, I see the chariots and chariot 45 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: tears of Israel. And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha 46 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: tore his clothes in distress. Elishah picked up Elijah's cloak, 47 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elishah 48 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck 49 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, where is 50 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of Elijah. Then the river divided 51 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: and Elisha went across. When the group of prophets from 52 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Jericho saw from a distance what happened. They exclaimed, Elijah's 53 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: spirit rests upon Elisha, and they went to meet him 54 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: and bowed to the ground before him, Sir. They said, 55 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: just say the word, and fifty of our strongest men 56 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the spear 57 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: of the Lord has left him on some mountain or 58 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: in some valley. No, Elisha said, don't send them, but 59 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, 60 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: and he finally said, all right, send them, So fifty 61 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: men searched for three days but did not find Elijah. 62 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. Didn't I 63 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: tell you not to go, he asked. One day, the 64 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. We have 65 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: a problem, my lord. They told him. This town is 66 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see, but the 67 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: water is bad and the land is unproductive. Elisha said, 68 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: bring me a new ball with salt in it, so 69 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: they brought it to him. Then he went out to 70 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: the spring that supplied the town with water and threw 71 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: the salt into it, and he said, this is what 72 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: the Lord says. I have purified this water. It will 73 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: no longer cause death or infertility, and the water has 74 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: remained pure ever since. Just as Elisha said, Elisha left 75 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking 76 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: along the road, a group of boys from the town 77 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: began mocking and making fun of him. Go away, baldy, 78 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: they chanted, go away, baldy. Elisha turned around and looked 79 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: at them, and he cursed them in the name of 80 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods 81 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: and mauled forty two of them From there, Elisha went 82 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria. Let's pray, Lord, 83 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 84 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at this 85 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: portion of scripture. And Lord, I certainly find it interesting 86 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: to look at how you communicated messages to the prophets, 87 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 1: and how you worked in the its lives, and the 88 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: things that you were doing in their lives and around them, 89 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: and how you were using them to impact the culture 90 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: and the conscience of the people of Israel. And Lord, 91 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: we're grateful that when we look at your word, we 92 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: see a variety of things that you have communicated to 93 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: your prophets that pertain to us. You reveal to us 94 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: through them what it means to walk with you, and 95 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: what it means to live a life that honors you. 96 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: You revealed through them the fact that your son Jesus 97 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: Christ was going to come to this earth and rule 98 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: and reign and offer salvation and even suffer as he 99 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 1: paid for the sins of humanity. Lord, these are all 100 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: things revealed in your word by prophets, and so we're 101 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: grateful for that kind of ministry that we can see 102 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: you accomplishing. Through them. Lord, we're also grateful that through 103 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: faith in your son Jesus Christ, your spirit in dwells Us, 104 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: we enjoy a privilege. We enjoy a blessing that not 105 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: all people during the Old Covenant era experienced. Lord, we 106 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: pray that in light of all these gifts, and in 107 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: light of all these blessings, that we would use this 108 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: day to honor you and bring glory to your name. Lord. 109 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: We're grateful in advance for all that you bring our way. 110 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: We pray that we would recognize that your hand is 111 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: at work in our lives, and that you're seeking to 112 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: give us strength. You're seeking to give us a deepened 113 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: faith and a deepened walk with you, and you're helping 114 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: us grow mature in our faith in your son Jesus Christ. Lord, 115 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: we love you, and we are grateful for all of 116 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: these things, and we commit this day to your care 117 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.