WEBVTT - 2 Kings 2

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's chapter two,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is what we read. When the Lord was

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<v Speaker 1>about to take Elijah up to Heaven in a whirlwind.

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<v Speaker 1>Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, and Elijah said

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<v Speaker 1>to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has told me

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<v Speaker 1>to go to Bethel. But Elisha replied, as surely as

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never

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<v Speaker 1>leave you. So they went down together to Bethel. The

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<v Speaker 1>group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him,

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<v Speaker 1>did you know that the Lord is going to take

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<v Speaker 1>your master away from you today? Of course I know,

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<v Speaker 1>Elisha answered, but be quiet about it. Then Elijah said

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<v Speaker 1>to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has told me

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<v Speaker 1>to go to Jericho. But Elisha replied again, as surely

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<v Speaker 1>as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will

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<v Speaker 1>never leave you. So they went on together to Jericho.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha

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<v Speaker 1>and asked him, did you know that the Lord is

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<v Speaker 1>going to take your master away from you today? Of

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<v Speaker 1>course I know, Elisha answered, but be quiet about it.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Elijah said to Elisha, stay here, for the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>has told me to go to the Jordan River. But

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<v Speaker 1>again Elisha replied, as surely as the Lord lives and

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<v Speaker 1>you yourself live, I will never leave you. So they

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<v Speaker 1>went on together. Fifty men from the group of prophets

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<v Speaker 1>also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and

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<v Speaker 1>Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his

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<v Speaker 1>cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided,

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<v Speaker 1>and the two of them went across on dry ground.

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<v Speaker 1>When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha,

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<v Speaker 1>tell me what I can do for you before I

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<v Speaker 1>am taken away. And Elisha replied, please let me inherit

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<v Speaker 1>a double share of your spirit and become your successor.

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<v Speaker 1>You have asked a difficult thing, Elijah replied, if you

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<v Speaker 1>see me when I am taken from you, then you

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<v Speaker 1>will get your request. But if not, then you won't.

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<v Speaker 1>As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot

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<v Speaker 1>of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove

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<v Speaker 1>between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried

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<v Speaker 1>by a whirlwind into heaven. Elishah saw it and cried out,

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<v Speaker 1>my father, my father, I see the chariots and chariot

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<v Speaker 1>tears of Israel. And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha

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<v Speaker 1>tore his clothes in distress. Elishah picked up Elijah's cloak,

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<v Speaker 1>which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elishah

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<v Speaker 1>returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck

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<v Speaker 1>the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, where is

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord, the God of Elijah. Then the river divided

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<v Speaker 1>and Elisha went across. When the group of prophets from

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<v Speaker 1>Jericho saw from a distance what happened. They exclaimed, Elijah's

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<v Speaker 1>spirit rests upon Elisha, and they went to meet him

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<v Speaker 1>and bowed to the ground before him, Sir. They said,

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<v Speaker 1>just say the word, and fifty of our strongest men

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<v Speaker 1>will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the spear

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<v Speaker 1>of the Lord has left him on some mountain or

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<v Speaker 1>in some valley. No, Elisha said, don't send them, but

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<v Speaker 1>they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing,

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<v Speaker 1>and he finally said, all right, send them, So fifty

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<v Speaker 1>men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

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<v Speaker 1>Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. Didn't I

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<v Speaker 1>tell you not to go, he asked. One day, the

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<v Speaker 1>leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. We have

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<v Speaker 1>a problem, my lord. They told him. This town is

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<v Speaker 1>located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see, but the

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<v Speaker 1>water is bad and the land is unproductive. Elisha said,

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<v Speaker 1>bring me a new ball with salt in it, so

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<v Speaker 1>they brought it to him. Then he went out to

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<v Speaker 1>the spring that supplied the town with water and threw

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<v Speaker 1>the salt into it, and he said, this is what

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord says. I have purified this water. It will

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<v Speaker 1>no longer cause death or infertility, and the water has

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<v Speaker 1>remained pure ever since. Just as Elisha said, Elisha left

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<v Speaker 1>Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking

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<v Speaker 1>along the road, a group of boys from the town

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<v Speaker 1>began mocking and making fun of him. Go away, baldy,

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<v Speaker 1>they chanted, go away, baldy. Elisha turned around and looked

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<v Speaker 1>at them, and he cursed them in the name of

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods

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<v Speaker 1>and mauled forty two of them From there, Elisha went

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<v Speaker 1>to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at this

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<v Speaker 1>portion of scripture. And Lord, I certainly find it interesting

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<v Speaker 1>to look at how you communicated messages to the prophets,

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<v Speaker 1>and how you worked in the its lives, and the

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<v Speaker 1>things that you were doing in their lives and around them,

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<v Speaker 1>and how you were using them to impact the culture

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<v Speaker 1>and the conscience of the people of Israel. And Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful that when we look at your word, we

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<v Speaker 1>see a variety of things that you have communicated to

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<v Speaker 1>your prophets that pertain to us. You reveal to us

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<v Speaker 1>through them what it means to walk with you, and

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<v Speaker 1>what it means to live a life that honors you.

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<v Speaker 1>You revealed through them the fact that your son Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>Christ was going to come to this earth and rule

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<v Speaker 1>and reign and offer salvation and even suffer as he

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<v Speaker 1>paid for the sins of humanity. Lord, these are all

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<v Speaker 1>things revealed in your word by prophets, and so we're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful for that kind of ministry that we can see

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<v Speaker 1>you accomplishing. Through them. Lord, we're also grateful that through

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<v Speaker 1>faith in your son Jesus Christ, your spirit in dwells Us,

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<v Speaker 1>we enjoy a privilege. We enjoy a blessing that not

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<v Speaker 1>all people during the Old Covenant era experienced. Lord, we

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<v Speaker 1>pray that in light of all these gifts, and in

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<v Speaker 1>light of all these blessings, that we would use this

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<v Speaker 1>day to honor you and bring glory to your name. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We're grateful in advance for all that you bring our way.

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<v Speaker 1>We pray that we would recognize that your hand is

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<v Speaker 1>at work in our lives, and that you're seeking to

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<v Speaker 1>give us strength. You're seeking to give us a deepened

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<v Speaker 1>faith and a deepened walk with you, and you're helping

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<v Speaker 1>us grow mature in our faith in your son Jesus Christ. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we love you, and we are grateful for all of

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<v Speaker 1>these things, and we commit this day to your care

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<v Speaker 1>and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.