Elisha - episode 2

The prophecies are fulfilled

In the present post we conclude Elisha’s story. Elijah could not carry out two of the three commands by the Lord on Mount Horeb (see Elijah - episode 3): the prophet was assumed into Heaven before anointing Hazael to be king of Syria and Jehu to be king of Israel. Elisha his disciple will do it.
The first of these two consecrations happens after other Elisha’s miracles and oracles, which I leave to your personal reading (2Kgs5,20-27; 6,1-8,6). «Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. It was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” The king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’“ So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’“ Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You shall surely recover;’ however the LORD has shown me that he shall surely die.” He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept. Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel […].” Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Syria.” Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.” It happened on the next day, that he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place» (2Kgs 8,7-15). The king of Syria, maybe remembering the miraculous healing of Naaman the captain of his army (see Elisha - episode 1), sends the prophet a messenger to consult him about his health. In this occasion Elisha announces to Hazael, the king of Syria’s messenger, that he will be the next king and he will cause a lot of sufferance to the people of Israel in the future battles against them.
The second consecration will be done by one of Elisha’s disciples, to his order. «Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, “Put your belt on your waist, take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you come there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brothers, and carry him to an inner room. Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door, flee, and do not wait.” So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. Then he said, “I have a message for you, captain.” Jehu said, “To which of us all?” He said, “To you, O captain.” He arose, and went into the house. Then he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish […]. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dogs will eat Jezebel on the plot of ground of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.’” He opened the door, and fled» (2Kgs 9,1-10). Jehu, with the support of the captains of the army, kills King Joram while he is recovering from a war injury; they throw his dead body in the field which was Naboth’s (2Kgs 9,14-26). Queen Jezabel is thrown down from the window of her Jezreel residence and the dogs devour her dead body without permitting her burial (2Kgs 9,30-37); all Ahab’s offspring that is still alive is killed to Jehu’s command or by his own hand (2Kgs 10,1-17). All Elijah’s terrible oracles against King Ahab and his family are fulfilled (see Elijah - episode 4); I underline that the lack of a proper burial is a misfortune to the Ancient Middle East peoples: it prevents the rest of the dead.
Jehu even kills «all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshippers, and all of his priests» (see 2Kgs 10,19); his dynasty will remain relatively stable in the future. «The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin [see Solomon - episode 2: the sanctuaries of Bethel and Dan]» (2Kgs 10,30-31).
Elisha ends his long ministry dying of a sickness during Jehu’s grandson’s reign, after foretelling three victories against the Syrians (2Kgs 13,14-19). His life was so full with the Spirit of the Lord that the mere contact with his bones is enough to resuscitate a dead.



«Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. It happened, as they were burying a man, that behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the tomb of Elisha: and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet» (2Kgs 13,20-21).