Message of the Week

Scripture: II Kings 13: 14-23 July 23, 2023

Message: “Elisha’s last days!” by Pastor George Gnade

Intro.: 1. Today we will study the last days of Elisha’s life.

In fact, in II Kings 13:14, we are told “he was suffering

from the illness” from which he would die.

a. It is a reminder that all great men and women of

God will eventually die. This is all the more reason to

appreciate them while we can.

b. The only exceptions were Enoch who “pleased God”

and was taken directly to heaven (Gen. 5: 23-24), and

Elijah who was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.

2. Of course Jesus voluntarily agreed to be crucified and

die in our place. But after His resurrection, the Bible

makes it clear He would never die again. And because He

lives, someday all who love and believe in Him will be with

Him in glory.

3. While Elisha was a great man of God, he still became

sick, and in the passage we are studying today, we are told

he knew this disease would soon cause him to die down

here before going to be with the Lord up there.

A. In the passage we are studying, we learn about the last

act of kindness that Elisha did for the king of Israel before

he died. To begin with, I would like us to look at this story

for a few moments together.

1. The king’s name was Jehoash. When he heard Elisha

was dying, he came to see him and wept over him.

a. If you have ever had a godly person whom you have

turned to in times of need, you can appreciate how

Jehoash felt. He began to grieve before Elisha had even

died.

b. Grief is a normal experience that all of us have gone

through or will go through. In Rom. 12:15, we are told to

“rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those

who mourn.”

2. Now Jehoash was grieving for personal reasons. As the

king of Israel, Elisha meant more to Jehoash than “horses

or chariots.” He had learned the lesson that “if God is for

us, who can stand against us” (Rom. 8:31)!

a. Even as he spoke to Elisha, he was afraid of the king

of Aram and wanted Elisha’s help, wondering what he

would ever do without him.

b. Elisha knew this was the last time he would or

could help him.

3. Elisha told him to take a bow and some arrows and to

open a window facing Aram. Then he put his hands on

Jehoash’s hands and told him to shoot. As he obeyed,

Elisha cried out: “The Lord’s arrow of victory over Aram!”

Then he added: “You will completely destroy the

Arameans at Aphek!”

a. I get the impression that this war had already begun

which is why this visit was so important. But if you have

been studying the life of Elisha with me, this battle was not

the first and would not be the last.

b. Have you ever had a spiritual battle that never

seems to go away? Have you had victories sometimes but

failed on other occasions?

c. That is why Jehoash was in tears. Even if he won

this war, what would he do without Elisha the next time?

4. Again, Elisha knew his need before he even asked. And

as Christians, we must always remember that God knows

our needs before we even ask.

a. So Elisha said to Jehoash in vs. 18: “Take the

arrows” you have left. And the king took them. Then Elisha

told him “to strike the ground.”

b. And the king struck the ground three times and

stopped. This made Elisha angry at him. He did it without

putting his heart into it. Elisha told him he should have

struck the ground at least five or six times. This would

have demonstrated his faith and he would have totally

defeated Aram.

c. Since he didn’t, he would defeat Aram only three

times, but then lose to him at a later date. That is exactly

what happened over a period of years.

5. To me, this is a lesson in faith. Everybody wants God to

help them, but many have no desire to continue to seek the

Lord after they get what they want. God wants His

miracles to motivate us to seek and serve Him zealously.

a. Salvation is a free gift. But once we know the Lord,

God wants us to continue to seek Him. That way our lives

will be changed and we will continue to overcome the evil

one (Phil. 2:12-13).

b. But our lack of zeal for the Lord often leads to

mixed results. The “victorious Christian life” that God

desires for us is instead more like the waves of the sea, full

of ups and downs. May God help us to be more deeply

committed to Him and have more faith in Him.

B. Having considered the last miracle Elisha did before he

died, let us now consider the last miracle he did after he

died! We learn about that in II Kings 13: 20-21.

1. In vs. 20, we are told that Elisha died and was buried

when something strange happened.

a. The Moabites raided the land of Israel every Spring.

One day while some Israelites were burying someone they

loved, a band of raiders suddenly came toward them. So

they threw the man’s body into the tomb used for Elisha.

b. And in vs. 21, we are told “when his body touched

Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood on his feet.”

2. This was God’s way of telling them that even though

Elisha had died, there was life in those bones!

a. Elijah had been taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.

God rarely does anything the same way.

b. So in Elisha’s case, he was allowed to die and

people knew where he was buried. But this miracle was

meant to teach us that, even though he had died, his spirit

had come back to life, and from that moment on he was in

heaven with Jesus! To show us this was true, God allowed

the power He had given Elisha to do one more miracle

using his bones that were obviously still in his grave.

3. There are two ways this is a symbolic picture of Jesus

who died at the hands of His enemies.

a. First of all, as soon as Jesus died, many God-fearing

people were immediately raised from the dead. They

didn’t even have to touch Jesus’ bones! But they sure could

testify that even in His death He could give life to those

who believed in Him (Matt. 27:50-51).

b. Secondly, after three days, Jesus Himself came back

to life here on this earth and appeared to many. The fact

that His body was no longer in His grave proved it.

4. This reminds me of what Jesus said to Mary and Martha

after Lazarus died. He said: “I am the resurrection and the

life. He that believes in me, even though he die, yet shall

he live. Whoever lives (till I come) and believes in me, will

never die (at all)” (See John 11: 25-26).

In Conclusion:

1. God wants us to come to Him, and He

loves to help us and answer our prayers. Jesus’ life on

earth certainly proved this is true. And every prayer we

pray in faith in Jesus’ name, is received by God and

answered by God in accordance with His will.

2. And of course, Jesus, as the greater Elisha, not only rose

from the dead, but has gone to heaven where He will never

die again. Yes, there was life giving power in His bones

too! Praise God He is coming again. Maybe we will have

the privilege of seeing this actually happen during our life

time. Amen!