2 Kings 4:1-44

Elisha’s ministry is marked by numerous miracles that God performs throughout his ministry.  However, the miracles are never intended to show us how amazing Elisha is, but how gracious God is as he takes care of his people.  They show us the character of God and ultimately a picture of what Jesus is going to do. 

2 Kings 4:1-44

How do you deal with hardship in your life? When there is hurt, unfulfilled needs, unreachable desires, do you trust God? This chapter in the life of Elisha will help us see a God who cares and reaches out to us.

The challenge is identifying God’s call and following it instead of following our own human devices. Let’s look into what God did through Elisha and what He is willing to do in our lives.

2 kings 4:1-44

In our fast paced world it is easy to forget some basic attributes of God.  In this passage concerning the prophet Elisha, we are reminded of three great truths.

We’ve all seen our share of reruns and prequels and the Bible has a number of them as well. Some of this text sounds a lot like the ministry of Elijah, the prophet who preceded Elisha. But some of it sounds a lot like the ministry of Jesus, the one who would come after Elisha and not only provide for the needy, multiply food for the hungry, and raise the dead to life, but would do so as the fulfillment; Himself the Bread, the Life, and the Resurrection.

2 Kings 3:1-27

An alliance of three kings against one. “What could go wrong?” you ask? Everything! In 2 Kings 3 we read about the futility of the plans of man when strategized apart from God. Despite not having sought the LORD’s direction, God demonstrates both his power and grace and miraculously delivers these nations. Through this story we learn about our constant need for God’s direction and ultimately his rescue from sin through Christ.

2 Kings 3:1-27

People mess things up – all the time. This passage is a great reminder that God, in His mercy, works in our dysfunction – and downright evil – to display His unlimited power, provision and grace … pointing to the one who came to save us: Jesus!

In the face of a challenging rebellion the consequences and causes of Jeroham's Idolatry are brought to light. He is so blinded by it that he overestimates the challenge in front of him and underestimates the challenge within him. 

2 Kings 2:13-25

The life of the prophet Elijah was marked by mighty miracles done at the command of the LORD. As Elijah’s successor, Elisha has big shoes to fill. 2 Kings 2:13-25 demonstrates that Elisha is indeed God’s empowered propheticsuccessor who comes calling the nation of Israel back to obedience to God’s ways. Ultimately, Elisha points us to the greatest successor of all time: Jesus Christ.

2 Kings 2:13-25

The succession of Elijah’s ministry to Elisha was marked by the power of the Holy Spirt, reminders of God’s covenants, and the messages of blessing for the obedient and punishment for the disobedient. Elisha’s ministry points to Jesus who, in the power of the Spirit, blesses us by taking the punishment of our sin in obedience to the Father, ushering in a new covenant in His blood, and giving us the indwelling presence and power of His Spirit.

As we begin our summer sermon series on Elisha the prophet in 2 Kings, a pivotal moment of transition from Elijah to Elisha is taking place. While Elijah may be gone, God continues to speak, and use Elisha to foreshadow Jesus in many ways.