The Heart of God: The Decline and Fall of Israel (2)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on 2 Kings 1, 2, 5-7.
Elisha (“My God Saves”) carried on the ministry begun by Elijah, and continued to call Israel to turn from her sin and return to the Lord. Yet neither of these prophets, nor any of their successors, whom we will consider next, were able to turn the people back to their covenant relationship with God.

For reflection
1.  How can you see in the relationship between Elijah and Elisha an illustration of the continuity of God’s covenant from generation to generation? How did God confirm that He had transferred Elijah’s authority and power to Elisha?

2.  With Elisha, we see a peculiar concern for the Gentile nations – God’s grace extended to them in various ways. Why do we need to know about this? What aspect of God’s covenant is He reminding us of in these vignettes (recall Gen. 12.1-3)?

3.  Meditate on 2 Kings 6.15-17. Does this episode remind you of any previous glimpses into the unseen realm? Why are these reminders important? How do they relate to the promises of God’s covenant? What are they meant to accomplish in shoring up our commitment to God and His covenant?

4.  Lepers relieved, feeding the hundreds (2 Kgs. 4.42-44), visitations of angels, calling for repentance and faith: How can you see that, in some ways, Jesus (“He saves”) recapitulates aspects of the ministry of Elisha? Why was it important that He do that? How does Elisha’s ministry point forward to Jesus?

5.  How can you see the grace of God at work in the lepers of Samaria (ch. 7)? What does this story suggest about how the blessings and promises of God’s covenant come to His people?

Summary
With Elijah and Elisha we are reminded that God’s covenant operates at various levels – personal, national, among leaders, among lepers, in heaven, on the earth, within Israel, and toward the Gentile nations. It’s almost as if the stories attached to the lives of these two prophets are trying to say to Israel, “Don’t you understand what you’re missing?” How do the ministries of Elijah and Elisha expand your understanding of the scope and promises of God’s covenant?

Closing Prayer
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.