The Bones Of Elisha Series

A little girl had just finished her first week of school and she complained to her mother. She said: “I’m WASTING my time. I can’t read, I can’t write—and they won’t let me talk!” That little girl was upset that she was wasting her time! And the question I want you to consider this morning is this: DO YOU WASTE YOUR TIME?

Think about it this way: what if you knew that you had only 24 hours to live? Would you spend that time differently than you do every other day? I suspect that if you knew that… you might. I suspect you’d rearrange your priorities.

Now, to be honest, most of us probably haven’t given that a lot of thought. But – in truth – we probably ought to. Mohammed Ali made an interesting observation - he said: “Live every day as if it were your last --- because one day you’ll be right!”

The Bible even says something like that: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12) You see if we were to NUMBER OUR DAYS - if we were live each day as if they were our last - that would show wisdom because it would force us to focus on the fact that time is precious, and the fact that none of us is going to live forever. If we thought like that, we wouldn’t be satisfied if we WASTED our time.

Now that brings us to our story today. We read about a man who KNOWS he’s going to die. 2 Kings 13:14 tells us “Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die!” Elisha died! And what intrigues me about his death is what Elisha did BEFORE he died, and what happened AFTER he died. And what possible difference those things can have for us.

Elisha was a great prophet of God. The Bible tells us of 16 different miracles Elisha performed while he was alive. Miracles like where he multiplied a few loaves of bread to feed the hungry (2 Kings 4:42-44); Where, at his command, angels blinded an entire enemy army which he then led into the city of Samaria where he restored their sight (2 Kings 6:8-23); Where he healed a leper named Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19); AND where he raised a young boy from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37).

But even his power to resurrect the dead couldn’t save Elisha himself from death. Hebrews 9:27 says “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after that the judgment.” Death is an appointment most everyone must keep (unless Jesus comes 1st). Even great prophets of God.

So… Elisha is going to die, and I suspect he’s lying in bed, and he’s not feeling too good. In 2 Kings 13:14 we’re told that “when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash (also known as Jehoash) the king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"

Now, this is a very touching scene. The King of Israel comes to Elisha’s death bed and weeps for him and he refers to Elisha as “My Father.” Jehoash LOVED Elisha. The problem was – Jehoash didn’t love God. We’re told “Jehoash (Joash) … began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.” II Kings 13:10-11

Jehoash did evil things because he was a bad King. But, his one redeeming quality was that he loved Elisha. And I think Elisha loved him. So, here we have an evil king - that Elisha cared for, and Elisha HAS one last thing share with this king. Elisha wants him to know God… and God’s power.

Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So Joash took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the bow," and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, "Open the window eastward," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them." II Kings 13:15-17

Elisha (the prophet of God) was giving a gift of victory to Jehoash - a victory from God, because the arrow the King was to shoot… Elisha called it “the LORD’S arrow of victory.” Elisha even put his own hands on the King’s hands. It was Elisha’s way of saying – “This is my gift to you. I want you to know that GOD will give you the victory and it’s my prayer you’ll know God did this for you.”