(12) "AND Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!
"And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. (13) He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan. (14) And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.
(15) "And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, The Spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (16) And they said unto him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. (17) And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. (18) And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho; and he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
(19) "And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth. (20) And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. (21) And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying. (22) So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spake."
Golden Text.—"Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." Verse 9.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What was it that Elisha saw? Note 1. (2) What did he cry? How did he express his sorrow at parting with his master? Verse 12. (3) What had fallen to Elisha from Elijah? What then did Elisha do? Verse 13. (4) Arriving at the Jordan what did he do with the mantle? What was the effect on the waters? Verse 14. Note 2. (5) Of what were the "sons of the prophets" convinced when they saw this miracle? How did they manifest their conviction? Verse 15. Note 3. (6) What proposition did they make regarding Elijah? What was Elisha's reply? Verse 16. Note 4. (7) How did the young men regard Elisha's answer? Then what did he say to them? How long did they search? Verse 17. Note 5. (8) When the searchers came back to Jericho, what did Elisha say to them? Verse 18. (9) With what plea did the men of the city come to Elisha? Verse 19. Note 6. (10) What did Elisha tell the men to do? How did they respond? Verse 20. (11) What did Elisha do with the salt? What did he say? Verse 21. Note 7. (12) What was the marvelous result? Verse 22.
NOTES.
1. "Elisha saw it."—As Elijah and Elisha were walking together, after crossing the Jordan, Elijah had said to his servant, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee." In reply, Elisha had said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." So Elijah told him, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." Elisha stayed very close to his master, so that when the time for separation came he saw the devoted prophet ascend toward heaven, and therefore received the desired legacy. The chariots (not singular, as in the A. V.), indicated the Lord's army instead of a single warrior. The chariots of the true Israel and their occupants (invisible to the natural eye), are a great host for the defense of the faithful. See Heb. 1:14.
2. The smiting of the waters of Jordan with Elijah's mantle was the test as to whether the Spirit that guided and strengthened him was really with Elisha, and the successor of the far-famed prophet was encouraged by the parting of the waters.
3. The miracle was also a testimony to the "sons of the prophets" (students of the school at Jericho) that they were hereafter to recognize Elisha as the successor of Elijah.
4. Elisha evidently related the incident of his master's ascension to the students, and they were unable to grasp the situation in its full meaning, altho Elisha fully understood it.
5. The young men urged so strongly that Elisha saw that the only way to convince them was to let them go on their futile mission. As George Matheson says, "He came down to them because they were as yet unable to come up to him."
6. Jericho was in the midst of a fruitful land, the one unfavorable feature being defective water. Now it would seem that this appeal came to Elisha in the nature of a popular test of his powers as a prophet worthy to succeed Elijah.
7. It was the Lord, and not the salt, that healed the waters. The healing, or purifying, must needs affect the fountain permanently in order to be of lasting benefit. But salt, being a preservative, is also used as an emblem of that which purifies or preserves. The Saviour says to His disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth." It is because of their presence in the earth, and the purifying influence of the truth which they disseminate, that the wicked were not long ago cut off. For the sake of ten righteous men, Sodom would have been spared. "But if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden underfoot of men." Matt. 5:13. See, also, Mark 9:50; Col. 4:6.
