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Home , 2 Kings 4, Elisha, Prophet, Rachel, Woman of Shunem

THE OF AND

Context

At the center of the fertility cults of ancient was the desire to have children, not only for the survival of the family and the inheritance, but also because it was a gift from the deity. Barrenness was a reproach; to die childless was a curse. One can recall the words of , "Give me children or I die" (Gen. 30:1).

Oracles at the sanctuary often foretold the birth of a child, both in the accounts and in the texts of Ugaritic. In the Canaanite material the deity promises Keret sons and daughters. The sons would be most important, because only they could carry on the name, the inheritance, and the possessions of the family; and they would be able to defend the family in strife and ensure the prosperity of the clan. Also, men had to take care of the funeral rites in the pagan world, supplying food for the dead in their graves. If a family had one son, that was a blessing; but if anything happened to that son, the hope of the family would be gone.

Text

In we read how the Elijah was staying with a widow in the Canaanite town of Zarepath. He had rewarded their hospitality and faith by the of the grain and the oil, showing that it was and not who could provide these products. In time the son of the widow became ill, and his situation became worse and worse, until he stopped breathing altogether.

The widow felt cursed. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of ? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" After all, he was a prophet of Israel, and the followers of Baal were hated enemies of Israel. She knew that he was a prophet of God, and so could only interpret this death as something God did to her.

Elijah, however, was undaunted by this. He took the boy and carried him to the upper room where he had been staying and laid him out on the bed. Then he prayed, "O Yahweh, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to Yahweh, "O Yahweh my God, let this boy’s life return to him." There is probably nothing mysterious about the three times--it is a way of demonstrating the intensity. To pray to God intensely or to praise intensely one would use such repetition--the priestly benediction uses the holy name three times, and the angelic praise repeats "holy" three times to express that God is infinitely holy.

The text states that Yahweh answered Elijah’s prayer and the boy’s life returned to him-- and he lived again. Elijah carried the boy down and gave him to his mother, saying, "Look, your son is alive."

Her response was the expected response of faith: "Now I know that you are a and that the word of Yahweh from your mouth is the truth." We would probably say that the LORD did indeed take the boy’s life in order that Elijah through prayer would be able to restore him to life--to demonstrate that it was Yahweh who can give life back to the dead. And her words set a tone for others who likewise would have to endure suffering and even death like Mary and Martha had to, before they could fully acknowledge, "Now I know that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

The Child Giving Motif

In the Ugaritic texts we have two texts that credit the giving of a son to their , the story of Keret and the legend of Aqht. The latter deals with the king Dnil (not connected with biblical , etymologically or theologically), who longed for a male heir. After a good deal of ritual, Baal drew near and declared, "May he have a son like his brothers, even a root like his kinsmen" (2 Aqht I, 21, 22). Then gods then ate and drank the offerings Dnil gave to appease them. The gift of a child is apparently from the high god El on the appeal of Baal--but it may be that the text reflects that the true power now rested with Baal and El was banished to the netherworld. So Baal had the power to give life, and the request was a mere formality. This is what we can make of the 14th century texts; 500 years later in the time of Elijah Baal’s power and importance had completely overshadowed the old gods.

Dnil returns home and is joined by the goddesses who accompany births. Their in Ugaritic, ktrt, may be interpreted by the root word "multiply," appropriate for goddesses who assist in childbirth. So a son is born, and it is Aqht.

In the story of Keret, we read how the hero was bereaved of his entire family, wife, brethren, and progeny. While he was weeping and sobbing, he received a from El, asking about his distress. The man is told to stop crying, wash and rouge himself, and bring to the gods. Here too the text says that Baal will respond to the sacrifices: "Lift up your hands to the , to bull, your father El, Make Baal come down by your sacrifice, Dagan’s son with your oblation" (Krt 74-79). Keret is told to go and besiege Udm whose king Pbl has a daughter Hry, who will give him a child.1 He did so, and the gods attended the wedding festival. In the feast Baal called on El to bless the couple so that they would have seven sons.

In the stories of Elisha we have the counterpoint to this (:12,13). The prophet encountered a woman of who had no child, a "great woman" perhaps of noble birth. Moved by her care for him, the prophet asked what he could do for her, what influence in court perhaps that he might extend. Her response was that she lived among her relatives and had no need for assistance. The prophet left, but still was not satisfied; and so enquiring he discovered her greatest wish--to have a child. Her husband was too old. So Elisha promised her a son, and in time the child was born. So the prophet of Yahweh acts as the intermediary for childbirth, as Baal was thought to have done in the texts. But those tales were myths--who ever knew if there even was a birth to Keret or Dnil. But there was a birth in time and space, a real birth, to the Shunemite. The text therefore shows that it was not Baal, but Elisha, the prophet of Yahweh, who promised the birth. The prophet prayed; thus, it was Yahweh who gave the child, not the prophet. The passage is similar in wording and sense to the story in Genesis 18.

The Motif

All ancient have considered the question expressed by , "if a man dies, shall he live again?" They all believed there was life after death, a continuation of life in some form in another place. The tombs and the pyramids with their contents speak to this belief, because people took their furniture, possessions and gold with them. But in some texts the idea of a resurrection was more pronounced. In the Bible we have passages like Psalm 16, Job 19, 26, and 53, and 6, to name but a few of the earlier ones. Of course and Daniel make the case even clearer.

The Ugaritic texts focus on the idea of a dying and rising god Baal, the rain and fertility deity. Baal was to go down into the netherworld to meet Mot ("Death"), to be counted among those who descend into the earth: "and the gods shall know that you are dead." Baal was terrified at the prospect, but went nonetheless. The text then describes Baal lying dead in the field: "We came upon Baal prostrate on the earth, dead is the mighty one, Baal, perished is the prince, Lord of the earth." At this news El went through all the mourning ritual, sitting on the ground, pouring ashes on the head, lacerating the body, weeping and mourning. Baal’s consort Anat also mourned for Baal, before burying him. After he was gone they chose a successor for Baal, Athtar the Terrible, but since the drought continued, he was considered a failure.

In time Anat went to war against Mot and eventually killed him. Again, the language is that of agriculture: "she seized Mot, with a sword she crushed him, with a pitchfork she winnowed him, with a fire she burnt him, with millstones she ground him, in the field she planted him." Thus Baal lived again: "Behold, Baal is alive, and the prince, lord of the earth exists." Then the heavens rained oil and the wadis ran with as proof that Baal lived again.

This myth is only mentioned once, but it has been interpreted as a seasonal explanation of the cycle of life. But however the myth is taken to explain the culture of Canaanite , the motif of dying and returning to life is at the center of it. And because he was resurrected, Baal was said to have dominion over the earth.

The legend of Aqht also has a resurrection motif in it. Anat desired Aqht’s bow, and so tried to persuade the lad to trade for it. She promised eternal life for it:

"And the maiden Anat replied,

Ask for life, O Aqht the youth

Ask for life and I will give it to you,

For deathlessness (blmt) and I will bestow it on you.

I will make you count years with Baal,

With the sons of El you shall count months." The word blmt is the word for "death" (mot) negated (compare Hebrew beli, "without"). Anat was promising eternal life, a victory over death.

So the myths of Ugaritic claimed for their gods the power of immortality, of being able to overcome death. It also claims that the gods do not die. However, Baal did die in the texts, and so there is no logic or consistency to the texts. Baal’s revival made him appear immortal to the pagan worshipers. It is interesting in the legend that the lad Aqht does not believe Anat--he knows he will die. But since Aqht insulted Anat, she had him murdered and took the bow anyway. The legend may indicate that Anat later restored Aqht to life: "Him I will revive, only let his bow be given to me."

The of Israel were well acquainted with these beliefs that prevailed in Ugarit, that Baal who died and was resurrected could resuscitate. But those were mythical tales about gods and goddesses. When Elijah raised the dead boy from death, it was actual and factual. And the act of resurrection convinced the woman that Elijah was a true prophet--he could perform godly acts--to resurrect humans.

Elisha also did this. The son that had been born to the great woman grew up, but fell ill and died also (2 Kings 4:28). The grieving woman reproached the prophet for giving her a son and then taking it away. The prophet sent to guard the body from burial til he arrived. Gehazi apparently tried to raise the lad with the rod, but could not do it. Then, when the old prophet arrived, he prayed fervently to God and then stretched himself out on the land as if to pour his life into him. Finally, he succeeded in raising the lad.

Then again, even the lifeless body of Elisha revived a dead man (:20-22). A group of men were trying to bury a man when they were attacked by a band from . They quickly threw the corpse into the grave of Elisha fled. But as soon as the dead man touched the body of Elisha, he was revived and stood up. The point is that it is Yahweh who kills and makes alive, he brings down to the grave and brings up again." But the more significant point here is that even the body of a dead prophet of Yahweh can give life. Baal cannot, not when he is dead, not when he is said to revive.

Conclusion

Thus both Elijah and Elisha, through their prayers, were able to demonstrate in fact that it was Yahweh who gives life, by restoring dead sons to life, or causing a dead man to rise when he touched the dead prophet, or by providing sons to women who could have no children for one reason or another. The claims of the Canaanites in their mythological texts were hollow--they were not proven in human experience. They remained descriptions of the gods recorded to convey a belief, a false belief as it happens, that Baal has the power to give life. Only Yahweh, the God of Israel, can do that. Here again the works of Elijah and Elisha establish the true faith at the expense of pagan religion. Elijah (904-850 BC) . Elijah of Tishbe was a lone figure from the remote part of Gilead east of the Jordan. One of the better known characters in the Old Testament, he also made an impact on later and on the writers. A contemporary of the Israelite kings and Ahaziah (874-852 BC), Elijah represented a class of prophets who were normally not associated with any sanctuary or prophetic guild (but see :3-7 ). He challenged Ahab, whose policies were designed to replace the Israelite idea of kingship with the ancient Near Eastern concept of monarchy and royal law. Elijah defended Yahweh's sovereignty over history and justice, as well as over false gods (1 Kings 17-18).

The stories of Elijah (known as the Elijah cycle) dominate much of the latter half of 1 Kings (17-19, 21) and the early chapters of 2 Kings (1-2). The chronological order of the cycle is uncertain, making the course of Elijah's life obscure. The cycle was incorporated into the theological and , without which our knowledge for the reign of Ahab would be almost unknown. It contained six separate narratives that included several anecdotal stories about Elijah's life that may have circulated independently among his disciples in the northern kingdom. All but the last were concerned with the clash of Baal and Yahweh. Elijah appeared to vindicate the distinctive character of the people of God when their identification was threatened by Ahab's liberal policies. He also answered 's question (:11 ) and sent a letter to Jehoram (2 Chron 21:12-15).

Elijah appeared on the scene without warning, introduction, or genealogy (1 Kings 17:1) to deliver an to Ahab announcing a drought, presumably a punishment for defection to the Baal cult. Afterward, he returned to Zarephath where he was miraculously sustained (1 Kings 17:17-24). God then chose a Gentile believer (the Phoenician woman of Zarephath) to shame his people and to rebuke , Ahab's Phoenician queen, showing that there was a Yahwistic believer in her own country. The unfailing water supply shows that Godnot the kingwas the dispenser of the water of life. Chrysostom said that Elijah learned compassion in the house of the widow so he could be sent to his own people. Yahweh did not just intervene at critical times in the affairs of people, but was now accessible to believers in the ordinary affairs of life (1 Kings 17:12).

Three years later there was a break in the drought and Elijah was successful in ending Baal worship at Carmel. The Baal were not completely destroyed; they actually continued on past the end of the Ahab dynasty, until the time of of Judah (who was related to Ahab's royal house). Elijah helped Israel understand that Yahweh guided the fortunes of the nations; even the Baal cult was under his control. Yahweh, not Baal, had the power of life and death, and was the giver of rain and good things. The Carmel story showed a reminiscence of the change of political and religious sovereignty from Tyre to Israel. Israel was not truly synchretistic; Baal or Yahweh would be king, but not both (:21). Ahab was not wholly Baalist; his family bore Yahwistic names, and he consulted with Yahweh after the encounter with Elijah (1 Kings 20:13-15; 1 Kings 20:22; 1 Kings 20:28). The Tyrian cult of Baal Melqart may have been a pseudo-monotheistic movement that precipitated this struggle. Israel now saw the mediation of God's will in history and the interpretation of his divine will.

Elijah's success was merely temporary; he fled to (although this may not be in chronological order) to escape Jezebel's wrath (). Here, the small was in direct opposition to the noisy and primitive sounds of the Canaanite deities, which pointed toward a more spiritual and transcendent concept of Yahweh. The in 1 Kings 19 is similar to Exodus 33:19, and like the story of the widow, may show that God is to be found in the daily affairs of humans, rather than in phenomena.

Like in a later period, Elijah showed an astute social concern, emerging as a leader with strong ethical ideals (1 Kings 21). The Naboth incident shows a social dimension in the clash between Israelite law and Canaanite kingship. By appropriating Naboth's land as crown property, Ahab was out of his jurisdiction. Inalienable land in Israel was in principle hereditary, although Yahweh was the true owner. In this position, God demanded the rule of law and justice, and watched over ethical and legal morals. Elijah, whom Ahab saw as a blood avenger (v. 20), is introduced with dramatic suddenness only at the end of this section, confronting Ahab for taking possession of the vineyard. The king was indicted for infringing on two of the Ten Commandments that were recognized as the basis for society: murder and forcible appropriation, both capital offenses. The curse concerning Ahab was not literally executed on him, however, but on his successor. This may have been because of his repentance, but probably was due to the Hebrew idea of the extended self, taking for granted the cohesion of life and liability between generations. Ahab's dynasty ended because of the Naboth incident, not because of the Baal struggle. Later, Elijah protested Ahaziah's appeal to Baal-Zebub, the local god of (:9-15; Josephus called this god "the lord of the flies, " as did the Ras Shamra texts). Elijah was here described as a hairy man with a shaggy cloak, evidently the insignia of a prophet (2 Kings 1:8).

The translation of Elijah into occurs in an anecdotal section concerned mainly with Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-12). Elijah was associated with the prophetic guilds in , , and . He did not bequeath his staff to Elisha, but his cloak, which had a spiritual not a magical power. Elisha desired a double portion of Elijah's spirit, a stipulation in Hebrew law whereby the eldest son received his share and was equipped as the true successor to his father. The whirlwind and sudden disappearance of Elijah, with the addition of a theophany, emphasize God's presence in the incident.

In later Old Testament prophetic tradition, Elijah was associated with the day of the Lord (Mal 4:5-6), and was soon to be sent by God on the behalf of the people. He was described as similar to the messenger in 3:1 (which also may have been an allusion to Elijah, since both prepared the way for Yahweh). The purpose of Elijah's coming was either to pacify family quarrels (Mal 2:10-16), culminating in a new social order, or to restore the relationship.

Later Jewish Tradition. Elijah was prominently featured in popular legend and theological discussion of eschatological expectation during the intertestamental period. The reason for this may be his enigmatic rapture in 2ki 2:11 (the reward for his zeal for the law, according to 1 Macc 2:58; which fostered the idea of his sinlessness), and the of his return in Malachi, which nurtured the idea of him becoming a messianic figure from the heavenly kingdom who came to purify the priesthood. He was said to be an intercessor for Israel in heaven, a heavenly scribe who recorded the Acts of men, and who had an eternal existence (Ecclus 48:1-14).

New Testament: The New Testament, which mentions the prophet nearly thirty times, shows the influence of the late Jewish tradition of Elijah being the forerunner of the . The expectation of Elijah's return occurs frequently in the (Matt 17:10; Mark 9:11). Many were convinced that either (Matt 16:14; :15; 8:28; :8 Luke 9:19) or (John 1:21; John 1:25) were the expected prophet. Although John denied that he was Elijah, he wore the prophet's style of clothing (a mantle of camel's hair and a leather girdle Matt 3:4; :6). Moreover, Jesus said that John went forth as Elijah in spirit; he was thus the symbolic fulfillment of the prophet's mission (Matt 11:14; Mark 8:28; :17).

Although the tradition that and Elijah would appear together in the last days was not to be found in , both of these Old Testament characters were present and spoke at the , testifying to the importance of the impending events as eschatological (Matt 17:3-4 ; Mark 9:4-5 ; Luke 9:30 Luke 9:33). Some have seen the two as representing the Law and the Prophets, which were now both considered to be subservient to Christ.

Jesus' prayer on the cross with the opening words of Psalm 22:1, ", Eli" (My God, My God) was either misunderstood or willfully misinterpreted as a petition for help to Elijah (Matt 27:46- 49; Mark 15:34-36). Jewish lore identified Elijah as a helper in time of need, and since Elijah did not come, Jesus' petition was considered a failure. The , however, did not accept this figure of Elijah; only Christ himself would be called on in stressful times.

Various events of Elijah's life are alluded to in the New Testament. James uses Elijah as a powerful example of a supplicant (5:17), relying on Jewish tradition, which credited Elijah with a reputation for prayer (although this is not specifically mentioned in 1 Kings 17-18). He also describes the passage of time of the drought in 1 Kings 18:1 as three and a half years (cf. :25; Rev 11:6). James attempts to refute the Jewish tradition of the sinlessness and eternal nature of the prophet by stating that Elijah was a man "just like us." His prayers were effective because he was righteous.

Jesus used the story of God sending Elijah to the widow of Zarephath to show that the Gentiles were not to be excluded from salvation (Luke 4:25-26). Later church tradition takes the two witnesses of to be modeled after Moses and Elijah (Rev 11:3-6). They were given the power to shut up the heavens and to bring the fire of judgment like Elijah in 1 Kings 17-18 (cf. Mal 4:5; Ecclus 48:1-14). In a similar vein, Jesus rebuked the sons of Zebedee for wondering whether they should call down fire from heaven on the Samaritan village (Luke 9:54).

Paul uses the rabbinic model of Elijah and the idea of the remnant of Israel in Romans 11:2-5 (see 1 Kings 19:10-18). Just as Elijah became aware that a remnant of true believers still existed in Israel, Paul understands that there was still a sacred remnant of who were elected by grace.

Source material by Mark W. Chavalas

Bibliography. F. Anderson, JBL85 (1966): 46-57; H. Bietenhard, NIDNTT, 1:543-45; J. Gray, I- II Kings; J. Jeremias, TDNT, 2:928-41; H. H. Rowley, BJRL43 (1960): 190-219; R. W. Wallace, Elijah and Elisha. Elisha:

He became noted in Israel, and for six decades (892–832 BC) held the office of "prophet in Israel". He is termed a patriot, as he was involved in helping soldiers and kings.

Elisha was an important prophet that led the prophets of God during the turbulent time of the kings in Israel’s history. He appears on the Biblical Timeline with world history during the 8th century BC. This prophet actively performed miracles and prophesized through the reign of four kings. Elisha performed his service for God over the course of 60 years. Elisha’s name means “my God is salvation”.

Elisha was the son of Shaphat who resided in Abel-meholah, and he was a farmer by trade. When Elijah found him, he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. Elijah had been on the run from Queen Jezebel because he had publically humiliated her god Baal. Jezebel was married to the wicked King Ahab, and she sent Elijah a message that she was going to kill him. When Elijah heard this message he wanted to die but God told him to find Elisha. Once he located Elisha he told him that he placed his cloak on his shoulders. Elisha knew right away that he needed to go away with Elijah, but he cooked a meal and said goodbye to his parents before he departed. Elisha spent many years training under Elijah before the old prophet was taken up into heaven. God decided to take Elijah into heaven instead of allowing him to experience death. Elisha and Elijah were traveling toward the near the end of his time on Earth. While they were walking there were a group of prophets who would run up to Elisha and tell him “the Lord is going to take your master away” and he would reply “I already know.”

The duo reached the Jordan River, and Elijah used his cloak to part the waters. They walked across, and Elisha had asked Elijah if he could be the next leader of the prophets. Elijah told him he would be able to lead the prophets if he was able to see him being taken away by God. They started to walk again and as they did a chariot with a horse made out of fire passed in between them, and it took Elijah into heaven. Once the prophet was taken away, he dropped his cloak and Elisha picked it up. Once again he used the cloak again to divide the waters of the Jordan River before crossing back over to the other side. There was a group of prophets who were watching from a distance and witnessed this miraculous event.

Elisha was now established as the leader of the prophets, and he had become known to the people all throughout Israel and Judah. The Bible then records certain events from his life that displayed the many miracles that God performed in his life. The first miracle that he did was to restore the waters that surrounded the city of Jericho. The waters were apparently poisoned, but Elisha added salt to it and then told the people that God made the water safe for them to drink. From that day on, no one died or became ill after drinking the water near Jericho.

Elisha used to travel throughout the region of Israel and Judah performing his duties as the leader of the prophets. Sometimes he passed through a region called Shunem and when he did he was shown great hospitality by a wealthy woman and her husband. They had fixed up a room for Elisha and his servant Gezhi in their home so he could have a decent place stay. Because of their hospitality, Elijah told the woman that she would have a son in her old age, and she eventually had a child. The child died, and the Shunemite lady told Elisha what had happened. Elisha brought him back to life by laying on him three times and breathing into his mouth.

Elisha saved a group of prophets from an early death by transforming poisonous stew into an edible substance. He fed 100 people with 20 loaves of bread at Baal Shalisha.

God also used Elisha to give prophesies to kings and to establish new monarchs on the thrones of Israel and . When King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Joram of Israel went to war against the Moabites, they asked Elisha to prophesize about the outcome. Even though Elijah despised King Joram for his wicked deeds, he told them the Lord said that they would be victorious. He told a Syrian man named that he would be king of Syria and he sent one of his prophets to a military commander of Israel named to inform him that he would be the next ruler to govern the land.

Eventually, Elisha became seriously ill in his old age, and he was visited by King Jehoash. The king was upset at the fact that Elisha was about to die. Elisha performed one last prophetic message and used a bow and arrow to illustrate the fact that King Jehoash was going to defeat the king of Aram in battle. Elisha then passed away and was buried.

Bible References:

1 Kings 19: 19 – 21 Elijah chooses Elisha to become the next leader of the prophets.

2 Kings 4:17 performed the same miracles with the oil as Elijah. So a widow of one of the sons of prophets could pay her debts and sustain her family.

2 Kings 4: 8 – 36 Resurrected a Shunemite widow’s child after he prophesying that she would have one.

2 Kings 4: 38-41Transformed a poisonous soup into edible foods for the prophets in Gilgal.

2 Kings 7: 1-20 Hazael would be made king, but he was going to kill Ben Hadad (suffocate) to take the throne and cause Israel to suffer. Elisha then told one of his prophets to anoint Jehu to King by destroying Ahab’s house.

2 Kings: 1 – 19 Elisha cures a Syrian military commander from leprosy.

2 Kings 3 Predicts that Israel, Judah, and would defeat the Moabites.

2 Kings 7: 1 – 20 Hazael would be made king, but he was going to kill Ben Hadad (suffocate) to take the throne and cause Israel to suffer. Elisha then told one of his prophets to anoint Jehu to King by destroying Ahab’s house.

2 Kings 13: 14 – 19 Elijah tells King Jehoash that he would defeat the Arameans before he passed away.

2 Kings 13: 20 -21 a man brought back to life through Elisha’s body

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