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BIBLE LESSONS ELISHA HELPS A WIDOW 2 KINGS 4:1-7 (NKJV) KEY VERSES PER MAIN VERSES (HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE):
KEY WORD(S):
A. 2 Kings 4:1; Exodus 21:2; Joshua 3:7; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 2:11; Luke 16:8.
Sons of the prophets; Elisha; two sons; creditor; a jar of oil; empty vessels; pour; the vessels were full; ceased; sell the oil; pay your debt.
B. 2 Kings 4:2; Proverbs 11:21.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
C. 2 Kings 4:3-5; Deuteronomy 33:24; Job 29:6.
God, Elisha, the widow, two sons
D. 2 Kings 4:6-7; Psalm 37:3; Zechariah 4:12; Ezekiel 27:17.
Who Are These That Are Labeled Prophets?
Definition of a prophet: Sometimes, we define a prophet by a famous name in the THE LESSON Bible. Like Moses. We don’t actually define the word prophet, we just attempt to match A. A Woman Loses Her Husband (2 Kings 4:1) the word with a name. However, when you see the actual list of prophets in the Bible, Set the Stage: doesn’t it make you want to know exactly what a prophet is? And how applicable a In verse 1, we read of the death of a woman’s husband. We’re told that the man prophet’s message spoken thousands of who died was a son of a prophet. Some believe it could have been the prophet years ago is still relevant today. Let’s see Obadiah. However, the Bible does not mention specifically who regarding this what a prophet is beyond the name of the matter. person.
Before moving ahead, let’s go back in time because we are told that the heartbroken woman “cried out to Elisha.” Let’s find out about Elisha as he is very instrumental in this story. He was the prophet Elijah’s student and successor. We read in 2 Kings 2:8 that Elijah strikes the water and it is divided or parted. Both Elijah and Elisha proceeded then to cross over the dry land. With this verse, Elijah is considered to be the “second Moses.” As we move to 2 Kings 2:9, we read of Elijah telling Elisha to “Ask! What may I do for you before I am taken away from you?” Elisha responds with “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” What does Elish mean by this? According to the NKJV commentary, Elisha’s request is founded on Old Testament “inheritance laws,” which dictated that “the firstborn son” was to receive “two shares of the estate” (see Deuteronomy 21:17). Elisha was asking Elijah to “double what the rest of the prophets had.” In so doing, much more would be expected from Elisha as he was mentored by Elijah. Elisha was asking to be Elijah’s successor. When Elijah was taken up “by a whirlwind to heaven,” (see 2 Kings 2:11), Elisha witnessed the occurrence. At this point, Elisha becomes the successor to Elijah. Just as Joshua had become Moses’ successor (see Joshua 3:7
In Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book, The Prophets, Heschel states that “the prophet is a man who feels fiercely.” He is an individual who vehemently speaks up against the evils on display. God has burdened him to be “a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world.” For us today, we can only imagine the fierceness in the voices of the prophets, like Amos, whom God used to proclaim His rage. In Fuhr and Yates’ book, The Message of the Twelve, the authors refer to the twelve minor prophets as the “Lord’s prosecuting attorneys.” They accused both Israel and Judah of being disloyal to the Lord. None of them were minor in stature, by the way. These twelve were considered minor because their books in the Bible were smaller in size than those of the four major prophets. (continued on page 2)