Last time we looked at the start of Elisha’s ministry in 2 Kings 2. That chapter ends with the description of two miracles which Elisha performed, and which seem quite strange to 21st century eyes.
In the first, the people of Jericho complain that their water supply is bad, which Elisha fixes by throwing some salt into the spring. Elisha declares that the Lord has made the water wholesome, and the text tells us that the spring has remained wholesome ever since.
In the second miracle, some boys jeer at Elisha, calling him ‘baldhead’ or ‘baldy’! Elisha curses them in the Lord’s name, at which point two bears come from the forest and attack the boys. This story includes interesting details such as the bears being female and that forty-two of the boys were attacked (we don’t know whether there were others who were not attacked), although these don’t prevent it being quite a disturbing tale.
What are we to make of these incidents, and their presence in the Bible? Did these things happen just as described? Here are a few thoughts:
The inclusion of these two miracles just after the account of Elisha receiving the ‘spirit of Elijah’ confirms Elisha’s status as a prophet and successor to Elijah. In comparison to some of the miracles described later these are quite ‘impersonal’ – we don’t know any of the names of the people involved or very much about them. The emphasis seems to be on the people’s acknowledgement of Elisha as a prophet (the people of Jericho look to him to fix the water supply, and even ‘baldy’ probably refers to a particular hairstyle showing Elisha’s status as a prophet) and on God’s willingness to work with and through Elisha.
Jericho is in the region of the Dead Sea and fresh water is not always easy to find. Remarkably, however, there is still today a local fresh water supply which enabled and enables Jericho to flourish. The first miracle account emphasises that all good provision is from God, and that God cares for people’s everyday needs.
The boys who jeer at Elisha recognise, from his hairstyle, that he is God’s servant but they are telling him to go away and to carry on past their city. John Goldingay helpfully observes that “while Jesus would no doubt forbid his disciples to act like Elisha as he forbade them to act like Elijah, his words show that it is only temporarily that people get away with belittling Jesus.”
Overall, then, these miracle accounts confirm Elisha’s status as a prophet and servant of God, and encourage us not to ignore the activity of God in our lives but to acknowledge God as the ultimate provider, creator and Saviour.
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash