2 Kings 2:15-25
Elisha's First Signs
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15When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
16“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
17But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”
20“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,
21and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’”
22And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
25And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Berean Standard Bible
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The sons of the prophets recognize that Elijah's spirit now rests on Elisha, and they bow before him. They still want to search the surrounding hills for Elijah, even though the LORD has taken him. Elisha initially says no, but their persistence finally leads him to allow the search.
The men find nothing. Their failure confirms what Elisha already knew, and it also shows how difficult it can be for people to accept an ending they have not witnessed themselves. Elisha now faces a new community that must learn to receive God's work through him.
The people of Jericho tell Elisha that the city is pleasant but its water is bad and the land is unproductive. Elisha asks for a new bowl with salt, goes to the spring, and declares that the LORD has healed the water. The spring remains healthy according to the word he speaks.
As Elisha travels toward Bethel, boys come out of the city and mock him, telling him to go up. Elisha turns and calls down a curse in the name of the LORD. Two female bears come out of the woods and maul forty-two of the boys. The account is difficult and should not be turned into permission for adults to harm children or for believers to retaliate against mockery. It is a severe sign of the prophetic authority attached to Elisha's ministry.
Questions
1 What do the sons of the prophets conclude?
AnswerThey conclude that the spirit that rested on Elijah now rests on Elisha, so they bow before him.
2 What problem does Jericho have?
AnswerIts location is good, but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful. The LORD's word identifies the water as a cause of death and unfruitfulness.
3 What does Elisha put into the spring?
AnswerHe asks for a new bowl with salt and throws the salt into the spring at the LORD's word.
4 Who heals the water, and why does that matter?
AnswerThe LORD says that He has healed it. Elisha uses salt as part of this prophetic act, but the account gives us no recipe for repeating the miracle. Our gratitude and trust belong to God.
What This Means for Us
The people of Jericho bring a real need to Elisha, and the LORD heals the water on which their community depends. His word gives life. The salt is part of this particular sign; God has not placed His power under our control through an object or a method.
The scene at Bethel is much harder to read. The same prophetic ministry brings a judgment as well as a healing. We should take God's authority seriously without pretending that a human leader's wounded pride carries that authority. Receiving His word calls for reverence, not fear of asking honest questions.
Prayer
Lord, restore what has become poisoned in our homes and communities. Give us patience with grief and change, and keep us from using difficult biblical judgments to justify cruelty, revenge, or contempt for others. Amen.
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