| REPLACING A LEGEND |
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| helped them in miraculous ways: providing food, healing diseases, even raising a young boy from the dead. He dealt far more gently with the poor and downtrodden than with kings and generals. Another group of stories relates to the nation. Irael was reeling fromt he corruption brought in during King Ahab's reign. Politically, Israel was at the mercy of the neighboring state of Aram (the area today knows as Syria), which launched periodic raids across the border. Sometimes Elisha helped out Israel's army, using his special insight to detect bands of raiders. Twice, miracles he predicted allowed Israel's army to break out of an impossible situation and rout the enemy. Yet he refused to become a "court prophet" serving the king's whims. On at least one occasion, he blatantly insulted a king of Israel (3:13-14). Another time, he anointed a general to overthrow the king in an outright revolution. A Dying Breed Incidents from Elisha's life - the healing of Naaman, the charoits of fire, the widow's oil - have become among the most familiar of Old Testament stories. In a sense, Elijah and Elisha represent the last of a breed. Prophets who followed them relied less on spectacular displays and more ont he power of verbal messages from God. Elijah and Elisha used both words and dramatic events to convey their message. Everyone knew their power, especially the kings who sometimes sought them out for advice and other times tried to kill them. In a great irony, the kings and political leaders - who thought themselves the center of history at the time - all faded away. Meanwhile the stories and words of Israel's prophets live on, expressing a message as forceful today as ever. |
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