This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
2KINGS
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
God has not left Himself without witness in the world since He created it. There has always been, and always will be faithful men who will carry on for the Lord (Acts 14:17).
3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
When they arrived at Bethel, the prophets of God told Elisha that God was going to take Elijah. And Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay there while he went on to Jericho. But Elisha would NOT.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
This is one of my favorite parts of the Bible. What would YOU like to have given you from the most powerful prophet of God in the world?
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Elisha did see Elijah ascend. And he cried out. The statement in verse 12 reflects Elisha's intense desire to have a powerful prophet in Israel. "OH!! My father, my father, the chariots have come to take you! What of the prophet's work? Who will carry on?"
16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
The prophets wanted to find Elijah's body. But Elisha told them he was GONE -- no body. They determined to search anyway, so Elisha said, "Suit yourself."
19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
Elisha's actions began to prove that he was God's chosen prophet. God worked a miracle of healing the waters of that area through Elisha's faithfulness.
Please continue with us in daily Bible study.
CHAPTER 2
Elijah is one of two men in the Bible who did not experience death. Enoch was the firs (Genesis 5:22-24).
God is about to remove Elijah from the world by a "whirlwind." And He makes sure that Elisha is prpared to carry on in Elijah's place as the prophet of God.
Elijah approached Elisha with a proposal to STAY while he went to Bethel. But Elisha knew something was happening, and said that he would NOT leave Elijah.
Then, when they got to Jericho, the prophets there also told Elisha that God was going to take Elijah. And when Elisha was requested to remain at Jericho while Elijah went on to Jordan, he refused again.
Elisha was having to prove his faithfulness.
When they approached Jordan, Elijah took off his prophets's mantle (large cape) and folded it up. Then he took the folded mantle and struck the river. The waters parted! Not only did they part, but the ground underneath the river was DRY!
Elijah was a real "no-nonsense" prophet. He was SERIOUS about his relatinship with God. And God was SERIOUS about His relationship with this prophet. When Elijah decreed no rain - there was no rain. When Elijah caled for fire to consume the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel, God sent it. When Elijah was tired, weak and somewhat defeated, God encouraged and empowered him even more. When Elijah faced Jehoram's troops, God sent fire according to Elijah's statement.
Make no mistake about it - Elijah loved the Lord, and God loved Elijah! Oh! How I YEARN to have such a relationship with God! Do YOU?
Elijah asked Elisha what he should give him in parting. You'd think Elisha would want his mantle - which represented the prophetic office. Or perhaps Elisha would want Elijah's staff, which represented the power of his life. But Elisha said instead that he wanted a DOUBLE PORTION of the spirit of Elijah! That meand he wanted a CLOSER walk with God!
Now you watch the remainder of this story closely. God is about to perform a miracle even GREATER than that of parting the Jordan River.
Elijah told Elisha he could NOT grant that desire. But, if God allowed him to see Elijah as he ascended, then GOD would grant that desire Himself. Only GOD can help a person have a greater relationship with Him.
Then the chariots of fire descended from heaven and whisked Elijah away in a whirlwind! What a MIRACL! Elijah evaded death because of his close relationship with God. That is a GREAT miracle! Only two men in all history have received that distinction of walking so CLOSE to God they walked right UP to God!
Then the mantle of Elijah fell, and Elisha picked it up. HE would be the one to carry on the work! He SAW it; he BELIEVED it; and he took that mantle to go and SHOW it!
He went to the river, and in the sight of the prophets on the bank, he tood off the mantle and struck the waters as Elijah had done before. The waters parted AGAIN! God was with Elisha as he had been with ELijah. God calls for men to have that close relationship with Him (James 4:8).
But they found nothing. And ELisha reminded them of what he had said.
Sometimes people are searching beyond what God has said. Friends, all our experiential knowledge of God must comply with the WORD of God!
Some people are too obsessed with the body of loved ones. Listen, when God takes a person's spirit, there's nothing left but the shell. The body is only a clay vessel in which our spirit is housed. The spirit of the person is all that is really alive, and that's what makes the body alive. So when a person dies, the spirit returns to God Who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
God made Adam out of CLAY. And the Bible declares that our bodies return to the ground and become dust. God, Who created our being, can call our bodies back to house our spirits - no matter WHAT happens to them.
And when young men mocked him for his testimony that Elijah had ascended into heaven, God sent bears out of the woods to discipline them (verse 25). Elisha visited Mt. Carmel where Elijah had requested fire from God, and God had sent it. Then Elisha returned to Samaria.
We need to visit the places where God's magnificent power has been displayed if we can. There we should meditate, pray and seek God's powerful presence in ourselves. Let me encourage you to visit the altar of the church!
there are no GREATER miracles than the ones God has workded there!
People's lives have been changed for eternity there!
Revivals have begun there!
Visit the altar in your church and pray. Seek God's power in your life.