Interview with Old Testament Figures – Elisha

The Old Testament of the Holy Bible presents us with many great characters, especially prophets in ancient Israel. These were brave men and women who thundered, “Thus saith the LORD” when it was not safe for mere mortals to confront crazy and wicked kings. One of them is our interviewee for today, Elisha the prophet.

Shepherd Heart: We are honoured to have you in our midst, Sir.

Elisha: I am glad to be here.

Shepherd Heart: Kindly give our readers a pen picture of yourself in words.

Elisha: I was the successor to Elijah, another prophet in ancient Israel. My father, Shaphat, hailed from Abel-meholah. It would interest you and your readers to note that my name means, God’s salvation. There is no coincidence in life. My parents gave me a name that aligned with God’s purpose for my life: as an instrument of judgement to turn His people from darkness to light.

Shepherd Heart: Wow! It is interesting how Almighty God designs our destinies even before we were born. This reminds me of Jeremiah’s encounter with Him, where He (God) revealed that Jeremiah was chosen to be a prophet before he was conceived in the womb. What were your parents reaction to your decision to serve Elijah, given the risk associated with the prophetic ministry in idolatrous Israel?

Elisha: My parents did not object to my chosen path at all. They might have been concerned for my safety and welfare, as any good parent would, but they did not try to stop me.

Shepherd Heart: Where you anticipating the call of God on your life?

Elisha: (Laughs) I must confess that seeing Elijah in my village was a huge surprise. I admired him a lot but I was not expecting to follow in his footsteps as a prophet. I loved the God of Israel and was pained by how far we had fallen from grace as a nation. Although I prayed for God’s intervention, I had no idea that I would ever be part of the solution.

Shepherd Heart: Israel obviously benefited from your ministry as records of miracles God worked through you affirm. However, many people in our generation are uncomfortable with how you handled the encounter with 42 insolent kids who called you “bald-headed.” We are told in 2 Kings 2:24 that female bears mauled these kids after you cursed them. Could you not have just ignored their rants?

Elisha: I suppose that I could have done that if I was operating in another spirit; a gentle spirit that encourages people to turn the other cheek as the Messiah instructed His disciples in Matthew 5:38. Mine was not that kind of spirit. It was the spirit of judgment. Luke 9:54-56 state that when two disciples, James and John asked the Lord if they should call down fire from heaven to burn up villages that did not receive them, the Messiah turned and rebuked them, adding “ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”

Indeed, the Son of God was not on earth to destroy men’s life but to save them, in line with several prophecies about His person even before He was born. I do not apologise for exercising the authority of my office as a prophet that brought judgment upon Israel. That was what they needed at that point in time. It is important to add that God’s judgment is a flip side of His mercy. Isaiah 26:9 says, “….When judgements come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.”

Shepherd Heart: We agree that judgment is good for the human soul because it awakens its consciousness to evil and causes us to retrace our steps. Sometimes, it is difficult for me as a person to understand why God does not judge humanity in our days as frequently as He did in your time. Why is He is so merciful to us despite the intensity of wickedness in the world?

Elisha: Hmmm. It is tempting to believe that God has somehow lost His edge to punish evil or to see Him as a kind of Santa Claus who indulges mankind, no matter how depraved they have become. As Peter noted in chapter 3 verses 15 to 16 of his second epistle, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation.” God is long-suffering towards humanity becomes He desires that all should be saved.

His patience is meant to lead people to repentance as both Paul and Peter observed in Romans chapter 2, verse 4, and 2 Peter 3, verses 9 & 15 respectively. My candid advise is that your generation should make the best use of the time given to you by God to change your ways, and not assume that things will continue like this forever. You see many references to the “Day of the LORD” in both the Old and New Testaments.” Amos the prophet observed in chapter 5 verses 18-20 of his book, “For what good is the day of the LORD to you?

It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from the lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!” Psalm chapter 50, verse 3 also gives a vivid picture of that day: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people.”

Shepherd Heart: That is a frightening picture of the end of God’s mercy. The major challenge believers have in warning the dying world about His upcoming judgement is the prevalence of demonic religions and doctrines that give people false sense of security. How best can the church of God counter false narratives such as “God is too loving to send anyone to hell” and “All roads lead to God”?

Elisha: Obviously, not everyone will be saved no matter the anointing on the message of salvation. The fact is that, God already knows those that will say yes to Him and He will do everything in His power to open their eyes to the truth. Your responsibility as believers is to preach the Gospel to every creature on earth. Leave the results in God’s hands.

Shepherd Heart: Thank you very much Sir for your word of encouragement. We have enjoyed the chat with you immensely.

Elisha: Thanks for having me. Looking forward to meeting all the saints currently on earth at the feet of Christ.