Elisha - Part 7

 Deeper meaning

1. Elisha the double portion which God raises up on day seven OR the day of vengeance OR the day of the Lord.

2. Elisha is cognizant of the day and realizes God raises up sons on this day. Trees of righteousness even. So he prophesies a son to the woman. The man-child from Rev 12.

3. The son is born to the woman, grows and is sent out to his Father, who is working the harvest field (which is a metaphor for day seven).

4. The overcoming manchild (who sits in the presence of God) metaphorically realizes that he has to lose his own head because the true head is Jesus.

5. He metaphorically loses his own head and dies. Jesus assumes the headship.

6. Frantic, the woman who only trusts the Elisha ministry, departs to seek out Elisha at Mt Carmel. She knows that this is the only way to seek life again in her son.

7. She sees Gehazi first, but only trusting the Elisha- double portion ministry she blows past him.

8. She falls and grabs the "feet" of Elisha. Why does she fall at the feet of Elisha? 

Because Elisha is a metaphor for the end time feet which are referenced in multiple places in the bible.1

Jesus is the head of the body and the double portioned overcoming Elisha represents the feet which Jesus uses to put all things in subjection to.

9. Gehazi on the other hand seems somewhat insensitive, unsympathetic, and harsh. He seems a responsive and obedient servant to the Elisha ministry. But towards the woman, he seems to have no discernment at all.

10. Gehazi means "valley of vision" (H1522). What might this mean? This is very symbolic and is a reference to Isaiah 22.

For some reason, God uses the situation to expose Gehazi. So let's look at Isaiah 22!

So Gehazi means "valley of vision".

11. Isa 22:1-2

1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? 2 O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. 

Valley of Vision (Gehazi)

1. Vs1 What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops. 

1. Housetops? A higher place?

2. What housetop did Gehazi go up to?

2. Vs2 you are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? 

1. You are full of shoutings

2. You are tumultuous (be in great commotion, to rage, war, moan)

3. You are joyous (triumphantly happy)

3. Odd mixture? Certainly. You are joyous, yet full of tumult??

4. Vs2 Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle. What does this mean??

1. The sword of the word DID NOT have it's way with them. (Reference is to the Gehazi's)

2. And if they did do battle against the sword, it isn't what killed you.

(Reference is to the Gehazi's)

12. Is 22:4-5

4 Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 5 For it is a day of discomfiture, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains. 

1. Vs4…labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people?

2. Vs5 …day of discomfiture

3. Vs5…day of treading down and perplexity in the valley of vision?

13. Isa 22:11 

11 ye made also a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But ye looked not unto him that had done this, neither had ye respect unto him that purposed it long ago.

1. Vs11…they made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the OLD POOL!

Kind of like they didn't desire the new wine. Instead sticking to the old,comfortable wine.

2. Vs11 …didn't realize that God ordained it.

14. Is 22:12-14

12 And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: 13 and behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. 14 And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts. 

1. Vs12…in that day, you were called to  weep, and mourn in sackcloth (Remember this verse. This is what the Gehazi's were called to do. They didn't.)

2. Vs13…instead you had joy and gladness, eating and drinking for tomorrow we die…

Unready for day 7…

3. Vs14…you won't be forgiven until you die.

The Gehazi's

15. Is 22:17-18

17 Behold, Jehovah, like a strong man, will hurl thee away violently; yea, he will wrap thee up closely. 18 He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord's house. 

The fate of the unprepared Gehazi's.

16. Back to 2 Kings 4:31 

So God seems to use the death and rebirth of the man-child to expose the powerless and unfaithful "Gehazi ministry". Altho the Gehazi's aren't punished yet, they will be as we read further into 2 Kings.

One thing is plain, the Gehazi ministry is unable to impart life to the man-child.

17. 2 Kings 4:32-37 

The Elisha ministry raises up the man-child offspring. And gives him back to his mother.

1. So whether the point of the story is to mention the natural death and the natural restoration of the man-child by the Elisha ministry, I am uncertain.

2. Or maybe the point is to make reference to the birth of the spiritual manchild as a result of the Elisha ministry. The man-child loses his head and gains the true nature of Christ and the double-portion too. And Gehazi group are exposed in the process??

Here is the same judgement, of the city of Jerusalem, spoken in a different parable: The Judgement of Jerusalem

Eze 9:1-4

1 Then he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2 And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar. 3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn by his side. 4 And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. 

 

Summary

1. Jerusalem's judgement

2. Those that sigh and cry over the state of Jerusalem are marked on their forehead

3. Remember back in Is 22:12 (The Gehazi's were called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth. And hadn't.)

4. The Gehazi's are not marked with the mark of God.

Eze 9:5-8

5 And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; 6 slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were before the house. 7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city. 8 And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon Jerusalem? 

Summary

1. Go thru Jerusalem and kill those without the mark.

2. But don't come near those with the mark of God.

3. Have no pity, and show no favor on those without the mark.

4. Begin with the elders in my sanctuary, slay the old man, youth, virgin, infants and women.

5. Weird. It's as if those with no mark, have the mark of the beast from Rev 13.

6. Ezekiel, being concerned at the sheer volume of those dying in Jerusalem, prays "will you kill ALL the remnant of Israel"?

Eze 9:9-11

9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of wresting of judgment: for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah seeth not. 10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way upon their head. 11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

Summary

1. The guilt of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great.

2. The land is full of blood, and distortion of judgement.

3. God has forsaken the land and doesn't see it.

4. Notice Vs10: And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare. I’m repaying them for what they have done.

Who is speaking here? 

Jesus? It would make sense because Jesus is the one who comes on the day of vengeance.

5. Vs11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

1. So is Jesus the man in linen who reports the judgement as being carried out? And is He reporting this to God?

2. Or is the man in linen an angel who reports to Jesus? Or does the angel report this to God??

3. Notice the little "hint" that you notice if you read this passage slowly. 

4. ***Jesus is quietly mentioned here during the judgement of Jerusalem.***

At this point tho in 2 Kings 4, the Gehazi's seem to be identified, but not killed in our story.

2Ki 4:38-39 

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal. And there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. 39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not. 

Summary

1. Vs38 Elisha returns to Gilgal where he had been in 2 Kings 2:1. Gilgal was the first city where it was mentioned that God was going to take Elijah up in a whirlwind.

2. Vs38 There was a famine in the midst of the land. The sons of the prophets 9f Gilgal are sitting before him. Altho the "sons of the prophets" have been mentioned before, but they were from the towns of Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan, not Gilgal.

3. Vs 38 Elisha says to his servant, "Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets."

Who is his servant? Gehazi? 

Why isn't his name given? Unsure

What might be the implication of Gehazi (ministry) being the one who is tasked with setting the pot and boiling the pottage? 

Strong chance for error since we know the Gehazi (ministry) has been unable to impart life, certainly as it pertained to the son in the previous story.

****Wonder if Elisha tasked him with this intentionally???****

4. Vs39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not.

1. We can assume that this is Gehazi.

2. Seemed he gathered what he could find:

1. Herbs

2. Wild vine

3. Wild gourds

3. Shreds them into a pot of pottage

4. It says "for he knew them not"

Almost as if he threw into the pot whatever he could find…not meaning to cause any problems.

5. Thoughts? What may Gehazi mean?

1. Is Gehazi a metaphor for the "the natural"?

2. If so, what would that make Elisha? "The spiritual"?

1Co 2:14 

Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.

1Co 2:15-16 

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1Co 15:46 

Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.

All the outward and natural world around us....  is merely a shadow of the true and greater, higher more glorious spiritual realities and truth to which the Spirit points.  It speaks spiritual truth and sets forth the spiritual dealings and working out of the Lord within our lives!  The “earth realm” signifies the soul realm, and all that is soulical in the religious life of man.  

Out of man’s fleshly nature arise those things which instead of bringing the soul into union with the spirit of life, enslave and destroy the work of God in the soul realm, the mind, will, emotions of man, barring man from "ENTRANCE" into the kingdom of heaven.  

If time, read Eze 24:1-14

Eze 24:1-3

1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day: the king of Babylon drew close unto Jerusalem this selfsame day. 3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Set on the caldron, set it on, and also pour water into it: 

Eze 24:4-

4 gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. 5 Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the caldron; make it boil well; yea, let the bones thereof be boiled in the midst of it. 6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen upon it. 7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust. 8 That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered. 9 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, and make thick the broth, and let the bones be burned. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the rust of it may be consumed. 12 She hath wearied herself with toil; yet her great rust goeth not forth out of her; her rust goeth not forth by fire. 13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed, thou shalt not be cleansed from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my wrath toward thee to rest. 14 I, Jehovah, have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord Jehovah.

2 Kings 4:40-41

40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. 41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. 

Summary

1. Vs40 Pottage is poured out for the men to eat. The sons of the prophets could not eat. They cried out "Oh man of God, "there is death in the pot".

Who is the man of God? Elisha

2. Vs41 Elisha adds "meal" to the pot. What might this mean? Some type of spiritual understanding is added by Elisha ministry. And it provides nourishment for the sons of God.

2 Kings 4:42

42 And there came a man from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. 

Summary

1. A man comes from Baal-shalishah…

1. Baal-shalishah is a nearby town

2. means thrice great lord 

3. Or third Lord (Phoenician deity)

2. He brings Elisha bread of the first-fruits

What kind of bread is made from the first-fruits? Barley

3. In the story of Gideon, Gideon and his men were typified in a dream as barley bread that roll down the hill and kill the midianites.

4. Twenty - means expectancy 

1. Twenty years Jacob waited to get possession of his wives and property, Gen 21:38,41.

2. Twenty years Israel waited for a deliverer from Jabin's oppression, Judg 4:3.

3. Twenty years Israel waited for deliverance through Samson, Judg 15:20, 16:31. But his work was never much more than "begun," Judg 13:25.

4. Twenty years the Ark of the Covenant waited at Kirjath-jearim, 1 Sam 7:2.

5. Twenty years Solomon was waiting for the completion of the two houses, 1 Kings 9:10; 2 Chron 8:1.

6. Twenty years Jerusalem waited between its capture and destruction; and

7. Twenty years Jeremiah prophesied concerning it.

5. Give unto the people that they may eat. Day 7 or day 3 food

2 Kings 4:43-44 

43 And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. 44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of Jehovah.

Summary

1. Gehazi says "what, should I set this before 100 men?"

2. In the story of Gideon he goes to battle against the Midianites with 100 men.

3. Gehazi is oblivious to the feeding of the "sons of the prophets"

4. Elisha-the double portion-overcomer tells Gehazi to give the first-fruits barley bread to the sons of the prophets.