#368: The Last Words of Elisha - Elisha part 13.

  2 Kings 13:14-21 & 1 Corinthians 10:31

🎉 You made it to the end of our Elisha series! 🎉

We are so proud of you for listening and learning with us. Elisha’s story was full of miracles, courage, and faith, and we hope it has encouraged you to trust in God’s power in your own life!

In today’s episode, we hear Elisha’s final prophecy and the important lesson King Joash learned when he was told to strike the ground with arrows. Plus, we witness one last incredible miracle—even after Elisha was gone, God’s power was still at work!

 What was your favorite story about Elisha? What did you learn about God?Kids can share their answers here: [e-mail] 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello again and welcome back to Kids Bible Stories. Today's
story is called the Last Words of Elisha. This is
Elisha Part thirteen and comes from Second King Chapter thirteen,
Verses fourteen through twenty one and First Corinthians Chapter ten,
verse thirty one. I want to take a moment and

(00:22):
thank our newest Patreon members. Thank you Erica, audlagh Lee,
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of this ministry, it's simple. Just head to our Patreon page,

(00:45):
where you'll get weekly bonus content and have the freedom
and flexibility to access all previous content too. The link
is in the show notes for you. Thank you for
making this possible. Listeners, I am so so impressed with
you. You've made it through our whole series of Elisha. This

(01:07):
is our very last episode. By hearing his story again
and again, I hope that you understand him better and
see how amazing God is. Next time you hear about
Elisha at church, I bet you'll feel so ready to listen,
and you can also tell others what you already know. Now,

(01:28):
a long time has passed for Elisha since the last episode.
In today's episode, Elisha is much older, and we find
him near the end of his life. We pick up
our story here. The old prophet Elisha lay on his bed,

(01:59):
his body weak and tired. He had served God for many,
many years, speaking his words and performing mighty miracles. But
now the time had come. Elisha was sick with the
illness that would take him home to God. King Joash

(02:22):
of Israel hurried to Elisha's house. He knelt beside the
prophet's bed, his eyes filled with tears.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
My father, Oh, my father, he cried, the chariots of
Israel and its horsemen.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Joe Ash was remembering how Elisha had been a great
protector of Israel, guiding them through God's wisdom. Without Elisha,
what would happen to Israel. The words King Joash spoke
might sound familiar to you, Why because it was similar
to what Elisha said to his mentor his teacher, Elijah,

(03:08):
before the Lord took Elijah up to Heaven in a whirlwind. Okay,
back to our story. Even in his weakness, Elishah had
one last message from God. With slow and somewhat trembling movement,

(03:30):
he raised his hand and said.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Take a bow and some arrows.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Joosh obeyed, grabbing his mighty wooden bow and a handful
of sharp, shining arrows.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Now draw the bow.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Elisha said, And as Joosh pulled back the strings, Elishah
placed his frail hands over the king's strong ones.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
No, open the window.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
To the east, Elisha commanded. Joosh pushed open the wooden shutters.
The bright sunlight poured in, and through the window he
could see the land of Syria.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Now shoot.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
The arrow soared through the air like a streak of lightning.
As it disappeared into the distance, Elisha's voice rang out.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria,
and you will defeat the Syrians at effect until they
are destroyed.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
King Josh's heart pounded with hope victory. But Elisha wasn't finished.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
Now take the rest of the arrows and strike the.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Ground, he instructed. King Josh looked at the arrows in
his hands. Strike the ground. Even if he didn't quite understand,
he obeyed. Kneeling down, he struck the ground three times,

(05:25):
then he stopped. Elisha's eyes flared with disappointment.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Oh, you should have struck the ground five or six times.
Then you would have completely defeated Syria. But now now
you will only defeat them three times.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
King Josh's heart sank. He had been given the chance
for a greater victory. Oh, but he hadn't been bold
enough to take it. Soon after Elisha passed away, the
people mourned him deeply. They buried him in the tomb,

(06:09):
knowing they had lost a great prophet, a man who
had walked closely with God. Months passed, then years. Life
went on in Israel, and the people carried on their
daily lives. But Elisha's story wasn't over yet. One day,

(06:33):
someone was digging a grave to bury a man who
had died. The shovel thumped with each scoop of dirt.
He was about to place the man's body inside the
tomb when suddenly shouts rang out in the distance. Oh no,
Moabite raiders. These were fierce ment who would barge into

(06:55):
town take things that didn't belong to them, and sometimes
even her people. The man digging the grave knew he
had to hurry. He was in danger. He panicked, there
was no time to finish the burial properly. In a rush,
without thinking, he quickly threw the dead man's body in

(07:17):
a tomb. It just so happened to be Elisha's tomb.
Then the man took off for safety. And then the
most amazing thing happened. The moment the man's body touched
Elisha's bones, life rushed back into him. His chest rose

(07:43):
with breath, his eyes opened wide, and he sat up.
The once dead man stood on his feet alive again.
Can you imagine the look on his face. One minute
he was gone and the next he was staying whole
and strong. The power of God didn't stop when Elisha died.

(08:07):
God's power is bigger than time, bigger than people, bigger
than anything. Well that is it for our story today.
But before we go, let's think about what we just heard.
Help me remember what's the name of the prophet we've

(08:29):
been learning about, Elisha. Yes, Elisha told the king to
strike the ground with the arrows. And how many times
did the king strike the ground? Yes? Three times. Elisha
was disappointed by this. King Joosh held back. It symbolized

(08:54):
that he didn't fully trust or believe in God's promise.
Since he stopped too soon, he only won part of
the victory instead of all of it. It reminds me
that when God asks us to do something, we should
do it with all of our heart, holding nothing back,

(09:16):
even if it seems like something so small and simple,
like unloading the dishwasher or feeding the dog. Even these
everyday things they honor God. Our Bible tells us, so
whether you.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
Eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
That means whatever you do, share with me, maybe a
chore that you have at your house, that you can
do it with all of your heart for the Lord.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
Sweeping under the table, feeding manmals.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
Thanks for sharing. Okay. The last thing I want to
point out is what happened when the dead man touched
Elisha's bones. He came back to life. You got it,
He came back to life. This was a little glimpse,

(10:20):
like a sneak peek, of something even greater that would
happen later Jesus's resurrection. When Jesus died and was buried,
he didn't stay in the tomb, did he? No? No,
He rose again, proving that God has power over life

(10:42):
and death. As we come to the close of our
Elisha series, I'd love to hear what your favorite story
about Elisha was. What did you learn about God? Your
parents can share your answers with me by sending them
to Bible Stories podcast at Genie. I'll put the link
in the notes for them too. As you think about

(11:05):
our Elisha series, remember God's power hits bigger than people,
bigger than we can even understand, and it never runs out.
Be confident that our Mighty God he loves you very
very much. Thank you so much for joining us on

(11:29):
today's episode, and as always, bye for now.