Elisha’s Faith: Learning to See the Invisible

The Syrian king was out for blood. Overnight, he sent his forces to surround the town of Dothan. Men. Horses. Chariots. The Bible account defines this army as “great,” which can mean massive, abundant, oppressive, grievous.

This murderous mob had one purpose: to capture Elisha.

As one of the prophet’s servants surveyed the situation, he exclaimed, “What shall we do?” Elisha was calm: “Do not be afraid. We have many more on our side than theirs.”

This did not make sense to the servant who just saw thousands of war-hungry Syrians. In response, the prophet prayed to God: “Open his eyes, that he may see.”

The young man’s perception changed immediately when God opened his eyes so he could see the mountains filled with horses and chariots of fire—an angelic army!

We can all wish to approach the problems in our lives like Elisha, right? He was cool and collected when faced with what appeared to be an impossible situation.

Yet, humanly, we can get ruffled when hit with severe trials. Our physical problems can seem insurmountable. How can we have the rock-solid faith of Elisha?

The miraculous story, recorded in II Kings 6, did not stop with the revealing of angelic forces ready to defend God’s servants. The prophet then proceeded to capture the entire army, single-handedly.

Elisha simply prayed, “Strike this army with blindness.” And God did.

Continue in the Old Testament account, starting in verse 19: “And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. But he led them to Samaria.”

One man led away an entire army!

Now verse 20: “And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.”

Imagine how the Syrians felt when they came to their senses and found themselves miles away from Dothan. Elisha was merciful. He instructed the Israelite forces to feed the Syrians and send them home.

The result? “So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel” (vs. 23).

There is a lot to unpack in this account. A fearsome foe came after one of God’s servants. The man was undeterred, prayed a few simple prayers, and God delivered him. Along the way, he was even able to increase his young servant’s belief in God.

Again, we all desire to have such rock-solid faith! Elisha’s example is Hebrews 11:1 come to life, which states: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Through the prophet’s faith, he fulfilled verse 2: “For by it the elders obtained a good report.” So how did Elisha get to this point?

Familiar Calling

Years earlier, Elisha was leading an ordinary life as a farmer. That all changed in one day.

God told lead prophet Elijah that He had a special assignment for Elisha. (To reduce potential confusion as you read, take careful note of whether there is a “j” or “s” in these two men’s names.)

Ultimately, God wanted Elisha to take Elijah’s place when the time came: “And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your [place]” (I Kgs. 19:16).

Keep reading in verse 19: “So [Elijah] departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.”

This verse reveals Elisha was an industrious young man, apparently from a wealthy family. Elisha was just one of 12 men plowing the land at the same time.

Elijah throwing his mantle, or cloak, upon Elisha was a significant act. This was the garb of a prophet and a symbol of his authority. It could also be seen as a symbolic form of adoption into a group labeled “the sons of the prophets” (I Kgs. 20:35; II Kgs. 2:3).

It took Elisha a little while to process what had happened. He was likely stunned. Elijah was already walking away when the younger man formulated a response.

“And Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And [Elijah] said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to you?” (I Kgs. 19:20). (The Jewish Publication Society translates the elder prophet’s response as, “Go back. I am not stopping you.”)

At first, it could seem that Elisha’s attachment to his old life could be a problem. Yet his next actions in the account make clear how committed he was to following Elijah.

“And [Elisha] returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him” (vs. 21).

Consider how this scene would have looked to everyone round about him. Elisha, who had moments earlier been using these oxen and plow for his livelihood, suddenly turned the livestock into a kind of “farewell” meal and then joined his new teacher.

This full commitment to God’s Way laid the foundation for Elisha’s faith. He was no longer relying on riches or physical things—rather on God and His plan for his life.

Think back to when you were called by God. He opened your mind to His truth and you likely felt similar to Elisha. For some this meant losing a job because they began keeping the Sabbath. For others, family relations were strained because of their new beliefs. Still others had to change careers because they did not align with God’s Way.

These were physical changes we made to shift our thinking from earthly things to spiritual.

Consider another striking way we are similar to Elisha. God set him apart for a special purpose in the Old Testament. We were set aside for a special purpose in the soon-coming Kingdom of God: “According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1:4).

It is good to regularly replay in your mind the events from your Christian calling. Remember how special you felt when you realized the God of the universe has an awesome plan for you. He chose you “before the foundation of the world”!

Early Training

Elisha’s faith continued to grow as he trained under Elijah. He would have seen many miracles—and God working directly through the elder prophet.

Imagine the forging experience of seeing Elijah boldly go before the wicked king of Israel, Ahab, and point out his sin. This was the man who, with his wife Jezebel, actively plotted to kill the prophet.

These are the words Elijah declared to the evil king: “You have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the Lord” (I Kgs. 21:20).

Verse 25 adds: “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.”

Not only did Elisha witness this boldness, he also saw the awesome results that God could work through it.

When Elijah called out Ahab’s sin, this was the response: “And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly” (vs. 27).

God told Elijah at the end of this exchange: “See you how Ahab humbled himself before Me? Because he humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house” (vs. 29).

Elijah’s final miracle would have been particularly faith-building for Elisha. The prophesied time had come for Elijah to be taken away by a whirlwind (II Kgs. 2:1).

Elijah arrived at Bethel and went to the banks of the Jordan River: “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” (vs. 8).

This would have been an awesome sight! Yet why it was particularly important to Elisha will become clear as the story continues.

“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me” (vs. 9).

This was an emotional moment. It was the last time the two men would see one another in this life. Also, Elisha’s request for a “double portion” was akin to a firstborn son asking his father for his inheritance (Deut. 21:17).

Elisha was about to take his place as the head of the “sons of the prophets.”

Elijah responded: “You have asked a difficult thing. If you see me as I am being taken from you, this will be granted to you; if not, it will not” (II Kgs. 2:10, JPS).

Verses 11-12: “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. 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.”

Elisha knew that it was God’s will to take Elijah away, but it was still difficult to see this father figure go.

After a while, Elisha picked up “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” (vs. 14).

God made clear that Elisha was now the lead prophet (vs. 15).

Imagine how this would have all felt to Elisha. He had seen God work powerfully through Elijah as God trained him. In Elijah’s final miracle, he parted the river. Elisha’s first miracle was the same. Further clear proof God was working through him!

Every Christian is similar. Early on, we would have heard others speak of the many blessings and miraculous interventions in their lives. These all helped to build our faith in God’s promises. But nothing builds our faith more than seeing God at work in our own lives. Elisha would have been no different…

Elisha’s Miracles

The Old Testament records some 15 miracles connected with Elisha himself. We already went through two of the most dramatic—the servant’s eyes opened to see an angelic army and Elisha leading away the entire Syrian army from Dothan. Yet there were many others. Here is a complete list:

(1) Parted Jordan river with Elijah’s mantle (II Kgs. 2:14)

(2) Purified spring at Jericho (vs. 18-22)

(3) Young taunters attacked by bears (vs. 23-25)

(4) Water provided for Israelite and Edomite armies (3:8-17)

(5) Helped a widow by providing unlimited cooking oil (4:1-7)

(6) Prophesied son born to old couple (vs. 8-17)

(7) Child brought back to life (II Kgs. 4:18-37; Heb. 11:35)

(8) Made poisonous stew edible (II Kgs. 4:38-41)

(9) Provided unlimited bread and corn (vs. 42-44)

(10) Healing of Naaman, commander of Syrian army (5:1-19)

(11) Servant Gehazi received Naaman’s leprosy (vs. 20-27)

(12) Lost axe head floats (6:1-7)

(13) Servant’s eyes opened to see angelic army (6:8-17)

(14) Syrian army confused and led away (vs. 18-23)

(15) Prophesied death of doubting Samaritan officer comes to pass (7:1-20)

God made sure all of these accounts were recorded. For you, personally, it is good to review God’s interventions in your life—and share them with others. You may even want to make a similar list!

Clear events where God intervened in our lives help keep our minds on the invisible spiritual things—rather than getting bogged down in the here and now.

Yet you do not need to just have a personal list. Scripture is brimming with awesome miracles. Recall that you proved the Bible is the inspired Word of God as you came into His truth. We can—and must—believe the miracles they contain!

In fact, Christ commended those who believe an account without seeing. Recall that 10 of the disciples saw Jesus after He was resurrected. Thomas, who was not present when this happened, stated: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

When Thomas finally got his chance, Christ said: “Reach hither your finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither your hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

Now notice verse 29, “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Let’s all strive to believe the many miracles we hear about from other brethren—and the ones recorded in the Bible. Doing so will further increase our faith and help us keep our minds on the things of God.

See the Invisible

Elisha grew in faith under Elijah—and then more as he worked as the lead prophet in Israel. His life should inspire us greatly. That is why it is in the Bible in the first place. Yet his account is not the only motivating example in Scripture.

In Hebrews 11, what is commonly referred to as the faith chapter, Paul outlines the lives of the many great servants of God in the Old Testament.

Read verses 1-2 again: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”

Faith is what allowed them to set their minds on the invisible things of God.

Verse 13 continues: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

Abel, Enoch, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, etc., all saw the promises afar off. Those of us alive today know those promises are right around the corner!

Keep reading: “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God…” (vs. 14-16).

These servants had to keep their minds fixed on being a part of this “heavenly country”—the coming Kingdom of God. They had to keep their minds on this invisible goal!

Look to the example of Moses: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (vs. 24-27).

Moses rejected the riches and prestige of royalty and persevered by keeping his focus on God—“Him who is invisible.”

Elisha was the same. After he healed Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, Elisha rejected any gift in return. Here was his attitude: “Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?” (II Kgs. 5:26).

The answer to this rhetorical question was no! Elisha knew his reward would come when he was resurrected in the Kingdom. He rejected physical wealth because it would have pulled his singular focus away from spiritual things.

This should all sound familiar, as it is the same we all must do as Christians today.

Recall Christ’s words: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first” (Mark 10:29-31).

Finisher of Our Faith

Whenever the trials of this physical life pop up, do not forget those who have lived God’s Way before us. Let’s fulfill Hebrews 12:1: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

Do not forget Jesus Christ’s example in this! He also lived a physical life and was tempted like we are, just without sin (4:15).

Hebrews 12:2 should further ground us in God’s Way: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. What an awesome thing to consider!

Yet, like Paul, we have run out of room in this article to discuss all the stellar examples of faith recorded in the Bible. Notice what he wrote: “And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets” (Heb. 11:32).

Go read all about Elisha in the Old Testament. Allow his example to help you see the invisible, spiritual things of God. As you study the prophet’s life—and all the Bible figures mentioned in Hebrews 11—allow the accounts to sure up your faith as you earnestly expect the imminent fulfillment of the promises God has for all of us.