Bible Study

We have been learning how Elisha showed mercy and kindness to all people including his enemies. We are going to read and discuss some other miracles that Elisha performed to show kindness and mercy to others.

Have children find the different Scriptures and then take turns reading the verses aloud. Lead a discussion using the questions below.

1. 2 Kings 2:19–22:

¹⁹ One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. “We have a problem, my lord,” they told him. “This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.” ²⁰ Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So they brought it to him. ²¹ Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.” ²² And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.

• According to verse 19, what was the problem? The water was bad and the land wouldn’t grow crops.
• In verses 20–21, what did Elisha do to make the water pure? He threw salt in the water from a new bowl and he spoke what the Lord said to the people.
• What was the result in verse 22? The water was purified so the people could drink it and produce crops on the land. The water remained pure after Elisha spoke.
• Did salt in a new bowl have the power to purify water, or was it something else? Please explain your answer. It was not the salt or the bowl; it was God’s power working through Elisha. Note: The spring, called Elisha’s Fountain, still flows clean to this day as discussed in the Bible Background video.
• Why was this an act of kindness and mercy? It solved a real problem. Water was critical to give life to the crops and for the people to drink.

2. 2 King 4:1–7:

¹ One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” ² “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. ³ And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. ⁴ Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” ⁵ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. ⁶ Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. ⁷ When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

• In verse 1, who needed help and why? The widow’s husband had died and she owed a debt.
• Did the creditors show her kindness and mercy? No, they showed her no mercy at all; they threatened to take her two sons to pay the debt since she couldn’t pay it.
• Did Elisha respond harshly to her need? No, he asked what he could do to help her.
• What was the part in the miracle that the widow was asked to do? Give whatever she had, which was a flask of olive oil. Gather empty jars from friends and neighbors, shut the door of her house and fill the jars.
• According to verse 5, did she obey Elisha? Yes, she and her sons filled all of the containers to the top.
• Why was it so unusual that she was able to fill all of the jars that were borrowed? She only had one flask of oil. That one flask filled all the other jars to the top! The oil continued until all were full and then stopped flowing.
• How did this miracle solve her need? She was able to sell the oil and pay her debts. There was enough money left over to live on.
• What can we learn in this Bible passage about things we have or possess; even if in our eyes they seem insignificant? God will use whatever we offer to Him in faith. He can take what is small and make it big.

3. 2 King 4:38–41:

³⁸ Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.” ³⁹ One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. ⁴⁰ Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!” So they would not eat it. ⁴¹ Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

• According to verse 38, what was the problem and need? There was a famine and the prophets needed food.
• What did he tell his servant to do? Put a large pot on the fire to make stew.
• In verse 39–40, why couldn’t the prophets eat the stew? Someone accidentally added wild gourds to the stew which were poisonous.
• In verse 41, how did Elisha respond to the need? He threw flour into the pot to make it safe to eat.
• Was the flour special? No, it was God’s power working through Elisha to perform the miracle.
• Why do you think God often uses common things like salt, flour or oil to meet people’s needs instead of having someone like Elisha do something more dramatic or exciting? God receives the glory and focus, not the person. He uses things that are at hand that hold no power on their own so people know it is by His power that a miracle happens.

Conclusion: Elisha was anointed by God’s Spirit. He did many important and powerful things for God. He spoke to leaders and kings, yet he also took the time to show kindness and mercy to a widow who couldn’t pay her debt, and a group of prophets who were hungry. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit, too. We can do great and mighty things for Him, yet we are also called to show God’s kindness, mercy and love to all people.