{"id":63289,"date":"2019-09-22T16:56:22","date_gmt":"2019-09-22T13:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=63289"},"modified":"2023-04-16T10:03:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T07:03:47","slug":"elisha-v-elijah-a-study-in-contrasts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/elisha-v-elijah-a-study-in-contrasts\/","title":{"rendered":"Elisha v. Elijah: A Study In Contrasts"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[858,931,402,506],"acf":{"old_id":"63289","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"313","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Highlighting healing and hope, Elisha offers encouragement, not confrontation or criticism","content":"

Elisha\u2019s miracle of the oil jug is highly reminiscent of Elijah\u2019s miracle with the widow of Tzarafat (I Kings 17:11). The differences between their miracles are significant:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Whereas Elisha’s sole motive is to provide for the widow’s welfare, in Elijah’s story, the widow is there to assist him, to sustain him as he hides from King Ahab.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Elisha does not test the widow. By contrast, Elijah challenges the widow from Tzarafat.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Elisha does not benefit from the miracle he performs; his is a thoroughly altruistic gesture. Elijah benefits from his miracle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Precisely because of its parallelism with Elijah, our story leads to a study of contrasts between Elisha and Elijah. Here is a prophet who offers support rather than criticism, whose demeanor is that of kindness and assistance rather than confrontation and accusation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    What are the sources of the differences between the two prophets?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Elisha may represent an alternative tactical approach. If one wishes to draw the nation to Judaism, what is the more effective educational method: The stick or the carrot? Confrontation or encouragement?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Elijah’s strategy sought to pressure the people into affirming their religious commitment openly, and to forcefully demonstrate God’s supremacy. By contrast, Elisha practices kindness and generates miracles which allow the average Israelite to realize that “there is a prophet in Israel” (II Kings 5:8).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Lastly, the difference between Elijah and Elisha may be a function of the times in which they live and serve. Elijah operates during the reign of King Ahab, when the kingdom enjoys economic prosperity and wields international influence and power. Elisha’s era is plagued by Aram’s domination of the northern kingdom as well as bouts of famine.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whereas Elijah may feel it necessary to rebuke Israel for its waywardness, presenting a dour and sobering counterbalance in heady times and challenging the leadership in a fortunate era, Elisha senses that during difficult times, such an approach is deeply unjustified. When the nation is under siege, relief, inspiration, and encouragement are needed. There will be times in which Elisha too will play his part in the divine punishment of the house of Omri, but to the largest extent possible Elisha dedicates his role as prophet to offering hope and healing, highlighting God’s special connection with His people, through the miracles he performs and the assistance he offers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Alex Israel, II Kings: In a Whirlwind,<\/em> Maggid Books, 2019, Elisha: Prophet of Miracles\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":63310,"id":63310,"title":"Alex Israel - 2_kings_cover","filename":"Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-hairy-prophet\/alex-israel-2_kings_cover\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-2_kings_cover","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":63117,"date":"2019-09-23 13:43:41","modified":"2019-09-23 13:53:01","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1711,"height":1821,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-282x300.jpg","medium-width":282,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-768x817.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":817,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-962x1024.jpg","large-width":962,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1443,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1711,"2048x2048-height":1821,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-1128x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1128,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-395x420.jpg","home_baner-width":395,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Excerpts from: II Kings - In A Whirlwind","main_caption":"Elisha v. 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