Unfinished Business
The old prophet gets sick and dies. It's an ordinary death. Scripture describes it simply: When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him… Then Elisha died and was buried. (II Kings 13:14a and 20a NLT) His predecessor and mentor Elijah soared victoriously into heaven in a chariot of fire, but not Elisha. After more than fifty years as God’s prophet, Elisha dies as most of us probably will—he grows old, becomes terminally ill and then expires. Elisha's body is wrapped in a burial cloth and placed in a tomb. End of story. End of his spiritual influence. All his unfinished work remains incomplete. Not quite! Scripture continues with this surprising postscript: Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched E