The voices of the thousands of prophets of his time were stilled when
Elijah was translated from earth to heaven. With him vanished the
prophetical spirit of those who in former times had in no wise been his
inferiors. (1) Elisha was the only one among them whose prophetical
powers were not diminished. On the contrary, they were strengthened, as
a reward for the unhesitating readiness with which he obeyed Elijah's
summons, and parted with the field he was ploughing, and with all else
he possessed, in favor of the community. Thenceforward he remained
Elijah's unwearying companion. When the angel descended from heaven to
take Elijah from earth, he found the two so immersed in a learned
discussion that he could not attract their attention, and he had to
return, his errand unfulfilled. (2)
Elijah's promise to bestow a double portion of his wondrous spirit upon
his disciple was realized instantaneously. During his life Elisha
performed sixteen miracles, and eight was all his master had performed.
The first of them, the crossing of the Jordan, was more remarkable than
the corresponding wonder done by Elijah, for Elisha traversed the river
alone, and Elijah had been accompanied by Elisha. Two saints always
have more power than one by himself. (3)
His second miracle, the "healing" of the waters of Jericho, so that
they became fit to drink, resulted in harm to himself, for the people
who had earned their livelihood by the sale of wholesome water were
very much incensed against the prophet for having spoiled their trade.
Elisha, whose prophetic powers enabled him to read both the past and
the future of these tradesmen, knew that they , their ancestors, and
their posterity had "not even the aroma of good about them." Therefore
he cursed them. Suddenly a forest sprang up and the bears that infested
it devoured the murmuring traders. The wicked fellows were not
undeserving of the punishment they received, yet Elisha was made to
undergo a very serious sickness, by way of correction for having
yielded to passion. (4) In this he resembled his master Elijah; he
allowed wrath and zeal to gain the mastery over him. God desired that
the two great prophets might be purged of this fault. Accordingly, when
Elisha rebuked King Jehoram of Israel, the spirit of prophecy forsook
him, and he had to resort to artificial means to re-awaken it within
himself. (5)
Like his teacher, Elisha was always ready to help the poor and needy,
as witness his sympathy with the widow of one of the sons of the
prophets, and the effective aid he extended to her. Her husband had
been none other than Obadiah, who, though a prophet, had at the same
time been one of the highest officials at the court of the sinful king
Ahab. By birth an Edomite, Obadiah had been inspired by God to utter
the prophecy against Edom. In his own person he embodied the accusation
against Esau, who had lived with his pious parents without following
their example, while Obadiah, on the contrary, lived in constant
intercourse with the iniquitous King Ahab and his still more iniquitous
spouse Jezebel without yielding to the baneful influence they
exercised. (6) This same Obadiah not only used his own fortune, but
went to the length of borrowing money on interest from the future king,
in order to have the wherewithal to support the prophets who were in
hiding. On his death, the king sought to hold the children responsible
for the debt of the father. In her despair the pious wife of Obadiah
(7) went to the graveyard, and there she cried out: "O thou God-fearing
man!" At once a heavenly voice was heard questioning her: "There are
four God-fearing men, Abraham, Joseph, Job, and Obadiah. To which of
them does thou desire to speak?" "To him of whom it is said, "He feared
the Lord greatly.'"
She was led to the grave of the prophet Obadiah, where she poured out
the tale of her sorrow. Obadiah told her to take the small remnant of
oil she still had to the prophet Elisha and request him to intercede
for him with God, "for God," he said, "is my debtor, seeing that I
provided a hundred prophets, not only with bread and water, but also
with oil to illuminate their hiding-place, for do not the Scriptures
say: 'He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord'?"
Forthwith the woman carried out his behest. She went to Elisha, and he
helped her by making her little cruse of oil fill vessels upon vessels
without number, and when the vessels gave out, she fetched potsherds,
saying, "May the will that made empty vessels full, make broken vessels
perfect." So it was. The oil ceased to flow only when the supply of
potsherds as well as vessels gave out. In her piety the woman wanted to
pay her tithe-offering, but Elisha was of the opinion that, as the oil
had been bestowed upon her miraculously, she could keep it wholly and
entirely for her own use. Furthermore, Elisha reassured her as to the
power of the royal princes to do her harm: "The God who will close the
jaws of the lions set upon Daniel, and who did close the jaws of the
dogs in Egypt, the same God will blind the eyes of the sons of Ahab,
and deafen their ears, so that they can do thee no harm." (8) Not only
was the poor widow helped out of her difficulties, her descendants unto
all times were provided for. The oil rose in price, and it yielded so
much profit that they never suffered want. (9)