FAITH

in the face of

APOSTASY

The Gospel According to

ELIJAH & ELISHA

RAYMOND B. DILLARD

PUBLISHING

p.o. box 817 ⬩ phillipsburg ⬩ new jersey 08865-0817

© 1999 by Ann Dillard

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dillard, Raymond B., d. 1993.

Faith in the face of apostasy: the Gospel according to Elijah and Elisha / Raymond B. Dillard.

p. cm.—(The Gospel according to the Old Testament)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-10: 0-87552-650-0 (pbk.)

ISBN-13: 978-0-87552-650-8 (pbk.)

1. Elijah (Biblical prophet) 2. Elisha (Biblical prophet) 3. Bible. O.T. Kings, 1st, XVII, 1-Kings, 2nd, XIII, 21-Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible. O.T. Kings, 1st, XVII, N.T.—Relation to Kings, 1st, XVII, 1-Kings, 2nd, XIII, 21.

I. Title. II. Series.

BS580.E4D45 1999

222'.506—dc21

99–28026

The Gospel According to the Old Testament

A series of studies on the lives of Old Testament characters, written for laypeople and pastors, and designed to encourage Christ-centered reading, teaching, and preaching of the Old Testament.

Tremper Longman III

J. Alan Groves

Series Editors

This book is dedicated to

Rusty Anderson

Union Springs, Alabama

Jack Armstrong

Wilmington, Delaware

Brian Bankard

Baltimore, Maryland

—brothers who hear God’s word and put it into practice. (Luke 8:21)

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

1. Christians and the Old Testament

2. The Lord, Our Provider

A. Of Pedigrees and Provisions (1 Kings 17:1–6)

B. Of Famine and Faith (1 Kings 17:7–16)

C. Now I Know (1 Kings 17:17–24)

3. Yahweh Versus Baal: The Ultimate Contest

A. Confrontation and Concealment (1 Kings 18:1–15)

B. Idolatry on Trial (1 Kings 18:16–46)

4. The Further Adventures of Elijah, the Servant of the Lord

A. A Second Moses Visits God’s Mountain (1 Kings 19:1–18)

B. Elijah’s Heir and Successor (1 Kings 19:19–21)

5. Elijah Versus the Kings

A. “New Lamps for Old” (1 Kings 21)

B. The Sins of the Father (2 Kings 1)

6. Elisha Succeeds Elijah

A. Passing the Mantle (2 Kings 2:1–18)

B. A Tale of Two Cities (2 Kings 2:19–25)

7. Déjà Vu

A. A Prophet’s Poor Widow (2 Kings 4:1–7)

B. A Family at Shunem (2 Kings 4:8–37)

8. More Miracles

A. Two Meals (2 Kings 4:38–44)

B. A Bath for Naaman (2 Kings 5)

9. God in the Little and the Big Things

A. The Floating Axhead (2 Kings 6:1–7)

B. Open Our Eyes, Lord (2 Kings 6:8–23)

10. The Power of God and the Power of the Prophet...