Yet, surprisingly, his last act was rather anti-climatic it seems! Elisha had done, through the Power of God, so many great things! He truly had a "double portion" of the Spirit of God!

Our next few Bible Study Lessons will center on shooting arrows, of all things! Yet, the Bible being inspired of God and profitable in all things, we will surely learn some vital truths about living for the Lord.

Here's a full account of what happened, as given in the Word of God. "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died, and they buried him." 2nd Kings 13:14-20

Herein is a Lesson on diligence and faithfulness that we all need to learn!

And Paul's Verse on "fighting the good fight of faith," written much later of course, is nearly a full commentary on our Old Testament Text here. See 1st Timothy 6:12.

The first Verse, Verse 14, actually introduces us to the main characters of the story. "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."

Elisha's name means "God is salvation," according to one Bible Dictionary at least. And Joash, King of Israel, is also known as Jehoash. The one name is merely a shortened form of the other. It means "given by the Lord!" The whole Hebrew Language seems to be seasoned, heavily so, with godly touches of faith, even its names! Culturally religious!

Now do not confuse this Jehoash with a man by the same name who was the King of Judah! That Jehoash was the ninth King of Judah, the one whose life was miraculously spared from certain death at the hands of wicked Queen Athaliah!

Our King Jehoash is the twelfth King of Israel and was on the throne sixteen years. He must have been a fairly young Monarch when our Text transpired.

Again, "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." 2nd Kings 13:14

Elisha's predecessor, Elijah, went to Heaven in a whirlwind, riding a chariot of fire! But Elisha, the man with the Double Portion, got sick and died! God's "ways" with His Own people are amazing! It's like Jesus asked in the great Parable of Matthew 20:15, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? "

Surely this proves the point of Revelation 14:13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord," perhaps alluding to Psalm 116:15. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

The Rapture would be a great way to leave this earth! But death is also an event during which the Lord's Presence is equally promised! "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." Psalm 23:4

On his very deathbed Elisha the Prophet is still preaching and teaching, to Royalty nonetheless!

The tears of the King are significant. "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face ...." The verb for "wept" is "bakah" and means "to bewail, to mourn, to lament," weeping in that sense. At least the King knew the value and power of having such a godly man in the Country at that time! Today in our world there's no longer any real appreciation for godliness! Real firm and steady Believers in Christ Jesus are popularly considered nuisances now it seems.

Next Joash used the expression "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof," first used by Elisha himself years earlier when Elijah left earth! Any Nation that still acknowledges a Prophet of God as its "father" has hope, hope for a future Revival! America today has gone to great lengths to deny any such heritage! History is even being "revised," rewritten to excise any religious tendencies!

Also by identifying Elisha with the very army of Israel, its horses and chariots particularly, the young King is revealing his belief that godliness is as good a weapon at fighting the enemy as is military prowess!

Chariots and horsemen, while signs of disobedience spiritually, were certainly on the cutting edge of technology in those ancient days. See Deuteronomy 17:15-20 with its stark warning about trusting horses instead of the Lord God!

King Joash was figuratively saying that Elisha himself, all alone, with his godly character and power, was indeed worth more than all the military machinery Israel possessed at that time!

Amazing!

Yes, "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD." Proverbs 21:31

Joash is just one in a long line of Kings, and regular people too for that matter, who talked right, but lived wrong! Here's his obituary: "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein." 2nd Kings 13:11

God is our Vanguard, our Leader, not guns!

God is our Rereward, protecting us from behind, too! "For the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward." Who needs worldly armament? Isaiah 52:12

God is our Protector, on the right hand and left! "The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand." Psalm 121:5

And God is also our Overseer, as well as our Foundation, both "above" us and "underneath" us! "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them." Deuteronomy 33:27

That's the Truth of 2nd Kings 13:14 for sure!

Truth that many Nations badly need yet today!

                                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2, VERSES 15-17:

It was an acted parable.

Truth made visible by the hands of an elderly Prophet!

Elisha the Man of God is talking to Joash the King of Israel. "And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them." 2nd Kings 13:15-17

Remember that Elisha is near death. Having enjoyed a long and effective ministry, the bold Preacher will soon see his predecessor Elijah! Both again in the same place, yet neither leaving this old world the same way! Verse 20, the very end of our current Text, runs, "And Elisha died, and they buried him."

"Take" bow and arrows, that verb, translates "laqach" in Hebrew. It means "to lay hold of, to fetch, to seize, to snatch," a kind of strong and forceful movement on the part of King Joash, himself still a young man. The verb is also an imperative, a command having been given.

As the King was instructed to prepare to shoot an arrow, Elisha, physically weak as he may have been, stood up and placed his godly hands upon the King's hands, as if to "walk him through" the shooting process! Undoubtedly the young Monarch had shot arrows before, many times no doubt! His father was Israel's King Jehoahaz, "Jehovah has seized!"

Then, preaching hands on top of reigning hands, Elisha said to the King, "Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them."

Some truth is being conveyed here. A prophecy concealed in a military training exercise!

Another command, "Open the window!"

Even down to the precise window, the east one!

Why "east?" That was the exact direction in which Syria was located, Israel's main enemy of that time! God knows geography! Liberals today attack certain alleged "geographical" errors in the Bible. I personally know of none. The God we serve is the great Creator as well as Redeemer of mankind! And the Creator knows His work!

It does no good to shoot just "any" direction! Our attacks must be well placed! Paul did not want to "shadow-box" the devil in 1st Corinthians 9:26, "So fight I, not as one that beateth the air." He wanted to hit that rascal in the most effective way possible!

Don't trust the Lord to remove your craving for nicotine if you're not a smoker! That would indeed be "shooting" in the wrong direction! And it might not be your eyes that are hurting you spiritually if you are a gossip! Fight your spiritual battles directionally! Here's an arrow shot in the right direction, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Another one, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." Then, "The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness." Or even a short "arrow," like this, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life." All these little "weapons" come from the Book of Proverbs.

An obedient King, "touched" by the powerful Prophet of God, shot the arrow! Here's the Scripture: "Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot." Here's an interesting fact. The verb "shoot" is spelled "yarah" in Hebrew. It means "to throw or shoot or cast" something. In the King James Bible "yadah" is also translated "teach" forty-two times! Joash is shooting arrows, but God is teaching Bible prophecy!

Sometimes God says, "Love!"

Other times He says, "Praise!"

Here he says, "Shoot!"

Fight the enemy!

Now the teaching begins. No doubt the Spirit of God again settles on the old Prophet, he being accustomed to a Double Portion of God's Power, "And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them."

There it is!

The arrow was symbolic!

It pictured victory! The victory God wanted to give King Joash over his enemies, the Syrians! The noun "deliverance" is "teshuah" in Hebrew and means "help, safety, deliverance," and even "salvation" seventeen times also!

"Syria," whose very name means "exalted," likely because of their pride and vanity, is spelled "aram." They are historically called the Arameans by many. They here typify the enemy of God's people, any enemy.

"Smite" is a violent word, too! "Nakah" means "to kill, slay, slaughter" as well as "wound" in the Old Testament. With Joash this was describing a literal, physical, impending war! With us today, the enemies are spiritual! "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

The city of "Aphek," meaning "enclosed or protected," would fall first! That is, if Joash would engage the Syrians and fight in the Name of the Lord! It's located due east of the Sea of Galilee!

The devil's most treasured and most fortified "high places" can be demolished via the Power of God! "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2nd Corinthians 10:5

To "consume" is "to end or destroy or finish" something. "Kalah" here is the last word in the Hebrew sentence and is framed so as to show "intensive" action!

Fight hard!

And how is all this going to happen?

By obeying God!

By the Power of God!

By the Touch of the Lord!

"Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them."

What great promises the Bible gives!

And it's the same for you and me too!

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1st John 4:4

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1st John 5:4

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:32

Shoot the arrows of God's Word!

Shoot the barbs of intercessory prayer too!

Shoot the shafts of godly living as well!

Shoot the missiles of Spirit-filled self-control at the problem you're facing, the sin or sins you're battling!

And, please, shoot in the right direction!

                                                                        --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, VERSES 18-19:

God's loves it when we obey Him with "all our might!"

He says so! "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5

This "might" lesson rests at the very heart of our Text, 2nd Kings 13:14-20. Here is related the Bible account of a King and a Prophet, and a session on "How to shoot arrows!"

Upon learning that the arrow he had just shot was symbolic, King Joash was commanded to shoot even more! The first arrow was aimed eastward, toward the enemy's homeland, the Syrians. The others presumably would be pointed that way also.

Then, the Prophet says to the King,  "Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed." 2nd Kings 13:18

Somewhere nearby there was a quiver full of arrows. A quiver is that long round sheath that stores those pointed shafts for future use. It holds quite a few of them. At least eight or ten!

By the command, "Smite the ground," it is thought that Elisha was asking Joash to "shoot" into the ground. Not to just take an arrow and "hit" the nearby dirt. Launch another missile ... toward Aphek! They are a strong people! It might take more than one shot to stop them!

Even the Devil came at the Lord three times during the forty-day wilderness Temptation. And thrice Jesus "shot" him with these barbed words, "It is written!" The precious Word of God!

But the King only half-heartedly obeyed the Preacher! "And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed."

Only three times!

Maybe other matters of state awaited the Royal signature! Or a social event later that day! Or just the long ride back to the Palace!

Shooting arrows can't be that important, can it?

But look at Elisha's reaction! "And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." 2nd Kings 13:19

The Prophet was "wroth!" The word is "qatzsaph" and means at least "displeased" or "fretful" but often "furious!" The verb as written also indicates this anger was not quick to leave the Prophet! He is genuinely disturbed! Upset because God has been taken lightly!

Then, though old and feeble and near death, Elisha's drive and initiative and diligence surface! "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times," at least!

In other words, "You quit too soon, O King!"

When fighting the enemy, one so perennial as Syria, it takes more than a single arrow or two to overcome them!

The godly life is not a skirmish! It's a war!

Not a mere battle, but a campaign!

Keep your quiver full and your bow tightly strung!

Always ready!

"Walk circumspectly," commands Paul in Ephesians 5:15.

"Fight the good fight of faith," young Timothy! This admonition uses a present tense verb too! Keep on fighting! In "agonizing" combat, the very verb used here, "agonizomai." 1st Timothy 6:12

At least twice as many arrows should have been shot!

And do remember the symbolism here. King Joash had already been taught this lesson. "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."

This truth yet applies to our lives, folks.

Some of you have quit smoking ... three times! But that's not enough! You may have to shoot five or six or ten or twelve arrows at that pesky little sin! Keep shooting until you have the victory!

Not to mention gossiping tongues! Such deadly things need to be shot again and again and again ... until they begin to behave and speak words of love and wisdom and truth!

And the demons of fear or worry or lust or doubt?

All are formidable!

All may need numerous attacks!

Keep shooting arrows!

Don't be casual and nonchalant about such important things!

Stay ready!

Colossians 3:23 applies to fighting the devil too, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."

Someone please hand me the quiver!

                                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4, VERSE 20:

The last verse of our Text consists of two complete sentences. Actually two events are therein linked. "And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year." 2nd Kings 13:20

The first thought completes the Biblical picture of Elisha's "death scene." He has just taught young King Joash, King of Israel, some valuable lessons about defeating one's enemies! Then, with no break in the story at all, the great Prophet dies!

Again, "And Elisha died, and they buried him."

Talk about dying with your "boots" on, working for the Lord!

His schedule might have read something like this. At 1:00 PM, Teaching Session with King Joash, Bow and arrows needed! At 6:00 PM, Leaving this earth for Glory, nothing needed but Faith in our coming Redeemer!

The other day I spent some time thinking about just that, the "death scenes" of the Bible!

That's a strange thought for today's world! They try to obscure death, renaming it any way possible. There are no more "grave-yards," now they are called memorial gardens. No "under-takers," just funeral directors. No "hearses," but plenty of funeral coaches. In fact, very little mention of "death" itself, people just pass away.

But it's different in the Bible!

Psalm 116:15 promises us, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

And Revelation 14:13 goes even further! "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

Paul even taught us, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Jesus preached about a godly man dying. Here's what He said. "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Luke 16:22 here uses "Abraham's Bosom" as a synonym for Paradise.

In the New Testament especially, with Jesus' Life and Death and Burial and Resurrection in view, death merely becomes a defeated foe! "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1st Corinthians 15:55-57

Paul once calmly called death "the time of his departure," using "analusis" as the noun of record. It means "to loose" or "to untie" a knot in a rope or cord! All the scrambled and confused issues of life will one day be unraveled! Untied! The tensions and stresses of life "loosened!"

Also "analusis" was used by sailors in the ancient world. When they "untied" a ship on this side of the sea and sailed to the other side of the water! That's death for the saint of God! Merely traveling to the other side, to Heaven!

It was too used when soldiers "unloosed" their tent ropes and pulled up the stakes, preparing to go home! Weary spiritual warriors, some day we too shall pack up and leave the battlefield of earth, heading Home, to Headquarters!

When Peter talked about his impending death, he put it this way, "That ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance." The noun "decease" here in 2nd Peter 1:15 is spelled "exodos." It literally means "out of" the "roadway," an "exit ramp" really! All death was to this man of God was going out of one room, called earth, into another Room, called Heaven! That does not sound so frightening, does it?

And even the Old Testament does well in this area of death. It too is the inspired Word of God! "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." Psalm 23:4 reveals no fear of death in David's heart! He would not be alone!

And, best of all, here's how Jesus died. In a loud voice, to be clearly heard by all present, He prayed "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."  Then Luke 23:46 immediately adds, "and having said thus, He gave up the ghost." Going to meet His Father!

"And Elisha died!"

This "death" thing, at least to some of God's greatest servants, came to be a thing anticipated! Paul plainly says that he had a "desire" to go to Heaven! "Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ," quotes Philippians 1:23! Of course, he had already been there! He knew what was waiting! His testimony is recorded in 2nd Corinthians 12:2-4. "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

Yes, he thereafter could confidently write: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 puts first on the list "death!" Death is now inconsequential for the Believer in Jesus Christ!

May our lives be like that of Elisha the Prophet, working for the Lord until the day we go Home! "And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died."

Amen!

                                                                       --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, CONCLUSION:

The Bible not only records great births, but great deaths as well!

Of course the premier Birth in the Bible is The Virgin Birth, the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, God the Son, Jesus Christ!

And the greatest death ever died also belonged to Him, His Vicarious Death on Calvary that sinners might be saved!

But then, for those who have been born-again, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, who have by faith appropriated the Victory that is in the Resurrected Lord Jesus, death's very "sting" has been removed!

Death's "victory" has been spoiled!

And, almost as if to prove that fact, the Bible gives us a host of "death scenes," where the saints of history have departed this life, Heaven bound!

Some day I want to preach on the "last words" of King David! They are beautiful! His greatest desire has been preserved for us. "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." That longing, recorded so beautifully in Psalm 27:4, has been realized fully!

And what about Jacob? "By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." What a way to leave this life!

Likely so many of these "death scenes" are recorded because the Lord finds beauty in their serenity and validity. After all, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15

Even old Balaam, that compromiser supreme, prayed, "Let me die the death of the righteous." That's according to Numbers 23:10.

For the past few days we have been studying another death event in the Word of God, that of the great Prophet Elisha.

"Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said ..." That's how the account begins anyway, 2nd Kings 13:14!

Then, only a few verses later, "And Elisha died, and they buried him." That's all we're told in 2nd Kings 13:20

Of course, between those two verses sits one of the greatest sermons in all the Bible! About "shooting arrows," fighting the enemy!

But here's the point today. Elisha was a student, an apprentice of Elijah. That great fiery Man of God, so filled with power, did not die! Here's how he went to Heaven: "Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." 2nd Kings 2:11 records a miraculous exit from earth, a "rapture" as it were!

But Elisha, the Man of God who was endued with a "Double Portion" of the Spirit of God, who indeed worked twice as many miracles as his predecessor, went to Heaven from a simple death bed!

Surely this tells us at least this much, "death," in God's Eyes, is every bit as astounding as a chariot ride to Glory! The doubly blessed man had the privilege of walking through the valley of the shadow of death with His Lord, fearing nothing at all!

Think of it!

Death here, for the Believer in Jesus, nearly appears to be a "reward"!' A gift of the Spirit! And for many who have walked with our Lord, an anticipated event! Even Paul had a "desire" to depart and be with Christ! The noun used there for "desire" is "epithumia," a craving so strong that it's translated "lust" 31 times in the New Testament!

We shall die victoriously because He, our great Saviour, died vicariously!

Praise His good Name!

Oh yes, let me close with one of Jesus' Beatitudes, a forgotten one in today's culture! "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." Revelation 14:13

Amen!

                                                                        --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

THANK GOD FOR EVERY VERSE IN THE BIBLE ... ALL 31,102 OF THEM!