Who was this man Elisha? Part 7

2 Kings 8

Look at this long term relationship Elisha has with this family! More info about the man.

Elisha warns this family that a famine is coming. He tells them it will last 7 years. He tells them to go and stay wherever they can. Hm...the common people seem to listen to Elisha and do what he says. It's the prophets who don't seem to listen to each other, lol! The woman listened to him and took her family to the land of the Philistines. She returns. She wants her house and land back and it just so happens that Gehazi (there's his name again) is responding to the king who asked him to recount all the great things Elisha has done and here comes this woman whose boy Elisha raised from the dead. The king gives her back lost home, land, and income. Nice friend to have!

The king of Aram gets sick and sends Hazael to inquire of Elisha. The king sends Hazael with gifts (lots of gifts!). He wants to know if God will make him better.

Elisha says, yes, the king will get better but he'll die. Then Elisha stares down Hazael. Hazael feels ashamed. Elisha starts to weep. Hazael asks Elisha why he's weeping. God has shown Elisha the horrible things that Hazael will do. Wait. Wasn't this the king who just laid seige to Samaria? And Elisha is weeping over what is about to happen to him?

Verse 13 Hazael asks, "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?"

Elisha tells him, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king of Aram."

Hazael leaves Elisha, returns to his master, and he tells the king that he will recover but the next day he takes a thick cloth, soaks it in water and spread it over the king's face, kills the king and himself becomes king just as Elisha predicted. Israel & Judah join forces trying to defeat him but Ahab's son gets wounded. Elisha sends one of his company to anoint another king. Which takes us to 2 Kings 9.

Don't lose track of which king is which here. I have. More character studies for you.

Anyway... all this drama is set in motion and we see not just Elisha's words fullfilled but Elijah's as well.