Elijah and Elisha are prophets of God. During their time of service to God, there are many critical issues that surface. This teaching is an introduction to the story of these prophets and answers some questions about God.

The Word of the Lord is powerful. It attracts some while repulsing others. Elijah's role as a prophet was to speak for God. How can we share God's word in this day and age? This teaching will cover how the Word of God spreads.

Elijah has a confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Who can command the Heavens? Elijah proves once and for all that there is only one God and he is Yahweh. This epic battle reveals the idolatry present in the hearts of man. This idolatry may take a different form but is present to this day.

Standing up to the prophets of Baal took its toll on Elijah. Afterwards, he started going on a downward spiral. He began to let his fears control him. God ministered to Elijah and lovingly reminds him of things that Elijah can't see. This teaching covers how devastating fear can be in our lives and how to not allow fear to control us.

Elisha is going to replace Elijah. Good leaders look to replace themselves. This was Jesus's method and it should be the church's method as well. God uses people to build His church. This teaching covers discipleship, growing with God, and also the importance of finishing the race well.

An impoverished widow cries out to Elisha while she is in crisis. In general, poverty has deeply personal, spiritual, and communal dimensions; thus, a millionaire can have an impoverished inner life. Like the widow, we can present all we have to God and take steps of faith to allow Him into our poverty and find help. Like He did with the widow, God uses community (i.e. the church) to help those without material and/or spiritual resources.\r\n

Jim Leffel discusses a tale of two lepers, Naaman and Gehazi, which reveals elements of Biblical irony. Naaman was an honorable Aramean army captain and far from God while Gehazi was Elisha's servant. Naaman eventually humbled himself and trusted in God's grace. His life was transformed and he sought God's reputation over this world, while Gehazi's life was destroyed as he sought the world and misrepresented God.\r\n

This passage contains three scenes describing three types of blindness. The first describes the king of Aram and deals with being blind to the plans of God because of ambition ? seeing is a condition of the soul. The second is directed at Elisha's servant and relates to being blind to the presence of God ? God is always present and works at times we do not expect and in ways that we cannot see until later. The third is being blind to the grace of God and describes Israel's king ? how easily we can forget who we are, why we are here, and that God loves all people.\r\n