It is often mentioned that Elijah, the prophet of judgment, anointed Elisha, the prophet of grace, as his successor. Elijah had personally killed the 450 false prophets of Baal. This verse says that Elisha would also kill the enemies of the Lord, but this seems completely out of character for him. Elisha was the prophet who dispensed mercy and blessing on the widows and lepers, on the hungry and needy. In what way did Elisha himself ever kill anyone?

It is the case that a passage of Scripture that at first seems puzzling always ends up offering something particularly illuminating and encouraging. There may be several ways to answer this question about Elisha, but one idea comes from the words of the prophet Hosea. Through Hosea, God described the unfaithfulness of his people and then added, “Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth” (Hos. 6:5). Despite his ministry of grace, Elisha spoke with the authority of God, and he was not lenient with sin. To an unfaithful king, he said, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother” (2 Kings 3:13). To a selfish servant, he asked, “Is it time to receive?” (2 Kings 5:26). When a royal official mocked him, he promised that the man would see the Lord’s blessing but would never enjoy it personally (2 Kings 7:2).

The Lord’s words have a great impact when they are spoken with power. If we, too, want to serve the Lord, we should use His word with vigor. It is pleasing to God to pick apart the arguments of those who deliberately take an anti-God stance. The Word of God, like a sharp, double-edged sword, will always expose the thoughts and intentions of the heart.