The Symmetry of Scripture

“The company of prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said ‘The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.’”  
2 Kings 2:15

“All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!’ And the news about Him (Jesus) spread throughout the surrounding area.”
Luke 4:36-37

There is a spiritual storehouse of relevant, practical knowledge contained in Scripture – a treasure trove which beckons to be found, framed, and fermented in the lives of God’s followers. But there is often a reluctance, or resistance, on the part of believers to actively take the time to sift God’s sacred repository for germane guidance and disciplined doctrine. Sadly, Christians tend to fall victim to the mentality to read biblical excerpts sparingly, or view them as detached, isolated statements. If we allow ourselves to embrace this mindset then we will surely fail to perceive the symmetry of God’s overarching plan. However, if we rightly survey the entirety of God’s Word with a humble heart then we will likely see the work of a holy God Who desires to redeem and bless mankind, which was made possible solely through Jesus Christ. 

The Lord’s codified accounts in Scripture display a God-led dispensing of love, justice, mercy, and grace. Furthermore, the Old Testament narrative provides a consistent foreshadowing of a Messiah. For example, God devised a singular way of deliverance for Noah and his family from the flood (Genesis 6-8), which was a foretelling of Jesus’ singular means of salvation through recognition of His gruesome death and glorious resurrection. Additionally, Abraham’s call to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22) was a preview to the necessity of Jesus Christ’s atoning work at Calvary. Overall, the Bible’s holistic message of redemption underscores the very real presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it is in this vein of that we find Jesus’ life on earth displayed characteristics of a prophet, priest and prince, all three of which signified His divine position and authority.

It is Jesus’ prophetic abilities that I would like to dwell on for the remainder of this post. And I want to emphasize them by correlating Christ’s oracle-like power to the Old Testament prophet named Elisha. Interestingly enough, Elisha’s name can be translated “God his salvation.” Notice that Elisha is not translated God is a way to salvation, but rather God is his salvation. The underlying implication is that the Lord is the only way to salvation. Regardless, Elisha is a fascinating character study. He was a diligent farmer when Elijah found him in Abel Meholah. Elijah put his cloak around Elisha and asked him to become his disciple. After saying good-bye to his father and mother Elisha took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. Furthermore, he burned his plow equipment to cook his slain oxen and gave the food to the community (1 Kings 19:19-21), thus suggesting Elisha’s commitment to leave the agrarian life behind for good and follow God, via Elijah, into the great unknown. 

After some years as Elijah’s student and attendant Elisha personally witnessed Elijah’s incredible departure from this realm (1 Kings 2). After which, Elisha was granted a double portion of the spirit that once inhabited Elijah during his earthly work. Elisha then held the role as the primary prophet of Israel for many years. And during these years some very interesting miracles occurred that would later be mirrored through the labor and life of Jesus Christ. Let us briefly consider a few. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, Elisha was able to take tainted water and alter its properties into pure, drinkable water. In John 2:1-11, Jesus was able to take water and alter it instantly into wine. In 2 Kings 4:8-37, Elisha was able to resurrect a dead child. In Luke 7:11-17, Jesus resurrected a widow’s son. In 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha supernaturally multiplied twenty loaves of bread to feed a hundred men, as well as women and children. In Mark 6:30-44, Jesus supernaturally multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand men, as well as women and children. In 2 Kings 5, Elisha’s advice led to a man being cured of leprosy. In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus’ advice led to ten men being cured of leprosy.

I bring up all these connections not to elevate Elisha’s standing in Scripture, but to enrich our apprehension of God’s abundant and awesome Word. After all, Elisha’s power was not his own, but God’s. Christ’s power, though, was, and is, His own divine power. The point being, we should never encounter the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, and think of its passages as disconnected, random thoughts or stories for they are clearly not. There is a cohesive theme that God is highlighting for His believers. There is an urgent call to surrender to the Lord’s guidance and governance. In other words, there is a need for holy instruction and intervention in human affairs.    

In conclusion, there is a beautiful symmetry in Scripture. Embedded in it are numerous spiritual markers that await our attention and appreciation. May we gaze on them in humility and praise the all-knowing, everlasting God. His transformative message yearns to fully envelop and enhance our lives. The words in both Old Testament and New Testament confirm the Lord longs to relationally engage us, save us, and deepen our existence, as well as instill in us a great redemptive, spiritually-potent purpose. Therefore, let us examine God’s dynamic Word and cherish the Lord’s ongoing communication of liberation and love, which was dramatically displayed and confirmed through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.