20Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.
Even the Lord’s spokesmen die. Elisha certainly was honored by the Lord. The sort account that follows defies natural explanation. A dead man is temporarily placed in Elisha’s tomb. When this man’s dead body touches the bones of Elisha, he comes back to life. My first thought was, “How many times did they do this, and where is this tomb now, so that I can restore life to a few other people.” We don’t know if anyone tried this again, but we do know it happened once. We also don’t know how long this non-dead man lived after touching the bones. The Lord’s hand was still on Elisha even when he was just bones. He had a powerful legacy! If the Moabites had not been raiding, the man’s would not have been thrown into Elisha’s tomb resulting in his miraculous, and I can imagine, scary reanimation. I am sure his pall bearers had the scare of their lives when he stood up. If they had not been following the cultural necessity of waiting until spring, harvest and planting having already happened for their families, the timing would have been all wrong. How are those who follow you going to be blessed by your legacy?
The Arnold Journey 