How was it possible that Elisha received Elijah's power?

Sincerely,
Passing The Torch

Dear Passing The Torch,

Elisha received Elijah’s ability to perform miracles because God gave it to him.  In 1 Kgs 19:16, God tells Elijah to go anoint Elisha as his successor.  When Elijah tells Elisha to follow him in 1 Kgs 19:19, it is with God’s blessing.

In 2 Kgs 2:9-15, we see Elijah being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot and Elisha being given the abilities that Elijah once had.  In every step of the process, God was involved.

     What is the meaning of “placing your hand under my thigh” when making a covenant in Abraham’s circumstance?

Sincerely,
Huh?

Dear Huh,

There are two times mentioned in the Bible when someone made an agreement and sealed that agreement by “placing his hand under the thigh”.  Abraham made an agreement with his servant in Gen. 24:9, and Jacob made one with his son, Joseph, in Gen 47:29.

Little is known of this tradition of sealing agreements by placing the hand under the thigh, but that doesn’t mean we can’t understand its purpose.  When the servant placed his hand under Abraham’s thigh, it had the same effect as shaking hands today.  It sealed the agreement and bonded the two parties to fulfill it.

     The people of Babel stated, “If we build the tower to heaven, God will scatter us.”  How did they know this?

Sincerely,
Clairvoyant?

Dear Clairvoyant,

The people of Babel stated the exact opposite of that.  In Gen 11:4, the people decided to build a tower, so they wouldn’t be scattered.  It is ironic that the building of the tower forced God to scatter them (Gen 11:8-9).

      After Cain killed Abel, he said, “Those who come after me will slay me.”  My question is: the only law was regarding the eating from the tree of good and evil.  How did Cain know about revenge if there was no law then?

Sincerely,
Questionable Payback

Dear Questionable Payback,

Revenge isn’t a matter of law; it is a natural emotional reaction.  After Cain killed Abel, God punished him by forbidding him from farming (which had been his previous livelihood – Gen. 4:2) and by forcing him to wander as a fugitive (Gen 4:10-12).  Cain feared that others would kill him because that is what he did when Abel made him mad (Gen 4:8).  It is natural to fear that others would do to you what you have already done.

A note to our readers: we've received a lot of requests for video tutorials addressing common questions.  Here is one explaining the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Happy studying!

- The AYP Team