This man was Elisha, the son of Shaphat. He was ploughing the fields around his home with twelve yoke of oxen. As he passed him, Elijah cast his well-known mantle upon Elisha, who recognized in the action that from that time he was to be the attendant and friend of the prophet. Bidding his father and mother goodbye, Elisha followed Elijah, thus beginning a long period of service and intercourse with him.
ELISHA WAS PLOUGHING HIS FIELDS.
The disappearance of Elijah after his triumph over the priests of Baal, probably caused Ahab and Jezebel to believe that they had seen the last of the prophet. They certainly went on in their wicked ways, for soon we read that Ahab coveted the vineyard of a man named Naboth. This vineyard was quite near the walls of Ahab's palace, and he wished to turn it into a garden.
But Naboth would not sell his vineyard or exchange it for another, because it had belonged to his family for a very long time. His refusal made Ahab so angry and disappointed that he threw himself upon his bed, and refused to eat or even to speak. In this state Jezebel found him, and at once began to comfort him, telling him he should have his vineyard.
The first thing this wicked woman did was to bribe witnesses to say that Naboth had spoken evil of God and also of the king. Naboth was condemned and stoned to death. Ahab then took possession of the vineyard, and as he was walking in it one day, he saw Elijah coming towards him. Tremblingly the wicked king exclaimed, "Hast thou found me, O my enemy?" Elijah replied that he had sought him, not because he was his enemy, but to tell him he was to be punished, because all his life he had done wrong.
FALSE WITNESSES TESTIFIED AGAINST NABOTH.
Ahab was killed in battle three years afterwards, and later, Jezebel met with a terrible death, for she was thrown from a window by her own servants, and crushed to death on the stones below.
