Appointment for a Specific Task

Another significant act of laying on of hands took place when Joash, king of Israel, went down to pay his last respects to the prophet Elisha, who lay upon his deathbed. The following conversation occurred between Joash and Elisha.

“And Elisha said to him, ‘Take a bow and some arrows.’ So he [Joash] took himself a bow and some arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, ‘Put your hand on the bow.’ So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, ‘Open the east window’; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, ‘Shoot’; and he shot. And he said, ‘The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.’” (2 Kin. 13:15-17)

Shooting the arrow eastward through the window symbolised the victory which Joash was to gain in battle over the Syrians. By this act, therefore, Elisha acknowledged God’s appointment of Joash as the leader who would bring deliverance to Israel.

This divine appointment of Joash was made effective through Elisha’s laying his hands upon the hands of Joash as the latter held the bow and shot the arrow, which was symbolic of victory and deliverance. Through the laying on of Elisha’s hands, there were transmitted to Joash the divine wisdom and authority needed to equip him as the deliverer of God’s people.

This incident is therefore closely parallel to the one in which Moses laid his hands upon Joshua. In each case the laying on of hands acknowledged a leader whom God had appointed for a special purpose. In each case this act also transmitted to that leader the divine wisdom and authority needed to carry out his God-appointed task. It is interesting also to notice that, in both cases, Joshua and Joash were appointed primarily as military commanders.