2. That s our second consideration: Elisha s faithfulness.

Transcription

1 1 Kings 19:19-21 Dear children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, and guests, do you know the sinking feeling that all your efforts were for nothing? The gut-wrenching pain of having given something your all, absolutely everything, and to see it all go to pieces? It s universal, that feeling. Sportspeople know it well. Just think of the Brazilian soccer team. Leading politicians know it well. Just think of how the American administration feels in the face of the Ukrainian and Middle East crises. Homeowners know it well. Another prairie flood, another wildfire. Surgeons know it well. An operation that fails to save the life of the patient. Parents know it well. A child that refuses to walk in the way it was raised. Office-bearers know it well too. An office bearer sweats bullets as he shepherds God s people. A minister preaches and teaches, elders visit, comfort and admonish, deacons instruct and distribute, office bearers meet, discuss, decide, and execute. However, the desired results are not always there. Instead of wisdom, there s continued folly. Instead of understanding, there s continued ignorance. Instead of repentance, there s hardening of heart. Instead of activity, there s inactivity. Sometimes you wonder: where is this all going, when will it all end? Sometimes, as a human being, you feel spent. God, I can t take this anymore. I m done. It s how Elijah felt, after the victory on Mount Carmel and then the threats of Jezebel. Baal was defeated, his prophets and priests were dead, and still it hadn t worked! Elijah figured he was done. Jezebel wanted to kill him. Elijah flees for his life. And asks God Please let me die. However, the LORD would not allow Elijah to retreat and retire. New players are about to enter this history. A new king in Damascus. A new king in Samaria. And a new prophet to address Israel. Elijah is given a glimpse of what is yet coming and he s given a role in making it happen. Elijah might feel done, God is not yet done. He does not give up easily. He presses on. For the Christ is to come and the world is to be saved. We hear the good news of God s mighty deeds with this theme: The call of Elisha by Elijah demonstrates how the LORD always presses on. We ll pay attention to (1) Elijah s faithfulness; (2) Elisha s faithfulness; and (3) the LORD s faithfulness. 1. Elijah s faithfulness Around 930 BC the Kingdom of Israel split into a southern kingdom and a northern kingdom. The southern kingdom was ruled by the house of David, the northern kingdom was ruled by the house of Jeroboam. Under Jeroboam the northern Israelites became guilty of self-willed worship of God. Jeroboam made golden calves, placing them in two temples, one in the north in Dan and one in the south in Bethel. Jeroboam also created his own priestly order, putting the Levites and priests out of work. In name northern Israel still worshiped Yahweh. However, their worship was sin against the second commandment. Scripture calls it the sin of Jeroboam. It s only about 55 years later, in 874 BC, that Ahab becomes king of Israel. 55 years, just 55 years between the death of Solomon and the beginning of Ahab s reign. Those 55 years had been turbulent. Jeroboam s son Nadab had been killed by Baasha. Baasha s son Elah was killed by Zimri. With Zimri the Ten Tribes split into two factions. Zimri himself committed suicide within a week of becoming king, and northern Israel was left for about six years with two kings: Tibni and Omri. Eventually Omri gains the upper hand and unifies the nation by building a strong capital city, Samaria. When Omri dies, his son Ahab becomes king. Up until Ahab all the Israelite kings had continued the religious policy of Jeroboam. The people were forbidden to travel to Jerusalem to worship God, they were directed to the calves at Bethel and Dan. There were no faithful Levites or priests in the land. Sin against the second commandment. With Ahab, things took a turn for the worse. Israel came to sin against the first commandment. Ahab married Jezebel from Tyre and Sidon, and Jezebel brought her own religion with her: Baal worship. Through Jezebel the Northern Tribes of Israel began to serve Baals alongside Yawheh. Israel wavered between two opinions, was trying

2 to dance with two partners at the same time (1Kings 18:21). Sin against the second commandment: the golden calves of Dan and Bethel. Sin against the first commandment: the worship of Baal, the god of rain and lightning. All in the space of 55 years. The seniors of Ahab s day would have been born in the days of King Solomon. That means Elijah s grandfather, and maybe Elijah s father too, would have known the reign of Solomon. Just think: in the lifespan of one person the Ten Tribes went from Solomon to Ahab, had traded in the temple for self-willed worship and idolatry. The faithful Levites and priests, fired by king Jeroboam, had gone for the most part to Judah. It meant that the Ten Tribes were structurally devoid of religious leaders who could teach them the truth. God filled that void with prophets. One of these prophets rose to such prominence that he became for God-fearing Jews the most famous of them all. Elijah. Elijah. Do you know, boys and girls, what his name means? It s made up of three parts. El. I. And Jah is actually Yahu or Yahw. El means God. When you add I to a word in Hebrew it means my. So Eli is my God. And Yahu or Yahw, that s obviously a reference to the Lord s personal name: Yahweh. Elijah My God is Yahweh. What a statement in the face of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, Baal worshippers. What a statement to God s people, who couldn t and wouldn t choose whom they wanted to worship. Elijah, he storms onto the scene of Israel s history. From a human perspective he singlehandedly proved the utter foolishness of Baal worship. Did Israel really think Baal was in control of rain and thunder? Elijah prayed to Yahweh and the rain stopped. No Baal priest could make the rain fall. No Baal priest could make fire come down. Elijah, he prayed to Yahweh and the fire came, it burned water soaked wood and even the stones of the altar. He prayed to Yahweh and the rain fell again. Yahweh was clearly stronger than Baal. And Israel realized it. Yahweh, He is God the people chanted. Victory! Elijah thought. Reformation had begun: Israel was on the road back to Solomon s day But no. Jezebel makes an attempt on Elijah s life. And Elijah flees, all the way to the south of Judah, as far away from the Ten Tribes as he can get in the Promised Land. He fled from the death penalty and asked the Lord the irony of it to let him die. But Yahweh our Lord had other plans. God fed him and sent him on to the mountain of God. Elijah is to meet with God as once Moses had. There God makes clear to Elijah that God s way is not always in the awe-inspiring and the spectacular. The Carmel event does not change hearts, just as hearing the Law from Mount Sinai had not prevented Israel from making a golden calf soon after. Elijah was learning the extent of man s depravity. God would take vengeance for the wrongs taking place. God would defend His honour in His time. He would take vengeance on the house of Israel: the cruel Hazael would become king in Damascus. He would take vengeance on the house of Omri and Ahab: the wild Jehu would become king in Samaria. He would continue to proclaim His own rights and His own work: the dedicated Elisha would become prophet to Israel. God also offers immediate proof that all is not lost. Elijah may think he is the only one, a Noah in the midst of Israel, but God had reserved no less than 7000 people for Himself, people who like Elijah refused to worship Baal. Elijah accepts his role and responds in faith. He does not protest. He does not stay put. Elijah begins travelling again. God had instructed him to go to the wilderness of Damascus, which meant Elijah would have travelled along the east side of the Jordan River north. It would seem alone, for the servant that had been in his employ had been discharged from service in Beersheba. At some point in time Bible scholars doing the math figure it would have been in April, about 6 months after the Carmel event and four months after Horeb Elijah is travelling down a road by the village of Abel-Mehola. The exact location of this village did not become clear to me but the various reports I read indicated the village was on the west side of the Jordan River and likely at the southern tip of the very fertile Valley of Jezreel where it meets the flood plains of the Jordan River. Elijah is travelling down the road. He is very recognizable: he wore a simple rough coat made of camel s hair. Those who would see him walking there would have known who he was. Especially the farmers. After all, this was the man who had been the cause of the recent three and a half year drought which had cost farmers so dearly.

3 Elijah nears the fields of farmer Shaphat and leaves the road. He goes up to the young man guiding the last plough and throws his mantle to him. Without saying a word, Elijah returned to the road and continued walking. Without his mantle, just in his shirt we might say. It s as if Elijah has just passed his job on to another. I m not to wear this prophet s mantle anymore Bible scholars are divided over the significance of Elijah s action. Part of the problem is that the original Hebrew does not make clear whether Elijah threw his mantle onto Elisha or just threw it at Elisha. However, reflecting on this I wonder if it makes all that much difference. The mantle of camel hair was Elijah s trademark and he left it in the care of Elisha. Regardless of what Elisha may have thought more on that in a moment Elijah had set in motion a series of events that would lead to obedience to the command of the LORD: anointing Elisha as his successor. Elijah s reaction is thus one of faithfulness. The dejected office-bearer is back on his feet. He is back at his work. He is rallying the troops. At the same time, Elijah is kind of putting the Lord to the test. Elijah doesn t say a word. He simply leaves his mantle with Elisha and continues on. Would Elisha take the hint? Would the LORD move Elisha to obey? Was Elisha really one of those 7000 who had not bowed to Baal? Would he really leave everything behind to join Elijah in his mission? Listen. The sound of someone running. Elijah walks on. There s panting. And then, a question. Let me kiss my father and my mother goodbye. One can imagine relief washing over Elijah. Not only had the young man understood Elijah s intention. He was also ready to drop everything and join Elijah right then and there. To kiss someone goodbye is a very definite action. It s not a see you later but a farewell. There s confusion over Elijah s reaction. No translation issue here: Go back, what have I done to you? Some read this reaction with in the backs of their minds how the Lord Jesus once reacted to a man who asked to be allowed to go and bury his father. Jesus response was negative, time was urgent. However, that s not the case here. If Elijah s reaction is to be understood in a negative way, Elisha s subsequent actions make little sense. If Elijah s reaction is negative, Elisha s subsequent actions of organizing a farewell feast are a protest, an act of disobedience to Elijah. That cannot be. First of all, Elisha went through the trouble of seeking permission. Secondly, following the feast Elisha does become Elijah s servant. Elijah s response has to be understood differently, more literally. Sure, go back. Who am I, what have I done, that it should affect you? Elisha was handpicked by God. Elisha was called by God. There s no way Elijah was going to interfere with how God picked His soldiers, just as Elijah had learned not to interfere with how God picked His battles. Elijah s attitude had become one of: see what the Lord causes to happen. Elijah: My God is Yahweh. The man who d won a huge battle with Baal but seemed to be losing the war. He d given up, but God gave him new strength. Elijah has a job to do, he s only a small cog in the machine of God s providence. Elijah thought he was the only one left but God said there were yet Elisha was one of them. And Elijah in faithfulness continued to serve God. Elisha is subscripted for service in God s war. Elijah was faithful. Would Elisha be faithful too? 2. That s our second consideration: Elisha s faithfulness. Elisha. Let s begin with his name. Boys and girls, what does Elisha mean? El. I. Sha. Well, I trust you remember that El+I means My God. Elijah is My God is Yawhe. What about Elisha? I ll give you a clue. Elisha is very similar to the name Joshua. The sha of Elisha and the shua of Joshua are the same in Hebrew. Do you know what Joshua means? Joshua means Yahweh saves, or Yahweh is Salvation. So Elisha would then mean My God Saves or My God is Salvation. Like Elijah s name, the name Elisha speaks volumes. It s a testimony to the faith of Elisha s parents. They were obviously some of those They enjoyed great blessings from the Lord. Even after 3.5 years of drought they can afford to plough their land with 12 yoke of oxen. Shaphat was no subsistence farmer, he was a blessed, wealthy man. In the midst of all the civil turmoil Shaphat had given his son the name My God Saves. This farmer did not rely on the shifting powers of the day, but sought his help in God. And thus the Baal worship introduced by Ahab had no impact on Shaphat either. Indeed, given how Elisha responds to Elijah one wonders: maybe

4 Shaphat had been urging his son to consider joining the prophets to fill the void created by the Levites who had left? When Elijah comes by, Elisha is out in the field, ploughing. The drought was over, the soil was being prepared for sowing. Twelve yoke of oxen. The fact that Elisha was with the twelfth pair meant he was at the back, for the oxen would plough on a diagonal, just like snow ploughs on a highway. Being at the back meant he could see what all the others were doing. Bible scholars conclude Elisha was in charge. As they are ploughing they notice a man turning from the road and into the field. Elisha halts his plough, what does this man want? The man comes close and throws his mantle at or over Elisha. It s a simple cloak of camel hair. Elisha realizes it s none other than Elijah standing before him. Standing? Elisha looks up and sees Elijah leaving. Elisha understand, Elijah wants him to come along, to be with Elijah, to take the cloak. Elijah was alone, obviously he had no one to attend to him. But that would mean Elisha s mind is doing overtime. Yes, he s willing to join Elijah. Yes, he s willing to prove his name: My God Saves. But his parents will need to know. He ll have to say goodbye. He ll have to resign as farm manager. He ll have to leave, for good. Did Elisha understand Elijah was setting him up to become Elijah s successor? Some Bible scholars say yes. When someone throws his coat on you, that s like saying you re going to take my role. It s like a king taking of his crown and placing it on the head of his son. Others say no. Elijah simply threw his coat at Elisha, indicating that Elisha was to be Elijah s servant. That s also how the passage ends: Elisha became Elijah s attendant. There s no real certainty here. And really, does it matter? Elijah knew, maybe Elisha did, maybe he didn t. Either way Elisha would come to spend time with Elijah and learn the ropes of the trade. Whether or not Elisha would become Elijah s successor would be the Lord s call, something the Lord would make clear at His time. It strikes me that when Elijah is about to be taken away and Elisha asks the first son s double portion of what Elijah had, thus requesting to be made Elijah s successor, it is striking that even then Elijah leaves it with the LORD. The stage was being set for Elisha to become Elijah s successor. But there s little more than that going on here. The anointing does not happen in our text that happens when Elijah is taken into heaven. What we can say with certainty is that Elisha was very willing to join Elijah in his campaign for Yahweh s honour. He asks Elijah s permission to say goodbye. In asking for permission, Elisha recognizes that Elijah can tell him what to do. When Elijah s response is open-ended, Elisha goes to great lengths to indicate the change in his life. He doesn t just kiss his parents farewell. A feast meal is organized. The expression the people in verse 21 suggests that this would have been a meal for the whole community. This also puts a bit of a different spin on the act of using the ploughs for fuel and the oxen for food. Often this event is depicted as Elisha acting on the spot on the spur of the moment. Elijah comes, throws his coat. Elisha cuts up the ploughs, kills the oxen, roasts the meat, and everybody parties, all on the field. That can t be right just think of how long it takes to roast an ox over an open fire. No, the act of chopping up the ploughs and using the oxen for food is deliberate and symbolic. It s how Elisha made clear I m done with farming, I renounce my right to an earthly inheritance. I am now entirely devoting myself to the service of Yawheh. I am joining the campaign of Elijah the Tishbite. My God is Yahweh. And My God Saves! Elisha was faithful to God as well. Regardless of the extent to which Elisha understood what the future would bring him, Elisha was willing to go as God called him. Do you see, beloved, how God presses on? 3. We come to our third thought, Yahweh s faithfulness. The point of the histories recorded in Scripture is to tell us God s story. The main character of our text is not Elijah nor Elisha. It is God, Yahweh. Even though He is not mentioned in the text other than in the names of Elijah and Elisha this is about God. And we need to see that, beloved. For only then does this account become meaningful and significant for us. See the big picture here. The Ten Tribes had taken leave of God. They had sinned against the second commandment: the golden calves in Dan and Bethel. They had sinned against the first commandment: the Baals introduced by Jezebel. The royal house had taken leave of God. Omri and Ahab were shrewd politicians and while

5 they realized the need to stay loyal to Yahweh, they were not beyond allegiances with other gods and nations. The northern tribes had been adrift for over half a century now. You d think, God has every right to be done with them. But no. God in His grace warns His unfaithful covenant people. He sent them Elijah. There s a victory but the opposition of the heathen Jezebel is so strong even Elijah s knees buckle. God has to strengthen His own servant! And God does. See the mercy of God. Elijah, I reserve 7000 for Myself. Note that I reserve : it s God s own doing that 7000 have not bowed the knee to Baal. Do you want proof, Elijah? Go, anoint Elisha as your successor. Elijah goes and obeys, albeit in a very withdrawn way. No words, just walks into the field and throws his mantle at or over Elisha. And walks away again. Then see the response: Elisha drops everything on the spot. He s done with his old life, there s a reformation that needs to happen. Now recall I reserve 7000 for Myself. Elisha s reaction is God s gift to Elijah. And the combination of Elijah and Elisha is God s gift to the Ten Tribes and to the royal house of Ahab. It s not like God leaves His people in the lurch. They will continue to be confronted with the call to repentance. While politically Israel is divided, there s no reason why it should be divided in worship. What we see in our text is proof of God s loyalty, Yahweh s faithfulness even to a disobedient people. We also see how God does not give up in the battle with the gods of other nations. He continues to raise up people for Himself to serve Him. He will continue to prove that He alone is God and that He alone saves. We re also confronted with Christ in our text. Elisha became to Elijah what Joshua had been to Moses. Moses and Elijah could not finish the work, they got frustrated and it became too much for them. Joshua finished what Moses began. Elisha finished what Elijah began. There s that pattern in the New Testament too: John the Baptist prepared the people and Jesus (that s the Greek form of Joshua!) completed it. For the Jews of Jesus day the pattern was clear. Jesus even pointed out to them that John the Baptist was the Elijah prophesied of by Malachi (Matthew 11:11-14). Which would have suggested to the Jews: then Jesus as successor to John was special too: Jesus would finish what John the Baptist had begun. But there s a difference too. Joshua and Elisha pointed to God as saviour but salvation was not accomplished in its deepest sense through them. Salvation from sin, from the evil that resides within people, would only come through Jesus of Nazareth. It was only Jesus who could truly say at one point in time It is finished. Thus our text is a proof of God s faithfulness and calls us, also in our time and context, to put faith in God. For the God of Elijah and of Elisha is also our God. Have faith in this God, beloved. Why? In short: Yahweh continues with His plan, battling the worship of false gods and reaching out to a disobedient covenant people, calling them to repentance. We see God the Father, directing the course of history. We see God the Son, the Word of God, ensuring that God s chosen ones are not deprived of the Word. And we see God the Spirit, instilling faith in the hearts of the ones Yahweh was reserved for Himself. Elijah responds in faith to God s command and enlists Elisha. Elisha responds in faith to God s call as it comes to him through Elijah. There are indeed 7000 whom God reserved for Himself and who thus refused to bow the knee to Baal. And there will be office bearers to serve, even an apostatizing covenant people. The call of Elisha by Elijah demonstrates how the LORD always presses on. We, human beings, may be inclined to throw in the towel when things don t go quite as we figure they should. We look around in our world. We see how ungodliness increases, how increasingly self-centred our society is becoming. The wars among the nations, fraud among politicians, a shift in sexual morality in society, no regard for the life of the unborn, no care for victims of PTSD, the fragility of life. I could go on and on and on. One may wonder: God, where are you? You are my God Elijah. And then God responds: I will save you. Call Elisha. Beloved, you say it every time you say I believe in Jesus Christ, God s only-begotten Son our Lord. The LORD always presses on. Have faith. Yahweh is our God and He will save us. Amen.