Series Elijah and Elisha. Scripture I Kings 19:19-21; II Kings 2:1-14

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1 Series Elijah and Elisha This Message Passing the Baton Scripture I Kings 19:19-21; II Kings 2:1-14 In the previous lesson we learned that Elijah forfeited his position as God s lead prophet in Israel. This did not mean that Elijah ceased to be a prophet, just that parts of his ministry which were to involve judgment and revival in the northern kingdom of Israel were given to other men. The LORD told Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram; Jehu king over Israel; and Elisha to succeed Elijah as prophet. Hazael and Jehu had very little understanding about how they fit into God s master plan. They weren t spiritual men. Their behavior was influenced by their personal ambitions, but at the same time, they were tools and instruments in God s hand, used by Him to accomplish His purposes. However, Elisha had to be a man of great spiritual stature if he was going to fit into God s plans. He had to be filled with the Spirit and power of God s presence. In our reading today, we learn about Elisha s contact with Elijah and his spiritual development. Read I Kings 19:19-21 When the two men first met, Elisha was plowing in a field. Scripture points out that he was the last man in a line of twelve workers. This indicated that he was not a very experienced or competent plowman. Usually the most experienced man was trusted to cut the first straight furrow. All the other workers plowed their furrows based on the leader. The slowest worker would be the last in line, placed there so that he wouldn t interfere with the others. At the time of their meeting, Elisha was a young, inexperienced workman, who had to follow in the steps of other more competent people. Elijah approached Elisha and threw his cloak around him. This was a symbolic invitation for him to join the company of the prophets, a way to indicate the passing of authority. Apparently Elijah continued on his way without saying anything. Elisha had to run after Elijah in order to announce his acceptance of the call to service. Elijah gave him permission to say farewell to his family. 1

2 Elijah s response was unusual. The statement, What have I done to you? is an idiom which means I am not doing anything to stop you, or, It is not for me to decide. Elijah may have replied in this way to indicate that the call to service was God s, not his. Whether Elisha would follow that call was Elisha s own decision to make. Elijah was not going to beg him, or pressure him, to follow the call of God. Elisha was obviously willing to make a complete break with his present vocation and situation. He slaughtered the oxen and used the plowing equipment to cook the meat. He, quite effectively, burned his bridges behind him. He evidently hosted a farewell meal with his family and friends, and then set out to follow Elijah and become his attendant. This was the beginning of a 10 year relationship. The relationship between Elijah and Elisha was similar to that between Moses and Joshua. Both Joshua and Elisha had a lengthy period of service and training under their mentors. Like Elijah, Moses had disobeyed the LORD on one occasion and, as a result, he was not permitted to lead the Hebrew people into the promised land. Both Elisha and Joshua were called to continue the ministry of their mentors by leading the Israelites into new stages of political and spiritual development. I m sure that it is not coincidental that the names Elisha and Joshua have similar meanings: God is salvation and Jehovah saves. What I am going to describe in the next paragraphs is how a child of God comes of age, that is, becomes spiritual mature. This story is going to apply to our lives. There is a time when every new believer needs guidance and help; needs the security and strength of someone who is older and wiser; needs an example to follow. There is also a time when the child of God must stand on his own feet, assume responsibility for his own behavior, and step out on his own in faith. The holy men of one generation die, and their protégés must take their place. God s work goes on even though the workers change. We are now going to look at II Kings 2:1-14 to discover how the spiritual novice, Elisha, learned how to step out in his own faith. Read II Kings 2:1-14 2

3 Both Elijah and Elisha apparently understood that Elijah s ministry was coming to a close and that his departure was near. In their final hours together they went on a journey. Each stop on this journey had spiritual significance. First, we read that they were traveling from Gilgal. (Note Joshua 5:2-9) Gilgal was the place where the Hebrew people began to live as God s covenant people in the promised land. It was the place where Joshua circumcised the men of Israel after their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Gilgal represented the place where the period of rebellion and disobedience of the people of Israel ended. In New Testament terms, Gilgal represents the point in time when the burden of sin is taken away from the new-born child of God. Elijah and Elisha had already departed from Gilgal because both of them had been anointed and accepted by God many years before and, in this spiritual picture in chapter 2, they are not at the starting point of their relationship with God but already well on their way. Next Elijah led Elisha to Bethel. (Note Genesis 28) This was the place where Jacob saw the glory of the Lord in a vision and learned of the Lord s promises concerning the future. Bethel in the Hebrew language means the house of God. Jacob saw steps which went into heaven. Bethel represents the place where a chosen and anointed person begins to clearly see and interact with his God for the first time, and to understand the promises of God and appreciate the greatness of God. Note that Elijah and Elisha did not remain at Bethel, but travelled on. Many Christians make a mistake when they want to remain and dwell at their Bethel, but Bethel is not the final destination for a growing Christian. Spiritual visions and ecstatic experiences can be very exciting, and some Christians try to maintain the emotional highs of those experiences. Unfortunately, emotional and euphoric feelings in the Christian life are not very practical by themselves. It is even possible for Christians to have Bethel type experiences and go on living a sinful life. Jacob was one of these people. After he met God at Bethel, he had 20 more years of cheating, lying, and thieving before he realized that there was something missing from his spiritual relationship. The growing believer must get past Bethel and get on to Jericho. 3

4 Jericho was the place where the Hebrews, under Joshua, had their first faith challenge. It was the place where the Hebrew people learned an incredible lesson in obedience. It was the place where they saw the promises of God begin to come true. (Joshua 5:13-6:27) Jericho represents the place where the maturing believer begins to obey God without questions and doubts. Jericho is the place where the growing Christian has his first experience in spiritual warfare, and discovers, perhaps to his surprise, that faith in the LORD is sufficient for a resounding victory. Elijah commanded Elisha to stay behind three times, but Elisha had learned that Gilgals, Bethels, and Jericho were not very satisfying places to dwell in. He knew that they were just stages in his spiritual development and not the end of the road. And so three times he answered Elijah, As the Lord lives, I will go on and on and on with you. If we know that there is a living Lord, then we should not be satisfied with visions and promises. Elisha knew that there was more potential in his relationship to the living Lord than he had experienced up until that time, and he was determined to follow Elijah until he got everything that God wanted him to have until he became everything that God wanted him to be. It is my prayer that all of us will be like Elisha, and that we will not be satisfied in our Christian walk until we become as mature and complete and useable to God as possible. What is it we have to understand? If we know that, at some point in time, God has rolled away the disgrace of our sin, then we must go on to the next stage of spiritual development, and the next, and the next after that. At each new stage, our faith must be applied to practical action. Our desire for the living God and commitment to Him will determine how far we will travel in the Christian life. Elijah finally took Elisha across the Jordan River. That was as far as one man of God could lead another. On the east side of the Jordan, they were thus standing at the same place to which Moses had led the tribes of Israel and prepared them to cross into the promised land. (Joshua 1 and 3:7) It was the place where Moses and Joshua had to part company, where the mentoring came to an end and the disciple had to move out on his own. After the death of Moses, Joshua only had God to be his Guide. Centuries later, it was to this same place that Elijah had led Elisha. This was the place where Elijah s work was finished and Elisha had to begin to stand on his own spiritual feet. 4

5 Immediately before their separation Elijah asked if there was anything else he could do before he was taken away. Elisha asked to inherit a double portion of Elijah s spirit. This didn t mean that Elisha wanted twice the amount of spirit that Elijah had. Rather, it meant that he wanted to be designated as the heir of his spiritual father. In the Old Testament, when the head of the household died, his fortune and goods were divided equally among his children except that the eldest son received a double share. This represented the transfer of authority in the home to the next generation. Elijah could announce with certainty that the request would be granted because he had known for ten years that Elisha had been chosen to be his replacement as prophet in Israel. There was an interesting condition attached to the granting of the request, however, but not an illogical one if we fit it into the overall situation. Elijah told Elisha that his spiritual future depended on alertness. Elisha had to remain alert to the possibility of a sudden and unexpected change in their situation. Elijah, the wise old counselor, was giving advice out of his own experience. Remember, following the Mt. Carmel experience, he had not been spiritually alert and prepared for the sudden and unexpected threats of Jezebel and, as a result, he had forfeited his role in God s plan for Israel. Being alert and vigilant is, of course, exactly what every mature Christian is required to do. We must stay spiritually aware of the circumstances around us at all times, or else slothfulness, carelessness, pride, fear, or any of hundreds of other temptations might divert our interests and energies from the will of God. The advice of the New Testament writers is that we take heed how we stand lest we fall. The separation, when it came, was brought about by God Himself in a supernatural way. A chariot of fire separated the two men and Elijah was caught up in the wind of God. Elisha had a few moments of grief at that time because he cried, My father, my father, the defender of Israel. Elijah had been a great defender and advocate of the truth of God in Israel. But did Elisha think that Israel would be without a spiritual leader? That he would be a spiritual orphan? If so, those thoughts did not last very long. Elisha noticed the cloak of Elijah lying on the ground. This would be his symbol of authority in the future, just like Elijah s God would be his God in a new way. 5

6 Back at the edge of the Jordan River he struck the water with the cloak and shouted, Where is the Lord of Elijah? Elisha was putting his faith into action. ( OK Lord. Let s see how this works! ) Elisha walked across the Jordan River a suitable replacement for Elijah because he had come to know God for himself. Elijah s God had become his God. My prayer is that we might also know by experience the living God of Elijah and Elisha. In our lives, we must be ready to travel the same kind of spiritual route that they traveled, and avoid the kind of mistakes that Elijah made. If we do so, then we can advance to the level of spiritual maturity and confidence that God wants for us. We must keep our thoughts centered on God and trust in His ability to protect us and work through us regardless of the circumstances. Some take away points: God calls ordinary and inexperienced people into His service New leaders must first learn to be good followers God s people must be alert to sudden and unanticipated spiritual challenges A follower of God shows spiritual maturity when he/she steps out in faith 6