ELIJAH: PROPHET OF FIRE
Part 6
“Elijah’s Mantle Falls on Elisha”
1 Kings 19:19-21 “So he (Elijah) departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”
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Brief recap
At this point in Elijah’s story we meet his future protege, Elisha.
As God had instructed him in 19:16, Elijah has found Elisha and cast his mantle onto him.
Now, just as Elijah seemingly came from nowhere when first presenting himself to Ahab, Elisha is totally unknown to us until now.
We see that he’s a farmer, plowing a field with 12 yoke of oxen when suddenly, out of nowhere, the Prophet Elijah appears and casts his mantle onto him without saying a single word.
The MANTLE was the hairy garment Elijah wore that was typical of prophets in those times.
Elijah is described in Scripture as:
“He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”—2 Kings 1:8
The garment of hair was the mantle.
To cast his mantle upon the shoulders of Elisha was to proclaim him one of the members of the prophetic company.
Elisha quickly connected the dots and responded by leaving all and following him.
We will see in the story that Elijah first CASTS the mantle onto Elisha for MENTORING.
The second time Elisha has to PICK IT UP himself for MINISTRY.
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So I want to pick up the story of Elijah from the call of Elisha all the way to Elijah’s dramatic catching up to heaven by a whirlwind with chariots of fire!
We’re going to learn three key lessons that Elisha learned that are true for every child of God today.
First,
I. He left everything
The Bible says, “So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”—vs 21
By killing the oxen and burning the equipment, Elisha was saying, “I’m walking away for good in order to follow the call of God!”
Elisha literally burned every bridge!
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—The disciples of Jesus did the same thing.
When Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me!” it says in Mark 1:18,
“They immediately left their nets (their livelihood) and followed Him.”
On the same day when Jesus saw James and John on the seashore he gave the same command and it says,
“…they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.”
So what we learn with both Elisha and the disciples is that we must be willing to let go of anything and everything to follow the Lord.
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Then secondly,
II. He learned servanthood
“Then he (Elisha) arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”—vs. 21
Nothing glamorous to see here!
Except for having a ringside seat to Elijah’s miracles, most days were dull—the same old same old.
Elisha’s sole focus was on seeing to the needs of the great Prophet—running errands, preparing food, washing clothes, bringing him water, and so on.
Yet while he served, he learned lessons crucial for his future ministry—he learned about prayer, faith, boldness, patience, obedience…
—In God’s kingdom SERVANTHOOD always precedes PROMOTION.
HUMILITY comes before HONOR.
Jesus said, “The more lowly your service to others, the greater you are. To be the greatest, be a servant. 12 But those who think themselves great shall be disappointed and humbled; and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.”—Matt 23:11-12
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Then a third lesson Elisha learned was:
II. To refuse second best
In chapter 2:9, Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him, to which Elisha replies, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
Elijah responds, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”—vs 10
Now this reveals what God had placed in Elisha’s heart for his future—that he would see twice the miracles Elijah had seen!
But there was a condition—if you keep your eyes firmly fixed on me so that you see my home going, it will be yours.
And what does the word of God say that the key to our victory is?
Heb 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith!”
If Elisha wanted to enjoy that double portion, he had to keep his eyes peeled and focused on Elijah at all times.
And if we Christians want victory over the sin that easily trips us up, and the weights that slow us down, we must keep our eyes peeled and focused on the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ!
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The thing is, Elisha had already been doing this!
You see, Elijah made four pit stops on his way to being taken up to heaven.
2 Kings 2:1-2 “When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”
Gilgal means “circle of stones” and it was a gathering place for prophets, a place Elisha could easily have settled in.
So Elisha here was being tested.
He knew Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven and if he stayed in Gilgal, he wouldn’t get to see it.
So he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!”
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The next stop was Bethel—So they went down together to Bethel.”—vs 2
Bethel means “house of God” which also seemed to be a good place to hang back and serve the Lord!
But no, Elisha refused anything less than what God had put in his heart!
—Are you settling for something today less than God’s best?
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Then next they stopped over in Jericho:
“6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”
Jericho was a beautiful city known for its palm trees and rose gardens.
Surely this would be a wonderful place to hang back and enjoy the beauty.
But no, Elisha was determined to lay hold of something better than eye candy.
Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.”
And finally, they traveled to the Jordan River.
The Jordan was the place of great obstacles—To cross it could be treacherous.
Elisha didn’t know that Elijah would strike it with his mantle and divide it so they could cross.
He at first had to resolve that, no matter the obstacle, I will not drop back from following the Master!
Then the highly anticipated moment came:
2 Kings 2:11-14 “11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.”
—Elijah’s ministry ended, and Elisha’s ministry began!
—He picked up Elijah’s mantle and stepped into the history books!