1 Kings 19:19-21

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:57-62

Introduction

Have You Ever Heard the Phrase “Burning Bridges”?

It Actually Originated in Ancient Rome…

But Became More Famous in the 1800s

Burning Bridges is a Military Strategy

Whenever an Invading Army would Enter a Territory…

They would Often Burn the Bridges Behind Them

They Did this for a Number of Reasons:

It Kept the Enemy from Escaping

It Kept Supplies from Coming to the Enemy

It Kept the Invading Army from Retreating

Whenever You Burned the Bridge Behind You…

You were Telling Yourself:

“There’s No Turning Back Now”

“Its Either Victory or Death”

Now We Use the Term in Slightly Less Dramatic Situations

Like When a Person Quits Their Job in Very Dramatic Fashion…

They’ve Just Burned Their Bridges

There’s No Coming Back to that Job Now

When We Become Followers of Jesus…

We’re Expected to Burn Our Bridges

There’s No Returning to the Old Life They Gave Up

When a Person Chooses to Follow Jesus…

They’re to Die & Be Reborn

Their Old Life is Dead, Buried, and Gone

There’s Only Their New Life in Christ Now

In Our Text, We’re Going to See a Man…

Burn His Bridges in Dramatic & Literal Fashion…

In Order to Follow God’s Mission for His Life

1 Kings 19:19-21

These 3 Verses Go Right Along with Last Week’s Lesson…

But I Separated Them from that Lesson…

In Order to Spend More Time on Them

So, We’re Going to Remind Ourselves of the Context…

By Reading Verses 1-18

1 Kings 19:1–18 (CSB)

1 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!” 3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, 4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.” 11 Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”

15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

So, There’s the Context

Elijah has Gone Through Great Depression & Hopelessness

And Instead of God Letting Him Die…

God Assured Him that He’s Still Working…

To Bring Judgment Upon the Wicked…

And to Rescue the Righteous

Then He Tells Elijah His Part of the Plan

And that’s to Anoint the Instruments of God’s Judgment

2 Kings & a Prophet

The Last 3 Verses of the Chapter…

Are of Elijah Following that Plan…

And Making Elisha His Replacement

1 Kings 19:19 (NIV)

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

“Elijah Went From There”

This is Referring to Elijah Leaving Mount Sinai…

And Travelling Back to Israel…

To Elisha’s Hometown of Abel-Meholah

When He Gets There…

He Finds Elisha Plowing with 12 Yoke/Teams of Oxen

What Do We Learn from that Little Detail?

Elisha Comes from a Very Rich Family

Elijah Does Something that Seems Strange to Us

He Walks By Elisha & Tosses His Coat on Him

But Elisha Seems to Understand the Meaning of it

1 Kings 19:20 (NIV)

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

Elisha Understood that this Gesture…

Meant He was Chosen to Join Elijah in His Prophetic Ministry

But All He Asks…

Is that He have the Opportunity to Say Goodbye to His Parents First

He Wants to (Literally) Kiss Them Goodbye

The Word “Kiss” is Only Found 2 Times in the Entire Book of Kings:

In Verse 18, Referring to Those Who haven’t “Kissed” Baal

They haven’t Given Their Allegiance to Him

In Verse 20, Where Elisha is Telling His Parents…

That He is Giving His Allegiance to the Work of God

When Elisha Asks for Elijah’s Permission to Say Goodbye…

Elijah Replies in Another Odd Way:

“Go Back. What have I Done to You?”

This Seems to Be an Idiom, Meaning:

“Do as You Please” or “What have I Done to Stop You?”

1 Kings 19:21 (NIV)

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Elisha Returned to His Family…

But He Didn’t Just Kiss Them Goodbye

He Burned His Bridges

Or, Literally, His Plowing Equipment…

And Killed His Oxen…

So His Family could have a Celebratory Feast

Then He Became Elijah’s Servant…

Until the Day that He would Take His Place as God’s Prophet

Application

When it Mentions Elisha “Serving” Elijah…

That is the Same Word that Describes Joshua’s Relationship to Moses

He Served Under Moses Until the Day the He Replaced Moses

That’s the Same Thing that is Happening Between Elisha & Elijah

Some More Really Cool Connections are:

Elisha = “God is Salvation” or “God Saves”

Joshua = “The LORD (Yahweh) Saves”

Jesus = The Greek Equivalent of the Hebrew Name “Joshua”

In the NT, John the Baptizer is Called “Elijah”

And He Paves the Way for & is Replaced By Jesus…

Just as Elijah Paves the Way for & is Replaced By Elisha

There a Lots of Really Neat Connections…

Between Elijah/Elisha & Jesus

Elisha is an Amazing Example to Us…

In How We Ought to Commit Ourselves to God

Elisha was a Very Rich Man…

And Yet He was Willing to Sacrifice All that to the Lord

He Left Himself Nothing to Come Back to

He Left No Way of Retreat for Himself

He Left Himself No Other Option than to Serve God

There are Several Similarities to this Passage in Luke 9:61-62

Luke 9:61–62 (NASB95)

61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Here is a Man Who Wants to Follow Jesus…

But He Wants to Say Good-Bye to His Family First

Just Like Elisha

But Jesus Tells Him:

“No One, After Putting His Hand to the Plow and Looking Back, is Fit for the Kingdom of God”

You Can’t Plow a Straight Line…

If You’re Constantly Looking…

At What You Left Behind

Elisha Wanted to Say Good-Bye to His Parents…

Just Like the Man Wanting to Follow Jesus

But Elisha Went Back to Set Fire to His Old Life

He Left Nothing to Look Back to

His Total Focus would Be on God’s Mission for Him

When We Give Ourselves to Jesus…

We Must Burn Our Bridges

There is No Going Back to Our Former Sins

There is No Going Back to Our Former Loyalties

There is No Going Back to Serving Ourselves

We Belong to Him Now

And We Must Be Wholeheartedly Focused…

On the Ministry He has Given Us