Elisha - Part 2

Recap from last week:

1. Elisha was found working

1 Kings 19:19 (KJV 1900)

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

2. Elisha left everything

1 Kings 19:20 (KJV 1900)

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

3. Elisha ministered

1 Kings 19:21 (KJV 1900)

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto

Today’s Text:

2 Kings 2:1–11 (KJV 1900)

1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

1. The Mantle of Rededication

This week, we have revival… It is an opportunity to make change. To go from one thing to another...

We have the opportunity to rededicate and redirect our focus…

The uses of Elijah’s mantle:

a. To hide his face from God

1 Kings 19:13 (KJV 1900)

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

When Elijah heard God’s still small voice amongst the earthquake, the fire and the wind, his response was to use his mantle to hide his face from God…

b. To choose a successor

1 Kings 19:19 (KJV 1900)

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

c.) To work a miracle from God

2 Kings 2:8 (KJV 1900)

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

d.) To pass on to another

2 Kings 2:13 (KJV 1900)

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

e.) To carry on the legacy

2 Kings 2:14 KJV 1900

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Elijah’s mantle went from being used for:

Hiding his face from God in pity…

Working miracles for God, choosing a successor, allowing someone else to carry on the legacy…

We have an opportunity to allow God to change our hearts from what is to what could be…

1. The Mantle of Rededication

2. The Man of Reliability

2 Kings 2:1–11 (KJV 1900)

1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

a.) Reliable in his word

1 Kings 19:20 (KJV 1900)

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

b.) Reliable in his pain

He was reminded in every city he travelled to with Elijah that his master Elijah would be taken away…

His response each time “I know it; hold ye your peace.”

2 Kings 2:12 (KJV 1900)

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

Proverbs 20:6 (KJV 1900)

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness:

But a faithful man who can find?

1. The Mantle of Rededication

2. The Man of Reliability

3. The Milestones of Remembrance

Think of the places Elijah and Elisha travelled to before Elijah was taken:

a.) Gilgal

What happened in Gilgal?

This is the first place the Children of Israel camped after entering the promised land…

It was a place of new beginnings with God

b.) Bethel

What happened in Bethel?

15 miles west of Gilgal…

Abraham and Jacob worshipped here…

Bethel was a place of worship… translated “house of God”

It was a place of worship to God

c.) Jericho

What happened in Jericho?

15 miles west of Bethel…

Jericho was the place of Israel’s first victory in the Promised Land…

Jericho was a place of victory by God

d.) Jordan

What happened in Jordan?

5 miles east of Jericho…

This is the river the Children of Israel crossed as they entered into the Promised Land by faith...

This is where Joshua erected a memorial both in the water as well as on the shore to commemorate the deliverance from God to the Promised Land…

Jordan was a place of deliverance and provision by God

It would seem Elijah was visiting the milestones of remembrance for their people to prove to Elisha:

New beginnings are good with God… “Just like our people in Gilgal”

Be sure to worship God… “Just like Abraham and Jacob in Gilgal”

God will bring victory… “Just like our people in Jericho”

God will bring provision as you follow Him… “Just like he did for our people coming into the Promised Land”