Elisha 1

The Mysterious Prophet

Over the past few weeks, David has taken us on a whirlwind tour (pun) of the life and ministry of Elijah. Elijah’s ministry was spectacular! Everything was big and dramatic - confrontations, depression, encounters with God, miracles, even the way he left this earth.

But along the way, while talking to God on Mount Horeb (Mt Sinai), Elijah was told to pass his mantle on to a man named Elisha.

1 Kings 19:16 NLT

16 Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.

⚡Elijah’s name means “My God is Yahweh” and his ministry proved that Yahweh is THE supreme God and the only one worthy of our devotion.

⚡Elisha’s name means, “God is salvation” and his ministry is going to be about bringing life and help to people, showing how God can save them.

God selected Elisha to pick up the prophetic ministry where Elijah would leave off. So, Elijah left the mountain and did what God commanded: ⚡

1 Kings 19:19–21 NLT

19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” 21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

The Calling

I want us to notice a few things:

Elisha came from a wealthy family. You do not have 12 teams of oxen plowing if you are poor! That means that this call for Elisha to leave his family and follow Elijah meant to leave a comfortable lifestyle to become a servant to Elijah and a prophet to God.

While not always the case, God may ask us to give up a lot of the luxuries this world has to offer and the comforts that many have in order to follow him and do his work. This is the opposite of “prosperity theology” that many preach today.

NOTE: I am not sure if it is significant that there were 12 teams of oxen, but the numbers 3, 7, 40 and 12 appear a lot during the ministries of Elijah and Elisha and it could be fun to see if there are subtle messages in their usage.

2. Elisha was not wrong in asking to say goodbye to his family and he was not rebuked for wanting to do so. Elijah simply told him to think about what was done to him - the meaning and consequences of it.

This passage sounds a lot like an encounter Jesus had:

Matthew 8:18–22 NLT

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

In Jesus’ encounter there was a bit of a rebuke. However, Elijah seems to expect that what Elisha is asking is not only acceptable but he would be a bad son if he did NOT do so.

3. Elisha was committed. The act of burning the plow and cooking the oxen was not just a great way to have a feast, it was also symbolic of not being able to go back. You cannot plow when your plow has been burned and your oxen eaten for dinner!

Hyperlinks to Jesus

SOMETHING I think we should note is how many little hyperlinks there are in this passage to teachings Jesus shared:

Luke 14:26 NLT

26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 NLT

33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

Luke 9:57–62 NLT

57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” 59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

That last verse is in interesting twist. It says the same thing only where Elisha left his plow and would not turn back, Jesus says that those who start to plow and look back is not fit for the kingdom of God.

While Elisha is mentioned by name only 1 time in the New Testament (Luke 4:27), Jesus references quite a few things that take place during the Elisha story.

After this calling, we have silence regarding Elisha for about 8 years, until the famous scene with Elijah being taken up into the heavens in fire. This event is significant enough to kick off the beginning of the second book of the Kings!

Let’s read together:

2 Kings 2:1–8 NLT

1 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.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel. 3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.” 4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho. 5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.” 6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together. 7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!

The Journey:

Bethel - the place where God confirmed his covenant with Jacob after which Jacob placed a stone as a memorial and called it “Bethel”

Genesis 28:13–14 NLT

13 At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.

Genesis 28:16–19 NLT

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” 18 The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.

REMEMBER: Part of that promise what that through the line of Abraham, all the nations of the earth would be blessed - meaning all peoples (Jews & Gentiles) would be able to have restored relationships with God and the undoing of the curse from Gen 3.

2. Jericho - which was the first city conquered as Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land and was territory that was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin.

We will talk more about Jericho next week - so hold tight!

3. The Jordan River - the place Joshua’s first miracle took place when God parted the river so all the people walked through on dry ground.

All three of these locations have significance in the history of Israel. They are reminders of the covenant God made with Abraham, the protection and victory that God provided over their enemies and the power that God has over creation. AND SO MUCH MORE! This journey is mean to flash back images in our minds of the significant events that took place at each location.

3 times Elisha is told to remain and 3 times Elisha says he will not leave. This has overtones to the book of Ruth where Ruth would not leave Naomi. I also think this has some overtones to the story of Jesus and Peter. Before Jesus was arrested, he said that Peter would deny him 3 times. Peter did. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him 3 times, and he said he did. (John 21:15-19)

Matthew 16:18 NLT

18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

It is almost as if Jesus was passing the mantle of building the church to Peter. Peter received the spirit of God, like Elisha received the spirit of Elijah, and Peter confirmed the power of God on his life by performing miracles like healing a lame man (Acts 3:1-10) and cursing Annias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10).

NOTE: I believe over the next few weeks we will see many ways in which the life and ministry of Elisha is imitated or referenced in the New Testament.

BACK to Elisha.

2 Kings 2:9–12 NLT

9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.

They stood on the bank of the Jordan and went to the other side.

LOOK AT MAP ⚡

This is the place the Joshua began his leadership of the nation. A very symbolic place meant to take us back in history for sure!

Moses = Elijah - lots of miracles, the spectacular, leader with super highs and lows.

Joshua = Elisha - much quieter leader who worked among the people, finishing the work that their mentor passed along.

There are some interesting commonalities between the lives of Moses and Josua and those of Elijah and Elisha (though Joshua was NOT called a prophet).

Moses:

performed miracles in front of the Pharaoh

spoke directly with God

wanted to quit at times

Was assigned a task he was not allowed to complete (entering the Promised Land)

Joseph

was a servant to Moses for years (like Elisha)

first miracle was crossing the Jordan River (like Elisha)

finished the job Moses was given by God (like Elisha)

In both cases you have the passing on of leadership verified by the parting of the Jordan River.

Joshua 3:7 NLT

7 The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.

Joshua 3:15–16 NLT

15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

2 Kings 2:13–15 (CSB)

⚡ [Elisha] picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over. 15 When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were observing saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.

NOTE: the Sons of the Prophets will keep coming up… just tuck them away for now ;)

Why the Jordan?

Well, the waters represent death throughout scriptures (creation, flood, Red Sea, etc). Walking through the waters on dry ground is a symbol of being protected from death and experiencing life. Elisha’s ministry is one that is going to bring life to those who will listen and obey.

The Jordan River also then becomes a symbol of baptism and the death that we deserve. In the New Testament, the Jordan River is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

Speaking of John, I want to take a trip to the NT to see a few more connections.

When the angel of Yahweh spoke to Zechariah about the birth of John, he said this:

Luke 1:16–17 NLT

16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Notice in verse 17 that John will have the spirit and power of Elijah and go before “him”. Who is him? The one that comes after, who is Jesus. The one that came after Elijah was Elisha, and I believe that the life and ministry of Elisha are meant to be pointers to who the Messiah is and what the Messiah will do. Elisha is NOT the Messiah, but much of his story he points to the Messiah.

Elisha is a confusing character. When you read about him his life and ministry can just seem like a bunch of random stories and crazy miracles. However, I believe that God’s Word is not random, our understanding is just not complete.

If Elijah was a type of John the Baptist, what would it look like if we vied Elisha as a type of Christ/Messiah?

I want to pause in our Elisha journey at this spot and leave you with that question. Read the story of Elisha in 2 Kings this week and see if you can find any parallels.

Conclusion

Theologically, I hope we are in for a treat over the next few weeks. However, in practical application I think we can make a few assertions today.

Over the past few weeks, David reminded us that God speaks to people in different ways: where God spoke to Moses in thunder he spoke to Elijah in whispers. Today we are reminded that God calls people in different ways. We do not know much of Elijah’s calling but we saw that Elisha was called as a servant from working in the fields and from a wealthy home.

Over the next few weeks we will see that each person’s ministry will look different. Elisha’s ministry was much different than Elijah’s, though they both had the same spirit.

Regardless of how God spoke to each, or what their specific ministry was, all of them had the same mission - which was to join God on HIS mission of drawing people to him. Elijah called people back to Yahweh and Elisha is going to continue to point people to Yahweh.

Though you and I may not have a mantle to part waters, we have the good news of Jesus that can lead people out of the waters of death and into a relationship with God. The mantle has been passed on to us, by Jesus, to continue the work that He began by sharing about salvation through faith in Jesus to the people God will bring to our path.

What a privilege it is to be selected to carry on the mission of God to our world! May God give us the power we need through his Spirit to give up the things of this world that would keep us from accomplishing his mission and the boldness we need to proclaim his truth!

PRAYER.

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After the calling and anointing of Elisha, a bunch of seemingly bizarre events take place, which we hope to look at in the next few weeks. They are tough to understand and they seem very scattered compare to the story of Elijah. As a matter of fact, they are not even in chronological order for us to follow!

Over the next few weeks I hope to look at these together to see how some of them point to the Messiah.