If the Lord be God, Follow His Call

Introduction

If the Lord Be God

Follow His Call

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Introduction: In our last lesson, we looked at Elijah’s time at Mt. Horeb. How God got his attention and reminded who God is. It was at Mt. Horeb that God commanded Elijah to go and anoint Elisha to become prophet in his place.

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In this passage, Elijah obeyed God and left Mt. Horeb to anoint Elisha as his successor. Let’s begin by learning a little bit about Elisha.

Let’s learn a little about Elisha before we jump into this lesson.

The Man Elisha:

Elijah left Mt. Horeb and travelled to Abel-meholah, a city in Northern Israel, in the Jordan Valley, about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. So this is another journey of about 400 miles that Elijah has taken on foot.

Elisha’s father is Shaphat, which means “judged” or “one to judge.” Apparently, this is a family that had rejected the worship of Baal and trained its children in the ways of Jehovah.

El – Dios

I – mi

Sha (shua) – salvacion

Sha is a contracted form of Shua which is a form of Yeshua.

Eliseo (Elisha) significa: “mi Dios es salvacion.”

As we continue in our “If the Lord be God” series, here is our thought for the day:

Sticky Statement: If the Lord be God, Follow His Call

Before you can follow God’s call on your life, you must…

Transition: Before you can follow God’s call on your life, you must…

1. Be Ready for a Call (19)

b. Understand what I am saying, it isn’t wrong to be reading, praying, or sacrificing, in fact we should, but listen, Elisha wasn’t sitting around waiting for God to call him to something “greater,” he was working hard at what God had led him to do.

c. Though Elijah came from a wealthy family, he wasn’t above serving and doing the manual labor. He was out there behind one of the 12 yoke of oxen.

d. God had called Elijah to be a farmer, but that was all preparation for what God would call him to do at a later point in life.

e. What has God called you to do today, right now? You may have greater, grander plans for our life. You may believe that God has something else in store for you; you may even know what that is already.

f. But let me encourage you, don’t get ahead of God! Do what He has called you to do today and be all in!

g. My former pastor used to say, “Jason, unless you’re willing to plunge the toilets, you’re not ready for ministry.”

h. In other words, when you’re faithful in the little things, God will open the door and call you unto what He has next.

2. Accept the Call (20)

“Throwing a prophet’s cloak around a person symbolized the passing of the power and authority of the office to that individual.”[1]

b. Verse 19 tells us that while he is in the field plowing, that Elijah walked up, cast his mantle on him, and kept walking.

c. You may be sitting here thinking, what was that? The dude was probably hot working out in the field, why would he want Elijah’s mantle?

d. “Throwing a prophet’s cloak around a person symbolized the passing of the power and authority of the office to that individual.”[1]

“This was an investiture with the prophetic office. It is in [the way that] priestly or sacred characters in the East [were] appointed—a mantle being thrown across their shoulders by a well-known priest.”[2]

f. The fact that Elisha understood what this meant, indicates that he was probably an educated man, he prophets attended a school for prophets.

g. It also means that he knew who Elijah was because when the mantle was thrown on him, he acknowledged what it meant. He was being called to be a servant of Elijah and ultimately take the place of Elijah.

h. Now remember, Elijah didn’t stand there and wait for Elisha to respond…he kept walking.

i. We’re told that Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He leaves the oxen behind, runs and catches up to Elijah and asks for a few minutes to say goodbye to his family.

j. Notice that Elisha did not question God’s call on his life. He didn’t make excuses as to why he shouldn’t follow God’s calling. He didn’t ask for clarification or for further information. Instead, he immediately accepted God’s call on his life. He immediately left his former occupation and chose to follow God.

k. He goes to Elijah and says in verse 20. READ VERSE 20 – “Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.”

l. Elisha asks permission to say goodbye to his family. This wasn’t an excuse to delay serving God like the man in , but rather a desire to show respect and fulfillment of his duty to his parents.

m. Elijah’s response may be a little confusing at first, “Go back again: for what have I done to thee.”

n. This is an idiomatic expression that means, “Do as you please” or “What have I done to stop you?“[3]

o. In other words, “Go, but keep in mind the solemn ceremony I have just performed on you. It is not I, but God, who calls thee. Do not allow any earthly affection to detain you from obeying His call.[4]

Now, to accept this call, Elisha knew that it meant giving up the comforts of home and that it meant putting himself in the crosshairs of Jezebel. This was definitely not a glorious time for the prophets of God in Israel. Jezebel was having them killed and no doubt Elisha had heart about the price of Elijah’s head.

When Elisha realized that God had called him, he immediately accepted the call. Can that be said of you? Have you accepted God’s call on your life at this time and place in your life? Or are you making excuses as to why you can’t accept the call. God that’s not for me. Listen, if God has called, accept His call without hesitation.

3. Follow the Call (21)

3. Follow the Call (21)

When you choose to follow God’s call, you must choose to be all in. You can’t halfway or half-heartedly follow God’s call.

b. When Elisha chose to follow God’s call, he went all in.

READ VERSE 21

c. Elisha leaves Elijah and runs back to his yoke of oxen. He took the oxen, killed them and made a feast for his family.

d. He was took the instruments of the oxen, the yoke, the harnesses, etc., and burned them.

e. This is quite a symbolic moment for Elisha. By killing and eating the oxen, he is saying that he is leaving this work and will no longer need those oxen.

f. By burning the instruments of the oxen, he is saying that he won’t be needing those again. He is not returning. He is fully committed to following God’s call on his life.

g. Once Elisha says his goodbyes to his family, were told at the end of verse 21.

READ END OF VERSE 21

When it comes to God’s calling on your life, seek godly council, but make sure, first and foremost, that you are listening to and following God’s leading for your life.

i. Listen, don’t let others tell you what God has for you. Get godly council, but it must be you listening to and following God’s leading for your life.

Though Elisha knew that he had just been called to fill Elijah’s spot, as did Elijah know (vs. 16), Elisha didn’t push Elijah out of the way. I believe he knew he needed some training first and wasn’t going to get ahead of God’s timing.

k. Though Elisha knew that he had just been called to fill Elijah’s spot, as did Elijah know (vs. 16), Elisha didn’t push Elijah out of the way. I believe he knew he needed some training first and wasn’t going to get ahead of God’s timing.

“Those that would be fit to teach must have time to learn; and those that hope hereafter to rise and rule must be willing at first to stoop and serve.” - Matthew Henry

m. says of Elisha:

– But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

n. Elisha ministered unto Elijah. Literally, this means that he was Elijah servant. He washed the hands of Elijah.

o. Though God had called him to replace Elijah, he was stilling willing to wash the hands of and serve Elijah until the time at which God would have him take over for Elijah.

p. Matthew Henry says this regarding Elisha willingness to serve, “Those that would be fit to teach must have time to learn; and those that hope hereafter to rise and rule must be willing at first to stoop and serve.”[5]

Conclusion

If the Lord be God, Follow His Call. Elisha was doing what God had led him to do and was in the position to be called. He was ready to be called by God. When God used Elijah to call him on, he accepted that call. Then, he got up, sacrificed much, but willing chose to follow God’s call on His life.

Maybe you’re here today and you aren’t ready for God to call, you haven’t accepted His call, or you haven’t chosen to follow His call. Will you chose to follow him today?

Maybe you believe God has called you to something great, but He hasn’t led you there yet. Just wait, don’t get ahead of God’s timing. Be all in where God has you today, then you’ll be in the position for God to lead you to the next step tomorrow.

[1] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 529). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[2] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 227). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[3] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 529). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[4] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 227). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[5] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 513). Peabody: Hendrickson.