Lessons of loyalty — II Kings 2:1-15

OLD TESTAMENT LESSONS OF LOYALTY:
Elisha to Elijah (disciple to teacher) — 2 Kings 2:1-15¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2017

In any field of endeavor it is helpful to have a goal, to have some idea what the endgame is.

The school of agriculture's dean of admissions was interviewing a prospective student, "Why have you chosen this career?" he asked. "I dream of making a million dollars in farming, like my father," the student replied. "Your father made a million dollars in farming?" echoed the dean, much impressed. "No," replied the applicant... "but he always dreamed of it."

In any field of endeavor it is helpful to have a goal. In this sermon series entitled Old Testament Lessons of Loyalty, we come to the loyalty of a student to his teacher, the loyalty of Elisha to Elijah, of how one man followed another in his quest to become a prophet in Israel.

 

The Bible does not indicate how Elijah becomes a prophet or under whom he studied. He appears on the scene already in office and engaging in ministry:

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word" (1 Kgs 17:1).

Elijah spends his time in the northern kingdom of Israel where he serves both king and commoner.²

 

Elisha has a more traceable pedigree. There are prophetic guilds, and Elisha may have begun his training in one of them.³ At some point, though, an angel tells Elijah to take Elisha as his apprentice:⁴

Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.... So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.... Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.... Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. (1 Kgs 19:16b, 19,21b)

Elisha presumably trains exclusively with the senior prophet,⁵ although they appear together only at the end of Elijah's life.

 

I. Elisha is with Elijah on his travels (2 Kgs 2:1-7).

A. Elisha accompanies Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel (vv. 12).⁶

2 Kgs 2:1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

The senior prophet seems to be on a farewell tour, going to places he has been before or places he has yet to visit. Either way, Elijah is following the Lord's itinerary. Elisha may sense that Elijah is nearing the end of his life, and so the student is reluctant to leave his teacher, this being the last opportunity to enjoy his company.

• The prophets at Bethel tell Elisha about Elijah's departure (v. 3).

2 Ks 2:3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."

Fellow student prophets confirm Elisha's suspicion about Elijah's imminent departure, but Elisha does not want to discuss with his mentor such a potentially painful subject.

B. Elisha accompanies Elijah from Bethel to Jericho (v. 4)⁷

2 Kgs 2:4 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.

The tour continues as Elisha is still reluctant to part from his teacher and so accompanies him to Jericho.

• The prophets at Jericho tell Elisha about Elijah's departure (v. 5).

2 Kgs 2:5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."

Again, student prophets are hesitant to mention Elijah's imminent departure. The silence must be difficult for Elisha, who knows the time is drawing near.

C. Elisha accompanies Elijah from Jericho to Jordan (v. 6).⁸

2 Kgs 2:6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.

Elijah attempts to discourage Elisha from taking what will be the last leg of their journey together, but the junior prophet insists.⁹

• The prophets at Jordan watch Elisha for Elijah's departure (v. 7).

2 Kgs 2:7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.

The contingent of student prophets may be larger now, perhaps not limited to one town. They are also aware of a problem. How will the two men cross the river? There is no bridge. They could be sensing that something exciting, even supernatural, is about to happen.

 

Application: Elisha held firmly his commitment to support Elijah despite frequent discouragement. So you must hold firmly your commitment despite frequent discouragement, because "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matt 10:22b).¹⁰ To what are you committed? To accomplish your goal what are you willing to endure? Disappointment? Ridicule? Setback? The question you must always ask, and one you may frequently pose along the way: Is this worth it? If your commitment is to your own agenda, especially one you make up as you go, then you will be uncertain about the outcome. If your commitment is to God's agenda, then you can be certain about the outcome, that it will always be good for you. As God said through Jeremiah, when Babylon's assault on Jerusalem seemed inevitable, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer 29:11). God's plans are always for your success, as He defines it, and never for your failure, as you might define it.

 

II. Elisha is with Elijah for his translation (2 Kgs 2:8-15).

A. Elijah shows Elisha his power (v. 8).

2 Kgs 2:8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

On two other occasions God's people traversed a river on dry land: once when they crossed the Nile traveling from Egypt and once when they crossed the Jordan traveling to Canaan:

"The Israelites went through the [Nile] on dry ground..." (Exod 14:22).

"The whole nation...completed the crossing [Jordan] on dry ground" (Josh 3:17).

This third time brought to mind those earlier events for the spectators, reminding them about God's supernatural care for His people at a dividing point here between two prophets' ministries.

B. Elijah asks Elisha his petition (vv. 9-10).

2 Kgs 2:9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"¹¹ "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not."

Elisha may not have known or even suspected that Elijah would make such an open offer in parting. This is not a selfish request.

C. Elijah shows Elisha his ascension (vv. 11-12).

2 Kgs 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses¹² of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.¹³ 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more.¹⁴ Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.

Elisha meets the one requirement. He sees Elijah's exit from this mortal plane. He marks the loss of his mentor with a vocal lament and with a classic symbol of grief: the rending of one's garment.

D. Elijah grants Elisha his petition (vv. 13-14).

2 Ks 2:13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

Elisha retraces his steps, even reproducing the last miracle his teacher performed. Thus he begins his ministry "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).

• The prophets at Jericho acknowledge Elisha's authority (v. 15).

2 Kgs 2:15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Another prophetic school witnesses his display of supernatural power and confirms that Elisha is the proper successor to Elijah.¹⁵

 

Application: Someday you may face an impossible task, impossible for you, that is. It probably will not be crossing a river without a boat, but it will appear just as unlikely. How will you respond? Will you give up and turn back, or will you press ahead? God expects you to move ever forward. How confident are you that God will be there when you need Him? That was a question Elisha faced and that Hosea answered: "As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth" (6:3). In other words, when you need Him, God will be there for you. It may not be the way you want or expect. He may not part the waters, as he did for Israel or for Elisha, but God will enable you to get where He wants you to be to do what He wants you to do.

 

Despite Elijah's attempts to elude Elisha, his protégé insisted on remaining by his teacher's side, especially as Elisha sensed the end of Elijah's life may be near. This closeness was appropriate for a student, to help his teacher through the final phase of his journey on this earth. Elisha probably did not expect such a dramatic ending, but he remained with Elijah and received an impressive reward for his loyalty, a measure of approval that marked his own ministry as a prophet of God.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here.