Elisha: Elijah’s Mantle 2 Kings 2

It was a time of change in the life of Elisha. He had been called by Elijah and had followed after him. What had happened is that his mentor and friend Elijah had been taken home to heaven. What was he to do?

Elijah had served in the northern kingdom with Elisha and scripture records that the people were wicked, godless individuals who took the northern tribes deeper and deeper into sin. The statement is often repeated that they ‘did evil in the sight of the Lord’, e.g. 1 Kgs. 15. 34; 16. 30.

Elisha had been called in 1 Kings chapter 19 as Elijah was moving out of a place of loneliness and discouragement. He had been restored with a new understanding about how God was working and had called Elisha.

The mantle was cast upon Elisha, v. 19. The mantle is the garment of a prophet and marked an individual as such, Zech. 13. 4, as mouthpieces of God to deliver messages to the people and to the rulers. The casting of the mantle upon Elisha indicated the summons to the office of prophet.

Elisha remained with Elijah, learning from him until this point where Elijah was taken, and he was left. What did he do? He continued the ministry. However, as we shall see in succeeding studies, it was a different type of ministry from that of Elijah.

Two men had gone to the Jordan, two men crossed over, but only one passed back. Elisha had learnt the lessons from Elijah well. He had been living with and learning from him. We can think of the two on the road to Emmaus when the Lord drew near. They were heavy-hearted, going back sad at the events that they had seen. Yet, on that occasion, the Lord opened to them the scriptures and expounded the things concerning Himself -they spent time with Christ learning of Him, Luke 24. 13-35.

Elisha spent time with Elijah learning about his experiences and dealings with God. One of the essential lessons for service is to spend time with the Lord learning and waiting before we go out -before the mantle is passed there needs to be time spent in the quiet place. Moses was forty years in the backside of the desert. Paul was three years in Arabia and there are others who spent time quietly learning before they ever picked up the mantle and continued in service. For many of us, we dislike having times when we are waiting and learning. We always want to be busy doing things. The lesson we learn here is that before someone can be of any use in public there needs to be the time spent in private, alone with the Lord.

He had been told many times that Elijah would be leaving him, and Elijah had asked him to tarry, but he had declined, 2 Kgs. 2. 2, 4, 6. This was the time for Elisha to continue. He had been called, taught by Elijah, and now the time had come for him to stand alone. There are many saints who have been mentored by older saints. However, as with Elisha, there will come a time when those older saints, like Elijah, will be called home. Their service complete, they will go, and we will be left to stand. How will we get on?

In verse 7, fifty men of the sons of the prophets stood afar off. They watched as these two men went on into the distance. Are we those who are standing watching whilst others go on into the distance?

These sons of the prophets only went so far, they never continued. What Elisha received was a special revelation which those fifty men missed because they did not go on -they did not even know that Elijah had gone to heaven.

When we go on in spiritual things then it may, as for Elisha, get lonely. But as the two went on, v. 11, they talked. How precious that communion and conversation must have been as Elijah was about to go to Heaven. No one else heard, but how important that time was!

Elijah was taken up and Elisha left. Elisha must have felt the loss of Elijah, as we may when certain saints are called home. But, as he had overcome the pressure from the sons of the prophets, v. 5, and not been deterred as he had been told that Elijah would be taken, v. 6, so here again he had gone on. If these men had achieved their objective, then Elisha would have remained - he would never have made the full distance or accomplished what God had for him to do. In our Christian life there will always be those who seek to hold us back. May we, like Elisha, face the challenges and not be held back!

The mantle fell, v. 13, and Elisha picked it up. He identified himself with the work of Elijah - identified himself with a man who had gone to glory. Elisha rent his own clothes v. 12, discarding those garments associated with his former life, to take up the mantle of Elijah. Thus, the work continued, vv. 19-22, and the judgement fell, v. 23. Elisha was never the same after he took up the mantle of Elijah. Before the chapter finishes, he has performed three miracles. The man who had received the new identity exerted a new influence. Might we challenge ourselves to take up the mantle, that we might become more like Christ, the Man who has gone to glory.

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