2 Kings 2:1-15
Passing the Baton

This Bible Study is also available on Audio Tape

 

Introduction

Let's turn to where we left off last week--1 Kings 19.  If you were here, you know that one of the reasons that Elijah became so discouraged is because he had a "Messiah complex."  He thought he was alone and indispensable--but God showed him he was wrong. God had a plan, and he had other people through whom he would work to accomplish his plan.  This is why one of the things God told Elijah to do after this was to anoint Elisha as his successor (read 1 Kings 19:16,19-21).  Elisha spent approximately the next ten years serving Elijah.

Now we come to Elijah's last day on earth, when he completes his part of the race and passes the baton to Elisha.  It is a poignant narrative, and rich in lessons for us. 

Elijah's ministry focus

Read 2:1-6 and show their route on MAP.  Those who are familiar with Elijah's ministry  usually focus on the dramatic events (EXAMPLES).  But as the narrative traces Elijah's final journey through Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho, it becomes clear that his ministry focus is on the people he has developed to multiply his work and replace him when he is gone.

Notice the priority he places on visiting the "sons of the prophets" (2:3,5,7).  These were evidently people being trained by Elijah and other prophets (e.g. Micaiah) to learn the scriptures, and provide spiritual leadership for Israel in the midst of Ahab and Ahaziah's apostasy.  He probably wanted to encourage them one last time.

Even more so, notice the bond that Elijah and Elisha share.  They had spent ten years together, and this last day is tearing both of them apart.  Elijah wants to spare Elisha the pain of his departure.  Elisha refuses to leave Elijah even though he knows he will depart, but he won't talk about this to the sons of the prophets--probably because it is too painful for him.

This is part of a larger (though subtle) pattern in scripture of godly people befriending and developing other spiritually hungry people to carry on and multiply the work of God: MOSES & JOSHUA; DAVID & MIGHTY MEN; JESUS & 12; PAUL & BAND (read 2 Tim. 2:2).

Here is God's main strategy for impacting the world (in addition to Jesus' atonement).  Not political action to resist evil or mass public crusades (even though these sometimes have their place), but quietly developing a small group of sincere people who will follow God and do the same with others.

We call this discipleship.  It is the most significant ministry in this church, because this is what multiplies workers for all that we do (HOME GROUPS; MISSIONS; URBAN CONCERN). 

Most of you know me as a Bible teacher, and I love teaching--but I've been at discipleship long enough to know that it is also one of the most fulfilling ministries (3 John 1:4). 

And the beautiful thing is that anyone can do it.  You don’t have to have all the answers.  You don’t have to be super-spiritual. You certainly don’t have to be a professional Christian worker. You don't need a sophisticated curriculum or an expensive facility.  You just need to be a sincere follower of Christ, willing to get involved in their lives while you let them get involved in yours, and willing to share what you have learned about how to follow Christ.

I'm presently studying a book on discipleship with about ten guys in my home group.  I was struck by the challenge the author delivers in the first chapter: " . . . Let us begin where we are and train a few of the lowly to become the great.  And let us remember, too, that one does not have to have the prestige of the world in order to be greatly used in the kingdom of God . . . Here is where we must begin just like Jesus.  It will be slow, tedious, painful and probably unnoticed by men at first, but the end result will be glorious, even if we don't live to see it.  Seen this way . . . it becomes a big decision in (one's life).  One must decide where he wants his (life) to count--in the momentary applause of popular recognition or in the reproduction of his life in a few (people) who will carry on his work after he has gone."[1]  This is what Elijah had been doing, and the text emphasizes these men as the real legacy of Elijah's life.

If this strikes a chord in your heart, I have a couple of suggestions:

If you are a new Christian, ask God to provide you with an older Christian to disciple you.  And get involved in a home group, because this is where you can get to know some older Christians.

If you are an established Christian, ask God to provide you with the opportunity to disciple a younger Christian.  Maybe he will lead you to someone in your home group.  Maybe he will lead you to get involved with a student in junior high, high school, or college.  Maybe he will lead you to get involved with a young person in South Linden through Urban Concern.  (LOBBY BOOTHS)

Elisha's final request

Elijah has poured his life into these men--especially Elisha--and now he walks the final few miles with him from Jericho to the Jordan River (MAP).

Read 2:7.  The 50 sons of the prophets become witnesses to the "baton passing," as we shall see.

Read 2:8.  Just as Moses divided the Red Sea, just as Joshua parted the Jordan River at this very spot 500 years earlier, Elijah repeats this miracle.  He does this, not to show off, but that God may provide confirmation to the 50 that Elisha is his successor (read 2:13-15).

Read 2:9.  What is the meaning of Elisha's final request?  It is an allusion to Deut. 21:17, in which God commands Israelite fathers to give their first-born sons a double-portion of his material wealth.  As Elijah's spiritual son, Elisha asks for a double-portion of Elijah's spiritual wealth (" . . . of your spirit").

This is not merely a request to be Elijah's heir in terms of his role.  They both already knew that God had chosen him to be his successor.

Rather, it is a request to have the spiritual resources (power; character) to fulfill his new role effectively.  Put yourself in Elisha's position.  He will have to provide spiritual leadership for the sons of the prophets.  He will have to stand against the terrible power of Ahab's son, Ahaziah.  The man who has done this for 13 years is leaving, and his shoes are too big for Elisha to fill.  He realizes his own spiritual inadequacy for this role.  He asks for a double portion of Elijah's spiritual strength because he feels he is but half the person Elijah is.

You might be thinking, "He's obviously not qualified because he's so lacking in self-confidence."  But if you think this, you are unfamiliar with the way God works.

The world looks for people who are full of self-confidence--confident in his ability to size up the situation, confident in his ability to handle crises, etc.

But such people are unreliable and even dangerous in God's work.  They have had their self-confidence broken and replaced by confidence in God rather than themselves (MOSES; PAUL).  The greatest Christian leader of all time (PAUL) saw this most clearly (read 2 Cor. 3:6).

So, far from disqualifying himself by answering in this way, Elisha shows by his acute awareness of his inadequacy that he is a man God to whom God can entrust his power.

Read 2:10.  Elijah answers as a man who has already learned this lesson in his own life.  He knows that he has no ability in himself to grant this request--only God can give Elisha this.  And God gives his answer in short order . . . 

Elijah's dramatic departure

Read 2:11.  This is an amazing, dramatic conclusion to an amazing, dramatic life.  Why does God take Elijah in this way?  There are several answers to this question, because God can multi-task!  As we move the camera lens back from this chapter, we find the rest of scripture giving us additional reasons . . . 

This was obviously the way God confirmed that he had granted Elisha's request to receive a double portion of Elijah's spirit (2:10 "if you see me when I am taken from you . . . ;" 2:12 "And Elisha saw it . . . ").

This was the final demonstration of God's message through Elijah from the very beginning--that he is superior to Baal.[2]

Baal was the god of rain, but YHWH through Elijah demonstrated his authority over rain in 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-46.

Baal was the god of fire, but YHWH through Elijah demonstrated his authority over fire on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:17-40).

Baal was the god who mounted up in the clouds, but YHWH through Elijah's departure demonstrates that he has authority over the heavens (2 Kings 2:11).

By taking him from earth in this unique way rather than allowing him to die naturally, God probably signals a future role for Elijah in his redemptive plan.

Moses and Elijah are the two greatest figures of the Old Testament, and God terminates their lives on earth before they die naturally.  God takes Moses while he still full of vigor (Ex. 34:6,7), and wanted his body for some reason (Jude 1:9).

Both of them appear with Jesus during his first coming.  On the mount of Transfiguration, they discuss Jesus' imminent "exodus" through the cross, his resurrection and ascension (Lk. 9:31).  They had each prefigured Jesus' first coming in unique ways: Moses prefigured Jesus' cross through the Passover, and Elijah prefigured Jesus' ascension through his departure here.

It is possible that both them will return shortly before Jesus' Second Coming at the end of the age.  In Mal. 4:4,5 (almost the last words of the Old Testament), God reminds Israel to heed the words of Moses, and declares that he will send Elijah before the "great and terrible day of the Lord."  In Rev. 11:3-10, two "witnesses"/"prophets" perform miracles like Moses and Elijah to warn people of God's coming judgment.

Lastly (and most importantly for us), Elijah's departure is a prophetic picture of a similar departure God makes available to all of us.

There is no hint of fear in Elijah in this chapter, even though he knew it was his last day on earth.  There is sadness over being separated from his loved ones--but no fear of death.  This is because Elijah knew that the termination of his life on earth was just a transition into God's presence.

We can live the same way because God makes the same promise to us.  The same Bible that describes Elijah's past translation also predicts our future translation.  Elijah's departure is a prophetic picture of this day (1 Thess. 4:13-18).  And you can get in on this day if you put your trust in Christ's death and resurrection . . . 

NEXT WEEK: A comparison of Elijah & Elisha