New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon 2 Kings 2:1-18 "Elijah - A Double Portion of Spirit"
June 2, 2019
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This is my final sermon in my series on the life of the prophet Elijah. Last week we heard God’s instructions to Elijah from atop Mt. Horeb. God told his prophet to begin the process that will lead to the downfall of the Omri dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel. As part of that, Elijah was instructed to anoint Elisha as the Prophet of Israel.
Two weeks ago we talked about Elijah’s name. In Hebrew it is Eli-yah, “My God is Yahweh”. Elisha’s name in Hebrew is Eli-shua, “My God is the Savior”. Let’s do a mental exercise. Combine in your minds the last syllable of Elijah name, “yah” with the last syllable of Elisha’s name, “shua”. “Yah-shua”. Hold that name in your minds. “Yah-shua”.
Nine centuries after Elijah an angel came to a young woman named Mary. He told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive and bear a son. And she would call this son, in Hebrew, “Yah-shua”. “Yah-shua” means “Yahweh is the savior”. It is a combination of the final syllables in the name Eli-yah and Eil-shua, Elijah and Elisha. And when “Yah-shua” is spoken in English we say, Jesus. So Jesus’ name is a combination of the names Elijah and Elisha and means “Yahweh is the savior”. Let’s pray to Yah-shua, Jesus.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
God told Elijah to anoint his successor, Elisha. Here is what happened.
1 Kings 19:19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.
The whole community has gathered. My guess is that Elijah has come to pray and bless them in the coming growing season. Twelve pair of oxen have been yoked to plows. After the prayer, twelve farmers each takes one pair of oxen out into the field to begin work. Eleven farmers pass by Elijah and receive his blessing. But when the twelfth farmer passes Elijah, the prophet removes his cloak and places it on the farmer.
Elijah’s cloak was a camel skin overcoat with a leather belt worn in cold weather. It became associated with Elijah’s ministry so much that when people heard that a prophet was coming wearing a camel skin cloak with a leather belt they knew it was Elijah. Wearing a cloak like this became the symbol of being a prophet. Nine centuries later, John the Baptist wore a camel skin cloak with a leather belt indicating that he had come as a prophet like Elijah. By putting this cloak on Elisha, Elijah was anointing him as new the Prophet of Israel.
But Elisha was not so sure that he wanted to be a prophet.
20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
This is clearly a delaying tactic. Elisha wants to go home and talk this over with his parents. Elijah is clearly annoyed at this but he lets Elisha go home to say goodbye to his family and village.
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
Elisha had a great feast to say goodbye to family and friends and then followed Elijah. This began a season of preparation as Elijah taught Elisha how to be a prophet. We don’t how long this lasted, but eventually, Elisha was ready, and it was time for Elijah to leave.
2 Kings 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.
So, the two prophets are traveling together and we know that it is time for Elijah to leave and go to heaven in a whirlwind. But Elisha does not want Elijah to go away.
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.
Poor Elisha! He does not want his spiritual mentor to leave. So they continue walking together all the way to Bethel.
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, “so be quiet.”
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.
Other prophets have come to Elisha. They told him that the time had come for Elijah to leave. They told Elisha that he would now be the prophet of Israel. But Elisha didn’t want to hear any of this. He wanted Elijah to remain. So Elijah again to Elisha to stay behind but Elisha refused. Elisha followed his mentor all the way to Jericho.
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, “so be quiet.”
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.
The prophets of Jericho have told Elisha that this is the day. Elijah is leaving you today. You should stay here and let him go. But again Elisha will hear none of this and continues to follow his mentor.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 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.
Elijah takes his cloak, the camel hair overcoat, symbol of his prophetic identity, and uses it to part the waters just as Moses did when he used Arron’s rod to part the Red Sea. And like Moses and the Hebrews, Elijah and Elisha crossed on dry ground. Then they had their final conversation.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“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, it will not.”
The firstborn son of an Israelite inherits a double portion of his father’s assets. Elisha is asking Elijah to treat him as his son. Elijah has no earthly possessions, except a camel hair coat. But what Elijah does have in abundance is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Elisha is asking for a double share of Elijah spiritual gifts. Although this is a hard thing to promise Elijah says it will happen if Elisha watches what happens next.
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them.
Elisha can walk with Elijah no more. God has intervened by sending a tank, a fiery chariot, to separate them just as God sent the flaming swords to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to the Garden of Eden. And then this happens.
11b and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
Elisha is experiencing great grief. He has lost his spiritual mentor, father, and friend. Elijah is gone for good until Jesus has a committee meeting on the Mount of Transfiguration. But for Elijah and Elisha, this is the end of the road. Elisha will go forward alone.
No! Elisha is not alone. He has a double portion of the Holy Spirit who will comfort him and empower him to do what God wants him to do.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah 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.
Just as God parted the Jordan River to allow Joshua and the Hebrews to enter the Promised Land so too is that river parted to allow Elisha to begin his ministry as the Prophet of Israel.
This is my last Sunday with you as Interim Pastor. I have been with you for over two years. My call to this church was to prepare you for the coming of a new pastor. That work is complete. Beginning next Sunday, the Rev. Dr. Carol Fisher will be in this pulpit. God is taking me away to some other call. I don’t think we will be seeing a whirlwind today. Like Elijah, I won’t be here anymore. My prayer is that you, New Covenant Church, like Elisha will inherit a double portion of God’s Holy Spirit. With this, you will be comforted in parting with me and empowered to accomplish God’s mission here in Middletown, Delaware. Let’s pray.
Father in heaven, pour down your blessings on New Covenant Church. Bless them with spiritual growth as each of them grow into the stature of Christ. Bless them with numerical growth as they welcome to this church people moving into the new homes being built. And bless them with the resources and facilities needed to make this church effective in reaching this community for Christ. I whose name we pray. Amen.
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