Elisha in a Whirlwind

There’s a hope when our time is up on this world that we know that we’ve been good and faithful servants to the Lord. At some time in our lives we have to choose God or the false gods of this world. We may have to be faithful even when everyone around us has lost their faith in God.

There’s many false gods that we follow today such as money, prestige, pride, hate and even political correctness that makes us afraid to admit that we are God’s people. I heard a woman on the radio who firmly believed that there was no god. She stated that she was too smart to be fooled into believing the theory of a god. She is a scientist with too much knowledge to even start with the theory that a god is possible.

I was saddened to hear her talk and to realize that for her there is no god. She will not reach out for the love of Jesus Christ. She will not feel the power of the Holy Spirit, because she is not willing to have the faith of a mustard seed. For this woman, her mind or self pride are her false gods.

Baal is the name of a false god mentioned in the Old Testament. Baal was the god of people of Palestine. Baal was also worshipped by many Jews during the life of the prophet Elijah. Elijah is an amazing prophet in the Old Testament. He performed many miracles. I love the story when Elijah went he went up alone against the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. He challenged those who worshiped Baal with a burnt offering on a stone altar as the way to demonstrate the power of God versus Baal.

In 1 Kings 18 (NKJV), Elijah asked the people “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”

Elijah had them soak the wood and the burnt offering that were placed on the altar. Elijah called on God. God answered Elijah. The “fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!

Elijah served God when it wasn’t easy to be a prophet. He was tested in so many ways. The hardest way is when most of your friends, family, and neighbors don’t believe in God anymore. The test for Elijah was whether he would remain true to God even if he was the last person who still believed and had faith in God. Would we be willing to claim our belief in public if we were the last person who believed in God? Would we follow the false gods because “everyone else is doing it?”

I also love Elijah because has was a great prophet, but he was also human. He faced all of the false prophets who were worshiping Baal. Later, he ran from Jezebel when she threatened to kill him. Jezebel was a queen of the Jews, but she worshiped the false gods. Elijah ran into a cave and hid. Elijah knew that God was behind him, but he choose to run instead of stand and fight. There are times in our lives that we don’t stand firm for God just like Elijah did it this case. There’s hope for us that one day we will be able to be faithful and strong again.

Elijah raised a child from the dead. There’s a story about oil and flour not running out for a widow and her family. Elijah also has a strong relationship with his disciple, Elisha. If you have a problem keeping these two prophets apart, remember Elijah has a “J” and Elisha has a “S”. “J” comes before “S” in the alphabet. Elijah was the mentor and teacher for Elisha.

Now, we come to the end of the story for Elijah. The scripture from 2 Kings 2:1 reads: When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

Gilgal is on the Jordan River at the exact spot with the tribes of Israel crossed over the Jordan into the promised land of milk and honey. As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the Jordan River at that spot, the river parted so that the people of Israel could walk in the Jordan River without getting wet. God had one man from each tribe carry a rock from the river bottom and stack the rocks near Gilgal where the tribes of Israel camped after crossing the river. God had them do this so that they would never forget God. Elijah and Elisha were remembering Joshua’s story of God delivering the twelve tribes of Israel into the Promised Land. Gilgal was also on the outskirts of Jericho.

Elijah went to key places to remember God’s work on earth. His next stop was a town called Bethel where many priests lived. It was also a place where Abraham built an altar after God made his promise in Genesis 12:7 “To your descendants I will give this land. And there Abraham built an altar to the Lord; who had appeared to him.” In just a few sentences, Elijah is remembering God’s promise to Abraham and God’s deliverance of the people by parting the Red Sea when the Israelites left Egypt. Elijah is also remembering God’s faithfulness to his people when they crossed the Jordan River.

In 2 Kings 2:2-5 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. 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." 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 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."

Elisha told Elijah that he would stay by Elijah’s side until the time that Elijah was taken up into heaven by God. Jericho is the town where the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and the Jewish people walked around Jericho for seven days and the walls of the city fell. God delivered the town of Jericho to the tribes of Israel. The story is told in the book of Joshua. Elijah’s story is telling the history of God’s love for his people just by where they go on this last day.

Now, Elijah is reenacting Moses parting of the Red Sea and the parting of the Jordan River for the twelve tribes of Israel. The difference is that Elijah is using a rolled up cloak while Moses stretched out his hand “and the Lord caused the Red Sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea into dry land and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). Many times in the Bible the current story is woven into God’s promises and God’s covenant with his people.

In 2 Kings 2:6-10 the scripture continues 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." The two of them walked on. 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. 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. 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. "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 asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elisha is actually asking for his inheritance. A father usually gave a double portion of the inheritance to the first born son. Elisha is claiming that Elijah is his father. Elijah explains that God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit. Elijah can’t give a double portion of the Holy Spirit. Elijah tells Elisha to watch for a sign. The sign is if God allows Elisha to see Elijah taken up to heaven then Elisha will receive a double portion of the Holy Spirit.

The 2 Kings 2:11-15 scripture continues: As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 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 own clothes and tore them apart. He also took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, the water was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

There are only two men who were taken up to Heaven without dying. The first was Enoch and the second was Elijah. Enoch’s story is told very briefly in Genesis 5:24 (NIV) “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Hebrews 11:5 NIV tells “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, Enoch was commended as one who pleased God.”

Elijah and Enoch both were praised for their faith. Both also pleased God because they were true to God. Elijah had faith in God when everyone around him did not. Elijah had faith even with his King and Queen worshiped other gods. It is easy to have faith when everyone around us is faithful. It is hard to have faith in God when we are alone. Elijah is our role model to have faith in God even when everyone around us has lost faith in God. This story of Elijah also helps us remember God’s promise to Abraham, God’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt, and the parting of the Jordan River so that the Israelites could finally enter into the Promised Land.

Let’s us go out today to be inspired to keep our faith in God and follow in the path of Elijah and Enoch.