After returning from Horeb, the first thing Elijah did was to find Elisha and cast his mantle on him. In doing so, Elijah may well have been glad to know a younger servant was being prepared by the Lord. This case of one prophet giving his mantle to another is unique; the two prophets together give us a view of the link there is in the ways of God between law and grace.
Elisha was plowing with the last of twelve yokes of oxen. He was rightly occupied with the inheritance given him by God. He seemed to understand that having the mantle cast on him was a call to leave his occupation and family to serve the Lord, for immediately he asked permission to kiss his father and mother. Elijah told him, “Go back again: for what have I done to thee?” Elijah was not the author of this call to service; only the Lord could do that. Elisha must hear the call from the Lord. The mantle was a token of the call. This act was not merely one prophet passing on his work to another. When Elisha turned back, he did it to sacrifice the oxen and burn the instruments. Then he gave the food to the people. He gave God His part and the people their part and kept nothing for himself. He counted the cost and became a true disciple, ministering to Elijah. Important lessons were to be learned from the older servant who preached righteousness by the law. In Galatians 3:2424Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24) (JND), Paul said, “The law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith.” Elisha was learning this principle to be better able to minister grace afterward.
Naboth’s Vineyard
(1 Kings 21:17-29)
Elijah appears only two more times in the Scriptures before being taken up to heaven. In both cases he pronounced judgment, but he also showed mercy when humility was shown. This was a change in his behavior; he had learned something from the still small voice. The first time he appears is to pronounce judgment on King Ahab for killing and taking possession of Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel falsely accused Naboth and had him stoned. This was a great sin against a neighbor. Naboth valued the vineyard as the inheritance his fathers had received from the Lord and would not sell it as Esau did with his birthright. It was not just another piece of ground, convenient to sell or trade. It should be preserved in the family until the Messiah came. The Israelites’ possessions were earthly; ours are heavenly. Let us not sell out our heavenly blessings. If we do not walk in the good of them, we will be in danger of eventually giving them up altogether. This is the kind of subtle temptation we face today.
In the resurrection, Naboth will be able to reign over what he held dear even to death; Ahab will not.
King Ahaziah and His Captains
of Fifty (2 Kings 1)
The next and last appearance of Elijah before his translation was to King Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, after he sent to enquire of Baal-zebub concerning his health. This was a sin against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and it brought down judgment on him. Elijah said to the messengers of the king, “Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?” (1 Kings 1:3 JND). After hearing this, Ahaziah sent soldiers to take Elijah. But Elijah said unto them, “If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.” Twice this was repeated, and two captains, each with his fifty men, were consumed by the fire which Elijah called down from heaven. It was a dramatic example of God and of His power. Elisha may well have witnessed this and was familiar with God’s power. The ministry of grace that Elisha was to preach does not overlook the holy claims of God as it dispenses blessing. This is established in the Book of Romans.
The third captain came to Elijah in humility, pleading for his life and that of his men. “O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight” (vs. 13). Elijah discerned it was time to show mercy and spared his life. He went with the captain to see the king. Humility is the best sign of repentance. These men survived and would have been able to partake of Elisha’s ministry of grace. The king was shown no mercy and died according to Elijah’s word.
Elijah’s Descent to Jordan
Elijah’s departure from Israel involved a journey of leaving behind the high place of Gilgal and going down to the river Jordan. Along the way Elisha was tested three times — at Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho — to see if he would leave his master. This is a picture of the Lord Jesus leaving Israel, the place of earthly blessing, by descending to death and then ascending by way of resurrection into heaven. The three cities represent the different characteristics of earthly blessing that must be left behind to enter into the good of heavenly things. Elisha followed with Elijah all the way until they were across Jordan. The other prophets knew about the event that was to happen but did not walk with Elijah as he left. The Lord Jesus plainly taught His disciples of the need to leave all and follow Him (Luke 14:26-27,3326If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26‑27)
33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)). Heavenly blessing cannot be enjoyed without doing this.
The miracle Elijah performed by smiting the water with his mantle is a demonstration that God, who dried up the river for Joshua as he entered the land, was now taking away His preacher of righteousness by the law as the means of blessing. “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:44For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4)). Attempts to mix law and grace are a failure to see this principle.
Elijah Taken up to Heaven
Elijah’s ascension to heaven after being rejected by Israel is a picture of the Lord Jesus being received in heaven. Elijah was God’s representative to show when it was time to end the preaching of righteousness by law. Now the time had come and God was going to remove him, but one more thing remained. Elijah had been much grieved with all the evil in Israel; now he desires to bless the servant who would follow him in his rejection. He had God’s mind, for God would not shut up His store of blessing to those who followed His servant. Under this circumstance, he gave Elisha unqualified opportunity. “Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (1 Kings 2:9). Elijah said it was a hard thing he asked. We little realize how much it cost the Lord to give us our blessings. Nevertheless, Elijah said, “If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so” (vs. 10). The key point was for Elisha to see Elijah when he was taken up. This is the key point for us today, to see by faith that the man Christ Jesus has ascended into heaven. The Lord told His disciples just before leaving this world, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you” (John 16:2323And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. (John 16:23)). This is the basis of all blessing. The double portion is brought to us from Christ by the Spirit of God. The Spirit is what brings the believer into relationship with Christ in glory. When Elisha saw Elijah being taken up by the chariot of fire, he cried, “My father, my father.” This is “the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:1515For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)).
The prophets observing from Jericho did not see Elijah taken up to heaven and insisted that they go look for Elijah in the wilderness, but they did not find him. It was a waste of time and energy. Looking for Jesus only as a Man on earth is to miss what Christianity is about.
Elisha Crossing the Jordan
We now come to the time when Elisha began his ministry of grace. His first act after Elijah was taken up to heaven was to rend his clothes in two pieces. The double portion does not make one proud, but rather is very humbling. Through the ministry of grace we are not made to deserve anything, but are given everything because of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done. Elisha showed this attitude in his behavior.
Next he took up the mantle that fell from Elijah and went to the Jordan. At the Jordan he smote the water and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over” (vs. 14). The power did not come from himself, but he called on Elijah’s God. We call on the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In that attitude the Apostle Peter said to those who observed the miracle he did, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? ... Faith in His [Jesus] name hath made this man strong” (Acts 3:12,1612And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (Acts 3:12)
16And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Acts 3:16)). The name of the Lord is our source of strength.
Elisha went over the Jordan after the waters were parted, and this time it was to return to Israel with a new ministry. God gave witness by this sign of power that this new ministry was from Himself, as he had done in Joshua’s day. “When the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him” (2 Kings 2:15). In the Book of Acts, it says, of the apostles, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:1313Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)). This is the best commendation that can be said of anyone who preaches the gospel of the grace of God through Christ.
D. C. Buchanan