June 29, 2025 Sermon

Sermon Title:  “Elijah and Elisha”

Scripture:  2 Kings 2:1-2 and 6-14

2 Kings 2:1-2 and 6-14

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

1Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

13He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

          If you were here last Sunday, you heard a sermon on the prophet Elijah and how he defeated the priests of Baal in a sort of contest. You also heard how he ran for his life and experienced God as a “Still, Small Voice.”

          Elijah had a protégé named Elisha, who carried on Elijah’s work once the older prophet was taken up to heaven, says the Scripture, in a whirlwind. One source says the two prophets are two of the most well-known prophets in Israel, and they served in Israel’s northern kingdom. In 2 Kings 2, we are told that Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Elisha began to realize that Elijah would not be with him much longer, so he asked that he might be blessed with a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah told Elisha that he was asking for something big, but that if he saw the moment Elijah was taken up to heaven, it will be granted.....but if he doesn’t see Elijah leave, he will not be granted his request. As they were talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire took Elijah up to heaven.

          Elisha did receive the double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and he performed many miracles in Israel. Some of Elisha’s miracles included the turning of bad water into good water, and we are told in 2 Kings 4:32-37 that he even raised a boy from the dead.

          Before he was taken up to heaven, Elijah left a letter for King Jehoram of Judah, and that letter spoke of judgment against him. The letter said, in part, and we get this from the book of 2 Chronicles 21:  “The Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.” That prophecy did come true, later on in that chapter (2 Chronicles 21:18-20), if we believe the Bible. Again, the Old Testament doesn’t hold back, does it?!

          On a serious note, Elijah and Elisha were both greatly respected by other prophets as well as by the kings of their nation. Their impact led to a revival among some of the Israelites during a dark stage of Israel’s history.

          Also, the combined legacy of Elijah and Elisha continued to influence Israel for some time. Even the New Testament speaks of the expected return of Elijah, which some think was fulfilled by John the Baptist as the one who was to announce the coming of the Messiah.

          You may recall that earlier today we sang “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and it has always been my belief that that spiritual comes from 2 Kings 2:11, when the chariot and horses come down and take Elijah to heaven. That may be right, but I noticed another quote, this one from Psalm 68:17:  “The chariots of God are 20,000, even thousands of thousands; the Lord is among them.” And who knows? There may be OTHER references to the chariots of God. The point is, God does what God wants, whenever God wants to do it, and however God wants to do it. So maybe it doesn’t matter WHERE the idea comes from, 2 Kings, Psalm 68, or somewhere else. The point is, God does what God wants to do whenever God wants because God is sovereign.

          As far as Elijah’s departure is concerned, it is beyond straight-forward interpretation. Perhaps it is an attempt to describe the indescribable. That double share of Elijah’s spirit is the proper portion that an elder son or heir should expect. And all Elisha is doing is asking to be Elijah’s successor. Elijah wants Elisha to pay close attention and “see” what happens. As we know, the word “see” can also mean “perceive.”

          When Elijah leaves, Elisha expresses a confession of faith when he shouts “My father, my father.” And when Elisha rends his garments, he is demonstrating his own unworthiness. Elisha has “seen” and he does inherit. When he crosses back across the Jordan with Elijah’s mantle in his hands, that action is seen by the company of prophets as a validation of Elisha’s position as Elijah’s successor. Quoting those prophets from verse 15, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.”

          The name Elisha means “God is salvation.” When he began his ministry after Elijah was taken into heaven, he was a faithful prophet for almost 60 years.

          In the New Testament, Jesus mentions Elisha in Luke 4:27. And in Luke 4:24, Jesus told his listeners that “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Both Elijah and Elisha were faithful to the God of Israel. May we be as well. Amen.

Pastor Skip