2 Kings 2:1-6 ESV


1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please 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. 3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”


4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”




6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please 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.


A LOYAL SPIRIT.


Earlier, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.”[1 Kings 19:15-16]


But, he discouraged Elisha to follow and stay close to him even in the last 24 hours on earth. This is quite puzzling. And, we have no clear reasons, except that Elisha was very clear and commited to pursue his calling. He was so committed to pursue it so that he burn his bridges behind. Let us recall that Elijah “found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.”[1 Kings 19:19-21]


He followed Elijah at Bethel and Jordan closely. Why? He said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Similarly, Naomi discouraged her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah. Orpah went back but Ruth followed Naomi with determination, saying, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”[Ruth 1:16,17]


Elisha was fixated upon God. The reason to his loyalty to Elijah was because of God, who was behind Elijah. Simply put, he was drawn to God who can transform his life. This was the reason why he asked for ‘a double portion of his spirit.’ Undoubtedly, it’s only God who can do this.


Today, let’s keep ‘looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith’, not unto men. [Heb 12:2]



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