SUCCESSION
Fifth of five devotions in Intimate Whisper series
1 Kings 1:19, 2 Kings 2:1-10
1 Kings 19:19: “So Elijah went up 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.”
Elisha
knew immediately that he was to succeed Elijah as God’s prophet to Israel. Oh wow.
Even
Moses had a successor. Joshua completed Moses’
work, leading the Israelites into their promised land. People are mortal, imperfect and flawed. But God’s will WILL be done. Even peoples’ names tell God’s purpose: The name Moses means “I drew him out of the
water.” (Exodus 2:10) a. His
name foreshadowed Moses’ drawing the Hebrews out of Egypt.
The
name Joshua means “The Lord saves.” (Numbers
13:16). The name Jesus also means “the
Lord saves.” (The name Joshua is Greek,
Jesus is the equivalent Hebrew name.).
Elijah’s
name means “The Lord is my God.” (2 Kings 17:1). Elisha’s name means “God is salvation,” or
“God saves.” Elisha’s next-generation mission
was to judge and carry covenant blessings to Israel’s faithful.
“What
are you doing here, Elijah?” God asked
twice in 1 Kings 19:10 and 14. Elijah
gave God the same answer both times: “I
have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant,
broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are
trying to kill me too.”
After
the first answer, God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain in 1 Kings 19:11.
The windstorm, earthquake and fire stood
for God’s righteous judgment of Israel. (But
Elijah didn’t understand). In hearing God’s
“gentle whisper” in 1 Kings 19:12-13, Elijah “pulled his cloak over his face
and went out and stood in the mouth of the cave.”
That’s
what people do when hearing God’s gentle whisper. It’s intimate.
God’s whisper is so near and dear, people naturally respond with
worship.
The
second time Elijah gave God that same answer, God commanded him to anoint two
people as kings, and then anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. God patiently explained to Elijah—with words instead of forces of nature—how He
was going to judge Israel. (1 Kings 19:15-18—see
the lesson linked below).
Our indulgent heavenly Father
explained His will to Elijah! Every
whisper people receive from God is intimate.
Take Home Nugget
Elisha
never left Elijah’s side from that moment until…
2
Kings 2:11says, “a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated” them, and
“Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
Did you see that coming? Who can read the mind of God?
aMeanings of names in the Bible were
given in the notes section under the Scripture reference in the NIV/The Message
Parallel Study Bible. Copyright in 2008
by Zondervan. Michigan.
J.D. Griffith
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