The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 2:13-14,
"Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. 'Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over."
This event took place when Elijah was taken from this earth. In a dramatic and startling fashion Elijah was taken from this life, not by death, but by "a chariot of fire and horses of fire". We are told that Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elijah's coming departure from this life was well known both to him and the companies of prophets we read of in this chapter. Prior to that departure, he had asked his protege, Elisha, what he could do for him. Elisha responded he wanted "a double portion of your spirit." This request signified Elisha wanted to be heir to the special work of ministry for the Lord that occupied Elijah. When Elisha struck the Jordan with Elijah's cloak and it parted for him, it demonstrated the transfer of that ministry of Elijah to Elisha. The whole of it witnessed to by the company of prophets from Jericho.
Elijah was a great man, a great prophet of God. Indeed, Elisha was as well, As we see this specific prophetic ministry pass from Elijah to Elisha, I am reminded that what enabled Elijah and Elisha both to be great prophets was the Lord himself. In that the enablement was passed from the one to the other, it manifests that the source of this enablement resided outside of the men themselves. As Elisha said, as he performed his first miracle of prophetic ministry, "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" This is a clear confession of Elisha citing the source of the ministry that was now to come to him.
All this points to the truth that if anyone accomplishes great things for the Lord's agenda, regardless of point in history, they owe their ability, their enablement to the Lord himself. It is the Lord who enables. It is the Lord who strengthens. It is the Lord who accomplishes great things through his servants.
While I am quite confident the various servants of the Lord were unique people within themselves, their accomplishments and their successful work for the kingdom of God was something the Lord enabled them to do... and, that enablement can be and has been granted to others.
The point is that where a good man or a good woman does great things for God, there is a great God behind them that enabled them to do what it is they have done. Where we may revere great preachers, great teachers of the things of God, people who do great things for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of the kingdom of God, it really is the Lord himself we need to revere for providing these great and wonderfully gifted people performing these wonderful works.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. 'Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over."
This event took place when Elijah was taken from this earth. In a dramatic and startling fashion Elijah was taken from this life, not by death, but by "a chariot of fire and horses of fire". We are told that Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elijah's coming departure from this life was well known both to him and the companies of prophets we read of in this chapter. Prior to that departure, he had asked his protege, Elisha, what he could do for him. Elisha responded he wanted "a double portion of your spirit." This request signified Elisha wanted to be heir to the special work of ministry for the Lord that occupied Elijah. When Elisha struck the Jordan with Elijah's cloak and it parted for him, it demonstrated the transfer of that ministry of Elijah to Elisha. The whole of it witnessed to by the company of prophets from Jericho.
Elijah was a great man, a great prophet of God. Indeed, Elisha was as well, As we see this specific prophetic ministry pass from Elijah to Elisha, I am reminded that what enabled Elijah and Elisha both to be great prophets was the Lord himself. In that the enablement was passed from the one to the other, it manifests that the source of this enablement resided outside of the men themselves. As Elisha said, as he performed his first miracle of prophetic ministry, "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" This is a clear confession of Elisha citing the source of the ministry that was now to come to him.
All this points to the truth that if anyone accomplishes great things for the Lord's agenda, regardless of point in history, they owe their ability, their enablement to the Lord himself. It is the Lord who enables. It is the Lord who strengthens. It is the Lord who accomplishes great things through his servants.
While I am quite confident the various servants of the Lord were unique people within themselves, their accomplishments and their successful work for the kingdom of God was something the Lord enabled them to do... and, that enablement can be and has been granted to others.
The point is that where a good man or a good woman does great things for God, there is a great God behind them that enabled them to do what it is they have done. Where we may revere great preachers, great teachers of the things of God, people who do great things for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of the kingdom of God, it really is the Lord himself we need to revere for providing these great and wonderfully gifted people performing these wonderful works.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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