Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
We all know what it’s like to anticipate something we’ve had scheduled on our calendar for a long time… whether something exciting or frightening. And when that day finally comes, we know what it’s like stepping into the day with our stomach all tied up in knots, right? That’s how it was for both the old prophet Elijah and the younger prophet Elisha on the day we’re spending with them today. The story is found in 2 Kings 2 and it’s a remarkable day unlike any other.
Yesterday I left you with Elijah and Elisha outside the town of Bethel when Elisha had just responded to a group of prophet students who had approached them and asked a troubling question of Elisha: “Do you know the LORD is going to take your master from you today?” (2 Kings 2:3) Somehow God had allowed this group of men to know this special date on the calendar which God had determined long ago and was finally here. What date? The final day of Elijah’s life on earth! Elisha had responded to that horrible question: ‘Yes I know, but do not speak of it.”
Perhaps Elijah took the opportunity to give his prophet students some teaching that day. Perhaps he gave them a farewell speech, urging them to carry on in the sacred role of being the spokesmen for God in a dreadful time in Israel’s history. The record simply says: “Then Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here Elisha, The LORD has sent me to Jericho.” (2 Kings 2:4) I wonder if the young prophet students urged Elisha to stay with them and carry on Elijah’s mentoring of them? But no, Elisha answered as he had before: “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you today.” And they both turned and headed down the road together toward Jericho.
Now here’s something really interesting about this. Gilgal and Jericho are very near each other, perhaps at that time less than 2 miles apart. You could probably see one village from the other. Bethel, on the other hand, was about 13 miles west of both towns. So as you see, this was a round trip of about 25 miles. Yet both Elijah and Elisha knew these were three very significant towns in the history of Israel.
Jericho, of course, was the famous first city conquered by Joshua and the Hebrew slaves coming out of their 40 year wandering in the desert after their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. For centuries, the ruins of Jericho had laid untouched, until in the early days of King Ahab, a man named Hiel had taken on the project of leading a massive reconstruction project and rebuilding Jericho. It came at a price though, for two of his sons died in this restoration of Jericho, as had been predicted by Joshua, several hundred years before. (Joshua 6:26 & 1 Kings 16:34)
Evidently Elijah also had a small group of spiritual men of God in Jericho, for as they approached the city a small group of young prophetic students came out to meet them on the road. As at Bethel, they approached Elisha and said exactly the same thing: “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?” And as he had before, Elisha responded to them that yes, God had warned him and Elisha asked these prophets not to speak of it.
Now friends, this is one of those times in the Bible where we can be skeptics and criticize the account of Scripture insisting there is no way it happened as it is recorded; OR we can take the account to be truthful and therefore an evidence that God was speaking to His young prophets in both towns with the same information and both groups had responded in the same way, as probably you and I would have. I choose to believe it as written!
For a third time the record tells us Elijah urged Elisha to remain there while he would go on ahead, this time to the Jordan river, declaring God was sending him there. And for a third time Elisha insisted he would not leave Elijah’s side that day, and so on they walked together toward the Jordan river. Of course, my friends, the Jordan river is famous throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and if you visit Israel today, while your tour may not take you to Gilgal or Bethel, and because it is currently a Palestinian town, you may not be able to visit Jericho today, you most certainly will visit the Jordan river, for still today it faithfully flows south from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea and provides vital irrigation for farms, ranches of grazing animals and plantations producing wonderful food all along the Jordan river valley.
Evidently the young prophets from Jericho followed along at a respectful distance behind Elijah and Elisha as they walked, and thus they were eye witness to the miracle which happened next as Elijah and Elisha approached the Jordan river. The record says: “Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The river divided to the right and to the left, and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground! ” (2 Kings 2:8) It was what I call a ‘miracle of remembrance’. Why do I call it that? Because it was likely very near this same spot that the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had stepped into the flooded Jordan river, at Joshua’s instructions, and God had stopped the flow of the river so nearly 2 million Israelites could walk across that dry riverbed into the Promised Land! (Joshua 3&4)
But in this case the water didn’t stop flowing, rather when Elijah struck the water it ‘divided’, reminding them of how God had divided the Red Sea so Moses and the escaping Hebrew slaves could escape Pharaoh’s approaching army, remember? (Exodus 14) Have you ever experienced a ‘miracle of remembrance’ reminding you of some great things God has done in the past?
As Elijah and Elisha stood together on the east side of the Jordan river I believe they both turned and looked back. They could see the young prophets standing on the other side watching them. They could see Jericho and maybe even Gilgal. They could see the rugged Judean hills rising up beyond Jericho and they both knew that about 25 miles, west-south west from where they stood was Jerusalem. Elijah knew the time of his departure was coming near and he spoke powerful words that would change Elisha’s life: “Tell me Elisha, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” (2 Kings 2:9)
On my, what a moment? Have you ever had anyone say something like that to you? It reminds me of another time in the Bible when GOD Himself said a very similar thing to King Solomon as Solomon had ascended to the throne, do you remember? 1 Kings 3:4,5 gives us that remarkable story. In that case, Solomon asked for wisdom and God poured out wisdom upon him unlike any person before or since. Of course Elisha knew that story well. I think Elisha paused, maybe for a long time and pondered. What would be the most significant thing he could ask of Elijah now which would make the greatest difference in his life and help him accomplish his life purpose?
Let’s pause and reflect with Elisha and tomorrow, if you’ll join me right back here, we’ll find out what Elisha answered and what God did in that moment!
For today, what is your greatest desire and need that only God can fulfill? Let’s take this opportunity to talk with Jesus about that, and here’s a song to help us reflect on the significance of these moments:
Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 2:4-8.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.