************************

Elijah Is Taken Up to Heaven

2 Kings 2:1-12

Good News Translation (GNT)

  1  The time came for the Lord to take Elijah up
   to heaven in a whirlwind.
   Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal,
  2  and on the way Elijah said to Elisha, "Now
   stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to
   Bethel."
   But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty
   to the living Lord and to you that I will not
   leave you." So they went on to Bethel.
  3  A group of prophets who lived there went to
   Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the
   Lord is going to take your master away from
   you today?"
   "Yes, I know," Elisha answered. "But let's not
   talk about it."
  4  Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here;
   the Lord has ordered me to go to Jericho."
   But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty
   to the living Lord and to you that I will not
   leave you." So they went on to Jericho.
  5  A group of prophets who lived there went to
   Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the
   Lord is going to take your master away from    you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha answered.
  "But let's not talk about it."
  6  Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here;
   the Lord has ordered me to go to the Jordan
   River."
   But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty to
   the living Lord and to you that I will not leave
   you." So they went on,
  7  and fifty of the prophets followed them to the
   Jordan. Elijah and Elisha stopped by the river,
   and the fifty prophets stood a short distance
   away.
  8  Then Elijah took off his cloak, rolled it up, and
   struck the water with it; the water divided, and
   he and Elisha crossed to the other side on dry
   ground.
  9  There, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what you
   want me to do for you before I am taken
   away." "Let me receive the share of your
   power that will make me your successor," (a)
   Elisha answered.
  10  "That is a difficult request to grant," Elijah
   replied. "But you will receive it if you see me
   as I am being taken away from you;
   if you don't see me, you won't receive it."
  11  They kept talking as they walked on; then
   suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of
   fire came between them, and Elijah was taken
   up to heaven by a whirlwind.
  12  Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah,
   "My father, my father! Mighty defender of
   Israel! You are gone!" and he never saw Elijah
   again. In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two.

   Footnotes
   2 Kings 2:9 Elisha asked for
   the share that the first-born son
   inherited by law from
   his father (see Deut. 21.17).

*************************

Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the
Scripture Union

Elijah Is Taken Up to Heaven

     2 Kings 2:1-12

As Elisha trails round after his master, who's getting it right? Is Elijah right to shake off his young disciple? Or is Elisha right to stick to his mentor like glue?

The answer, I suspect, is that there is no right answer. Discipleship is not about methods, but relationships. It's not about 'getting it right', but about following a living example of faith.

Elisha, as long as his mentor was there, wasn't going to miss anything he might learn from Elijah. He resolved to follow, to learn and to imitate.

Elisha had been a prophet-in-training, 'shadowing' Elijah for some time as God had commanded.
As the handover approaches, Elijah wants to slip away as though he is not sure how to relinquish his role, and Elisha does not seem quite ready to take responsibility.

Elijah knew the dangers of the job so perhaps both men wanted God to reconfirm his choice of prophet.

Graciously, the Lord gives a string of confirmations. He gives Elisha an awareness of imminent events, then confirms what Elisha has sensed.

Even though Elisha received a heavenly sign and inherited the physical symbol of prophetic authority he still had to believe that God's Spirit was with him and act as the prophet he was called to be.

Jewish tradition suggests that Elijah was protective of the special and intimate relationship he had with God, so that he even wanted his successor to be excluded from such a moving departure.

A double portion. Whatever the reason, Elisha, like a good apprentice, wants not only to follow in his master's footsteps but to have a double portion of his spirit.

Just as the firstborn son inherited a double share of property to keep the family estates intact, so Elisha wants to double the effectiveness of his own prophetic ministry.

Whilst Elijah cannot guarantee this, events confirm that Elisha's wish is granted.

Other versions are available here

Return to the Home Page

  Contact the Rector
  The Revd.Nic.Edwards
  The Rectory,
  Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE,
  Northampton,
  NN7 3PB

  Land Line: 01604 - 815496
  (Can be accessed from the mobile device)
  Mobile: .....
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com

  Contact the Benefice Office
  Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
  Land Line: 01604 830373
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
  Mon., Tues., Wed,, Thur., Fri.
  9:00^am to 11:30^am

  For Baptism bookings  (Christenings)
  to arrange an appointment please contact
  the Benefice Office.

  For Wedding bookings:
  please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
  an appointment.

  Who Made This?
  Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
  advice or report factual corrections and
  'deliberate mistakes, email:-
  regparker3 at gmail dot com

  Email addresses shown using words in an
  attempt to avoid 'spam',
  Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
  and 'dot' with '.'