2. The Days of Elijah and Elisha

The Days of Elijah and Elisha

Elisha served God in a very difficult day and I believe the circumstances surrounding his call, his testing and the incidents we find in his life will be an encouragement to us in our day when we too find ourselves in difficult times, not so much the miraculous things that he did, but rather the features that we see coming to light in Elisha. Elisha came onto the scene in a very abrupt manner. We do not read anything of his boyhood, who his parents were or how he was brought up. We understand he served as a prophet for 55 years, which is a considerable time, and he was faithful to the Lord in the midst of varying circumstances. Perhaps the greatest honour that was given to Elisha was that he was mentioned by the Master Himself in Luke 4:1-44 in terms of honour and dignity.

Elisha lived in conditions that were far from encouraging. A great division had taken place amongst the people of God. It is a very sad thing that when we read the history of the ten tribes that not one good king reigned over them. Thank God in Judah there were some good kings who did right in the sight of the Lord. Elisha’s predecessor, Elijah, served his God in the midst of very trying conditions in the ten-tribed northern kingdom before a king and a queen who hated him, and with the nation largely given over to the worship of Baal. There was not much to encourage him. He did not even know that there were seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). It was a great encouragement to learn that there were seven thousand who had never bowed the knee, but it was very sad that not one of them ever came out in public witness to support Elijah. Here we have a picture of 2 Timothy when it says "the Lord knoweth them that are his" (2:19). It is a very sad thing when only the Lord knows them. We should all be known as people who are genuinely here for the Lord in the circumstances in which we are found. So although the Lord had to open Elijah’s eyes and say ’Elijah, you are not the only man, there are seven thousand who have been faithful’, I think it is right to say that he was the only man who stood out publicly in the face of all that was evil and declared openly that he was on God’s side; a courageous prophet indeed. He got discouraged, as I suppose most servants of the Lord do, due to a lack of results and one’s own inadequacy. All this kind of thing presses upon the Lord’s servants, and it did upon Elijah so much so that he says "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life" (1 Kings 19:4). In other words he said ’Lord, I am finished. I want to go. I have served my God, I have served my day and generation. I have had enough’. ’All right’, says God, ’I will take you at your word’. So we find God here saying ’I want you to go and anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat. He will take your place. You can go but I will still carry on the testimony.’ God always carries on His work. It has been aptly said that God buries His servants and carries on His work. So it was with Elijah, he was set aside, and Elisha fills up the position.