Sermon Tone Analysis

Lets pray…

This verse introduces a tension that carries us through the rest of the chapter.

Elijah has been a powerful instrument in the hand of God.

With Elijah’s departure an era is passing

To have Elijah, the remnant people of God had a defense system against those who would try and destroy them

Having Elijah was like having an army of God

He was the one who stood up against Ahab and Jezebel

He was the one who went to war with the 450 prophets of Baal

He was the one who could bring people back to life

And he was the one who could call fire down from heaven

In the midsts of a Baal-kissing regime and a prophet-killing oppression Elijah stood in the gap

If Elijah is leaving, the faithful people of God (The sons of the prophets) are loosing their leader, their commander, the one who taught them, and discipled them, the one who showed them the power of God, and called them to covenant faithfulness and holy living.

They no doubt felt the same fear and anxiety that Israel felt when Moses was about to die.

Or how the disciples felt when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven.

This feeling of insecurity and fear, of anxiety and concern is thick throughout this passage.

If Elijah leaves, who will be the next Joshua to take his place?

If Elijah leaves, who will continue God’s mission on earth, like Jesus’ disciples?

As they traveled to Bethel, then to Jericho, the sons of the prophets likewise felt the tension and wanted to know what was going to happen… Look at vv. 3 and 5

and verse 5

Two different times on this journey we see the sons of the prophets feeling this weight and tension and asking Elisha about it…

To which, Elisha says, “Yes, I know; be quiet”

Don’t talk about it

This is hard enough

If you upset Elijah he might bring fire down on you.

This is a heavy text.

This is an emotional text.

This text has the same sort of feeling as Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

And the emotional weight of the passage is only outdone by the symbolic weight of the passage.

To understand the symbolic weight of the passage we need to look closely at the geographical movements that take place.

God sends Elijah upon a very specific and strange path to the Jordan.

Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal when God told him to go to Bethel

Elijah asks Elisha to stay put as he goes to Bethel, but Elisha refuses

When Elijah arrived in Bethel, God told him to go to Jericho

Elijah asks Elisha to stay put in Bethel as he goes to Jericho, but Elisha refuses - He will be faithful to his master no matter what

When Elijah arrived in Jericho, God tell him to go to the Jordan

Elijah asks Elisha to stay in Jericho, but again, Elisha refuses - He is determined to stay with his master as long as possible.

unlike the disciples who could not even stay awake when Jesus asks them to keep watch and pray.

Elisha refuses to leave his masters side.

So the strange path God took the prophets on was from

Gilgal - >Bethel ->Jericho -> Jordan - Conquest in reverse

This trip is very important and full of meaning because this is the Joshua’s conquest in reverse

We have already seen how Elijah is a Moses type figure

This is clearly seen in our passage this morning when he parts the waters and walks through on dry ground.

But we have also seen him as the leader God uses to stand against a pharoah type figure in Ahab

We have seen him bring plagues upon a nation that would not listen to the prophet

We have seen him go to war against the false prophets as Moses did the Egyptian magicians

We have seen Elijah speak to God on behalf of the people of Israel

Like Moses, Elijah went to Mount Sinai to talk with God, and like with Moses, the glory cloud of God descended upon the mountian

Like Moses, Elijah had to hide his face from seeing the glory of God

When Elijah was at Sinai, God said he is starting over with the 7000 faithful followers of God.

Those who have not worshiped Baal.

It is a new day for Israel, as a nation their end is near.

Out of the dead bones of Israel God creates a remnant church from the 7000

In the same way God chose Israel out of Egypt to be his son, so now God has chosen these 7000 to be his own possession out of the new Egypt that is the northern kingdom, Israel.

So If Elijah is a new Moses figure, we see Elisha as a new Joshua figure

After Mount Sinai Moses continues to lead the people of Israel in the wilderness toward the promise land,

and we see Joshua coming onto the scene as Moses’ successor.

Moses bring the people up to the Jordan but it would be Joshua who God raises up to bring the people into the promise land.

The book of Joshua records for us this conquest where the people of God are claiming land that was promised to them.

The book of Joshua begins with Joshua bringing the people through the Jordan river

They then go an conquer Jericho

After that its the war at Ai, which is Bethel in Elijah’s day

And then Joshua camped in Gilgal when they fought against Gibion, when the sun stood still.

God raised up Joshua as a sword to conquer the evil nations

in the same way God raised up Elisha as a sword who would conquer evil Israel.

So Elijah and Elisha travel the road of Joshua’s conquest (500 years earlier) in reverse order going back to the Jordan to show that Elisha is about to begin a new conquest against Israel.

As they complete their travel the arrive at the Jordan river… Look with me at v. 8

In this amazing scene which echos back to Moses bringing the Israelites through the red sea, or Joshua bringing Israel through the Jordan, now Elijah, and Elisha, the new moses and Joshua walk across the Jordan together.

Now they have reached the other side of the Jordan, this is their last stop.

Elisha knows the end is near.

his teacher, his master, his spiritual father, is about to be taken away.

As we continue, i want to draw your attention to four elements of the story.

The Spirit of Power

The Cry to the Father

The Tearing in Two

The Confession of the Observers

So here they are, on the other side of the Jordan and Elijah turns to his disciple, and begins their last conversation… Look with me at verse 9

Now, this sounds like a bold, maybe even a rude request.

Elisha wants this Spirit of Power

Here is the last time your going to see Elijah and you ask him for double portion of your spirit

That sounds like a father turning the family business over to his son, and on his deathbed he asks his son “what else can I do for you?”

and the son responds, “I want to make double what you made in the family business”

You would think Elisha would say something like,

“You have already done enough, you have taught me, you have discipled me, you have shown me the power of God… I only hope I can be faithful and fearless like you”

Or when Elijah says, “What shall I do for you”

Elisha might respond, “I should be asking you, what can i do for you before you are taken?”

want some cakes like you had with the widow?

I know, i can see if I can get some Ravens to come feed you.

But for Elisha to respond by asking for a double portions seems kind of selfish and rude.

It reminds me of the disciples request of Jesus when they were on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus was to die.

The disciples were more focused on themselves then they were Jesus.

Jesus was about to be taken from them, and they could only think about their own self interests.

EXAMPLE

my grandfathers house - all the cool stuff

I remember as an 10 year, around the time my grandfather died, of hearing about the concept of people creating a will before they die.

That way when people pass away there are clear instructions on what to do with their possessions

Anyways, I was riding in the car with my grandmother who was in her late 60’s and I asked her if she had a will

She said she did...

I paused, then asked if I was in it

She said I was