2 Kings 2:910 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I

1
A Question

• (2 Kings 29-10) When they had crossed, Elijah
  said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you
  before I am taken from you?"

(2 Kings 211-14) He picked up the cloak that
had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on
the bank of the Jordan.
(2 Kings 29-10) "Let me inherit a double
portion of your spirit," Elisha replied
(2 Kings 29-10) "You have asked a difficult
thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am
taken from you, it will be yours--otherwise not."
(2 Kings 211-14) As they were walking along and
talking together
(2 Kings 211-14) suddenly a chariot of fire and
horses of fire appeared and separated the two of
them
(2 Kings 211-14) and Elijah went up to heaven
in a whirlwind
(2 Kings 211-14) Elisha saw this and cried out,
"My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen
of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more.
(2 Kings 211-14) Then Elisha took hold of his
own clothes and tore them apart...
(2 Kings 211-14) Then he took the cloak that had
fallen from him and struck the water with it
(2 Kings 211-14) When he struck the water, it
divided to the right and to the left, and he
crossed over.
(2 Kings 211-14) "Where now is the LORD, the
God of Elijah?" he asked
So, what Cloak do you have on?
A Change
Of Chariots
of Staying
of Clothing
and a Cloak
In a world where quitting-to-get-ahead and
ship-jumping have become a normal part of
corporate life, financial investments, and career
development,
the dictum of dont stay if you dont want to
get stale has become applied even to marital
relationships, trust-based partnerships and
spiritual commitments.
In fact, Commitment has become a bad word to
mean, Being nailed down and prevented from
trying the next newest flavour or leaving because
I dont like it.
What is Elijah saying to Elisha that takes this
If I dont like it, I leave mentality to task?
You have asked a difficult thing
If you see me when I am taken from you
Elijahs amazing ministry concludes in a fashion
unlike any other a chariot of fire, horses of
fire, and a whirlwind to fetch him to his place
before God
Yet, to mistaken this experience to be what he
wanted to leave with Elisha is to mistaken a
beautiful box as the gift and forget about the
diamond inside.
Imagine the scene As the chariot, horses and
whirlwind disappear into the heavens, Elisha
looks up and sees something black drifting down
towards him
It was the old cloak worn by Elijah. But it
wasnt just that.
It was the symbol of Elijahs intimate walk with
God and of his prophetic authority before man.
In todays terms, the cloak represents 1. Our
desire to make God the grandest and deepest
pursuit of our heart
2. Our lives that we live as a living powerful
testimony before man.
He tore his own clothes apart
He picked up the cloakfrom Elijah
A Story of Perseverance Tested in Times of Doubt
THE PRINCIPLE Less of me, more of Him
The Pursuit of God and the Power of Testimony can
only be achieved by first tearing away ourselves
The exchange is the God-oriented life for the
Me-oriented life His power for our powerlessness.
THE PRINCIPLE None for me all for Him
Less of me all of Him
FACT Elisha hasnt even asked a thing that is
difficult for Elijah because it is not a thing
for Elijah to give!
FACT Elisha hasnt asked a thing that is
difficult for God, because God can give a double
portion any time.
NOTEWORTHY THOUGHT If we think that commitment
to the things of God is easy, were in for a
surprise.
The sole condition is the STAYING POWER required
of Elisha when everyone else wants to take a back
seat view.
And what is required of Elisha is NOT his
friendship or company. Elijah wasnt looking for
a send-off party!
The requirement is NOT being a good
audiencethere were lots of other people willing
to watch from afar.
The fact is that Elisha has asked a difficult
thing for himself to fulfil because it is the
nature of people to bail out on commitment
NOTEWORTHY THOUGHT The inability to persevere
(stay) breeds a perseverance of inability
(powerlessness)