A Hero’s Ending
2nd Kings 2
In the movies we do not like seeing an end to a hero. Usually we think of defeat when we say the end. I know I can be watching a Superman or Spiderman movie and think is this the end of them, but somehow they overcome the danger. The end of Elijah is something far from normal.
In this chapter we see how Elijah did not face death like everyone else but instead God, took him to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Gone in a Whirlwind of Fire
We see that Elisha, Elijah’s replacement, was not going to miss this moment. We read in verse 1 that the Lord was about to take Elijah to heaven. If you knew your mentor was about to be going to heaven in a way that no one else saw before that would, of course you would not miss it.
Three times Elijah asked Elisha to stay put and Elisha said, “No way am I missing this!” This was not disrespect but a chance for Elisha to show his loyalty to Elijah. Elijah then said, “Ok.” “What do you want me to leave you with?” This was a chance for Elijah to fulfill his last request or wishes of Elisha. Elisha just asked for a double portion of whatever Elijah had. He wanted a double portion of the filling of the Holy Spirit. He wanted to be used by God in a powerful way. This was not a bad request at all but one that needed to be take with great responsibility.
As they were talking Elijah was taken up to heaven by chariots of fire and Elisha saw him no more (11-12). What a way to go, not to see death but to go straight to heaven, the only other person recorded in scripture to not have seen death is Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5). He was a man who loved the Lord, even though he had his doubts he still was a faithful man to a faithful God in a time when people were unfaithful to God and did what was evil in his sight.
The Double portion begins (2nd Kings 2:15–25)
Elisha took the mantle that was left behind from Elijah and went to work. The first miracle we see him doing is when he crosses back over from the Jordan he strikes the water and the waters parted (vs 14). We read in verse 15 that the spirit rests on Elisha. He was now the hero of the time for a dark nation. There was still work that needed to be done. The water in the city of Jericho was bad, somehow it was contaminated. Elisha takes some salt and throws it in the spring and says, “the Lord has healed this water.” The next act we see Elisha doing was he was walking to another location and along the way some boys from the city were making fun of him for being bald. He called on the Lord and two she bears tore the 42 boys apart. these boys were very disrespectful to Elisha the prophet of God but even more so disrespectful to God.
Are you salt to the earth? Do you heal by leading people to the great healer? The prophets of the Old Testament were there to show who God was and is. God is the healer and he wanted to help Israel out in their time of rebellion. Are you more like the boys who stand in the way of God’s work? Maybe you do not make fun of the spiritual leaders but do you not help out? Do you just sit on the side and watch and never participate? Matthew tells us to be salt to this world and a light. May we be challenged to be salt and light which leads to the glory of the Lord.
