2 Kings 2 Notes

2nd Kings 2 Death of Elijah, intro to life of Elisha, and the Holy Spirit

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel."
But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."

4 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho."
And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.

5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."

6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan."
And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.

7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
"Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied.

Intro:
Think about how cool it must have been to hang out with Jesus. No packing a bunch of food. Got a few loaves and fishes - bam! food for thousands! Need something to drink? Jesus could handle it living water - wine to water.
Need a doctor? Vision problems - missing ear? Jesus could heal it. These are all carnal reasons while good but what about the spiritual reasons - the teaching and fellowship?

John 16 talks about Jesus going away and He even tells the disciples that it will be to their advantage that He leave so the Helper or Holy Spirit can come. The disciples may have ben thinking - what advantage? Now we have to start packing food and water!

The advantage is that before Jesus was leading them (us) from the outside. Now the Holy Spirit will lead us from the outside. For the disciples as for us, the Holy Spirit empowered them for ministry and gave them victory over sin. If you compare the early church before and after the Holy Spirit you get a picture of this truth. Peter who before the Holy Spirit couldn't even stand up for Jesus to a little girl, after was able to stand before thousands on the day of Pentecost and tell them that this Jesus you whom crucified is both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

John, the same one who wanted to call down fire before the Holy Spirit, after the Holy Spirit writes "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness"
Before the Holy Spirit - burn 'em - after hug 'em

The Holy Spirit was with Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, all the Judges

We have the Holy Spirit residing in us but does the Holy Spirit have us - are we surrendered, walking in the control of the spirit?

When Elijah asked what he could do for Elisha before he was taken away, Elisha could have asked for anything but he asked for a double portion of Elisha' s spirit. He had seen the miracles and the effectiveness of Elijah's ministry and asked for twice that spirit.

Before Elisha could walk in that kind of power God took him to 4 cities or 4 points of empowerment. These four cities were all significant spots in Israel's history.

1. Gilgal - place of purification

The children of Israel had wandered for 40 years without entering into the promised land. A new generation had grown up and as they crossed into the promised land the first place they stopped was Gilgal to renew the covenant with God. God had Joshua make flint knives and circumcise this new generation.

We too need purification. we need circumcision in a symbolic way - the flesh cut from us, to purify our lives. We want to be filled, but we need to be emptied first.

Illustrations:

milk in a sippy cup - gets under a seat in the van and stays there for several days. Gets yucky. The two year old finds the cup and is thirsty and starts to grab it and drink. the father grabs the cup because he knows it needs to be cleaned. The 2 year old cries but the father knows - clean the cup and feed the child something to drink that is clean and good.

We try to pile the Holy Spirit on top of layers of sin and filth - we need to be emptied of the flesh - the world, and then we can be filled with the Spirit. All we can do is ask God in prayer to clean us and fill us. We need circumcision of the heart, ears, and mouth. Word or world. Guard what we hear and say.

2. Bethel - place of realization.
Jacob, heel snatcher, after he stole his father's blessing and his brother threatened to kill him he ran and he ended up sleeping with a stone for a pillow at Bethel (House of God - God is in this place) He dreams about the ladder with angels going up and down, but at the top - God. God tells Jacob He wants to work in his life.

Illustration

family eating a meal - three kids. Oldest kid is the messiest. end of meal the two younger kids climb up in dads lap. Oldest child looks at dad and says you don't want me in your lap because I'm messy. The father says you are right , I don't want food all over me - let me clean you up , you're my child, of course I want to hold you.

The Father wants to clean us up and bring us close.

3. Jericho - place of confrontation
fruit should flow from your life but God doesn't fill you with the spirit so you get a spirit "high" - he prepares you for battle.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses

the greek for witness here is from martys for martyr

Jericho was the site of the great battle and we are called to be witnesses in a Christ rejecting world, the weapons are prayer and the Word and they are the only things that will cause spiritual walls to fall.

4. Jordan - the place of expectation
When the priests carrying the Ark came to the river Jordan there was no miraculous parting of teh waters before they set across. They were commanded to step into the water and then the waters would part. Expect God to prepare us for the ministry he calls us to. Expect God to empty us so He can fill us. Expect God to move in our lives.

The whole time these things were going on the prophets were asking - do you know how your master will be taken away today? Do you know what you are doing? And later they said that didn't happen - God is not working in your life. That is the world telling Elisha and us- don't go farther, the Holy Spirit isn't really moving in you etc.

Elisha listened, trusted, was prepared for a ministry that was twice as effective and twice as miraculous as Elijah.

Some extra notes to look into:

This was the end of a remarkable ministry, one that was in many ways similar to the ministry of Moses. Both Moses and Elijah:

* Stood alone for righteousness
* Were associated with fire upon mountains
* Were associated with the desert
* Met God on Sinai
* Were chased out of their countries by pagan rulers
* Knew God’s miraculous provision for food and water
* Wandered in the desert for a period measured by 40
* Fasted for 40 days
* Were powerful examples of prayer
* Parted waters
* Had close associates who succeeded them
* Had successors that parted waters also
* Had mysterious or strange deaths

d. And Elisha saw it: This fulfilled the requirement mentioned in 2 Kings 2:10. Elisha would indeed inherit the prophetic ministry of Elijah. Yet Elisha wasn’t happy when this happened; he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces as an expression of deep mourning.

e. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him: Since the mantle was the special mark of a prophet, this was a demonstration of the truth that Elisha truly had inherited the ministry of Elijah.