Elijah

He picks up that manual. and he becomes a steward. Of the word of God. We need a new Elisha. who will pick up that mantle.

and live and die. for the purity of the visible church. And sometimes it seems as though today That mantle was lying in the dust. and is being trampled underfoot. The Bible is the account of God's work to redeem a people for Himself.

But as we read about the lives of the men and women used by the Lord, Not only do these stories teach us about who God is, They can instruct us in who we are. and how we are called to live faithfully for Christ. Welcome to the Monday edition of Renewing Your Mind. And this week, you'll hear messages from a series that hasn't been featured on Renewing Your Mind for many years. It's called Great Men to Live By.

And it's a series that greatly helped me. as R. C. Sproll surveyed the lives of the Old Testament prophets. You can listen to the entire 13-part series and add it to your library when you donate this week at renewingyourmind.org.

Or when you call us at 800? 435 4343. There's more in this resource package, but I'll tell you about that at the end of today's message. To start this series off, first recorded in 1979. Here's our C-sprawl on the prophet Elijah.

In this session, I'd like to introduce. The prophets themselves By looking at the man who stands at the head of the historical line of the prophets. You know, when we look at the Old Testament so often, we'll divide the Old Testament into. law And the prophets. And when we think of the giving of the law, we think immediately of home.

of Moses, who was the mediator of the old covenant. But when we think of the prophets, I think immediately of that one who really began the prophetic tradition in Israel, and his name was. was Elijah. It's not by accident. that when Christ was at the Mount of Transfiguration, that he was joined there in that transfigured splendor by two characters from the Old Testament.

Do you remember? Moses And Elijah.

Now Elijah's life is one that is brilliant. And awesome. But what I want to do in this time together is to consider not the whole scope of his life, but the last few hours. Of his life. On this planet.

And it's recorded for us. In the second chapter, of 2 Kings. And we begin at verse one, and it came to pass. When the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Now remember Elisha had been called to be the student or the disciple Elijah And Elisha had been the servant of the man. of his master, he had studied at his feet, and he was preparing himself to follow in the tradition. of Elijah. And now we read in chapter 2 of 2 Kings. That God is about to take Elijah out of the world.

Remember, Elijah didn't die. But he was taken. Up. Into heaven. And so the announcement is made.

that the time for his departure is at hand. And so Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee, and for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord lives and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

So they went down to Bethel.

Now this first exchange between the master and the student is a little bit puzzling. Scriptures don't tell us why Elijah said to Elisha, Please stay here. I have to go to Bethel. You stay here. I beg you to stay here.

Elijah had been training. Elisha all these years for this task, and yet when the moment comes you He must have leave him. And he begs him to stay behind. But Elisha He's impetuous. He's impulsive.

He's young. He loves his master. He's not going to leave him for one minute. He said, You know, as the Lord liveth and as your soul liveth, Elijah, I'm going with you. Whither thou goest, I will go.

I'll chase you across Bethel. I'll go to Jericho. I'll go to the Jordan wherever. And so on it goes. And so Elijah lets him go.

And then, of course, Whenever they get there, then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out and they say to Elisha. Don't you know? That the Lord is going to take your master away from you this day. And Elisha says, Yes, I know that. Hold your peace.

Now that's a euphemism for Shut up. Just never mind. I know what's going on. And so now Elijah says to him again: Look, it was nice that you came with me to Bethel, but now I have to go to Jericho. Please stay here.

Why is this? Yeah. Nothing doing as the Lord liveth, as you I'm going.

So the same thing happens. They get there, and the sons of the prophets come and they say, Hey, Elisha, do you know what today is? Don't you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today? Elijah said, Yes. I know that.

Hold your peace.

And so Elijah counseled again. He said, Okay, I'll let you go to Beth. I'll let you go to Jericho.

Now stay here, please. I'm going to the Jordan. Nope. As the Lord liveth, this year so I'm going to the Jordan.

So they go to the Jordan. And when they came To the Jordan, verse nine We passed over, Elisha said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee. Before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee. Let a double portion Of thy spirit.

be upon me. Here the teacher is leaving. And he gives his student One Last. Request. And what does Elisha ask for?

May I have a double portion? Of the spirit That is upon you. The Bible doesn't tell us why he asked for that. Again, we can only speculate, and I'd like to do that. For a few moments, it could be that Elisha was all excited about the fact that his master was the most famous prophet in Israel.

And Elisha kinda liked all that recognition. And he says, whatever it is that you have. I want to have twice that amount. If you've made it big, I want to make it even bigger. You have a household name in Israel.

Everybody talks about Elijah. If I have twice the spirit that's on you, I can be the most famous feller. Since Abraham, I don't think that's why he asked for a double measure. Remember, Elisha had walked in the footsteps. of his master He knew the history of the man.

He knew the greatness of the man. and he knew the source of the man's power, But I think what Elisha understood more than anything else about Elijah was the unbelievable That Elijah had sustained throughout his life. and minister. It was Elijah, as we've mentioned. who stood at the beginning, of the prophetic tradition.

It was Elijah who looked at the sins of the nation of Israel who were now living through their most wicked period. of their history. Under the kingship not of David. nor a Solomon But whom? Ahab.

Who had married A pagan priestess. whose name is synonymous with infamy. Her name was Jezebel. And between the two of them they had entered the Jewish state into an unprecedented period of ungodliness and corruption. And when Elijah witnessed what was happening to the church.

He wept. And like many of us, I'm sure he felt what can one man do? But God anointed him with his spirit. And the man as an exile, banished from working in society, went out and he prayed that God would bring judgment upon his own people, not to destroy them, not because Elijah hated the household of faith. But because he knew That unless God chastened his people, that they would repudiate the covenant altogether.

And so he prayed that it would not rain. And pretty soon the brooks and the streams began to dry up. As no rain fell from heaven, it was Elijah, you remember, who lived in caves. And it was ministered to not by the angels. But whose companions were those messengers of mercy that God sent to him.

Who were ravens? Crows Not sure of him? Crows The crows brought him Things to eat. And water to drink. Once upon a midnight, weary, yeah?

Quoth the raven, nevermore. That was what he looked at. Edgar Allan Poe had a hero that goes crazy just because a raven comes in and sits over the bus on his door. for a few minutes. Elijah gets up in the morning, there's the Ravens.

The Ravens in the morning, Ravens in the afternoon, that's it. Then finally, he is led to this widow that ministers to him again. But in the midst of that, her son dies. And it is Elijah who prostrates himself on the boy's corpse and brings him back. To life.

It is Elijah. who confronts the king, And when Ahab finally meets him for the first time, do you remember what Ahab said to him? Elijah Is it thou? Who Troubles Israel? You're the one that's stirring up all the controversy, all the trouble, creating all of this disunity.

and disruption in the land. It is thee who troubleth Israel. Elijah replied, No, okay. It is not me. It is you.

Because you have broken the commandments. Of our God. You're the one who troubles Israel. And then, of course, it was Elijah. Who challenged?

The false prophets, the prophets of Baal, to a moment of confrontation, all of them and all of their power against Elijah by himself on Mount Carmel. Do you remember? And how God answered the prayer. Of Elijah, while all of the priests of Baal went through their holy machinations and their liturgical rites, trying to get God to answer from heaven. And Elijah stood on the sidelines and let them go.

And the more they cried, the quieter God. And finally, he jived him a little bit and he says, hey. All a little lot louder. Maybe your God's sleeping. Maybe he's out to lunch.

You know, maybe he's taking a nap. Speak up, boys. Nothing happened. And then, when Elijah prayed, God answered from heaven. He was the man who by himself took on all of the false prophets of the culture.

Awah. Not without its bad effects, even on this holy man, Elijah slipped in for a time. into a kind of religious paranoia. That happens to people. Who live for the purity of the Church?

And he experienced what has since been called the Elijah syndrome. affectionately named after this prophet of God. when he was so frustrated and so discouraged because everywhere he went He saw the religion of his fathers. completely prostitute. Unbelief everywhere, pagan practices in the midst of the church.

So he goes into his lamentation when he says Oh Lord They have broken your covenant, they have torn down your altars, they have slain your prophets, and I. I alone am laughed. Uh You ever felt like that? Yeah. I'm the only one left.

Well, maybe both of us are left, but I'm beginning to wonder about you. That's the Elijah syndrome. And he looked for God to speak to him first in the fire and in the earthquake. But then God spoke to him in the still small voice And when he did speak to him, what did he say? No, Elijah.

You are not alone. But I have reserved for myself Seven. Hawsen. who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Oh, Elijah was bold and courageous.

and he was alone most of the time. And he certainly felt alone all of the time. But unbeknownst to him. God throughout his church. had preserved our remnant.

of faithful people, seven thousand. Which could become an army. To bring the Reformation to Israel. that we're so desperately needed. It was Elijah who took on Jezebel.

and they have both. over the treachery That was perpetrated over Naboth's vineyard. Remember that? makes the ab scam controversy look like a Sunday school picnic. But now At the end of his life, He stands here and he says to his student, Ask.

what you will. I'm convinced that Elisha, knowing the life of Elijah, said, I can't believe. that any man Even one anointed by the Holy Ghost. could be so faithful. and so consistent and so loving.

and so pure all at the same time when the whole nation hated him. And if you want me to walk in that tradition. Then I've got to have twice. The spirit that sustained you. And Elijah said to him, You are asking for a hard thing.

Hard in what way? Hard to grant, perhaps? Or burdensome to receive. I wonder if Elisha realized in his impetuosity that if. God.

We're pleased. to pour a double measure of his spirit upon Alesha. I wonder if he knew the principle that Jesus taught later to whom much is given. Much is required. I don't want twice the spirit that was on Elijah.

No, thank you. Because that would mean twice. The pain. And the price. of obedience.

Said, you've asked for a hard thing, nevertheless. If you see me, when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass as they still went on and they talked, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire. and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind. Enter heaven.

You know the spiritual swing low, sweet cherry? Come afoot to carry me home. I looked over Jordan and what did I see? Coming forth to care a band of angels. Coming after me.

It's taken from this episode in the life of Elijah. Where Elijah and Elisha are walking down, and suddenly the sky lights up, and the Shekinah glory of God shines all over the place. And chariots afar, and horses afar, and the whirlwind comes down and swoops Elijah up and takes him out of his sight. And as he ascends, Elisha sees it and he remembers what Elijah says: if you see me go. Then you shall have.

The double push. And Alicia begins to cry. My father, my father, the chariot of Israel. And the horseman thereof. Look, I'll hide you, look.

Do you see what I see? And by that time, Elijah was gone. He didn't just see it, it was coming for him. He's gone. And then in characteristic Lunderstatedness.

The author of Second Kings passes over. What to my mind must have been the most dramatic moment in the whole site. cried My father, my father, the chariot and the horseman And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes, and he rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan.

Now, I read that text. It seems to me that what happens is he sees Elijah go, he tears his garments, walks over, and casually picks up the mantle, slings it over his shoulder, and gets on with the ministry, right? I don't believe it. How many of you ever saw the robe? Lord say Douglas.

The story Of the insane Emperor Colliglia and the tormented Roman centurion that stood at the foot of the cross. Who were utterly tormented and haunted by the memory of Jesus. And that when the robe of Christ was put in their presence, they shrunk in horror from it. They covered their eyes. It was like the robe itself.

We're alive. And they couldn't stand it. Number? I have to believe that when Elisha walked over there. and looked at that man told it all that was left of Elijah.

But this was his moment of truth. If he leaves the mantle there, And he walks away. He can go home? And it can live. and peace Happily Forever after.

Leave the mantle by the river. And go home. To your oxen. Enter your file. That was the choice that faced Alicia.

If he goes home. And sleeps in. The prophetic tradition Israel. is over. If he picks it up.

It's the cross. I just don't believe he went over there in a cavalier manner. I'll just snatched it up and threw it over his shoulder and walked away. I believe that he walked over there and he stared at that thing and he stared at that thing and that when he stooped over to pick it up, his hands whoosh. He knew he wasn't worthy.

Nobody's worthy to wear a mail like that. except Christ. He's a man. He was a sinner. He picks up that manual.

And he becomes a steward. Of the Word of God. But he'd pick it up. And he took the man of Elijah by the banks of the Jordan. And he smote the waters and he said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

When he had also smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over. We need people today. It will open the Jordan River. And lead the people of Christ across. We need a new Moses.

We need a new Alasia. Who will pick up that mantle? And live and die. For the purity of the visible church. Strix.

But together we are called to participate in the prophetic ministry. And sometimes it seems as though today That mantle was lying in the dust. as being trampled underfoot. Pick it up. Trying.

We have to pick it up. That was R. C. Sproll, and I'm thankful for the many decades of ministry in which he faithfully stewarded the Word of God. You're listening to Renewing Your Mind, and Dr.

Sprohl first launched this outreach in 1994 to help you know the Word of God and the God of the Word.

so that, by God's grace, you wouldn't be conformed to this world. but that your mind would be more and more renewed. That by testing, You may discern what is the will of God. What is good and acceptable is good. and perfect.

Today's message on the prophet Elijah is from R. C. Sproll's series Great Men to Live By. and you can have lifetime streaming access to this thirteen part series when you donate today at Renewing Your Mind dot org or by calling the Ligoneer team at eight hundred four three five four three four three. Your gift will help extend the reach of Renewing Your Mind and fuel the global outreach of ligander ministries.

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and worship. This is a one day opportunity, so again, if you have never contacted us before, request your free copy at Renewing Your Mind. org slash holiness before midnight tonight. As you speak to friends or loved ones about the gospel, the good news, and you begin with the bad news. Do share the warning.

and the severity of hell With joy and a smirk? Or do you share the reality of eternal judgment for the unrepentant? with tears.

Next time, RC Squirrel gives us an overview of one of his heroes. the prophet Jeremiah. Often cold. The Weeping Prophet. That'll be Tuesday.

on Renewing Your Mind.