A life that points to Christ
Elisha
From Elisha we learn to ask boldly for more of God's Spirit, to serve faithfully in a mentor's shadow before stepping out, and to trust that God's unseen forces outnumber our fears. His life teaches wholehearted devotion and spiritual sight, and it points to the God who is for us against every fear.
“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto 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.”2 Kings 2:9
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”2 Kings 6:16
“He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.”2 Kings 4:33
“And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”2 Kings 2:14
Their story, honestly
Elisha was called by Elijah and left his oxen and his old life to follow, serving the older prophet faithfully for years. When Elijah was about to be taken, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit, and after Elijah was carried up, Elisha took his mantle, struck the water, and continued the ministry with even more miracles of provision and healing. When an enemy army surrounded his city and his servant panicked, Elisha prayed, LORD, open his eyes, and the servant saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire, and Elisha said, they that be with us are more than they that be with them. He served God to the end.
What their life teaches us
First, Elisha teaches holy ambition; he asked not for comfort but for a double portion of God's Spirit, wanting more of God to serve God's people. Second, he teaches the value of faithful apprenticeship; he served under Elijah before he ever led, learning devotion in the ordinary. Third, he teaches spiritual sight; when everyone else saw only the enemy, he saw the greater reality that God's unseen protection surrounded them, and prayed for his servant to see it too. His confidence, they that be with us are more, is a lesson for every fearful heart.
How their life points to Christ
Elisha's miracles of feeding the hungry, cleansing the leper, and raising the dead are small foretastes of the ministry of Jesus, who did all these things and more in fullness. Where Elisha multiplied a little bread for a hundred, Jesus fed thousands and is Himself the bread of life. Where Elisha's servant needed his eyes opened to unseen armies, Jesus opens our eyes to the God who is truly with us and for us. The prophet who saw the chariots of fire points to the Christ in whom we discover that greater is He that is in us than any enemy against us.
Questions people ask
What does Elisha's double portion request teach us?
A holy ambition for more of God. Elisha did not ask for ease or status but for a greater measure of God's Spirit to serve His people. It teaches us that the best thing to be greedy for is more of God Himself, so that we can be more useful to others.
What is the lesson of the chariots of fire?
That God's unseen protection is greater than our visible dangers. When Elisha's servant saw only the enemy army, Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened to the hills full of God's forces, saying they that be with us are more. It teaches faith to trust the reality we cannot yet see.