Elijah means My God is Yahweh/YHWH
Elisha means God is my salvation
Elisha may have been walking with Elijah, but he was following God.
Elisha knew that God was his salvation, but he also knew that Elijah knew God.
So he stayed close.
As I read through 2 Kings, many things stand out to me, but this was a section that seemed to hover off the page….
2 Kings 9-10
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.
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, it will not.”
You have asked a difficult thing
You have asked a difficult thing
You have asked a difficult thing
How often have we asked for a double portion, not understanding that we have…
Asked for a difficult thing?
Difficult for who?
Difficult for God?
Surely not.
Nothing is too difficult for God.
Difficult for Elijah?
No, a double portion was not Elisha’s to give.
You can’t give double of what you don’t have.
If you have one apple, you can’t offer someone two.
This request would be difficult for Elisha.
You see, Elijah had told Elisha 3 times to leave him.
Why?
Because he or the Lord, or both, were testing his resilience.
Could Elisha carry more?
He proved he could in his obedience to God.
Elijah did eight miracles.
Elisha sixteen.
Elisha’s miracles not only double Elijah’s, but they seem to parallel and multiply them in their themes, elements, and language.
The Lord says in scripture that we have not because we ask not. However, we also have not, because we can carry not.
Have we crucified our flesh?
Have we gotten off the fence?
Have we put feet in the kingdom?
Can we stand under the criticism, the naysayers, the liars, the gossipers, the heresy hunters, and the Pharisees?
Do we buckle?
Do we retaliate?
Do we respond?
Or do we keep walking, silent, knowing that God is our salvation?
Does the chariot of fire sound fantastical, like something out of a Hollywood movie?
Or do we believe that it’s right here, right now, and filled with heaven’s army that is warring with us and for us?
It doesn’t say in scripture that ALL could see Elijah being taken up. It said that ELISHA could see Elijah being taken up.
In fact, as you read on, the chariots appear again. This time Elisha asks for his servant’s spiritual eyes to be open so that he can see the chariots around them warring for and with them.
2 Kings 6:16-17 KJV
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.
Are your spiritual eyes open?
Can you handle a double portion?
Can you carry the weighty things of God?
Ephesians 1:19
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.
To learn more about Heidi and her Kingdom passion, visit Kingdom Come Home
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