April 03, 2005.
34. HE SAW IT. Elisha became a witness to the infinite capability and power of the Lord. Because he witnessed the event he was a candidate to receive that which he had requested, a similar or a double portion of the anointing that was upon Elijah. The list of miracles wrought by Elisha is twice the number of those by Elijah. However that is not to say that there were not other mighty works done by these two prophets which are not recorded. Elisha acknowledged that he had seen the Almighty. His life was to be changed. He tore his old garments from his body. In this manner he was making a complete separation from his old life. 2 Kings 2:12 In order to obtain a good clean contact with the glorious strength and power of the Lord there must be some changes. There cannot be a mingling of the old and the new. A choice must be made where one or the other is followed. The old man is to be discarded and the new man becomes the apparel of the bride. The old is sinful and corrupt. Eph. 4:22 The new man has the nature of Christ and will produce the likeness of Christ in the believer. Col. 3:10 If we are really desirous of a time of reviving and renewing then it is very apparent the old man must be thrown aside and the new man become the desire and drive of the church.
THE MANTEL OF ELIJAH. Now the cloak of Elisha. He immediately tested both the mantel and the promise that Elijah had made to him. Elisha had done his part by sticking with Elijah and watched him as he disappeared in the cloud. The boldness of faith and an audacious challenge for a manifestation of the Lord such as had been accomplished by Elijah as they crossed the river. Eureka, it worked. There is a brashness, not a brazenness, but a word and act of confidence that ignites faith and produces action. The waters parted for Elisha. 2 Kings 2:13-14
THE DOUBTERS. The fellows who had stood afar off and had seen all the transactions that had transpired now spoke their lack of belief. The same fifty sons of the prophets approached Elisha with a proposition of doubt and unbelief at all that they had seen. Amazing, it had all taken place before their very eyes, yet they questioned even what they themselves had seen. You can almost hear them oohing and awing at the tremendous display of the power of the Lord that they had seen. No doubt that they had accounted it to be just like any other storm. At first he denied their request to go and search for Elijah but due to their persistence he eventually gave in and let them go search for Elijah in the mountains. A fruitless effort for sure. Stupidly, people still search for God in the mountains and nature. He is not to be found there, He is in Christ. They searched in vain for three days and had to admit defeat. 2 Kings 2:15-18 The root, the seed of the manifestation of the power of the Lord is in the three days and nights which Jesus spent in the tomb. The only sign, yet all powerful, for He arose from the dead. Mt. 12:39.