Two prophets on a journey: From choice to choice
This story is a summary of an old talk I gave, based on the account of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:1-12. I encourage you to read this Bible passage first to fully grasp the story and its context before you continue reading.
He slaughtered his oxen, burned his plow
It all began with Elijah, who knew that God would soon take him away in a whirlwind. Together with his student Elisha, he embarked on a special journey. A journey past places that were important in the history of Israel.
Elisha was an ordinary young man. He came from the countryside, where he plowed with twelve oxen. When Elijah asked him to serve God, Elisha completely turned his life around. He slaughtered his oxen, burned his plow, and went with Elijah. A clear break with the past, he truly left everything behind.
Years later, their bond – that of master and student – was about to be tested. Their journey would be full of important choices.
Gilgal: The place of a clean slate
The journey began in Gilgal. “Stay here,” Elijah told Elisha, “for the Lord wants me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha wouldn’t. “As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, I will not leave you!”
Gilgal was no coincidence. It was the place where the Israelites entered the Promised Land. There, all the men born in the desert were circumcised, as a sign that they now truly belonged to God’s people. God had said to Joshua there: “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”
For Elisha, this was the first crossroads: would he let go of the old? Would he leave the shame and pain of the past behind and move forward with God? His answer was clear: he went with Elijah.
Bethel: The place for a personal connection
In Bethel, Elijah tested Elisha again: “Stay here; the Lord wants me to go to Jericho.” Again Elisha refused: “As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, I will not leave you!”
Bethel – meaning ‘House of God’ – was the place where Jacob had a life-changing dream centuries earlier. He saw a ladder to heaven and met God in a very personal way. It wasn’t a grand church, but a simple place in the desert where God revealed Himself.
For a prophet, such an intimate connection with God is very important. You cannot serve God if you do not know Him personally. Bethel represents that deep, hidden connection with God – those quiet moments where He speaks to you.
Elisha understood that he needed this connection and chose to move on.
Jericho: The place of freedom
For the third time, Elijah tested his student: “Stay here; the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan.” And for the third time, Elisha faithfully replied: “As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, I will not leave you!”
Jericho was more than just a city. It was a fortress, a city with high walls that blocked access to the Promised Land. For the Israelites, it seemed an insurmountable obstacle, until God made the walls fall.
In our lives, too, there can be ‘strongholds’: feelings of inferiority, addictions, wrong ideas, family problems. These are things that hinder us in our spiritual growth. But the Gospel, the good news, is a message of liberation. Just as the walls of Jericho fell, so too can the strongholds in our thinking be broken down.
Elisha chose to leave these obstacles behind and proceed to the place where he would be anointed.
The Jordan: The place of anointing
Arriving at the Jordan River, they stopped. Fifty prophets who had followed them stayed at a distance, watching. Elijah took off his cloak, folded it, and struck the water with it. The water parted, so that both of them could cross on dry ground.
As they crossed, Elijah asked Elisha: “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elisha’s answer was longed for: “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said. “If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.”
The ascension and the inheritance
Suddenly, they were separated by a fiery chariot with fiery horses. Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it happen and was left behind. He cried out: “My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
When he could no longer see Elijah, he tore his clothes in grief. But then he saw Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen. He picked it up – this was his inheritance, the symbol of his prophetic task.
By the river, he struck the water with Elijah’s cloak, crying out: “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Again, the water parted, so Elisha could cross.
What does this mean for us?
This story is more than just a history lesson – it’s also our story. We are invited to go with Jesus from choice to choice in our lives:
- Gilgal teaches us that we can leave the old behind, that our shame has been taken away by God’s forgiveness.
- Bethel invites us to a personal connection with God, for those quiet moments where He speaks to us.
- Jericho shows us that ‘strongholds’ in our thinking can be broken down, that liberation is possible from everything that holds us back.
- The Jordan is the place where God’s anointing is given, where we are prepared for the task He has for us.
Just like Elisha, we are asked at every crossroads: What choice will you make? Will you continue with God, or will you stay behind? The invitation remains: “So they went on together.”
And just like Elisha, we must pick up the cloak – not passively wait for the anointing to come by itself, but take action and say: “Lord, I pick up that cloak. I put it on my shoulders. Clothe me with the power of Your Holy Spirit.”
Because God wants to anoint people with His Spirit today too. People who are willing to go with Him from choice to choice, people who want to journey with Him on the path of faith.
What crossroads awaits you?
@wimvanputten