1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Welcome. It's a joy to see you, and it's 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,000 at this time now I invite you to come with me to 2nd Kings 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:11,080 Chapter 2 as we resume the exhilarating study of the Book 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,280 of Second Kings. And I will let you know in 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,360 advance that we will not complete this chapter in its 6 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,040 entirety tonight. There is way too much to unpack. 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:28,880 It would be great injustice to try to cover everything lightly, 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,560 and so I want you to be reminded that the end of Second Kings 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:40,720 Chapter 1 concluded with a note of the tragic death of King 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,680 Ahaziah, the notorious son of Ahab. 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:50,560 Chapter 1 concluded with the tragic death of a wicked king. 12 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,520 And as we come now to the opening of Chapter 2, in great 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:01,760 contrast, we have the record of the honorable and the miraculous 14 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:08,400 departure of the prophet Elijah. And unlike Ahaziah's briefly 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:13,680 documented demise, the Holy Spirit gives us Elijah's 16 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,600 transition into the heavenly realm in lavish detail. 17 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,840 Rich detail. And evidently there are 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:27,400 important truths associated with this man's earthly exit that 19 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:34,400 demands our careful analysis. And that is why we will take up 20 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:39,920 this Bible study to do just that and to focus on the 1st 12 21 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,160 verses of chapter 2. And to begin, let us read the 22 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:50,160 first 6 verses. Now when the Lord was about to 23 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:56,160 take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elijah 24 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,640 were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elijah, 25 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,280 Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel. 26 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,360 But Elijah said, as the Lord lives, and as yourself live, I 27 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,840 will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel, and 28 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,080 the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to 29 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,640 Elijah and said to him, Do you know that today the Lord will 30 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:21,560 take away your master from over you? 31 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,040 And he said, yes, I know it, keep quiet. 32 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,200 Elijah said to him, Elijah, please stay here, for the Lord 33 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,160 has sent me to Jericho. But he said, as the Lord lives 34 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,360 and as yourself live, I will not leave you. 35 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,800 So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets were at 36 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,800 Jericho, junior to Elijah, and said to him, Do you know that 37 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,480 today the Lord will take away your master from over you? 38 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,040 And he answered, Yes, I know it, keep quiet. 39 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,680 Then Elijah said to him, Please stay here, for the Lord has sent 40 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,720 me to the Jordan. But he said, as the Lord lives, 41 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,840 and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. 42 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:19,160 So the two of them went on. Pray with me, Lord, what a great 43 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,120 mistake it would be to approach Your word and not seek your 44 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,720 help. We pause as disciples, as your 45 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:31,280 students, and we, we petition and we plead that You would be 46 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:39,400 with us as we scale and as we climb this particular mountain 47 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,120 of truth. Indeed, it is a mountain. 48 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:47,280 There are so many things to explore and to experience, so 49 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,000 many heights to climb and so many sites to see. 50 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,000 So we pray that you'd give us the strength and our minds and 51 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:58,320 our hearts to be patient, to be expectant, and to trust that you 52 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,360 have something to say to your church. 53 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,080 Even with these verses, we believe you wholeheartedly. 54 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,480 We know that you've spoken to US time and time again, and we are 55 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:12,360 excited to be able to sit in your presence and to listen to 56 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,800 your voice. Speak now, for your servants are 57 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,440 indeed listening. In the name of your great Son, 58 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,880 the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. 59 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,120 Amen. Look at verse one with me once 60 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,800 more. Now, when the Lord was about to 61 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:32,440 take Elijah up to heaven, it's important to recognize that the 62 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:38,080 Lord not only determines how we get to heaven, namely through 63 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:43,040 his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord also designates 64 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,720 when we go to heaven, not just how, but when. 65 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,440 So the timing of each of our graduations into glory is a 66 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,520 prerogative that belongs to God alone. 67 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:02,000 And we see that clearly even with Elijah in his life, when 68 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,440 God's sovereignty in this matter was at work, when this prophet, 69 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,880 this wonderful prophet was at the lowest point of his life in 70 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,840 ministry, requested with desperation that he would meet 71 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,600 an early death. Remember that in first Kings 19. 72 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,800 And that wish was overruled by God. 73 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,440 And there are many reasons for that. 74 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,200 And the reason that you and I have seen with our own eyes 75 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,000 throughout our study is that God delayed. 76 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,680 God silently rejected that request because Elijah still had 77 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,920 much to accomplish for the glory of God. 78 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,560 And it is a consistent through the truth throughout Scripture 79 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,840 that the Lord preserves us. In essence, He makes each of His 80 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:55,040 servants immortal until our witness here on earth is fully 81 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,520 completed. And you see evidences of this 82 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,400 throughout the Bible, as I mentioned, and one of the 83 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:01,640 clearest. And I remember seeing this for 84 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,920 the first time, reading it just as my time of devotion was 85 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,200 taking place. And it jumped out of the pages 86 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,840 and it clenched itself to me. And I'll never forget how this 87 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:19,720 truth of God bringing us home when we in our testimonies have 88 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:24,000 met. His desire is so evident in 89 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,200 Revelation 11. Look at this in verse seven in 90 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,040 Revelation 11, when the two witnesses who will be raised up 91 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:36,240 by God to declare and give the people of that generation an 92 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,520 opportunity to repent before God's final judgments were to 93 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,920 come. Notice what is told to us in 94 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,320 Revelation 11, verse 7. And when they have finished 95 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,960 their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit 96 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,160 will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. 97 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,720 The truth here is so obvious. It's one of the clearest 98 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,360 passages. Now here's my question to you. 99 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,760 Does anybody know how long these prophetic ministries endured 100 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,400 before they were brought into the presence of God? 101 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:12,960 These two prophets, these two witnesses? 102 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,080 Any idea how long the duration of their ministries? 103 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,240 If you know it, you can actually say it. 104 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,600 Three years, very close. Look back at verse 3 and what do 105 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,480 we see here? And I will grant authority to my 106 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:32,480 two witnesses, and they will prophecy for 12160 days clothed 107 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:37,200 in sackcloth. So yes, very close to three 108 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,160 years, a little bit over. This was how long these two 109 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,520 messengers were to serve God in a particular fashion before they 110 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,200 were summoned. Now you read that and you might 111 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,000 think that's not a very long time. 112 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,640 You read that and you might think, I'm sure there was much 113 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,880 more that they could do, just like Elijah and the timing of 114 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,360 his departure and his ascendancy into heaven. 115 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,400 But God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not 116 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:11,680 our ways. There are some servants who will 117 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,680 serve God throughout decades, and there are some faithful 118 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,720 servants who may seem to have left us too soon. 119 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:26,600 God not only sovereignly ascribes listen each of our 120 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,360 Christian assignments, he also determines the duration of them. 121 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:36,159 And in God's mind, though apostasy and idolatry was 122 00:08:36,159 --> 00:08:41,120 rampant, still rampant in Israel, it was time for Elijah 123 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,640 to be promoted, promoted in a way where he would enter into 124 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,400 glory and leave this world behind. 125 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,920 Now, as we move on from this point, it's helpful to know that 126 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,320 Elijah's movements in this chapter, at least in the first 127 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,600 part of this chapter, all occurred in one day. 128 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,960 You heard me say it. When the sons of the prophets 129 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,480 approached Elijah in two specific locations, they said, 130 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,320 hey, do you not know that today the Lord will take away your 131 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,200 master from you? All of those movements from one 132 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,600 city to the next occurred on the same day. 133 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:17,840 And why is that important to confirm? 134 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,360 Because you and I are granted the opportunity to behold 135 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:26,800 Elijah's heart posture towards the Lord on his final day on 136 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:31,040 earth. And what do we see from this man 137 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:35,320 of God? In his disposition, in his 138 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:42,760 faith, in his relationship with God, one of submission and 139 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:46,360 joyful obedience. Look back with me here at verse 140 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,120 2. And Elijah said to Elijah, 141 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:53,520 please stay here, for the Lord has sent me. 142 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,720 For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel. 143 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,240 Look here at verse 4. What does he say? 144 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,320 Elijah said to him, Elijah, please stay here, for the Lord 145 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:11,320 has sent me to Jericho. And in verse 6, then Elijah said 146 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,400 to him, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the 147 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,960 Jordan. What do we find here with 148 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,120 Elijah? We find a man ready to leave 149 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:26,200 this world, the way he lived in this world, walking in step with 150 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:33,280 the will and the purpose of God, walking near him, walking for 151 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,400 him. What a legacy. 152 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,200 It's one thing for people to walk with the Lord for a period 153 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,240 of time. I've met many of them. 154 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,320 But it's a whole different thing for people like Elijah, who, 155 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:54,560 James tells us, may I remind you, had a nature like ours and 156 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:58,440 walked with the Lord until the last day of his life. 157 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:02,520 And if there is anyone who proved that it was possible to 158 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:06,120 imitate this man's faithfulness, it was his successor. 159 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,920 The man who accompanied him accompanied him on his final lap 160 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,000 and his pilgrimage. Elijah verse one tells us that 161 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,160 Elijah and Elijah were walking together. 162 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,440 They were on their way from Gilgal. 163 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,080 But did you notice that every pit stop at every location that 164 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:28,160 they stopped, Elijah beckoned and told Elijah to stay back. 165 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,400 And each time Elijah answers in the same way. 166 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,520 He says as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not 167 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:41,240 leave you. So we step back and we ask, is 168 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,200 Elijah being stubbornly persistent in disobedience? 169 00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:50,320 No, that is not the case because Elijah is not giving him a 170 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,520 command from the Lord. So Elijah here is not disobeying 171 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,400 anything. So then what's taking place? 172 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:01,720 Why is Elijah instructing Elijah just please stay here as I move 173 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,200 on? What's the reason for that? 174 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,800 And I believe that there are two verses to consider that will 175 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,200 help clarify this interaction and they are found in the book 176 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,880 of First Kings. So go with me to 1st Kings 19 177 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:21,760 and look here at verse 16. This is a lot before Elijah even 178 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,680 met Elijah. This is when Elijah was 179 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:29,280 instructed by the Lord with his next task after he was rescued 180 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:36,160 from despondency and depression. First Kings 19 verse 16 and Jehu 181 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,200 the son of Nimshi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel, 182 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:44,640 and Elijah the son of Shafat of Abel Mihola you shall anoint to 183 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:50,480 be prophet in your place. So from the beginning we 184 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:56,760 understand that both Elijah and Elijah were aware that at some 185 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:02,040 point Elijah was to succeed and replace Elijah in the leading 186 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,680 prophetic role in the nation of Israel. 187 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,360 That was knowledge, shared knowledge among both of them. 188 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:13,200 So keep that in mind that Elijah understood that he was selected, 189 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:18,200 invited, anointed to one day take Elijah's place as a 190 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,600 prophet. Now look at First Kings 1920 and 191 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,680 let us consider the last recorded words of Elijah before 192 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:28,360 2nd Kings chapter 2. What was the last thing that we 193 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,240 saw Elijah saying in the Bible before his interaction with 194 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,760 Elijah in chapter 2? Look at verse 20. 195 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,880 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, let me 196 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:45,360 kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. 197 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,440 And he said to him, go back again, for what have I done to 198 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:56,640 you? I will follow you. 199 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,400 That was the last promise that Elijah gave to his master 200 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,360 Elijah. So we have these things in mind, 201 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,240 right? Elijah was anointed to be the 202 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:12,120 man to take Elijah's place. When that invitation was made, 203 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:19,760 Elijah responded receptively and promised Elijah, I will follow 204 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:25,840 you, I will follow you. And now we come and we realize 205 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,160 that Elijah is asking Elijah not to follow him. 206 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,160 Stay here. No, I'm coming. 207 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,440 Stay here. No, I'm coming. 208 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:44,120 In essence, what Elijah is doing is granting Elijah, in a subtle 209 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:51,000 way, the opportunity to turn away the call to be a prophet. 210 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:58,760 He's giving Elijah a chance to decline the invitation of 211 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,640 receiving his mantle and taking his role as God's messenger for 212 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:09,720 the nation. And each time Elijah essentially 213 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:16,280 says, I said I would follow you and I will follow you and I will 214 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,920 not abandon what the Lord called me to pursue. 215 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,640 And significantly, Elijah's response, did you notice, was 216 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:33,280 the same in Gilgal, the same in Bethel, the same in Jericho, 217 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:39,920 Word for word, showing us what? That regardless of the setting, 218 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:48,640 the timing, the persistent pressure, Elijah's devotion to 219 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,040 God and God's call was unwavering. 220 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,720 It was steadfast. And I hope the same can be said 221 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:04,440 of you. Commitment in our age is 222 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,280 becoming more and more of a rarity. 223 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,120 Yeah. Dedication to ministries seldom 224 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,320 last. Dissolving covenants in marriage 225 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:21,880 is becoming a greater trend. And even many who have once said 226 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,480 with great passion and conviction to the Lord, I will 227 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:33,560 follow you. Do so while in Gilgal, maybe up 228 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,120 to Bethel, but it doesn't go beyond a certain point. 229 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,520 When Elijah said I will follow you, he meant it. 230 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,920 Words today don't mean much, but they still mean something to 231 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:48,880 God. A lot to God. 232 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,400 So much so that we are warned not to make mindless and 233 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:58,160 careless and spontaneous vows. I will follow you. 234 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,000 And it didn't change no matter where he was at. 235 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,680 That didn't change. No matter who was around him. 236 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,480 That didn't change regardless of the temptation to reconsider. 237 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:13,160 May it be so of us. I pray that your devotion to the 238 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,800 Lord Jesus, your devotion to the ministry that He's called you 239 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:20,240 to, would be steadfast until you meet the Savior. 240 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,599 This was Elijah, what a man he was. 241 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:27,400 And interestingly, something else persistently takes place in 242 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:32,840 the very same locations where Elijah shined in his commitment 243 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,160 to the cause of his God, specifically 2 locations. 244 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:39,960 You heard it when I read it, but let's revisit it. 245 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:41,960 Look here specifically at verse 3. 246 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,600 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to 247 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,440 Elijah and said to him, do you know that today the Lord will 248 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,160 take away your master from over you? 249 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,040 And the same thing happens in verse 5. 250 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,480 It's echoed the sons of the prophets who are at Jericho 251 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,560 junior to Elijah and said to him, do you know that today the 252 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,240 Lord will take away your master from over you? 253 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:09,960 Let's clarify who the sons of the prophets were because they 254 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,680 make a a very dominant presence in Second Kings. 255 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,960 It's worth asking and answering this and it's very easy to 256 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,560 uncover because essentially the sons of the prophets were a 257 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,120 Guild. They were a community of 258 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,520 prophets who were trained and taught by leading prophets such 259 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:32,120 as Samuel, Elijah and Elijah. And from time to time we even 260 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:36,600 see these sons of the prophets being used by God to actually 261 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,040 herald and declare the word of the Lord. 262 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,440 And we recognize that together in US thirty in first Kings 263 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:46,440 chapter 20. Now membership in the school was 264 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:48,640 not dependent upon physical lineage. 265 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:53,880 The term son in no way denotes that there was a requirement for 266 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,040 a biological association. It's simply explains that these 267 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:03,120 people were a class of gifted individuals and they came 268 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:05,640 together to learn the Word of God. 269 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,920 They came together to be discipled so that they can be 270 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,400 who God called them to be, namely messengers of the Word of 271 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,880 the Lord. You know what's so interesting 272 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,040 about the sons of the prophets? When the prophet Amos speaks 273 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,400 about the origination of his prophetic ministry, he clarifies 274 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,600 that he didn't go to seminary. He clarifies that he did not get 275 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,320 his credentials among the sons of the prophets. 276 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,400 He explains that God recruited him, though he did not have 277 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,520 formal training. You want the reference to that? 278 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,040 I'll give it to you anyway. And Amos 714 Notice what Amos 279 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,200 says. Then Amos answered and said to 280 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:51,440 Amaziah, I was no prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a 281 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,200 herdsman and a dresser of Sycamore figs. 282 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,880 God doesn't just use people who went to Bible college. 283 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,960 Can I remind you of that? Nothing wrong with Bible 284 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,320 college. Nothing wrong with getting 285 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:08,120 theological education, But God is not limited to recruiting 286 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:11,200 people who are among the sons of the prophets. 287 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,680 Now these sons of the prophets arguably make their first 288 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:20,360 appearance in First Samuel chapter 10, and we see them as a 289 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:23,360 group in verse 5 during Samuel's ministry. 290 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,320 But they continue as an Academy throughout the monarchy. 291 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:33,720 And 2nd King suggests that these seminaries had branches in 292 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,560 different locations, right? We we saw them there in Bethel. 293 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,040 We saw them there in Jericho. And it could be that as Elijah 294 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:45,520 is making his way to his awesome transportation into heaven, he 295 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:51,680 is visiting these students. To what degree did he interact 296 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,520 with them? We're not told, but what we know 297 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,280 is that these sons of the prophets were made aware of the 298 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,760 fact that their master is going to leave. 299 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,360 He's going to depart. And for whatever reason, they 300 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:07,200 sought to inform Elijah about it. 301 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,280 And every time that they approach Elijah, like his 302 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:16,640 response to Elijah, his response was the same, yes, I know it. 303 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,040 And then he tells them to be quiet. 304 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,640 Keep quiet. Now you might think that's a 305 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,000 little rude. Why would he tell him to keep 306 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,280 quiet? Well, it makes you wonder. 307 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,520 Was he annoyed? Was he annoyed that these 308 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,160 prophets were sharing something as though they alone knew it? 309 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,960 There are a lot of people who get excited discovering 310 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,600 something and want to herald it and broadcast it. 311 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:48,840 So was he frustrated with them? Or was it because he was not 312 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:52,480 wanting this new news to spread out to the public spear for the 313 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,320 sake of protecting his friend and his master, Elijah? 314 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,840 I don't think Elijah was frustrated, nor do I believe 315 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,760 that he was overprotective. Reread how these sons of the 316 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:08,120 prophets informed Elijah Elijah about Elijah's exit. 317 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:15,520 Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from 318 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:20,920 over you? So even this band of prophets 319 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,760 understood that Elijah and Elijah shared a special 320 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:32,880 relationship. And Elijah having this affection 321 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,480 and this relationship with Elijah, I'm sure, was pained in 322 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:44,640 knowing that his tutor and his teacher was now going to leave 323 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,120 him. And I think it pained them to 324 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,760 the degree that when the sons of the prophets wanted to discuss 325 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,240 it, he didn't want to talk about it. 326 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:58,200 Just keep quiet. And if you don't believe that 327 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,840 about Elijah and how he felt about Elijah, look at what 328 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,480 happens the moment this whirlwind comes with Chariots of 329 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:12,240 fire in Second Kings 212. And Elijah saw it, and he cried, 330 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:17,080 My father, my father, the Chariots of Israel and its 331 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,760 horsemen. And he saw him no more than he 332 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,120 took hold of his own clothes and tore them into pieces. 333 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:32,480 So Elijah was more than just an assistant to this man. 334 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:40,480 He loved him, he enjoyed him, he delighted in his company, and 335 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,680 when he knew that it was the day for him to leave, he didn't even 336 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,080 want to talk about it. Keep quiet. 337 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,800 Seeing the humanity in some of these mighty servants of God is 338 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,200 quite refreshing. It's comforting, isn't it? 339 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,880 Because sometimes we dehumanize them in a way we almost make 340 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:06,600 them seem to be like they're a different breed of humans. 341 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:12,040 But pain, heartbreak, sadness are real for them, and they tell 342 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:16,840 us that they're not illegal emotions for us, especially with 343 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,680 the thought of no longer enjoying the presence of people 344 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,560 that we loved on this side of eternity. 345 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:29,520 Such emotions, sentiments are normal, even for profits. 346 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:36,080 But Elijah's sorrow is also instructive because his distress 347 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,760 did not ultimately derail him from him serving the Lord. 348 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,360 You know, there's some people who even Christians, precious 349 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:50,200 believers that after a loss are so devastated that it 350 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,400 debilitates them. It crushes them to the to the 351 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:55,760 point where they're no longer the same. 352 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,240 They can't think the same. They can't socialize the same. 353 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,080 They can't serve anymore. They can't worship the way they 354 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:06,880 were able to worship. And Elijah reminds us that that 355 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,240 is not how he should be. Because by the end of this 356 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:11,640 chapter, we're going to see a man who is going to continue to 357 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,800 walk and serve and honor his God, even though one of the 358 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,480 greatest men in his life would be taken from him. 359 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:26,600 And so it's OK to know grief, but for that grief to drown you 360 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,560 and to paralyze you is not God's will for you. 361 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,640 So Elijah knew very well what it was like to have his heart 362 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,800 broken, but he did not allow it to break his walk and his 363 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,760 faithfulness to the God who wanted to walk with Elijah. 364 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,640 Let's continue to read and Fast forward here. 365 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:57,400 We read the first 6 verses. Let's now come to verse 7. 50 366 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,400 men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some 367 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,680 distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 368 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:09,440 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the 369 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,920 water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the 370 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:18,320 other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground. 371 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:23,680 Does this miracle mirror anything in the Bible that we've 372 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,760 seen before? If you know the answer, you can 373 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:31,440 say it. So some people said Exodus and 374 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,560 Moses, yes, with the Red Sea. But there's even something more 375 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:40,000 relatable. The crossing of the same stream 376 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,440 through the leadership of who? Joshua. 377 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:46,880 We studied that when we studied the book of Joshua. 378 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,160 I don't know when it was a few years back. 379 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,480 So interestingly, what you have here is Elijah's supernatural 380 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:59,840 exit from the very same river that knew a supernatural 381 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:04,000 entrance from the people of Israel in the time of Joshua. 382 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,440 And we remember how that occurred, do we not? 383 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:09,760 That the Ark of the Covenant rested on the shoulder of some 384 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,400 priest, and the moment that their priestly feet touched the 385 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:18,480 brink of that water, it created a dry path for the people to 386 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:23,200 cross on. And now you have Elijah who 387 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:30,480 would cross that same river and enter into a different promised 388 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,360 land. Joshua came into the physical 389 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,280 promised land with that generation of Israelites. 390 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,080 Now Elijah is crossing that same river to go into a heavenly 391 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:47,880 promised land. What's so beautiful about this 392 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,800 parallel is that we can relate it to ourselves that the power 393 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,840 of God that served Joshua and his generation to go into the 394 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,960 promised land many, many years ago, and the power of God that 395 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:04,560 was able to remove that barrier so that Elijah can go and be 396 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,480 taken into a heavenly promised land. 397 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,320 There is a power that we have inherited in Christ that would 398 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:13,240 lead us safely into the same resting place that Elijah would 399 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:17,480 go to. And as you and I, whenever our 400 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,200 time is to stand at that border between this world and the next, 401 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:27,080 we are assured that the gospel's power on our behalf will lead us 402 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,800 through securely, unscathed, unharmed. 403 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:36,960 And what a joyful revelation that is. 404 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:44,360 On a practical note, when God made that dry ground possible 405 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:49,000 for Joshua and Israel, He performed it for a nation, 406 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:54,760 millions of people, and now we come to 2nd Kings 2 and he 407 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,240 performs the same miracle for how many people? 408 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:05,160 Not 2,000,002. So let me say this, that the 409 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,120 fact that God was able and willing to do this for two 410 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,440 reveals something about His heart for the individual 411 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,240 believer. It reveals something about His 412 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:20,240 love and His care, not just for His church as a bulk, but for 413 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,040 each of the Saints, each of his children he cares for. 414 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,200 And so, yes, he moved mightily for a nation and he was willing 415 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:34,440 to move mightily for a servant. That's the heart of God, and 416 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:35,840 it's the same heart for you and I. 417 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,640 So, so God doesn't just care about Maranatha Bible Church. 418 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:46,040 He cares about every single member, regardless of the role, 419 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,760 regardless of their gifting, regardless of anything. 420 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,480 He cares for each of us individually. 421 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,680 So they cross and there was an audience of 50 that witnessed 422 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,240 it. Now notice what happens here in 423 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:05,880 verse 9. When they had crossed, Elijah 424 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:13,840 said to Elijah, ask what I shall do for you before I am taken 425 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,960 from you. And Elijah said, please let 426 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,640 there be a double portion of your spirit on me. 427 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,400 Elijah just keeps on giving and he provides us even more 428 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,760 wonderful inspiration and example of how a consecrated 429 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:36,120 life looks like. There are two things I believe 430 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,480 at least two things to take from Elijah's question and invitation 431 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,360 to Elijah. The first one is quite simple. 432 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:48,480 We learn here that we are to serve people until we meet the 433 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,600 Savior. Don't you find this remarkable, 434 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,360 that up to the very moment that Elijah would be taken, he turns 435 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:03,360 to Elijah and he asks what he can do for him. 436 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,960 Listen, the most rewarding way to depart from this world is to 437 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:13,200 bless people who are left in it. That is the best way to live, 438 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,680 and we should strive to live in that way, and we should strive 439 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:22,080 to leave this world that way, to serve people for the glory of 440 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,440 God. So up to the very last day of 441 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,160 his life, he turns to Elijah. She says, what can I do for you? 442 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,520 There's a second truth. The first one is again, we are 443 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,760 called to serve people until we meet the Savior. 444 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,960 And the second is this, when it comes time to meet your Savior, 445 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:42,720 you can't take anything with you. 446 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,520 Notice that Elijah didn't inquire of anything. 447 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:52,800 Do you know why? Because there's going to be no 448 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,840 room on that chariot of fire for luggage. 449 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:57,520 There's nothing that he can take. 450 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,040 The only thing that he's able to take is his history with God, 451 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:07,280 his walk with God, his service to God, and being conscious of 452 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,440 that every single day, not just on your final day. 453 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:15,440 God help us people thinking that they can just turn on 454 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,280 consecration the moment they realize that they only have a 455 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,440 little bit of time left. What a miserable way to live 456 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:25,560 your existence, to frame yourself and your thinking in 457 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,640 this way. That perspective will promise 458 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:33,920 you the right priorities and the right affections to be placed 459 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,400 where they need to be and that you would not waste your life. 460 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,440 What can I do for you? This is it. 461 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,720 I'm at the end of the road. There's another thing worth 462 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,440 highlighting from this verse. Read very carefully again. 463 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,840 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elijah, Ask what I shall 464 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,640 do for you before I am taken from you. 465 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,120 I'll never forget the time that I had a conversation with an 466 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,280 individual was my first time meeting him. 467 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,360 Somebody set up the meeting, and I didn't know where this 468 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,760 conversation would go, but it very quickly went into a debate 469 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,560 over dinner. This individual was a very 470 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:19,840 devoted Catholic, according to his admission, and we came to 471 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,640 the conversation of the intercession of the Saints, or 472 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:27,440 how it is possible for us to inquire of those who have passed 473 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,240 on into heaven to intercede on our behalf. 474 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,640 And as this individual was making his case, a certain 475 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:38,040 scripture came to mind, the words of the apostle Paul. 476 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:42,760 And once he finished, I read him what Paul said, and I asked him 477 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,000 something. And I want you to see where I 478 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:51,760 went with this man in Philippians 1 chapter 23, as 479 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:56,680 Paul was wrestling between departing and being with Christ 480 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,360 or remaining with the Philippian believers among other believers, 481 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:06,400 and he confessed in Philippians 123A staggering thing. 482 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:12,679 I am hard pressed between the two, the two desires, wanting to 483 00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:16,040 be with Christ or remaining on earth, he says. 484 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,040 I am hard pressed between the two. 485 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:21,120 My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far 486 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,800 better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your 487 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,840 account. Convinced of this, I know that I 488 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,159 will remain and continue with you all for your progress and 489 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:35,280 joy in the faith. Here's the essence of Paul's 490 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,520 struggle. Potentially facing death because 491 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,040 he's writing this from prison. The only thing that's holding 492 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:45,320 him back from embracing it is serving the people of God. 493 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,679 The progress of the joy and the faith of these Philippians was 494 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:53,719 the motivating factor for him to stay back. 495 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:58,200 And with that in mind, I told this individual, if Paul could 496 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:04,600 minister on behalf of the Saints while in heaven, why would he 497 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,880 write indicating that if he were to depart from this world and be 498 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,040 with Christ, that that would mean the cessation of his 499 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,720 service to the people of God? Does that make sense? 500 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:22,760 If it's possible for Saints to serve God's people in another 501 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:26,080 realm, then why did Paul feel this tension? 502 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:30,640 He was quiet, as you can imagine. 503 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,560 And I bring that up because Elijah is communicating a 504 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:37,760 similar point. Look back at verse nine of 505 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:41,920 Second Kings chapter 2. When he had they had crossed, 506 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:49,000 Elijah said to Elijah, ask what I shall do for you before I am 507 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:55,480 taken from you, implying what you can't inquire of me after 508 00:35:55,480 --> 00:36:03,480 I'm taken from you. This is your chance and Elijah 509 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,240 being sought after was only possible and beneficial as long 510 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:11,680 as he was on earth. I encourage you to use a verse 511 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:15,560 like this to help those who believe something that the Bible 512 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:21,080 does not teach. So how will Elijah now take 513 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:25,240 advantage of this opportunity? Elijah rather look at verse 10 514 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,040 and he said, you've asked a hard thing because Elijah just asked, 515 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:32,880 can you give me a double portion of your spirit? 516 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,200 And he says you've asked a hard thing. 517 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:39,000 Yet if you see me as I'm being taken from you, it shall be so 518 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,200 for you. But if you do not see me, it 519 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:45,440 shall not be so. So what was Elijah's desire? 520 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,160 It reveals a lot about him. He could have asked for anything 521 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,600 like Solomon could have asked for anything. 522 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,680 And what he did ultimately long for something that you and I 523 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:58,680 should ultimately long for spiritual blessings. 524 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:02,880 And in this particular case, he says, would you grant me a 525 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:09,240 double portion of your spirit? Now, many, many, many, many 526 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:13,960 people misinterpret, misunderstand Elijah's request 527 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:20,400 as though he is asking for a grander, mightier, more renowned 528 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:26,400 ministry than Elijah had, as though he's inquiring for a 529 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:29,560 double measure of the Holy Spirit. 530 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:31,760 And I don't believe that's the case. 531 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:37,040 And the reason is because Elijah is framing his request based on 532 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,800 an Old Testament law and principle. 533 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,680 And that law and principle is found in Deuteronomy 21, verse 534 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,880 17. And it is in that verse where we 535 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,560 understand that the first born of every household was to 536 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:55,640 receive what from his father a double portion of his 537 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,760 inheritance. So if there's a force born among 538 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:07,800 other siblings, the first born would receive double after his 539 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,480 father would pass, he would receive more of his estate and 540 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,600 his possessions. And we can get into that another 541 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:17,760 time. But Elijah, and understanding 542 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:23,160 that rule, sees himself as the first born among all the sons of 543 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,800 the prophets. Remember what he called Elijah 544 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:27,200 when he departed from men in verse 12. 545 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:28,480 What, what did he say? My, what? 546 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:34,280 My father, my father. So Elijah felt as though he was 547 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:38,000 the first born among the sons of the prophets, and he realized 548 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,600 that he was to be the successor of this leading role. 549 00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:45,000 And so when he asked for this double portion, what he is 550 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:51,760 really inquiring of is the appropriate measure and grace to 551 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:54,600 be able to serve God in the way that he was called to serve Him. 552 00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:02,400 Give me what I need to be able to fulfill this role faithfully, 553 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:06,640 to be spiritually empowered the way you were spiritually 554 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,440 empowered so that I can follow in your steps. 555 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,400 And Elijah's response in verse 10 as I read it to you reminds 556 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,400 us something very important. Listen, if you were serious 557 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,640 about serving God in any capacity, realize what he says. 558 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:27,280 You have asked the hard thing. Methods, practical wisdom, 559 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:34,840 doctrine can be transferred from person to person. 560 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:39,760 But what cannot be given from one man to another is power from 561 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:44,600 on high that cannot be granted. You can't pay enough tuition to 562 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:47,040 get it at any seminary, any place. 563 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,760 It cannot be permitted by any person. 564 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:58,840 And only the Lord has the ability to fill us, endow us, 565 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:03,080 and endow us with His Spirit. And the way you posture yourself 566 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:07,200 to receive God's hand, God's blessing upon your efforts, is 567 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:10,760 modeled by Elijah. One, acknowledge your absolute 568 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:14,640 weakness. For him to ask this reveals that 569 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:18,160 he knows himself, and he realizes that he is hopeless 570 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,920 unless God walks with him as he did with Elijah. 571 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,920 So admit your weakness, and beyond that, ask. 572 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,640 Ask the one who is gracious and willing to pour out His Spirit 573 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:33,240 upon you and to help you. There are many people that are 574 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:37,240 content with receiving something from other men and God uses 575 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:38,920 other men. I'm not minimizing that. 576 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:41,800 But there comes a point and you better learn it from the 577 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:46,360 earliest point of your service to the Lord, that God has to put 578 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:50,080 His hand on your life and He has to empower you and you must 579 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:53,480 continue to seek Him for continuous feelings of the Holy 580 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:57,720 Spirit. It makes all the difference, and 581 00:40:57,720 --> 00:41:02,040 I'm afraid that there is this idea that such a pursuit is 582 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:07,360 mystical and shameful. Believe what you want. 583 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,680 I see something in my Bible that there is a great difference with 584 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:17,120 a Holy Spirit empowered ministry and a ministry that relies on 585 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,320 even good things, but without God's ultimate help. 586 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:26,120 Give me a double portion of your Spirit. 587 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,240 And Elijah said that's a hard thing. 588 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:34,760 Yet if you see what's about to take place, know that that is 589 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:38,880 the sign that God has accepted your desire. 590 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:46,840 What happens verse 11 and as they still went on and talked 591 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:48,440 pause. Don't you wish we knew what they 592 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:55,080 talked about? And as they still went on and 593 00:41:55,080 --> 00:42:01,320 talked, behold, Chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the 594 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:05,240 two of them. And Elijah went up by a 595 00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:11,280 whirlwind into heaven. And Elijah saw it, and he cried. 596 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,920 My father, my father, the Chariots of Israel and its 597 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:20,680 horsemen. And he saw him no more than he 598 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:25,720 took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 599 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,880 Notice that little phrase in verse 12? 600 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:36,240 And Elijah sighed. So God opened his eyes, more 601 00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:39,240 than just granting him the honor to behold such a majestic, 602 00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:43,000 miraculous thing, but to indicate to him, I heard you. 603 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,040 This is fascinating. But you know what's more 604 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:49,200 fascinating? Not just the fact that God heard 605 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:54,160 his prayer in that moment, but that only Elijah saw it. 606 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,800 Not even the 50. Remember the 50 that were at the 607 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:01,160 border. They weren't invited to come 608 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:06,520 across the the Jordan to see it. God ordained that there would be 609 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:12,000 an audience of one. And I'm wondering, why not more? 610 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:15,760 Why not make this known to the nation? 611 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:19,760 Why not show the people how you exalt your servant, and more 612 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,000 importantly, exalt your own name? 613 00:43:23,720 --> 00:43:25,040 And what does the Lord do instead? 614 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:29,200 He privatizes it. He brings Elijah and Elijah to a 615 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:32,600 remote location literally across the border. 616 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:39,120 And he only opens the eyes of one soul to behold it. 617 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:41,880 You know what I thought when I read this earlier today? 618 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:47,720 I thought to myself, God concealing this must, must 619 00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:50,520 testify to us that there are some things that He's doing, 620 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:53,320 miracles and movements of His spirit that we are unaware of. 621 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:56,600 There are things that are happening in this world that God 622 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,520 is doing that the world does not know of, at least the majority 623 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:03,920 of the world. And more than that, Is this the 624 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,800 only time that God translated somebody into heaven? 625 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,560 Apart from the portal of death? Who's the other individual? 626 00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:13,840 You remember what we're told there in Genesis chapter 5 627 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,480 concerning Enoch. It's very simple, it's very 628 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:18,080 plain. There's nothing spectacular 629 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,440 about it. He says in Genesis 524 that 630 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:26,560 Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. 631 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:34,320 No Chariots of fire, no whirlwind, no gust of this, no 632 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:36,960 manifestations. Just one day he's there, and 633 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:38,920 this is what I get from him. One day he's there and poop, the 634 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,760 next day he's not, Next moment he's not, the next blink he's 635 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:48,840 not. Why didn't he give Enoch this 636 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:54,000 incredible kind of exit? So many questions, and sometimes 637 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,000 we get answers in the Bible, the answers that God sees fit to 638 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,800 give us. And often times the best answer 639 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,480 to things like this is what the psalmist said in Psalm 115, 640 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:09,600 verse 3. Our God is in the heavens. 641 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:18,400 He does all that He pleases. So why did he conceal this and 642 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:21,400 not make it a public spectacle? Why didn't he do it on Mount 643 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:22,960 Carmel and invited the whole nation? 644 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:27,360 Because He does what He pleases. Why did he do this for Elijah 645 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:31,520 and not do it for other great prophets, including Enoch? 646 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:38,120 Because He does what He pleases. We have to rest in that and we 647 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:44,040 have to rejoice in that. The Lord does what pleases Him 648 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:51,680 ultimately, and that is for His glory and that is for our good. 649 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:57,480 And we read here at the end of verse 12 and he saw him know 650 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:03,080 more. This is really the end of 651 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:12,120 Elijah's ministry. Or is it This is why you can't 652 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:20,040 skip parts of the Bible. Something strange happens after 653 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:23,520 Elijah was taken from this world. 654 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:30,120 Can I show you go to Second Chronicles with me as we are 655 00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:36,200 ready to put this chapter of our study to rest, namely through 656 00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:48,920 and about Elijah. Second Chronicles 21 This 657 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:53,840 chapter deals with Yehoram or Jehoram when he reigned in 658 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:57,160 Judah. And something fascinating 659 00:46:57,160 --> 00:46:59,880 happens in verse 12 of Second Chronicles 21. 660 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:04,360 Look at this. And a letter came to him from 661 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:06,480 who? Who wrote this letter and sent 662 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,360 it to? Jeharam, Elijah The. 663 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:10,560 Prophet, you know what's interesting? 664 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:14,000 About this Jeharam reigned after Elijah was taken. 665 00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:19,840 Saying thus says the Lord. The God of David your father, 666 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,120 because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your 667 00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:26,520 father, or in the ways of ASA king of Judah, but have walked 668 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:28,800 in the way of the kings of Israel, and have enticed Judah 669 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:32,160 and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the House of 670 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:35,640 Ahab LED Israel into whoredom. And also you have killed your 671 00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:38,800 brothers of your father's house, who are better than you. 672 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:41,800 Behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, 673 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,800 your children, your wives, and all your possessions. 674 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:48,240 And you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease 675 00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:51,360 of your bowels until your bowels come out because of the disease 676 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:57,560 day by day. How did Elijah? 677 00:47:57,720 --> 00:48:03,000 Send a letter and so. You have people who speculate. 678 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:07,120 So you have some people who believe that Elijah was able to 679 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,320 send a letter from heaven. I highly doubt that. 680 00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:18,080 You have others who believe. That when Elijah was taken up by 681 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:22,560 a whirlwind into heaven, it wasn't into the 3rd heaven 682 00:48:24,160 --> 00:48:26,000 because that. Word can be used for. 683 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:28,440 The three spheres of heaven. There's a first, second, 3rd 684 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:31,440 heaven. And so in their minds, for 685 00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:33,960 Elijah, in order to make sense of this, to be able to write a 686 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:42,000 letter, he was taken up into the heavenlies, into the sky, but he 687 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:46,960 was teleported somewhere else on the earth, and they justified 688 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:47,800 this. By saying that. 689 00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,160 Elijah had a tendency of appearing and disappearing, 690 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:52,560 right? And so this is. 691 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:55,280 Really, Elijah's? Retirement more than anything 692 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:59,080 else. And so he was positioned in some 693 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:02,360 secret location. And to add to this argument, 694 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:05,760 when you read later on in Second Kings chapter 2, when Elijah 695 00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:10,040 returns and crosses the Jordan, the 50 band of men who were 696 00:49:10,040 --> 00:49:12,960 there inquired and asked Elijah to do what? 697 00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:15,520 Can we go find Elijah? Do you remember that? 698 00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:18,600 If you don't, you have to come in a couple weeks to read it 699 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:21,080 with me. They ask her, he must be 700 00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:23,520 somewhere, Let's go find him. And Elijah was like, you're 701 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:25,360 going to waste your time. And they said, no, no, no, 702 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:26,600 please. And so he's like, all right, 703 00:49:26,600 --> 00:49:28,400 fine, go. And they go, and they travel for 704 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:29,920 a few days. And they didn't end up finding 705 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,040 him. And so the argument goes, well, 706 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:36,120 even these prophets understood that Elijah was not to be taken 707 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:40,040 into heaven, heaven, but some other place. 708 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:44,960 Or else why else would they ask? That's as persuasive that 709 00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:46,200 sounds. That doesn't seem to fit the 710 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:51,360 context at all. The best explanation for how 711 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:55,080 Elijah was able to write this letter to Jeharam is that he did 712 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:59,680 so beforehand. Jeharam didn't reign too long. 713 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:03,920 After Elijah was removed from this world, and it's not. 714 00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:08,240 Uncommon for. Prophets to predict and foretell 715 00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:11,640 of things far beyond their lifetime, is it No. 716 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:16,440 So Elijah simply had this. Prepared and at the right time, 717 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:18,560 it was granted to Jeharam as a warning. 718 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:24,440 Now with that being said. In terms of principle, it 719 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:28,560 provides us wonderful truth that Elijah's ministry in some way 720 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:32,680 continued even after his departure and reminds. 721 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:35,320 Us of what Hebrews tells. Us about Abel that though he 722 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:42,520 died, he what he speaks. And there are ministries today. 723 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,040 That you and I are benefiting from. 724 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:47,240 But the very ministers are not alive today, are they? 725 00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:50,080 But the preservation of their sermons and their writings are 726 00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:52,280 still touching millions of people, thousands of people, 727 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:54,280 ministers who are serving God today. 728 00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:56,960 But how that relates? To you and I. 729 00:50:56,960 --> 00:51:00,840 Is that it is, I believe, possible to live in such a way 730 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:04,280 that even after we leave this world, we can still, with the 731 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:07,240 memory of our life, bless others? 732 00:51:08,880 --> 00:51:12,320 With your legacy, touch your. Children and your grandchildren 733 00:51:13,600 --> 00:51:14,760 with Elijah. 'S in the. 734 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:18,120 Church who are advanced in years and advanced in their experience 735 00:51:18,120 --> 00:51:23,120 of God's faithfulness, blessing Elijah's who are up and coming 736 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,400 and so as we. Close this chapter of Elijah. 737 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:29,200 'S life let us let us reflect on. 738 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:31,440 His faithfulness. Elijah's faithfulness and now 739 00:51:31,440 --> 00:51:36,120 turn to the same God of Elijah and Elijah and ask for his help 740 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:40,360 to serve God until our last day. Let's pray and seek him 741 00:51:40,360 --> 00:52:04,040 together. I just want to give you the time 742 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:04,800 to. Reflect. 743 00:52:41,480 --> 00:52:46,560 Lord. Your word is amazing. 744 00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:54,440 We're. Moved by your truth, and we give 745 00:52:54,440 --> 00:53:01,600 you glory for it. Your word says that all 746 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:05,520 Scripture has. Been breathed out by God so that 747 00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:06,560 the. Man of God may be. 748 00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:09,440 Complete, ready for every good work. 749 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:13,640 That is no less true with the story. 750 00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:18,800 Of Elijah and Elijah. Help us be faithful to. 751 00:53:18,800 --> 00:53:28,720 You help us keep our word. Help us. 752 00:53:28,720 --> 00:53:33,040 Serve people until we. Meet you help us remember that 753 00:53:33,040 --> 00:53:34,120 we're. Not taking anything. 754 00:53:34,120 --> 00:53:40,000 From this life with us. Except that which is sowed into 755 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:50,570 the things of the Kingdom. Lord, if anybody is suffering. 756 00:53:50,570 --> 00:53:57,610 Pain after loss any kind of loss may you by your. 757 00:53:57,610 --> 00:53:59,410 Grace energize us to. Serve you. 758 00:53:59,410 --> 00:54:11,760 Worship you honor. You with our lives, we thank you 759 00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:14,040 Lord, that the same God. Who worked on behalf of the 760 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:16,840 nation of Israel when they went into the Promised Land. 761 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:20,560 The same God who is willing to help. 762 00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:24,000 And assist and bring 2 servants safely through the Jordan. 763 00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:28,920 Lord, you are the same God, walking with us, guiding us, 764 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:33,560 protecting us. So, Lord, at this time. 765 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:39,880 We worship you from our hearts. We love you and we adore you. 766 00:54:39,880 --> 00:54:44,080 We crown you with our praises. Help us know you more. 767 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:49,040 We we, like Elijah, want the things of the Spirit more than 768 00:54:49,040 --> 00:54:52,320 anything else. Your presence, your power, the 769 00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:55,320 opportunities to reveal your glory. 770 00:54:57,120 --> 00:54:59,880 So even now, tonight we. Sincerely ask. 771 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:04,760 Clothe us with your power. Fill us with your spirit. 772 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:09,120 Use us in a way where people, when they hear us, when they see 773 00:55:09,120 --> 00:55:12,280 us, when they interact with us, would not be able to shake off 774 00:55:12,280 --> 00:55:15,960 that there's something different because it's you working through 775 00:55:15,960 --> 00:55:18,640 us. We don't want anyone to see us, 776 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:20,640 Lord. We want them to see you through 777 00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:22,880 us. This is our desperate plea and 778 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:25,880 we believe you're going to answer it as we seek you for it. 779 00:55:26,440 --> 00:55:31,160 So we say thank you tonight, in Jesus name we pray, Amen and 780 00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:36,680 Amen, Amen. This is kind of like a school 781 00:55:36,680 --> 00:55:39,040 is. It not I would think so, but 782 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:41,720 once when we stand. And worship the. 783 00:55:41,720 --> 00:55:44,880 Living God, who is the head of this church and the church at 784 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:45,320 large.