Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-15
Theme: New Year - New Mantle
Proposition: The story of Elisha shows us how we can have a successful New Year - Through experiencing our own Gilgal (having control over our flesh) Bethel (experiencing the presence of the Lord ) Jericho (placing our faith in God) Jordan River (old life to new life).
Grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world.
Welcome to the New Year. What a joy it is to be able to be here and celebrate the New Year with the LORD and with you and your family. There is always something sacred and renewing about a new year. It's like we are given a fresh new start. We can put all the things that happened to us last year in the rear view mirror and go ahead. We can learn from all the things that happened to us but we don't have to be bogged down by them.
This morning, our passage gives us some excellent advice on how we can make sure that this new year is successful and productive spiritually, emotionally and socially. Walking alongside the Prophet Elisha we will be able to see some steps that can help us in making sure we are successful and productive. For Elisha these steps enabled him to be able to receive the mantle of being the next lead prophet for God's People. For us they will help us to have a successful and productive year.
Of the two prophets in our story, Prophet Elijah is better known. More than likely that is due to his ability to pull fire down from Heaven, his famous battle on Mt. Carmel and his ongoing struggles against Queen Jezebel and King Ahaz. The Prophet Elisha is not as well known even though the Bible records that he was involved in twice as many miracles as Elijah. Healing someone from leprosy, raising an axe head out of the water and promising a victory over the Syrians somehow doesn't compare to all of Elijah's great theatrics.
Verse one tells us that the time had come for the LORD to bring Elijah up to heaven. His work on earth for that time was over. He had done all he could do for the LORD and for the people of God. The question was who would take his place? Would it be one of the many prophets that had arisen under his leadership or would it be his right hand man Elisha? Our story reveals to us that it would be the Prophet Elisha. In verse 15 we read where the Spirit of the LORD comes upon Elisha and he is given Elijah's mantle. The LORD answered Elisha's request to possess a double portion of Elijah's spirit thus enabling him to become the next lead prophet for the People of God.
It's a great story and did you notice that once again it involves fire as the Lord takes Elijah home in a fiery chariot? This story is one that many of us are familiar with this morning. But inside our story is another story. It's a story outlining some steps that Elisha was led to take in order to be the next lead prophet. It's some steps that share with us how he was able to start a whole new adventure in his life. It is those steps that I believe that the Holy Spirit would like for us to look at this morning. Steps that can help lead us down a path of progressive holiness as well. Steps that show us how we can make sure that this New Year brings us great spiritual growth, adventure and success. Let's look at them right now. Each of these steps revolved around a geographical area.
I. The first step revolves around the location of Gilgal
Some times when we read a story either in the Old or New Testament we do not always absorb its fullest truth. There are keys in the passage that we may not see or if we do see them we do not fully understand them. Our story today is one of those stories.
It's easy to read this story and think that Elijah is just leading Elisha on some wild goose chase as they travel from one location to the next. The two prophets start off in the city of Gilgal. From there they walk about eight to ten miles to the city of Bethel. They then turn around and walk another 15 miles back to the city of Jericho. When they get to Jericho they don't stay long as they travel another five to eight miles to the Jordan River. Each time they got to one of those locations Elijah seemed to do his best to get Elisha to stay behind.
It's not until we understand that the path that Elijah was traveling one was a spiritual path. Each of those four locations (Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and the Jordan River) possessed great spiritual significance and meaning. In each place one or more great spiritual events had taken place for the People of Israel. Events that Elisha was going to have to re-experience if he was going to take the place of the Prophet Elijah. At first, I don't think Elisha knew exactly what was going on. He was cleanly determined not to allow Elijah to leave him behind or get out of his sight.
The first place we find them is in the city of Gilgal. To understand it's significance, we have to go back to the book of Joshua chapter 5:2-9. We find ourselves at the time when the Children of Israel were beginning their journey into the Promise Land. For 40 years they had wandered around in the wilderness. Now, as they travel into Gilgal the LORD commanded that they stop and renew the covenant that had started way back with the Patriarch Abraham. It seems that all of the males who had been born in the wilderness had not been circumcised; meaning that they had not placed their bodies, minds and souls under the rituals of the Abrahamic Covenant. Therefore, before they could enter into God's Promise Land they were to symbolically put away the old flesh (the old life) and experience a new life with the LORD. Later on in Colossians 2:11, the Apostle Paul let us know that this was more than some simply physical surgery. The ritual of circumcision was to be a sign of putting off the old flesh; of putting off the old body of sin. It was to be a sign that God's people would allow His Spirit to have control over their bodies. It was to be a sign that the spiritual man would always rule and have control over the physical man.
Let's think about it. How often are we tempted to sin through our flesh? That is to say how often are we tempted to sin through our bodies? How often do we see people sinning through their flesh? The flesh has always been one of the Devil's best ways to get humans to rebel against the LORD. In 1 John 2:16 the Apostle warns us against allowing the desires of the flesh and the eyes to lead us away from loving the LORD. One of the most difficult lessons that any of us can learn is how to have power over our own fleshly desires.
By going through Gilgal, the Prophet Elisha would have understood all of this. Gilgal was the place where the flesh was put under the control of the Spirit. It was where the first Passover in the Promise Land was celebrated and was where the LORD ceased giving the people manna. In each case the message was clear; the LORD wanted His People to have control over their physical bodies. He wanted them to depend more on the spirit than on the flesh.
If Elisha was going to be a successful Prophet he needed to make sure that his flesh was under control. During his life Elisha had to face many different temptations including greed, arrogance, anger and doubt. would face many temptations. He would have to fight against every weakness and infirmities that every man and woman possesses. In order for him to be successful he had to have control over his flesh.
In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (AMPC) we hear Paul testifying about the same thing:
26 Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.
27 But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
Paul knew the power of the flesh as did Elijah and Elisha. Today, if we are going to have a success and productive New Year it will only happen if we get our physical man under the control of the Holy Spirit. Like Paul we will have to make sure that our flesh does not overrule our spirit. We have to make sure that our flesh doesn't destroy our witness and our walk with the LORD.
That means at times we will find ourselves in civil war. Remember when Jesus told the Apostle Peter that even though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41ff). This morning, we have to acknowledge the weakness of our flesh. We have to be aware that if we allow our flesh to rule us this year our spiritual lives will begin to stagnate and we will begin to backslide. Just as vital as it was for Elisha to allow the Holy Spirit to have control over his flesh we too must make sure that we put our flesh under the control of God's Holy Spirit. We must daily put our flesh on God's Holy Altar. Romans 12:1 reminds us to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God...."
That is the first step we must take today and every day if we are going to experience a successful year. We must daily allow the Holy Spirit to have control over our flesh.
II. The second step revolved around the city of Bethel
We find the significance of the city of Bethel in both the lives of Abraham and his grandson Jacob. In Genesis 12:8, Abraham builds an altar to the LORD near the city of Bethel to declare God's presence in his life. In Genesis 28:10-19 we have the story of Jacob running away from his brother Esau after he had stolen both his birthright and blessing. His mother Rebekah helps him make plans to leave before his brother can kill him.
It's at Bethel that Jacob has this amazing epiphany with the LORD God Almighty. The LORD reveals to Jacob that He will go with Jacob wherever he goes. The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY renews with Jacob the same covenant that He had made with Abraham. Jacob may be running away for his life but the LORD will not abandon him. Instead, wherever Jacob goes the LORD will watch over him and will cause him to prosper. And one day the Lord promises that Jacob will return home to the land the LORD wants to give him.
The city of Bethel therefore came to be associated with God's presence and promise. The city of Bethel became that place where one would be able to feel, touch, smell, hear and taste God. It was that place where one was reminded that the God of Israel is never bound by geography. It is that place where one knows that they can rest in God's Presence and Promises.
Jacob was afraid for his life when he ran towards Bethel. After that night with the LORD he knew that no matter where he went or what happened to him the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY would be with him.
Elisha knew the story of Jacob at Bethel as well. His trip to Bethel was to renew his spirit. It was to remind him that wherever he went and whatever circumstance he would find himself that the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY would be right there with him. And as you read Elisha's story in the book of 2 Kings you find that the LORD walked with Elisha the rest of his life whether he was near the Jordan River, Shunem, Damascus or Jerusalem. Everywhere the prophet walked the LORD was right there beside him. The Lord's Presence and Promise remained with him all the days of his life.
We need to understand today that Jesus has made that same promise to all of us. Before Jesus left his disciples in Matthew 28:20 the LORD told them these words: "I am with you always, to the end of the age." Those words were for those that lived back then and we who live today.
This year we need to have our Bethels. We need to have those times when we get away with the LORD so that He can renew our souls and our spirits. We need those times when we are reminded that no matter where we go the LORD will go with us. We do not need to live alone. Wherever we travel or wherever we live we need to understand that the LORD Jesus Christ is with us each step of the way. We need to wake up each morning inviting the LORD to spend the day with us.
Think about that for a moment. Think about the reality that each day we can have Jesus at our side. That means that there is no reason for us to be alone in our homes, in our cars, at our offices or at school. We all can experience Bethel. We can all experience times when we know we are under God's Promises and Presence. We can all experience times when our hearts, minds and souls are renewed with God's Holy Presence.
III. The third step revolved around the city of Jericho
We see that the third step revolved around the city of Jericho.
Gilgal was to remind our prophet that we must always allow the Spirit to have control over the flesh.
Bethel was to remind our prophet that we must always stay in the Presence and Promise of the LORD.
Now, going through the city of Jericho was to remind our prophet that it is by obedience and faith that we can experience victory over our battles. We once again go back to the book of Joshua. Only this time we go back to chapter six. We find the Children of Israel facing their greatest test in the Promise Land. They have to get a foothold and if they can't then all their hopes and dreams will fade away. If they can't find a way to defeat Jericho then they would have to go back into the wilderness or being the long journey back towards Egypt. Neither alternative was desirable.
However, there was one big problem. How in the world where they going to defeat Jericho with those massive walls? They had no battering rams or catapults. They had no visible means of taking down Jericho's wall. All they had was some light armor, swords, spears and body armor. None of those would bring down the wall. What they quickly came to understand however is that they had three great positives on their side that made all the difference:
a. They had the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
b. They had their faith
c. They had their obedience
The Bible tells us that together those three things were more than enough. When you read the whole Jericho story it sounds rather crazy. It doesn't make rational sense. How in the world can you cause a wall to fall by simply walking around it and shouting to the top of your lungs? Well, you can't. It's impossible. If marching and yelling around a wall would bring it down then the Berlin Wall would have fallen back in the early 50's and the Wall of China would have fallen down more times than we can count.
However, if you obey the LORD and put your faith in His Power then amazing things can happen. Impenetrable walls can fall down. Jericho's walls had stood for centuries protecting the city and its inhabitants. It had defeated armies that had been led by more intelligent generals who had better equipment than Israel's first army. But the wall was no match for the breath of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Israel was victorious because of her obedience and faith in God.
Elisha needed to be reminded of that fact. If he was going to be the next lead prophet for God's People it would be vital for him to understand that with God anything is possible. All he needed to do was to obey the LORD and put all his faith in the Lord God Almighty.
And again as we read his story we see him standing against the armies of Syria in 2 Kings chapter six. It's an amazing story. Elisha's assistant is scared to death. The Syrian army has Elisha surrounded and are ready to come in for the kill. The prophet has been a thorn in their side. In a matter of minutes the Syrians will overtake him and put him and his assistant to death.
However, Elisha has an ace in the hole so to speak. Elisha knows that the LROD GOD ALMIGHTY will fight his battles for him. All he needs to do is be obedient to the leading of the LORD and put all his faith in the LORD. In verse 17 we read where Elisha prays for his young assistant to see what he already sees - the army of Syria is surrounded by an army of fiery chariots and horses. While these men may have surrounded Elisha they are themselves surrounded by heaven sent angels. As powerful as the Syrian army was it was no match for God's army. To end the battle the LORD tells Elisha to blind his enemies with a holy light so that they will know the power and glory of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. God wins the battle that day for our prophet.
I am sure many times throughout his life Elisha remembered this trip to Jericho with Elijah. He remembered that with God nothing is impossible. He also remembered that victory is ours if we obey the LORD and have faith in the LORD.
But what about victory for all those who have died for the faith. Surely, they obeyed and possessed great faith and yet they died. Remember, the lesson of Gilgal? The flesh has to be put under the control of the Spirit. The Bible says that all of us one day will die. It is appointed unto man to die and then the judgment. How we will die none of us knows for sure. Our death may result from a terminal sickness, it may come as a result of a wreck or it may even happen through martyrdom.
What we do know is that death is going to happen. The question isn't if we are going to die but where will we spend eternity? The real question is what happens after we give up this mortal body? If we have surrendered our hearts and lives to Jesus no matter how we die then we will experience everlasting life with the LORD. However, if we deny our LORD just for the sake of a few more days, weeks or even months then what will that gain us? The Bible tells us that if we gain the whole world and yet lose our souls then we are foolish.
But today, let us not focus on our death but on the life we are to live here on earth and one day for all eternity. A life that remembers the lessons of the city of Jericho. The lessons that we can have the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY on our side. The lessons that as His people we are to be people of obedience and faith. Those are the ways that we will find success in this new year.
IV. Finally, we see that the last step revolved around the River Jordan
It would be at this same River Jordan that Elisha would later send the Syrian commander Namaan. Namaan had been sent to Elisha for him to heal him of his leprosy. At first Namaan refused to listen to Elisha. He thought Elisha plan was beneath of a man of his honor and prestige. But being terminally ill humbles a person and after some time Namaan surrendered his will and went to the Jordan River, dipped seven times and came out healed and whole.
In verse 8 we read as the Prophet Elijah takes off his mantle and strikes the waters of the Jordan River. As a result the waters divide and he and Elisha walk over to the other side. It is there that Elijah is taken up into heaven in the fiery chariot. Following, Elijah's ascension we read that Elisha does two very important things:
a. Elisha tears his old prophet's clothes. He tears them apart not in mourning but as a symbol of casting off the past.
Elisha does not mourn the loss of Elijah. How can you mourn when you have just watched a man be ushered into heaven by God's Holy Angels? How can you mourn when you have just watched heaven open?
We are to therefore understand that Elisha is not in mourning he is in transformation. He is on the verge of beginning his new life. Just minutes before he was only an assistant. But now after walking through Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and the Jordan River he is a new man with a new mission. From this moment on he will be the Voice of God for the People of God.
Let's not miss what is going on here. What Elisha does here is vital for his and could be vital for our spiritual formation. At times we find ourselves being unable to grow in the LORD because we are still trying to do things the same old way. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to put away the past - to tear ourselves away from the past and reach out and take hold of the new things that the LORD has for us.
Later on in the New Testament our Lord Jesus would talk about the danger of putting new wine in old wineskins. If we put new wine in old wineskins then all that will happen is the old wineskins will burst and the wine will be spilled out and ruined. We must allow the LORD to make us into new wineskins so that we can hold the new wine that he desires to give us this new year. We must not make the mistake of missing out on God's new blessings for us this upcoming year.
b. The second thing Elisha does is he picks up Elijah's mantle as his own and he identifies with the same faith as Elijah. Elijah's God will be his God. He will fulfill the same mission as that given to Elijah. As Elijah was the mouthpiece of the LORD so too will he be the mouth piece of the LORD.
What we see here is we don't have to reject tradition. It is not necessary for us to throw away tradition. But we also don't bow down to tradition. We pick it up, we hold it close and we walk with it in new ways that God leads us. We don't create a whole new story. Instead, we continue God's Story for our time and age even as Elisha did.
He didn't try to become Elijah 2.0. He accepted the same mantle God had given Elijah but twice blessed. He didn't want the same ministry as Elijah. He wanted one deeper, richer and fuller. That is to be our passion this morning. As we continue to walk in the tradition of holiness, of righteousness we do so by asking the LORD to favor us with us with even more blessing, favor and anointing.
This new year we don't have to remake our faith. All we have to do is live out the faith walk that the LORD is already working through our lives. All we have to do is allow the LORD to walk us through the same steps that we see Elisha walking in our passage. All we have to do is to allow the LORD to lead us:
+Through our own Gilgal - submitting and surrendering our flesh, our bodies over to the LORD
+Through our own Bethel - allowing the LORD presence to be upon us and living in His Promises
+Through our own Jericho - obeying and having faith in the God of the Impossible - the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
+Through our own Jordan River - dying out to the LORD. Casting off the old and picking up the mantle that God wants to give us this new year.
Can we do that this morning? Can we surrender our bodies over to Him? Can we commit to the LORD to be open to His Presence this new year? Can we put our obedience and faith in the God of the Impossible? And can we die out to Him? Can we receive the mantle He has for us this year?
+The Mantle of being a Disciple/Follower of the Lord Jesus Christ
+The Mantle of being infilled with His Holy Spirit and walking in the flow of the Holy Spirit
+The Mantle of being a Prayer Warrior
+The Mantle of being a Person who will share the Faith
+The Mantle of being a Person who will fulfill the Great Commission
+The Mantle of being a Person who is Obedient and Faithful
+The Mantle of allowing God's Holy Spirit to cleanse us, infill us and lead us
This morning, if that is the person you want to be - then let's right now surrender our hearts, our minds and our souls to Him. Then let's get busy having the greatest year of our lives - picking up our mantles and walking in the Spirit this new year!
Altar Call or Communion
This is the Lord's Message for His People - AMEN!
May those who read and use this message be evermore filled with God's Presence, Spirit and anointing. May your ministry be taken to the next level and may your life continue to give our LORD honor and glory. May this year be filled with God's favor, anointing and grace. May His Name be lifted up and may people be brought to faith as God works in and through you this year - that is my prayer. Amen.
