1. Elijah was a simple man who did some not so simple stuff ordinary man who did some extraordinary things
• Elijah was a Tishmite meaning he was from Tishbe which was an insignificant place it was kind of like what Nathaniel asked Phillip. "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see
• He stood against the King named Ahab who took Naboths Vineyard. 19Say to him, `This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, `This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood--yes, yours!' His wife claimed that Naboth had cursed God so they had Naboth stoned .
• He Proved on Mount Carmel that Baal was not a god.
• He raised a young man from death the widow of Zarepath
• He appears on the mount of Transfiguration
• Prophecy that Elijah will return 5"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
• James 5:17 says, Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years
2. The Great Prophet was moving on, His mission is over, His time is over, All things come to an end
• Vs 1 the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind
• Elijah, and the sons of the prophets all knew that Elijah would soon be carried into heaven by a whirlwind;
3. God has called and another Prophet will take Elijah’s place Talk about some shoes to fill
• Remember Naboths Vineyard, Mount Carmel, widows son, pray for rain it rained
• Preaching Homecoming Matheny had to follow the Harless Family
4. Elijah desires to teach the prophet Elisha a few things about some locations
• First Place Gilgal Gilgal means the ‘rolling’ or ‘roll-away’ and so it is called Gilgal because God was saying to them “I have rolled away the past. I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt forget your past.
• Second place Bethel (House of God) When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “ Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it .” He was afraid and said, “ How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God ; this is the gate of heaven.” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, Times will be tough but there is always refuge in the house of God. The place of God
• Third Place the Prophet goes is Jericho “Walls comin’ a tumbling down!” do what God says . It was silly to march but when they did, the walls fell
• Final Place is Jordan Elisha learns this is the place of death and life they are about to pass into the land flowing with milk and honey the generation that left Egypt die on this side of Jordan .
5. Elijah took his cloak rolled it up struck the Jordan and they crossed on dry ground.
• Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
• Elisha said, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,"
• The chariots and the horsemen And Elisha saw him no more he cried out, "My father! My father” My Mentor, My Friend, My teacher, My one I looked up to
• Elisha is Broken text says he took his own clothes and tore them
• Notice 13He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah Think of what it was like for Elisha to pick up that mantle. The mantle did not fall from heaven and rest on his shoulders; he had to decide to pick it up and put it on. He had to decide: do I really want to put this on? Elijah’s ministry was one of great power, but also of great pressure and responsibility.
• Notice Elisha returns to the Jordan 14Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
Why did the waters roll back for Elisha because he had a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, because he prophesied to be the replacement of Elijah I think because of what he said and did? 2Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel."
But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
4Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho."
And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.
6Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you."
So the two of them walked on. I think the lesson here is I am staying the course no matter what me and you God walk on.
