Tearing Of Clothes

"Tearing Of Clothes” 2 Kings 2:1-12

1. In Second Kings, the prophet Elisha is torn apart by the departure of his mentor Elijah.

• As the story begins, the two men are on the road outside Gilgal, near the Jordan River.

• Elijah somehow knows that his prophetic work is coming to an end, so he tries to separate himself from Elisha.

• Elijah says to his younger colleague, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha says, “I will not leave you” (2:2).

2. The Mentor Elijah and the Mentee Elisha they go to Bethel, then Jericho, then The Jordan

• In Bethel they run into a company of prophets. Once again, Elijah tries to break away, but fails. 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”

• The two walk to Jericho, and again Elijah tries unsuccessfully to leave Elisha behind. 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”

• Then the two men, followed by the company of prophets, proceed to the Jordan River. Elijah takes his mantle, which is a cloak made of cloth, rolls it up, and strikes the water. The water is “parted to the one side and to the other” (v. 8),

• This parting of the water in the Jordan reminds us of the parting of the Red Sea, when Moses led the Israelites out of captivity. What is our Captivity?

• It also brings to mind the journey through the Jordan River, when Joshua led the people into the Promised Land.

3. Elijah says to Elisha once they got to the other side ,

• Elijah says, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”

• Elisha says, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit” (v. 9).

• What a beautiful request this is. Elisha is not asking to inherit Elijah’s money or property. He’s requesting a double share of the older prophet’s spirit. He wants to be seen as Elijah’s heir and to continue his powerful work in the world.

• Elisha wanted to be like Elijah maybe we should be like Jesus

Jesus healed an officials son who was close to death, He helped the hopeless, He helped people, He helped folks with life

4. Elisha watches Elijah go up in whirlwind until he passes out of sight.

• Then Elisha grasps his own clothes and tears them into pieces. In the world of the Bible, tearing one’s clothes is a sign of mourning, grief and loss.

• He is torn apart by the departure of his mentor, unsure of what kind of mending will come his way.

• We know what Elisha is feeling, don’t we? Each of us has come to a crossroads like this. move to a new city for a job, or find ourselves suddenly out of work. It happens when we get married, divorced, or lose a spouse just as we’re getting ready to enjoy retirement. It happens when we visit the doctor hoping for relief, only to receive a life-altering diagnosis.

• All are crossroads. All involve loss. All can lead to the tearing of clothes.

5. None of us escape the tearing of Clothes The hurt, the pain, the misery, the loss

• None of us can escape the pain of being human.

• In every life, there will be rips and tears, some small and some very big.

• Hear the Good News Our God is with us, helping us mend.

6. Despite the tearing of our life’s like Elisha’s No matter who wins super bowl life goes on

• Elisha is broken, but Elisha picks up the mantle of Elijah and returns to the bank of the Jordan River.

• He strikes the water with the mantle, and the water parts again.

• When he crosses the river, the company of prophets says, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” (2 Kings 2:13-15).

• His life was torn The Spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha That spirit is wanting to rise in us

• There is a song Called the Spirit of Elijah Tells us to Rise up with the Spirit of Joshua’s circle the land, The song says You descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, rise up, Blow the Trumpet

• The churches finest hour is yet to come .