Pst. Silas. Principles of a Faithful Servant

There is so much to learn from the call of Elisha. He faithfully served under Elijah for about 6 years. after the death of Elijah, he became one of the greatest prophets Israel had. God used him to do all manner of miracles.

let's dive in and pick some lessons from the life of Elisha.

Main Verses:

1 Kings 19:19-21The Call of Elisha

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

2 Kings 2:1-18 Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah 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.

3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

4 Then 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.

5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

6 Then 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. 7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah 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.

15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

2 Kings 3:11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

Characteristics of Elisha…

1 - Honor

Before following Elijah, he asked him to go back and kiss goodbye to his father and mother. He understood that for him to succeed he needed the blessing of his parents.

Exodus 20:12

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

2 Kings 2:2

He also honored Elijah his master by serving him faithfully until the time he ( Elijah) was taken away from him.

·         As they were going from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and eventually to Jordan, Elijah told Elisha to stay behind but he did not.

• sow honor and you will reap honor.

• Honor is a sign of humility.

• Honor opens doors of greatness [Esther honored Mordecai even when she became queen]

• Honor acknowledges that God is using the other person in your life-Therefore honor positions you to tap from the great.

• David honored Saul, and he was later honored sitting on the same seat.

2 - Obedient

1 Kings 19:20: Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah.

1 Samuel 15: 22: To obey is better than sacrifice.

3 - Sacrifice

1 Kings 19:21: He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.

4 - Patient

• Elisha served Elijah faithfully for over 6 years.He was getting prepared for greater things to come.

Great men know what it means to be patient,

• Jacob served patiently for a total of 20 years. [14 +6]

Genesis 31:41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.

Joseph

David

• David had to wait about 15 years from the time he was first anointed by Samuel to be King to the time he officially began to rule as king over Judah. It was another seven years before he was anointed king over all Israel, making a total of over 20 years of waiting. He finally became king of all Israel after

5 - Confidence

·         Elisha served Elijah with confidence. Elisha knew that Elijah was his master. Elijah knew without doubt that he was being prepared to succeed Elijah.

·         Ezekiah faces a vast army with confidence.

2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

·         John summarizes where our confidence comes from.

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.