PASSING THE MANTEL

 

PASSING THE MANTEL

II Kings 2:1-7

The church has a mandate, “Go into all the world and make disciples.” The degree to which we obey the Lord determines the health and future of the church. Because so many of us have failed to pass on our faith and help others grow in it, the church has become merely a shell of what she should and needs to be. We have lost our voice in the world because we make a lot of noise without much substance. People need to see faith working, not just speaking.

As we face an uncertain future, faith is required. 1-7 As we look at this passage of Scripture, we notice a couple of interesting things. Elijah was on the run. He had just come down from a mountain top experience and was drained. He was vulnerable. He was scared. He needed the Lord’s help. His very ministry was at a crossroad.

Elijah had just been used of the Lord to bring about a great victory in Israel. He had displayed God’s glory to a people who were indifferent to God. He had been used by God to bring justice to hundreds of Baal worshipers. It was a spectacular display of God’s realness and the power of prayer. Yet, would it be enough to turn people’s heart back to the Lord once they came down from the mountain? Would they survive spiritually without him around? Would Elisha be ready to take over?

Was Elisha ready to take over for Elijah? Elisha was not looking to fill Elijah’s shoes. He was doing what he always had done, helping to plow a field to provide food for his family. God had told Elijah to seek Elisha out and put his mantel on him. God had chosen Elisha to be Elijah’s successor. Elisha had a decision to make.

Faith demands that we leave our comfort zone. Elisha did not know what was in store for him. He did not know what would become of the family he would leave behind. He did not know if he was up to the challenge or not. He would never know what the Lord could do through him without leaving his comfort zone.

. Elisha had to stand on God’s promises. We have to stand on God’s promises when there simply is nowhere else to stand. Life was very difficult for the Israelites at this time. The Midianites were harassing them and seizing whatever they could of their possessions. The only hope for Elisha to escape from his current life was to stand on God’s promises. He had to trust that God knew what He was doing and follow Him.

Faith determines whether or not we will become what God wants us to be. It requires us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, wherever it may lead us. It demands we let go of whatever may hinder us. It demands that we fix our eyes on Jesus and let Him be the Lord of our lives.