Pastor Jeff Anders opens the new series Elisha: God’s Double Agent by going back to Elijah’s low point in 1 Kings 19 and following the mantle all the way to 2 Kings 2. Out of Elijah’s darkest experience under the juniper tree, God raised up a new man of God who would carry a double portion of the power of God.
Introduction: Out of the Juniper Tree
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah sat under the juniper tree, ready to quit. He believed he was the only prophet left and asked God to take him home.
- The devil still works the way he did then. He uses people like Jezebel to discourage God’s people and make them feel alone.
- Elijah had no idea that God was about to raise up a great new leader out of that very experience.
- That leader was Elisha, God’s “double agent.”
1. The Mantle He Wore
In 1 Kings 19:16, God told Elijah to anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat as prophet in his place. In 1 Kings 19:19, Elijah found him plowing with twelve yoke of oxen and cast his mantle, his outer coat, upon him. We still talk about “passing the mantle,” and that’s exactly what was happening, even though the full handoff would take years.
A Man Chosen by God
- Elijah didn’t pick Elisha for his looks, talents, or gifts. God chose him and told Elijah in the still small voice.
- Elisha wasn’t looking for a pulpit. He was minding his own business, plowing his field.
- A man of God is someone God has put His hand on. God knows our hearts, our gifts, and our talents.
Listening to the Voice of God
If Elijah hadn’t been brought low enough to listen, he wouldn’t have known about Elisha, and Elisha might have gone right on farming and missed God’s purpose for his life. We need men and women of God who turn their ear toward heaven and listen to that still small voice, so they know how to pray and how to deal with others.
Unloading the Wagon
- Elisha burned the yoke and the plow as firewood, offered the oxen, and fed the people (1 Kings 19:21). He unloaded his farming wagon so he could follow the man of God.
- He went home and said goodbye to his mom and dad, then went after Elijah and served him.
- Some of us have our wagons full of things and connections God doesn’t want us to have. Lay aside the weights and sins that hold you back, so you can run the race God has called you to.
- In the same way, the disciples left their father in the boat to follow Jesus.
2. The Path to the Jordan
In 2 Kings 2:1–6, Elijah and Elisha traveled from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan. Pastor Anders described it as a historic tour, showing Elisha how God operates:
- Gilgal, where Israel had crossed over the Jordan.
- Bethel, where Jacob met God.
- Jericho, where God gave Joshua the battle plan and the walls came tumbling down.
“I’m Going With You”
At every stop, Elijah told Elisha to stay behind, and every time Elisha vowed, by the life of the Lord, that he would not leave him. That little distance between you and the man of God is the place where the enemy begins to operate. Elisha stuck with him.
The Sons of the Prophets
The sons of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho knew God was about to take Elijah, and Elisha told them to hold their peace (2 Kings 2:3, 2 Kings 2:5). They encouraged these men of God, and Elijah seems to have been connecting them with Elisha as their next leader. Fifty of them stood far off to watch (2 Kings 2:7).
The Parting of the Jordan
In 2 Kings 2:8, Elijah wrapped up his mantle and struck the waters, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. Those prophets had studied how God parted the Jordan for Joshua centuries earlier, and now they were watching the power of God do it again.
3. The Request for a Double Portion
In 2 Kings 2:9, Elijah asked what he could do for Elisha before he was taken. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. In 2 Kings 2:10, Elijah called it a hard thing, but promised that if Elisha saw him taken, it would be so.
You’ve Got to Stick With It
- No time was given. If Elisha didn’t stay close, he would miss the power of God.
- You can’t be wishy-washy or run and hide in a cave when it gets tough. It takes diligence and endurance.
- Keep on praying, keep on witnessing, and keep on worshiping. Don’t stop.
- God doesn’t put His power on just anybody. He puts it on those who are all the way in.
- Without that, you might see plenty of religious entertainment but never know the power of God.
What Would You Ask For?
Elijah was the man whose prayers stopped the rain, called down fire on Mount Carmel, raised a dead boy, and kept the meal and oil from running out. Many of us would ask for a full bank account or better health. Elisha asked only for double the power. If we’re honest, we might find that God hasn’t put His power on us because we want worldly things more than we want Him.
4. The Mantle Taken Up
As they walked and talked, a chariot of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). In 2 Kings 2:12, Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah as his father. He had stuck right with him.
- Elisha took up the mantle that fell from Elijah and went back to the bank of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:13).
- He struck the waters, calling on the Lord God of Elijah, and the waters parted, and he crossed over by himself (2 Kings 2:14).
- The sons of the prophets at Jericho saw it and bowed before him (2 Kings 2:15).
There was a new man of God on the scene, God’s agent, with not just an equal share but a double portion of the power God had placed on Elijah.
Take-Homes
- God raises up His people out of hard places. Nobody watching Elijah under the juniper tree would have dreamed what came next.
- Listen for the still small voice. You may find out what God wants you to do.
- Unload the wagon. Let go of whatever is keeping God from using you.
- Don’t let any distance creep in. That gap is where the enemy goes to work. Stay close and stick with it.
- Want God’s power more than anything else. The church needs the power of God more than a building, grounds, or any form of religious entertainment.