ELIJAH’S character is portrayed in the very first mention of him. There (1 Kings 17:11And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (1 Kings 17:1)) we see the whole man, living and moving before us. His appearances, like his going, were sudden and spectacular. As from nowhere he appears before Ahab and we are abruptly set at once in the midst of his life.
It is no mere pedantry to attach importance to the names of God’s servants, or indeed, to any name mentioned in the Bible. The names of Scripture characters were often given by God Himself, and were indicative of divine promise or assurance, or of their character or calling. Striking examples of this are Noah, Abraham, Othniel, Antipas, etc. Frequently they served, like bells on the priests’ garments, to keep, ever fresh, the remembrance of Jehovah. The name of this fearless man of God is no exception. It means “My God is the Lord.” How appropriate it was any reader of his divinely given history will at once see. The power of this was in his soul, and without hesitation he could walk, on one occasion, right into the presence of Ahab who had sworn his death and leave that monarch speechless. It was not that Jehovah strengthened Elijah, but that Jehovah Himself was his strength. A distinction with a difference. As to his moral condition the words “before whom I stand” would appear to indicate both his standing and the characteristic state of his inward life.
By far the most remarkable instance in this prophet’s life is that which is recorded in 2 Kings 2 His arduous labor upon earth is finished. Like a mariner, who, after a long and perilous voyage approaches his harbor, he is about to strike sail. The chariot of Israel and the horses thereof will take him to another and blissful world. This chapter, which begins typically in the glory and ends in millennial blessing lends itself to a triple division. Clearly this is (1) A vivid picture of our Lord’s stoop from the glory to the cross and back again as the Ascended Man; (2) A picture of grace meeting and blessing sinners; (3) A word of warning to scoffers. We would confine our remarks in this short paper to the first of these divisions.
If we fail carefully to note Elijah’s starting place we shall lose a great deal of the beauty and moral import of this chapter. It is of great help to consult a map of Palestine for Gilgal’s geographical position. Just west of Jordan, be it noted, is that Gilgal at which the people of Israel passed the first night after crossing the river. This is below Bethel and Jericho. From this place it is impossible to go down (verse 1) to Bethel. The solution to the apparent difficulty is that the Gilgal of the Jordan bank, so rich in typical teaching, was not Elijah’s starting point at all. This is confirmed by the fact that in Joshua and 1 Samuel the journey from Gilgal to the neighborhood of Bethel is spoken of as an ascent. But there is, perched up in the heights just ten miles north of Bethel, another Gilgal from which Elijah set out upon his memorable descent. Even to this day the ruins stand and the place is called Jiljilia.
If Canaan speaks to us of heavenly places can Gilgal of the heights speak to us of anything less than the glory? For even as Elijah went from thence to Bethel, so that perfectly obedient One stepped down to the house and to the people of God. “The Lord has sent me to Jericho” There was no tarrying at Bethel for Elijah. He was on his way to the Jordan of death. Again and again the Lord presented Himself to His own, always to be refused. He presented Himself also to man under the curse. Just how far He stooped we can learn from Philippians 2. The light from the New Testament illumines the Old and in the rays of that light the chapter before us displays in beautiful type the whole journey made by our gracious Lord from the glory to the cross, and back again to the place He now adorns as the Ascended Man.
Thrice, at Gilgal, at Bethel and at Jericho, did Elijah entreat Elisha, his companion, to leave him. Thrice Elisha gave the same decided reply, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” So the “two went on” and they crossed Jordan together. In two ways is the death of the Lord seen. As the atoning Substitute He was absolutely alone; but as Head of the New Creation we are reckoned to have died with Him.
Elisha’s attitude calls for further comment. He was far and away ahead of any of the sons of the prophets, for they “stood afar off.” It is one thing to see that Jesus has died for our sins and quite another to accept the place of death with Him. In this matter we can cross with Him or “stand afar off.”
Elijah’s bold invitation to Elisha met with an equally bold request. “Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me,” he asked. “If thou see me,” Elijah replied, “when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee.” Nothing could be more important than this. To become possessed of that for which he asked it was imperative that he should see Elijah taken up. He had keenly observed the descent but that would not bring the blessing he desired. No! he must see the ascended man who had crossed Jordan. When this came about he took hold of his clothes and rent them and “took also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him.”
It is very precious to see the path of our Lord down from glory, down, down to death itself. But He that descended has also ascended. If Christ is not risen our faith is vain. It is as important for us to see the Ascended Man Christ Jesus as it was for Elisha to behold the ascending Elijah. The effect upon Elisha was very like the effect the sight of the ascended Jesus had upon Saul at the Damascus gate. Henceforth to be “found in Him” was his desire.
The returning Elisha passes over the powerless waters. The spirit of the ascended man now rests upon the one left behind. As for the sons of the prophets, they were content to stand afar off. Lacking spiritual energy they stayed at Jericho. What effect this had upon them is clearly to be seen in the methods adopted to find Elijah. They could not rise to the idea of an ascended man, consequently they sent fifty strong men to search for him, in spite of Elisha’s emphatic command. Dismally they failed.
Are we walking in the power of Elisha’s secret, confirmed by that faith which is the evidence of things unseen? The Lord is not to be found by earth’s methods. He is in the place of glory and power. May grace be given to us by faith to see Him there! The measure in which this becomes real in Our lives will he the measure in which spiritual vigor and courage will characterize us, whether it be serving in Jericho — the place under the curse — or meeting the unbelief of Bethel― that which professes to be the house of God.
S. O. Thurston.