Whatever services Elisha may have rendered (Timothy-like) in association with Elijah while the latter remained on earth, his testimony proper began after Elijah was carried to heaven. Their last journey together is full of spiritual significance. Starting from Gilgal, they proceeded west to Bethel; thence they turned back towards the east and visited Jericho; and from Jericho they passed to Jordan, and across to the other side. All these points spoke of a blessed past and an evil present. Israel’s Canaan history commenced at Gilgal (Josh. 5). There their camp was formed; there the reproach of Egypt was rolled away; and thence they marched forth at the divine bidding for conquest. The associations of the place were thus very precious to a pious Israelite. But Gilgal was now one of the chief centers of national iniquity (Amos 4:4; 5:5; Hos. 4:15). The place of Israel’s early consecration to God had become the place of gross unfaithfulness to God. How sadly we are thus reminded of what the Church was in the beginning and of what it is today.
Bethel, meaning “house of God,” was sacred as the spot where God manifested Himself to Jacob, and graciously pledged Himself to His servant (Gen. 28:10-22). Now one of Jeroboam’s calves stood there (1 Ki. 12:28-29), causing Jehovah to speak of the place in contempt as Bethaven— “house of folly” (Hos. 4:15).
Jericho once witnessed a marvelous display of divine power when Jehovah caused the walls to fall down flat; it was now a standing proof of the nation’s apostasy from God (Josh. 6:20; 1 Ki. 16:34).
Jordan once opened to let Israel into the land; now it opened to let Elijah out. Jehovah seemed thus to sunder link after link all that which once bound the people to Himself. They had rejected Him; He now rejected them. It is as if He was saying to His servant, “They do not want Me, and they do not want you; let them alone.”
The holy persistency of Elisha on that memorable journey is very remarkable. At the start Elijah gave him the opportunity of remaining at Gilgal while he went on to Bethel (2 Ki. 2:2). But Elisha protested, “As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” At Bethel and at Jericho further opportunities were given, but Elisha refused them in the same determined manner. Was the departing prophet really desirous of getting rid of his companion, or was he instead testing him as to how far he entered into the circumstances of that moment! We believe it was the latter. As the words of the sons of the prophets show, there was an impression abroad that Elijah was about to be taken away, and Elisha was bent upon remaining with him until the end. His soul felt that blessing was connected with association with Elijah, and he was determined not to miss the blessing. So “they two went on.” Oh, that we clave to Christ with the same set purpose that Elisha clave to Elijah! Herein is the secret of power for life and testimony.
Arrived at the river, Jordan fled before the prophet, “so that they two went over on dry ground.” Expressive type of Christ—death’s Master. But His death is also ours, and we find ourselves, in consequence, with Him outside of the present evil world. Do we indeed realize that this is our true position?
Jordan being passed, Elisha’s great opportunity came. “Ask what I shall do for thee,” said his master, “before I be taken away from thee.” Like Solomon at an earlier date (1 Ki. 3:5), his purpose of heart expressed itself in his reply. “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon Thee.” The “double portion” was the portion of the firstborn (pt. 21:15-17), whereby he was enabled to worthily represent the dead, and maintain the honor of his name. All in the Church are firstborn ones (Heb. 12:23), and as such are endowed with blessings such as saints in former dispensations never knew. Nothing could exceed the wealthy portion which is ours in the risen Christ, that “better thing” which God has “provided for us” (Heb. 11:16). By the power of the Spirit we are enabled to enter into the realization of it, and so become fitted to worthily represent the absent Christ in the scene of His rejection.
Not until Jordan was passed did Elijah propose blessing to his disciple. In like manner, Calvary must be left behind in resurrection power ere the Spirit could be given from above, and full Christian blessing be enjoyed.
But there was a condition imposed upon Elisha. “If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” Elisha did see the glorious sight, and so the longed-for power and blessing became his. Do we see the Man who has gone up to God! Is the eye of our faith upon Him! The apostle prayed for the Colossians (Col. 1:11) that they might be “strengthened with all might, according to the power of His glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Strengthened in this manner, Stephen could die in triumph, and Paul could live and serve dauntlessly.
From the departing prophet there fell the mantle. This Elisha took up, and forthwith rent his own clothes in two pieces. We must put off in order to put on. We must be divested in order to be invested. In measure as the old “I” is practically renounced (God’s sentence of death upon it really accepted) so Christ is manifested in us. The apostle describes his own experience thus: “We which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11). He even welcomed the most painful circumstances when they contributed to this grand result (2 Cor. 12:9).
Possessed now of power, Elisha turned back towards Jordan: “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah! and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over” (2 Ki. 2:9). Elijah had gone, but God remained. What we all need is faith in the Unseen. Israel failed in this when Moses disappeared in the mount (Ex. 32:1). The Church has likewise failed in its faith in the invisible Head, and in the invisible Spirit. Men come and go, but God is ever with His people. Let us not live in the past, lamenting that “the former days were better than these” (Eccl. 7:10); but let us rather lay hold upon God for today, assured that we shall find Him as good to us as ever He was to His saints in ages past.