Study 21 - The Bonds of Relationship

God must have been delighted by the relationship that developed between Elijah and Elisha. But then, he knew what he was doing when he first put them together.

A willing heart
When Elijah first met him, Elisha was not sitting in a quiet meadow making daisy chains and dreaming about becoming famous. He was pushing a plough, taking responsibility, working hard, serving his father.

When Samuel summoned David, the young man was out tending his father’s sheep. Maybe he knew that the rest of his brothers were with the great prophet. Maybe he wanted to be there too. Whatever the case, David didn’t allow his desires to interfere with his everyday work. He hadn’t been invited to the meeting with Samuel, but he didn’t sit in his room and mope about it. He got on with the job that he’d been given.

Some of the Thessalonian Christians didn’t follow suit. They became too preoccupied with Jesus’ second coming that they almost gave up on the idea of working for a living. Paul rebuked them. ‘Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat’ (2 Thess. 3:12). God uses responsible people. He notes the men and women who are reliable, who take their everyday work seriously and who prove it by their actions.

When Elijah’s cloak fell over his shoulders, Elisha was quick to honour his parents. Realising what was happening, he continued to show concern for them. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you’ (1 Kings 19:20).

Although he took time to bid farewell to his parents, this by no means represented what Jesus would later describe as ‘putting one hand on the plough and looking back,’ thereby proving oneself unworthy of the kingdom (Luke 9:62). Elisha responded wholeheartedly. ‘That’s it,’ he said to his family. ‘I’ve heard the call of God and I’ve got to leave you. From now on my chief occupation is to be Elijah’s disciple.’ Then he slaughtered his yoke of oxen, built a bonfire with the ploughing equipment, cooked the meat on it and gave it to the people.

True disciples of Christ must be 100% committed and must demonstrate their commitment by burning their bridges, giving Christ priority over everything else in their lives.

A serving spirit
Elisha didn’t begin his discipleship by saying, ‘Okay, I’ve brought my notebook. Are we starting with Leviticus or Deuteronomy?’ No. Up to this point he’d been serving his father, and now he was happy to become Elijah’s servant (1 Kings 19:21). It was later recorded of him, ‘He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah’ (2 Kings 3:11). I didn’t fully understand that phrase until I washed my hands in a place in India where there were no taps. With lather all over my hands I wondered, ‘Now what do I do?’ then someone came and poured water over them for me. So Elisha just did the little, practical things for Elijah.

There is no record that Elisha put pressure on Elijah or pestered him with, ‘Hey, Elijah, when do we get to calling down fire from heaven?’

Just before Elijah was taken up to heaven, the prophets said to Elisha, ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’ (2 Kings 2:3,5). Even after years, it was apparent to everyone that Elijah was still master and Elisha his servant. And Elisha accepted that. He didn’t argue with what they had said, neither did he elevate himself as successor. Instead, he simply replied, ‘Yes, I know, but do not speak of it’ (2 Kings 2:3,5).