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Never under-
He was quiet and not very charismatic – certainly one of the most unlikely hero’s of the Old Testament. But Roy Todd looks at why Elisha became such an incredible leader.
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Analysis of a great leader: Elisha
It's interesting to compare the two characters of Elijah and Elisha. They were completely different from each other. Elijah was a fiery preacher who had loads of charisma, passion and conviction. But his downside was that he could often be deeply depressed and discouraged, graphically highlighted when Jezebel threatened to have him killed (1 Kings 19:2). Elijah became so discouraged that he even prayed that he would die (1 Kings 19:4).
Elisha however, comes across as a much quieter character. He probably didn't have
the charisma or presence that Elijah had. However, he had just as much authority.
It just goes to show that God can do incredible things through your life -
Let's have a look at the call of God on the life of Elisha:
The Source of Elisha's calling
God knows what he wants to do and through whom he wants to do it. This was very clear
with Elisha. 1 Kings 19:15-
But what exactly is "the anointing"? To have the anointing meant that the approval and favour of God was on a person, setting them apart for a specific task. It implied: being in the will of God, acting as an ambassador of God and having authority from God.
It is interesting that when Elisha was called, he was anointed. These two things cannot be separated. When someone is truly appointed, they will also be truly anointed.
Reinhard Bonnke often points out that a Christian only needs one anointing and after
that, there is no need to pray for more “anointings”. He’s absolutely right. When
God appoints us, it is our responsibility to grow in what we have -
The Sincerity of Elisha's response
Elisha's appointing and anointing was no ceremonious affair. It happened while he was ploughing his fields! The eccentric prophet Elijah walked by and casually threw his coat over Elisha (1 Kings 19:19). Of course, this act was highly significant. The coat was the most important item of clothing that Elijah had. It was used to keep him warm in wintertime, as bedding during the evening, as a luggage carrier and as a mat to sit on. It symbolised the anointing, the most important thing a servant of God can have.
Elisha's response was to the call of God was to run after Elijah (v20), representing enthusiasm and sincerity. He didn't spend lots of time thinking about it. He recognised what God was saying and immediately responded to it with an attitude of gratitude. He was determined not to miss his God given destiny. God likes that.
The call required Separation
After he had caught up with Elijah, Elisha asked, "Let me kiss my father and mother
good-
However, Elisha was serious about doing what God wanted. He understood there would
be cost involved. It would mean that he would have to leave everything. So he burned
his yoke of oxen, destroyed his ploughing equipment and said good-
At a recent Christian book festival in America, it was noted that books which have a theme based on what the Christian can ‘receive’ are far more likely to sell than those books that include words like "Cost" and "Price". Interestingly, Jesus said to the rich young ruler, "Leave everything and follow me."
Elijah learned to Serve the man of God
Even though Elisha had the call of God on his life, it's interesting that his first
years were spent submitting himself to Elijah. 1 Kings 19:21 tells us "... he set
out to follow Elijah and became his attendant." A great man of God once said, "You'll
never lead until you know how to be led!" Even the Lord Jesus himself came to serve,
not to be served (Philippians 2-
Elijah was undoubtedly a great man of God. But he was an impossible boss. He could
be temperamental at times and very unpredictable. Life for Elisha was anything but
easy. However, through this difficult experience, Elisha developed discipline and
patience. It was actually the making of him. Sometimes, the difficult experiences
we go through are the making of us -
It’s highly likely that Elisha spent a considerable amount of time as Elijah's attendant. This is emphasised by the fact that we don't hear anything about him again until 2 Kings 2. There, even though Elijah is fully aware that his life is coming to an end, he still didn't make life any easier for Elisha. Three times, Elijah pleaded to be left alone and three times Elisha refused (2 Kings 2:2, 4 & 6). He was determined to serve Elijah to the very end and by so doing, would not miss his destiny.
Elisha Succeeds
In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha's stubborn determination to serve Elijah finally pays off.
Elijah asks Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
Of course, it seems a bit late for Elijah to ask such a question! Surely, it would
have been better for him to ask this question when Elisha first joined him? After
all, he knew that Elisha was God's choice to be his successor! However, by hard work
and sheer discipline, Elisha had learned much and proved himself faithful. Elisha
responded, "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit" (v9). Elijah replied
with characteristic forthrightness, "You have asked a difficult thing ... yet, if
you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours -
A Fresh Start!
When Elisha took over the mantle of Elijah, it took time for the quiet man to establish himself as the new prophet in the land. He was never going to be like Elijah. Elijah was a one of a kind personality who could never be copied. But Elisha determined from the start that he would not try to copy Elijah's style. He determined that he would simply be himself. Remember – you’re an original. So don’t try to become a copy of someone else.
When some of the young guys of the city decided to test Elisha's authority by mocking
his baldness (2 Kings 2:23-
The lesson?
Elisha demonstrated his commitment to the call of God through his discipline and persistence in the hard times. Although he was a great man of God, Elijah was certainly not the best mentor in the world. Even so, Elisha was determined to learn as much as he possibly could from him. He served the man of God to the very end, even though the man of God didn't make it easy for him. It was the difficult experiences that built character into Elisha and prepared him for what God had in store.
Whatever circumstances you go through, always remember, attitude means everything!
The tough times are actually the making of you. This is without doubt the lesson
we can learn from the call of Elisha. He passed the test and went on to fulfil his
God-
© Roy Todd, 2008.
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