1 Kings 19:21, “So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.”
Elisha was just an ordinary farmer until the prophet Elijah came up to him and placed his cloak on him (1 Kings 19:19). When Elijah put his cloak on Elisha this meant he wanted him to be his disciple. By faith Elisha received the calling to be trained under Elijah and left his home, family and comfort to follow and serve the man of God. God wanted Elijah to rise up another prophet to take his place when his time on earth was finished and Elisha was the perfect choice.
Elisha didn’t start off doing great things in man’s eyes, but rather he was the servant of Elijah. His tasks would involve washing Elijah’s hands, running errands for him and being a source of encouragement for his mentor (2 Kings 3:11). As time went by, Elijah was called by God to take a chariot to heaven. He commanded Elisha to go from him and carry on the ministry. However, Elisha was not willing to leave Elijah because he loved him dearly. He said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you” (2 Kings 2:6). Because of Elisha’s persistence, Elijah blessed him and said that if he saw him go to heaven then he would be able to do double what he had done in ministry (2 Kings 2:9-10).
Sure enough Elisha followed Elijah all the way until he watched him be taken up into heaven on a chariot of fire. He then saw the cloak that Elijah wore fall from the sky and he put it on. This was the same cloak that was placed on him years ago. Now with Elijah’s mantle in hand, Elisha served the Lord just as his leader had taught him.
During Elisha’s life he was able to do more miracles in number and see greater things than Elijah had seen. I believe Elisha’s greatest accomplishment was starting a school of the prophets, which multiplied the teachings he had received from Elijah, so that Israel would have prophetic voices all throughout the land (2 Kings 6:1-7).
Mentorship insures that a person’s life experiences don’t die when they do, but rather their wisdom can live on in the lives of those they’ve shared them with.
By faith, Elisha was able to humble himself to be taught by Elijah. The discipleship of Elijah with Elisha is an Old Testament shadow of Jesus making disciples. Today, may we all have the same faith of Elisha to be a disciple of Jesus Christ that makes new disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)!
Reflection
Are you being discipled to make new disciples?
Action
- Ask God to place you under a godly mentor to disciple you. A.W. Tozer said, “Only a disciple can make a disciple.”
- Prayerfully look for opportunities to disciple others.
- By faith, be a disciple that makes disciples!
One Year Reading Plan
Ezekiel 31:1-32:32, Hebrews 12:14-29, Psalm 113:1-114:8, & Proverbs 27:18-20. Click here to read online.
