GLEANINGS FROM THE SCRIPTURESWhere Is The Lord God Of Elijah?By Keith L. EstesIt has become the question of so many through the countless centuries. The phrase “Where is the Lord God of Elijah,” was first coined by Elisha who had asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit. Elijah replied that he could not grant such a request, but if Elisha should see Elijah, when the Chariot of Fire took him up and his mantle was found by Elisha, then God would grant his request. Elisha did indeed see Elijah taken up by the Chariot and when the mantle fell, Elisha picked it up, spoke the words, "Where is the God of Elijah," struck the Jordan river bank with the mantle, and the waters parted allowing him to walk over on dry land. In those days there was a "school of the prophets" and they were all aware that Elijah was to be taken up to be with God. They said to Elisha, "Today your master will be taken away from you." After they witnessed this event they started to have doubt and asked Elisha if fifty of the prophets could go out to the hill country and look for the body of Elijah. Elisha said, "You shall not send." They insisted so strongly that Elisha finally gave in and allowed them to search. These fifty prophets searched everywhere for the body, because surely the whirlwind must have deposited it somewhere in the mountainous terrain. After three days they returned and reported to Elisha that they were not able to find the body. Elisha replied, "Did I not say unto you, go not? What does it mean to have a double portion of Elijah's spirit? For openers we see the parting of the Jordan River. Then we see the men of Jericho coming to him and complaining that the water there was brackish and the land barren. Elisha took salt in a cruse and placed it in the spring and purified the spring and the land. Some disrespectful young people saw Elisha and mocked him, saying, “Go up, you bald head, Go up, you bald head.” Elisha pronounced a curse on them and there came forth two she bears out of the woods, and mauled forty two of them. These youth were of responsible age that were actually blaspheming God by casting doubt upon Elisha’s report of the "going up" of Elijah. Therefore both God and His newly designated prophet were to be vindicated so proper respect might be shown. A poor widow was about to lose her two sons to servitude because of her debt and Elisha instructed her to borrow all the vessels she could and to pour out her small amount of oil into them. She kept pouring and filled all of the vessels before the oil stayed. He told her to sell the oil and pay the debt and live on the rest. A Notable woman who had an aged husband built a room on their rooftop for Elisha. Because of her kindness, Elisha told the woman she would have a child. She said, "Do not lie to me." In time she did have the child and after the child was grown, he was out in the field, and had sunstroke and died. Elisha was called and raised the child from the dead and delivered him to his mother. For Elisha to ask the question, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah," did indeed involve many miraculous events. We also, as followers of Christ, live lives that are equally miraculous. We trust in someone we don't see, we believe the witness of others concerning His death, burial and resurrection. We believe in the unfailing spirit that He imparts and we accept the fact that by faith we will live with him realizing love, joy, and peace, forever. Reference: 2nd Kings Chapter's 2, 3, and 4. The Holy Bible. |