Hard Conversations: The Big Ask (Elijah and Elisha)
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This sermon features Elisha's "big ask" for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. We look at how the big ask paves the way for the big answer which challenges the faith of others. We will ask the hard question: "What am I doing that's big?"
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Hard Conversations: The Big Ask (Elijah and Elisha)
- 2. Series Verse As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
- 4. The “Big Ask” Isn’t “Ask” a Verb? When did “Ask” become a noun?
- 6. First Point The Big Ask acknowledges that we have a big God.
- 7. 2 Kings 2 1When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.
- 8. 2 Kings 2 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel.
- 9. 2 Kings 2 3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
- 10. 2 Kings 2 4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.
- 11. 2 Kings 2 5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
- 12. 2 Kings 2 6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.
- 13. 2 Kings 2 7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.
- 14. 2 Kings 2 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!
- 15. 2 Kings 2 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
- 16. 2 Kings 2 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
- 17. An Aerial View Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Deut. 11:24
- 18. Elijah and Elisha’s Final Journey Together 3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
- 19. Elijah and Elisha’s Final Journey Together 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!
- 20. 2 Kings 2 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
- 21. 1 Kings 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.
- 22. 2 Kings 2 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
- 23. 2 Kings 2 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
- 25. Second Point The Big Ask paves the way for the Big Answer.
- 26. 2 Kings 2 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
- 27. 2 Kings 2 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
- 28. 2 Kings 2 13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.
- 29. 2 Kings 2 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.
- 30. Is this how you picture Elijah’s departure?
- 31. 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them… Fiery chariot appears and separates Elijah and Elisha.
- 32. 11band Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elijah carried by a whirlwind, not a chariot.
- 33. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!”
- 34. Why does Elisha tear his clothes in distress? 12b And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
- 35. 2 Kings 2 13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.
- 36. 2 Kings 2 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.
- 37. Third Point The Big Answer to the Big Ask stretches the faith of others around us.
- 38. 2 Kings 2 15 When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, “Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha!” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
- 39. 2 Kings 2 16 “Sir,” they said, “just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” “No,” Elisha said, “don’t send them.”
- 40. 2 Kings 2 17 But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, “All right, send them.” So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
- 41. 2 Kings 2 18 Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” he asked.
- 42. Big and Small When our minds are not set on something big, they will be consumed by small things.
Editor's Notes
- Series Verse As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
- I am always intrigued by the innovations and changes that occur in our language. There are the grammatical rules of proper usage… and then there is how we really speak. And there are times that an oddity occurs in our language and it becomes a new normal in our speech. One of these is the phrase, “The Big Ask.” Ask is a verb. However, it has become a noun as well. For years I have been hearing the business community talking about the Big Ask to describe things like asking your employer for a raise or promotion, or asking your fellow corporate execs to support a risky new venture. It’s the Big Ask. I got curious about this phrase. When exactly did ask become a noun? I learned that this odd usage is traced to an Australian soap opera in September of 1999. A character named Alf states, “it's too big an ask“. This is the first documented usage. The phrase went viral, jumped a few oceans, and now ask is both listed as a verb and a noun.
- Today, we are going to look at Elisha’s Big Ask… a request so big that when Elijah heard it, he wasn’t sure if it was something that God would answer. Before we jump into our text, let me just share a little about these two prophets, Elijah and Elisha. This is one of the great mentoring relationships in the Bible… right up there with Paul and Timothy. Their names even sound so similar… but that is not actually the case. Their names have been anglicized… brought into our language in such a way that the difference is obscured. Elijah’s Hebrew name is “Elia-hu”. And his apprentice prophet is “Eli-shah” with the emphasis on the last syllable. Eliahu and Elisha. The purist in me had to point that out. That being said, I will refer to them as Elijah and Elisha. These are two of the greatest miracle working prophets in the Bible. They both performed resurrection miracles… something that Moses, the greatest miracle working prophet to date, had never done. Elijah performs miracles over nature… like praying and causing a drought… and then later praying and ushering in the rain. And, when we all think of Elijah, we think of that contest on Mt. Carmel where he prayed and God’s fire consumed the sacrifice on the altar,
- First Point
- 1When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.
- 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel.
- 3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
- 4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.
- 5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
- 6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.
- 7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.
- 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!
- 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
- 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
- Here is an aerial view from one of the Gilgals mentioned in scripture. It is a huge stone monument… not discernible from the ground. But when you get in a plane you see an image of a large sandal. This is very significant in the journey of the Hebrews into the Promised Land.
- As in so many of the biblical narratives, there is a recorded journey that is very significant, but the significance isn’t immediately apparent to us.
- Finally, they come to the Jordan River, and by now Elijah is not only followed closely by Elisha, but by 50 of the junior prophets, who follow from a greater distance. At this point they witness the last of Elijah’s miracles. Look at verse 8 again: Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!
- It is in this moment where Elijah recognizes that Elisha’s faith and persistence deserves some reward. We have no way of knowing what Elijah had in mind to do for Elisha. Was it to put in a good word for Him to the Lord of hosts? Or did he expect a request for a word of assurance, or a final piece of advice on how to handle the spiritual stubbornness of Israel’s k “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
- 1 Kings 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. I guess its possible that Elijah knew this, but never told Elisha. Yet, the sons of the prophets all recognize that Elisha is the successor.
- Clearly Elisha re-ups the request… that I might become your successor, but he precedes it with a request for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Is this poetic repetition, or is Elisha asking for two things. There are two reasons why I think that this is a really big ask that is a double request. First, is an interesting little fact. If you jump to the end of Elisha’s amazing miracle-performing ministry, and count the miracles, you will find that Elijah performs 7 miracles and Elisha 14. There is little qualitative difference and a definite quantitative difference. On top of this, there is an indication of this in verse 10. Look at Elijah’s response.
- 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” This
- Let me have a hard conversation with you. It is a hard conversation that I have been having with myself all week. So let me invite you to share my discomfort. When is the last time that you asked God for something so big that you weren’t sure if he would ever say yes? I think that there is one area where we have all made the big ask… our whole church family prayed a big prayer for Joyce’s healing. Many are praying for Mike and Mercedes Bealer’s niece right now. It seems that when confronted with death, we will make the big ask. But, if I’m honest with myself, most of my prayers are pretty small. In fact, I pray for lots of things that often work out on their own. Lord, help me get over this cold… Lord, help me to find my keys or my cell phone. Lord, I
- Second Point The Big Ask paves the way for the Big Answer.
- 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
- 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
- 13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.
- 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.
- Let me start with a picture and a question. Is this how you picture Elijah’s departure? The chariot of fire and the fiery horses swoop down and pick up Elijah, and he throws his mantle down as he rides off to God’s destination for him, whether it be heaven or Abraham’s bosom, as Jesus calls the domain of the righteous dead. This is the kind of Sunday School picture that I have seen for decades. The problem is that it is an inaccurate representation. Let’s look a the text again.
- 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them… Notice that the fiery chariot from heaven is not sent as a heavenly taxi. The stated purpose was to separate these two men. The reason for this separation becomes apparent in the last part of verse 11:
- 11b …and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. The text is crystal clear. Elijah is not riding in the chariot. He is carried into heaven by a whirlwind. The fiery chariot is a manifestation of God’s glory, reminiscent of the chariot of God in Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 1. It is also a much needed barrier, shielding Elisha from the ferocity of the whirlwind and perhaps a more direct view of God’s glory… a view that would have proved fatal.
- Verse 12 gives us more of a picture and more of a departure from our Sunday School image. Notice that Elisha lets us know that the lead chariot was not the only chariot… but that separating Elisha and Elijah is an army from heaven… the chariots and charioteers of Israel. With that clarification, let’s not miss the main point here. This is the Big Answer to the Big Ask. Elisha has seen the charioteers of heavens host. His audacious request has been answered. He will receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Heaven has answered YES. What we expect next is a huge celebration on Elisha’s part… but what happens next is unexpected.
- Elisha tears his clothes in distress. Why? What I am expecting is a huge celebration. But, this is a complicated moment. Elisha is losing his friend and mentor. Elijah’s journey towards God is a journey away from him. The charioteers of heaven had a purpose, in part, of creating a wall of separation between these two men who had been so close. We understand this separation. We don’t see visions of fiery horses and chariots when we lose a loved one… but we experience the separation. But I think there is something else behind Elisha’s mourning and distress… he has seen a glimpse of heaven’s glory that few here on earth ever see. We see a similar reaction in other scriptures. When Isaiah had his vision of heaven’s throne room, he exclaimed “Woe is me, for I am undone.” When Peter saw Jesus’ miracle of the miraculous catch of fish, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” A close encounter of this kind creates a powerful contrast between the holy and the unholy, the perfect and the flawed. But there may be one more reason for Elisha’s distress. We see it in verse 13:
- 13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. Newer translations say cloak, and older ones mantle. The mantle was the outer cloak. For all intents and purposes, it was like carrying your blanket. Prophets often had itinerant ministries, moving about from place to place like Jesus did. They often slept outdoors and the mantle was essential. But it also became a symbol of authority for God’s prophets. The mantle of Samuel, Elijah and Elisha are all specifically referenced. Our language reflects this. We speak of the mantle of authority. I think that Elisha may have been distressed as he picked up the mantle. Any leader can relate to this moment… the feeling of release when the mantle falls from your shoulder is hard to describe. There are problems that you have shouldered that are suddenly not yours. The challenges you could not overcome become somebody else’s challenge. And then there is the moment where God places the mantle at your feet and you have a choice – do I shoulder this in obedience to God’s call, or do I walk away and let another do the heavy lifting. For pastors, the mantle comes on light… but it gets heavier through the years. But this is not just a pastor thing. You have experienced this. In taking a promotion you realize, this is going to mean more hours, more travel, maybe more time away from family. It’s a heavy mantle and you ask yourself, is the money worth what I am about to pay? A bride wears a veil, but she also assumes a mantle, as does her groom. No longer are they responsible for just their own finances, schedules and extended families. Your student loans become our student loans. Your spouses family issues rest on your shoulders as well. It’s a mantle. And I think the group that best understands this are parents. There is no greater blessing and there is no heavier mantle than choosing to start a family. The first time those little eyes look up at you, you realize that you are mom or dad, and that this small baby is totally dependent upon you. A mantle carries with it both burden and opportunity, blessing and heart-break. For Elisha, it meant that the evil son of Ahab and Jezebel, King Jehoram, was now his challenge to face. The idolatry that had spread like a cancer in Israel was now his problem to solve. I believe that he wept before he stooped down, and then, in total obedience, he put on the mantle of Elijah and journeyed back towards the Jordan River. What happens in the next verse shows us the blessing behind the weight and challenge of assuming the mantle of leadership.
- 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across. I wish I could see a YouTube video of this moment for two reasons… first, because it would be really cool to see. I would just love seeing this mantle hit the water and the water recede. But there is another reason I wish I could watch a video of this moment. I think it would help me to understand why Elisha asks, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” I have a theory, but a video would make it clear. My theory is that there is a momentary delay. I think Elisha strikes the waters of the Jordan River and nothing happens. I think that God may be having a hard conversation with Elisha at the beginning of this new stage in his prophetic ministry as lead prophet in Israel. Sometimes a hard conversation has a silent partner. Moses missed out on the blessing of entering the Holy Land because he began to think that the power of God was in his staff. And here is Elisha bearing the mantle of Elijah. It would be so easy to think that this cloak was a thing of great power. So, I believe he struck the water and nothing happened until he sought the LORD. It was a brief lesson… maybe only a few seconds. But in seeking the God of Elijah, Elisha is now ready to be used on the level he has prayed for… his Big Ask… a prophet with a double portion of the spirit of Elijah. Allow me to make one final point this morning.
- Third Point The Big Answer to the Big Ask stretches the faith of others around us. When we ask God for big things and God delivers, others are changed. Let’s continue in our text.
- 15 When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, “Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha!” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. Let me stop here for a moment. Here we are reintroduced to those junior prophets at a distance. Perhaps Elisha was feeling pressure if the waters didn’t immediately part, as I have suggested. He had this audience of those who would now be under his leadership – men who were called to be mentored by the great Elijah, but were now his charges. They would not have known of Elisha’s Big Ask. In fact, they make no mention of a double portion. That is something they would learn in time. But they can’t miss this passing of the torch. Elijah parted the waters and left them, and now Elisha returns, performing the same miracle. Let’s read on.
- 16 “Sir,” they said, “just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” “No,” Elisha said, “don’t send them.”
- 17 But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, “All right, send them.” So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
- 18 Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” he asked. After all the high drama and passion of the preceding verses in this chapter, this is not only an anticlimax… it’s downright comical. The junior prophets who were so tuned into what was about to happen to Elijah, now demonstrate remarkable cluelessness. Somehow they thought that God was taking Elijah away, but that maybe it was only going to be a few miles away. At first, Elisha resists their idea, but then he does what many of us have done with our kids… relents and lets them pursue their futile plan. Big things have just happened, but they are focused on lesser things. As I thought about this sermon, a thought came to me. In fact, I made a slide for this before the sermon had any sermon point slides or details beyond verses:
- When our minds are not set on something big, they will be consumed by small things. That is what happens here. These junior prophets could be sitting at Elisha’s feet and asking, “What’s next?” “What can we do to help?” “What is the LORD telling you?” Instead, they are investigating the very disappearance that God prophetically revealed to them in advance. Searching hills and valleys. Small things. I can honestly say that I believe that this is the greatest thing facing the church of Jesus Christ in America. And let me get real specific… it is the greatest thing facing our church. Will we ask God for Big Things… Big Asks…, or will we allow our minds and hearts to be consumed by small things? As you can see, we’ve been remodeling. This is not my first time around this block. Some of you like the new colors. Others might have made a different choice. Some of you love the new lighting capabilities on the stage… others are drawn to the fact that the light enclosures don’t match. That wasn’t our plan, but we’re dealing with that. But can I go on record as saying that it’s a small thing. So many of the things that most arouse our passions and fervor in church are small things. Evangelism – leading people to Jesus… That’s big. Disciplemaking – helping people to become like Jesus. That is really big. Defending the truths of God’s word and instilling a proper understanding of the Bible into the hearts of men, women, boys and girls… that is big. Defending the fatherless and the widow… BIG. Feeding the hungry and visiting the ill and imprisoned… BIG. Serving at risk children… BIG. These are the things that Jesus told us were big. There is no lack of big things. But my fear is that big things receive less attention because we have been consumed by small things.
- I listened to a sermon where a pastor described being mentored by a successful Christian man who always asked him, “What are you doing that’s big?” This week I met with a fellow Free Church pastor and I asked him that same question. I invited him into my hard conversation with God. He had the same deer in the headlights look that I’ve been sporting all week. What are we doing that’s big? If you have no answer, maybe you have your first Big Ask. Dear God, show me something Big and challenge me to do it. Let’s pray.