2 Kings 2:13-15 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
When Elijah went up to heaven, Elisha took up his mantle and walked in the power of Elijah. The Hebrew word for mantle is "aderet." It's root word is "adir" which means excellent, gallant, glorious, mighty, noble and worthy! Elijah was a man with these qualities. The mantle that Elisha received from Elijah meant a calling which was powerful. Elisha had earned it. When the two first met, Elisha had slaughtered the oxen he was plowing with, and burned them on the wood of their yoke as an offering. Then he followed and served the prophet until the day Elijah was taken miraculously to Heaven. An officer of King Jehoshaphat summed up Elisha's life with these simple and beautiful words: “Elisha, son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. ”
Just before Elijah was taken to Heaven he said to his servant, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elisha answered without hesitation, "“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit”. Having served his mentor so faithfully, Elisha boldly and humbly asked for a double portion of his master's spirit, and received it in full. The sons of the prophets at Jericho did not fail to recognize the anointing which Elisha carried. He carried it because of his excellent and faithful service and devotion to the man of God.
We too are called by the Son of God to excellence, devotion and faithful service. The anointing which we carry from Him will express these qualities. Yeshua (Jesus) is our perfect example, our mentor and master. Following and serving him day by day, faithfully and carefully, we will live under His glorious "mantle".
We are called to excellent and faithful service to exemplify and walk in the anointing of our Lord. God has given us a glorious mantle to wear, His very own Spirit, that we might live excellently, mightily, gloriously, gallantly, nobly and worthily. May we receive the grace daily to wear His mantle as Elisha did Elijah's. Even as Elisha received the "double portion", we too may do "greater things".
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]
The testing of Abraham’s faith was repeated by YHVH throughout the patriarch’s entire life. The tests grew greater as his life advanced, and through every one, whether Abraham passed or not, YHVH proved Himself to be his friend over and over again. Every test or “trial” involved a serious challenge or threat in which Abraham had to trust that the LORD knew what He was doing, asking, or requiring, and that His goodness and faithfulness were unquestionably reliable.
While I was in the States, I read several stories about Ronald Reagan that made me appreciate him as a person and as a leader. But one amusing story really caught my attention and made me smile. When he was a young man, Reagan worked at a radio station and sometimes played records of sermons. His shift at the station was a one-man operation and so, on occasion, Ron would set the record playing and then sneak out for a cup of coffee. One day he got a call while he was at the coffee shop from the station’s owner, ordering him back to the station, and then … he received his termination notice. He’d returned to the station finding the record skipping at a particular point in the sermon…
Having spent over 20 years living in Israel’s Negev Desert, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of salt in maintaining proper hydration. “What in the world does salt have to do with grace and truth?”, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you.
During the first great awakening, revivalist George Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, “What do you believe?” “Well, I believe the same as the church.” “And what does the church believe?” “Well, they believe the same as me.” Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, “And what is it that you both believe?” “Well, I suppose the same thing.”
The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.
In today’s news, Bloomberg reported that according to a recent study, Americans can add as many as two years to the nation’s life expectancy if they stand up more often and watch fewer hours of television. What a concept — move around and you’ll live longer!
The word verily, in this verse, is the Hebrew word “emunah” (em-oo-nah). It also means faith or faithfully. When we trust in the Lord, He declares that He will faithfully feed us. How will we be fed?