But let's begin with a question.
What connects the following disparate figures?
!
Leadership brought success, shaped movements, dominated organizations, and indeed nations.
Such that their exits created uncertainty.
Who is going to take over?
What's going to happen next?
Will there be a power vacuum?
Will there be losses in their absence?
Exits can create uncertainty.
We come to the final story of the life of Elijah.
Here is the moment where the changing of the guard, where the passing the mantle, passing the baton, comes to be fulfilled.
And everybody knows it's coming.
We know it's coming from the very beginning of the text.
We're told the Lord is about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elisha and the prophets, they know what's coming.
We heard it in verse 3.
The prophets asked Elisha, do you know the Lord is going to take your master from you today?
Yes, I know.
So be quiet.
So everybody knows.
But it seems like nobody wants to talk about it openly.
This is one of these moments that is so massive that it's creating so much fear in the hearts of many.
What is this going to mean for the nation?
And what's this going to mean for us spiritually as this giant leaves the scene?
If you turn with me to verse 12, you get a sense of just how significant Elijah is to the nation of Israel.
As Elisha sees the horses of fire with a chariot come down, he says, my father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel.
And so we might think he's saying, Elijah, look, there's the chariots coming from heaven.
But actually, Elisha is speaking about Elijah.
In other words, to have the prophet Elijah on your side was to have the Lord's armies on your side.
And so now we can perhaps begin to understand why the prophets are nervous and they're speaking quietly together.
Do you know that this is about to happen?
Uncertainty and tension is in the air.
And through this text, God wants to reassure Elisha and the prophets,
but also more widely to think about the nation as they hear these stories,
that they would understand that God is certain hope in uncertain times.
God isn't going to change.
He's still going to be for and with his people.
Now, as we think about tension and uncertainty,
where do we enter into that story ourselves?
Perhaps it's because we're about to start university or a new term of university.
We're thinking about how the course is going to go,
perhaps how friendships are going to develop.
Or maybe it's a spiritual question.
What's it going to be like to live for Jesus at uni?
How will I get on in that?
Maybe for others of us, it's major life moments.
It's the empty nest or the expanding home.
A change of location or a change of role.
And it leaves us uncertain.
What is life going to be like?
We can have a sense of uncertainty in our life together as a church.
How are we going to make an impact for Jesus with his help?
How are we going to make and take gospel opportunities?
We can feel uncertain as we look at ourselves and we feel anxious and fragile and weak.
Perhaps it's as we look around society.
We take in the news headlines of a past week.
And we see division and hatred and fear.
And we wonder where is good news going to come from?
Where are we going to turn?
Let me suggest that this story comes to us as a gift.
If we find ourselves in uncertain times.
Because it reminds us in so many ways that we can and we should find certainty in our God and Savior.
Three ways I think the text does it for us.
First of all, you can be certain that God still works in power.
This takes us to Elijah's journey.
At first, did you notice that Elijah, as he knows he's about to be taken up to heaven,
that he goes to visit the prophets?
Verse 3, he goes to the prophets at Bethel.
Then in verse 5, he goes to the prophets at Jericho.
And then we meet the prophets again, 50 of them watching,
as Elijah and Elisha arrive at the Jordan.
Elijah's a faithful man.
And here he is giving last words of encouragement.
Not that long ago, he thought he was the only one.
And he discovers there's actually 7,000 who are faithful to God.
And so no doubt he's urging them to keep the faith.
Don't bow down to idols, but continue to follow the Lord.
But more than that,
what we have in 2 Kings 2 is a very significant journey.
The places that are mentioned are important.
Because 600 years ago,
the people of Israel made another very similar journey.
You can read about it in Joshua chapters 3 to 5.
The moment where Joshua led the people through the Jordan River
into the Promised Land.
And then there was a covenant renewal ceremony at Gilgal.
And of course, Jericho was the site of their first victory
in the Promised Land,
where God was clearly fighting and acting for his people.
So think about what was happening at that time.
Another giant had just died.
Moses had died.
He'd led the people for decades.
And Joshua had replaced him.
But wonderfully,
the people in Joshua's generation are discovering
God is still working powerfully
in a different generation with a different leader.
Now fast forward 600 years,
and it's exactly the same message.
God has been working, and we've seen it.
God has been working powerfully through Elijah,
and he's still going to work in power through Elisha.
And if we need proof,
go to verse 8,
where we find Elijah,
at one last time,
taking his cloak,
rolling it up,
and striking the water,
and the water divided,
and they crossed on dry ground.
And then verse 13 and 14,
we have Elisha picking up Elijah's cloak,
striking the water,
and the water parts,
and he crosses over.
God is still working in power.
And this is a theme
that we can track through the Bible.
We've said it already,
that when we get to the story of John the Baptist,
we are to understand that he is the second Elijah
who was anticipated,
the one who was the messenger
preparing the way for the Lord.
So think about what's happening
with John the Baptist and Jesus.
John the Baptist,
he had a very powerful ministry,
didn't he?
He was gathering many people,
and they're turning away from darkness
to trust in the Lord.
But as soon as Jesus comes on the scene,
John is very happy to acknowledge
and point the people to Jesus,
who is greater.
He must increase,
and I must decrease.
The one coming is so great,
I'm not worthy to bend down
and untie his shoelaces.
And there at the Jordan,
John the Baptist passed the mantle
very happily to Jesus,
the true and final prophet.
And in the life of Jesus,
we see that God still works in power,
in great power,
bringing in his kingdom,
bringing us salvation.
And then in the,
it's interesting,
between Acts 1 and 1 and 2 Kings,
so many themes connecting.
In Acts 1,
where we've been in the morning,
Jesus with his apostles.
He says,
just before he ascends,
that he will send the Spirit.
The Spirit will give them power
to be his witnesses.
And to read the book of Acts,
we understand that Jesus
continues to work in power
while he has gone to heaven.
Because God is unchanging
in his power.
God continues to work out his purposes.
His arm is never short
so that he cannot save.
And if that was true
in the Moses and Joshua generations,
if that was true
in the Elijah, Elisha generations,
if that was true
in the John and Jesus
and Apostle generations,
it is true
in our generation as well.
It is a truth for our church.
It is a truth for your life
and for mine.
So if we find ourselves
in a season of new starts
or where everything is changing
and everything feels up in the air
and maybe it's clouded
with uncertainty,
we remember the God
who never changes,
whose power for his people
remains unchanged,
he is still
and will always be
the shepherd who leads
and feeds
and guides
and protects.
He still cares.
He still builds his church.
He still invites us to him
to find rest
and to trust.
And so we can pray
and we can work
with confidence.
We think about our own
work in witness here.
We think about
the church plants
that we support.
As you think about
the churches that you've come from,
the nations you represent,
we can be confident
in God's mission
in his world.
We can be confident,
weak as we often feel
that God can change us
and he can change others.
He can use our witness
to open people up to Jesus.
He can take our words
to speak the gospel
that saves.
God is not limited to certain times,
not limited to just the time of Elijah.
He's not limited to certain types of leaders,
not just Elijah,
but Elisha too
will demonstrate
God continues to work in power.
And so our call
is to have faith.
Our call is to look to the Lord
as our rock,
as our redeemer,
but also our commander
and mission leader
because we can be certain
that God does still work in power today.
Here's the second thing
that we are invited
to be certain of
through our text.
And again,
it ties up with the book of Acts.
You can be certain
that God still sends his spirit.
Now we have that phrase,
don't we,
the passing of the mantle
in English,
that idea of a succession
that takes place.
And you can almost imagine
it could have its roots here
with the symbolic passing
of the cloak
of Elijah to Elisha
that is the symbol
that Elisha is now being tasked
to be God's prophet
and he will receive
God's spirit.
So those fears
that the prophets had
about a power vacuum,
the anxieties,
how will we cope
without Elijah
where those worries
and fears
are going to be answered
by the Lord God
in a visual,
in a very striking way.
Just remind ourselves
of the flow
of this story.
Verse 8,
we come to the point
where Elijah and Elisha
have now reached
the Jordan.
Elijah strikes the water
and they cross over.
And then in verse 9,
Elijah asks the question,
tell me what can I do
for you
before I'm taken from you?
To which Elisha replies,
let me inherit
a double portion
of your spirit.
Now this is not
Elisha thinking,
do you know what,
I want to build
a really big platform
for myself,
so I want double
what Elijah had.
This is him in humility,
like Solomon
when he's about
to take over,
recognizing,
I need God's help.
I need God's spirit
if I am to serve
in a way
that pleases him.
And so he asks
for this double portion.
And there is the promise
that is given,
verse 10,
you've asked a difficult thing,
yet if you see me
when I'm taken from you,
it will be yours.
And then you get
that dramatic scene,
the chariot of fire
and the horses,
and Elijah went up to heaven
in a whirlwind,
and Elisha saw it,
and Elisha saw him no more.
And then symbolically,
Elisha takes hold
of his own cloak,
and he tears it in two.
He's done with
that old cloak.
He's done with
that old way of life
because Elisha then
picks up Elijah's cloak,
and he goes back
to stand at the bank
of the Jordan.
And he takes the cloak,
and he strikes the water,
and he asks that question,
where now is the Lord,
the God of Elijah?
And of course,
we know the answer.
The Lord,
the God of Elijah,
is now with Elisha,
the prophet.
And he sent him
his spirit in power.
What happens next
maybe seems a little bit unusual.
The company of the prophets,
verse 15.
They're watching,
and notice there's certainty
with them on the one hand.
The spirit of Elijah
is resting on Elisha.
So they're really clear
that this succession
has taken place.
So there is a certainty there,
but there's still uncertainty
as well.
There's uncertainty implied
by the search
that they suggest.
Verse 16,
Look,
we, your servants,
have 50 able men.
Let them go
and look for your master.
Perhaps the spirit of the Lord
has picked him up
and set him down
on some mountain
or in some valley.
Why do they want
to go on that search?
Because they still
are struggling
to imagine
what it's going to be like
if Elijah's not around.
They cannot imagine
how things will go
without Elijah,
the servant,
the prophet of the Lord,
with them
even as they know
that that succession
has taken place.
They're still struggling
with what it's going
to look like
on the ground.
But here we have
Elisha
and he's been filled
with the spirit
and he's been filled
with the spirit
of wisdom.
And so he says,
Don't go looking.
That's a pointless search.
But they beg
and they beg
until he gets embarrassed.
He says,
Well, have a go.
On you go.
And so they go
for three days
on a fruitless search
and verse 18,
when they returned,
he said to them,
Didn't I tell you
not to go?
In a sense,
he's saying to them,
Listen, I told you so.
But not in that
kind of annoying way.
But rather,
he's inviting them
to learn,
to rest,
and to trust
in
the word of Elisha,
the new prophet of God.
To rest
and to trust
in God's wisdom
as it comes
through his prophet.
To learn
that just as God
had been with Elijah
and spoke
through Elijah,
so he will be
with Elisha
and speak
through Elisha.
God has sent
his spirit
and so the spirit
will guide
into truth
and into life.
We see
the same principles
in the stories
that we've thought about.
If we were to go back
just for a moment
to the story,
after Moses dies
and there's that sense
of uncertainty,
God comes to Joshua
and says,
Do not fear,
I am with you.
I will do what I promised.
I'll take you
and the people
to the promised land.
Go forward
to John the Baptist
and Jesus.
Think about Jesus
being baptized
at the Jordan.
There's significance
there.
God's appointed one,
God's final prophet,
the baton is passed
at the Jordan
just as it was
with Elijah and Elisha
and the message
is clear.
As the dove
comes down,
as the spirit descends,
Jesus will be
the spirit anointed,
spirit filled
prophet of God
as God speaks
in a whole new way.
As the book of Hebrews
told us,
in the past
God spoke
through the prophets
but now
he's spoken
through his son.
And Jesus
gave wonderful promises
to his disciples
and to the apostles
about the spirit.
So before
Jesus went
to the cross,
John chapter 16,
he said to them,
the spirit,
when he comes,
he will guide you
into all truth.
Or Acts chapter 1,
the spirit will be sent
and the spirit
will give you power,
he will be your teacher,
he will keep showing you
the glory of the Lord Jesus.
So even as Jesus
returns to heaven,
the church is not
left alone,
not left with a vacuum
of wisdom
because the church
has given the spirit.
And that's wonderfully true
for every believer
here today,
that you and I,
we have the Holy Spirit
within us.
God the Father
and God the Son
are pleased
to make their home
in you
and in us.
And because we have
the spirit,
we have the power
to live for God,
we have the power
to serve our Savior,
and we have wisdom.
And we can ask
for wisdom,
to know,
how can I live
for Jesus today,
in this moment,
in this new situation?
How can I walk
worthy of him
with my classmates
or my colleagues,
in this place,
this conversation,
what is going to bring
glory to Jesus?
And remember,
the privilege of prayer.
And remember,
we have a Father
who gives generously.
And one of the things
the Father generously
loves to give
is his wisdom
when we need it.
Wisdom that comes
through the Spirit.
in uncertainty,
of whatever shape,
there are times
when we need a friend.
There are times
when we need
someone who's going
to give us
good counsel.
I think it's one
of the reasons
why fellowship
is such a gift
in the Christian church.
Why it's so important
to find
a church home
to belong to
and believers
to connect with,
to help us
on the journey
of faith.
Because there are times
when we need
the wisdom
of God
that comes
from other people,
the prayers
of other people
for us.
That's why we value
community group.
But most of all,
it's why we value
what the Lord Jesus
says.
That we have
him as a friend
and a counselor
and he sends
us
his Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of Christ
is sent to live
within us.
So that no matter
what's going on,
we can be certain
that God
still
sends
the Spirit.
So we can be certain
that God still works
in power,
he still sends
the Spirit.
Thirdly,
you can be certain
that God
still rules
as King
of glory.
And this really
takes us
to the drama
of the last act
of Elijah's life.
It takes us
to verse 11,
suddenly a chariot
of fire
and horses
of fire
appeared
and separated
the two of them
and Elijah
went up to heaven
in a whirlwind.
Elijah has been
a faithful servant
of God
and he's been
in spiritual battle
against Baal
and his prophets
and now it's as if
God,
his commander,
comes down
to take him
out of the battle,
to take him
up to heaven
to receive
his reward.
But what's significant
for us
is that for one last time
in Elijah's life,
we are getting
to see
who is really
in charge.
Who is
the King of glory?
And one last time,
Elijah's life
is inviting us
to recognize
it's not Baal,
although he has made
or people make
on his behalf
big claims,
it's the Lord God
of the Bible.
So it's one of the
great patterns
of Elijah's life
that he has used
in his faithfulness
to show the reality
of the one true
and living God
versus the idols
that people are
bowing down to.
Eugene Peterson
has a really nice
little book
called
A Long Obedience
in the Same Direction.
That's absolutely
the pattern
that we see
in Elijah's life.
And do you know
it's one of the
wonderful privileges
about life
in this church
that we have
examples of godly
older men
and women
who have walked
in faith,
who have walked
that long obedience
in the same direction,
and they set us
a wonderful example
to live by,
to learn from,
by God's grace,
to follow after.
But how does the story
show that God
is the king of glory
and not Baal?
Well, it takes us
one last time
to some of the big claims
that people made
about Baal.
In Baal imagery,
if you went to see
some Baal art,
or if you went
to worship Baal,
certain things
were associated
with him.
Baal was regarded
as the storm god.
He was connected
with fire and lightning.
He was pictured
as one who rode
on the clouds.
He was the weather god.
He was associated
with control
over the rain
and over the waters.
And time and time again,
in the Elijah story,
Baal has been shown
to be a non-thing,
and God has been shown
to be the true king.
And here we see it again.
Who is the god of fire?
It's not Baal.
It's the Lord.
Who is the god
who rides on a chariot
on the storm?
It's not Baal.
It's the god of the Bible.
Who is it
that acts in the whirlwind
with power?
It's not Baal.
It's Elijah's god.
And think about verse 14.
Elisha's question
as he strikes the water,
where now is the Lord,
the god of Elijah?
He is right here
showing his authority
over the waters
as he parts the water.
God's in charge.
God's the king.
God deserves all praise
and glory.
Elijah's life has shown it.
Elisha's life
is going to show it too.
But just think about
that pattern
of God showing himself
to be over the storm,
to be over the seas,
and over the waters,
to be the one true
and living God.
Think about it
in the story of Moses
and Joshua.
Where do we see it?
We see it when the Red Sea
parts to give salvation
to Israel
and bring judgment
on Egypt.
We see it as God
appears in the desert
as the pillar of cloud
and the pillar of fire.
We see it as the glory cloud
comes to cover the temple
and to guide the people.
And what about when Jesus,
the Son of God,
comes?
When do we see it then?
How do we see Jesus
as Lord and King of glory?
We see it as he walks
on the water.
We see it as he rebukes
the storm with just a word.
Here is God in the flesh.
Here is the Lord
with all authority
and glory.
And when he returned
in glory,
he was taken up
in the clouds
with that promise
that he would return
in the same way.
And everyone on that day
will see his glory.
But to take up that imagery
in a different way,
as Jesus dies on the cross,
wonderfully in the story
of salvation,
Jesus experiences the fire
and the whirlwind
of God's judgment upon sin.
For everyone that Jesus
came to save,
he was loaded up
with our sin.
And in his great love,
he took God's wrath
for that sin upon himself.
He willingly went
into the whirlwind
so that you and I,
by faith in him,
we can be sheltered
from the storm.
That we can hear
God's still,
small voice
speak good news
of grace
and salvation.
Undoubtedly,
you and I are going
to live through
lots of times
and places
and experiences
when life will feel
very uncertain.
And in those days,
we could be tempted
to look within ourselves
and try and find solutions.
Or we could be tempted
to throw our hands up
in panic or despair.
But what should we do
as the people of God?
What do we have
as the people of God?
We have certain hope.
As we learn to behold
our God
seated on his throne.
As we see the Lord Jesus,
our King
and our Saviour.
As we understand
that he still
works in power
in and for his people.
As he still
sends his spirit
to be with
and for his people.
As he still rules
as the great King
of glory.
Inviting us
to trust him.
To worship him.
and to live for him today.