1. How we respond to the situations of life, whether pleasant or painful, is tremendously illuminating. Our responses expose our true spiritual condition. How we respond reveals something about our beliefs, values, priorities, and our spiritual condition and focus at any particular moment. And even if our beliefs, values, and priorities may be right or biblical, if our focus is wrong or if we have been walking by our own abilities (really weaknesses) then we will surely act in ways that contradict our basic beliefs.

2. Because we live in a fallen world, every day is filled with trials, obstacles, and irritations--things that test us. As with the smelting process, they not only expose our true spiritual metal at any given moment, but, by God’s design, they are designed to purify us. Someone once said, “talent is formed in solitude, but character in the storms of life.”

3. The translation of Elijah was a test designed to reveal the character and qualification of Elisha to be the successor to Elijah. In 2 Kings 2:12-14 we see Elisha’s response to the painful loss of his mentor and teacher. It is a response that tells us even more about the spiritual character of the prophet Elisha.

4. READ: 2 Kings 2:12-15

1. “And Elisha saw it.” This focuses our attention on the fact he met the condition given by Elijah in verse 10. This is perhaps not as easy as it might appear. If he had looked off for just a moment he could have missed the departure and the blessing, but Elisha had been faithful to stay with Elijah and to faithfully watch for the translation. He would be the one to take on the responsibility of his mentor. How many times do believers miss God’s will because they become preoccupied with their problems, or people, or success, or whatever? Elisha could have become occupied with himself and the new position of authority and responsibility that he was about to receive, but his response as seen in the words he cried out as he saw Elijah pass from the scene demonstrates a different heart, one that exposes the young prophet’s heart and perspective about life itself.

2. Notice how, as an apprentice and student, Elisha called Elijah “my father,” which was a term of endearment, respect, and submission. This stands out in stark contrast to the independent spirit of self-willed rebellion so often found today in our society. Ours is a day when all the accepted authorities (parents, school, state, church, Bible, and God) are being challenged and resisted. The prevailing mentality is, “I am going to do my own thing in my way. Nobody has the right to tell me what to do.” Now, I am not for a minute promoting blind submission to authority. There is certainly a need for responsible, mature, and wise evaluation of those to whom we submit and why. But clearly a vital element of any strong society is careful discipling or mentoring that promotes spiritual maturity and ministry in others.

3. By the words that followed along with the tearing of his clothes, itself a sign of mourning, we get a glimpse of the pain he felt at the loss of this warrior in Israel and his faithful mentor. It truly demonstrated Elisha’s love and respect for his teacher. It demonstrated Elisha’s attitude regarding the importance of such a man as the prophet Elijah to the nation.

4. But what about the strange statement that he made at Elijah’s departure, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!”? What does this mean and what does it say to us today?

5. The chariot and horsemen represented one of the strongest military instruments of ancient times. It stood for military power at its greatest. If you recall, God’s power and presence are pictured by horses and chariots encircling Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:15. There it portrays God’s power and His ability to protect and deliver Elijah and His servant.

6. Here, however, Elisha was speaking of Elijah and declaring that the real strength and the ultimate protection and defense of Israel lay in the ministry of this great prophet. Why? Because he was a herald of the Word of the Lord. He was also the head of the schools of the prophets, the place where other teachers of the Word were trained and prepared to minister the Word to others.

7. Not only did this demonstrate Elisha’s perspective and faith in God’s Word, but it demonstrates a vital principle, one echoed over and over again throughout the Old Testament: On the one hand knowing, believing, and obeying the righteous principles of God’s Word produces wisdom and justice and brings blessing and the prosperity of God to a nation. On the other hand, ignorance, unbelief, and disobedience to God’s Word leads to foolishness, unrighteousness, injustice, and moral collapse. This in turn eventually brings God’s discipline and the fall of a nation unless there is repentance and a return to God.

9. The ultimate defense or source of blessing for any nation is never its military or economic policies. Its ultimate defense always lies in a godliness based on biblical absolutes. I am reminded of a statement made by Francis DeToqueville, a French philosopher who came to America in the early 19th century. He had just returned from touring America to discover for himself what had made America great. When asked what he found, he replied that the secret to America was its pulpits ablaze with righteousness. In other words, it was the preaching of the Word of God and its impact on the lives of people. Proverbs 14:34 reads, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

10. Certainly nations need to be strong militarily and they need wise and just social and economic policies, but for that to be effective, they must know the righteous principles of the Word; they need the absolutes of God’s Word as a foundation for morality. More importantly, if this is going to take place, people must be prepared spiritually to know, believe, and obey the principles of God’s eternal Word. For that to happen, people need men who are trained and skilled in the proclamation of the Word, men who are adept at wielding the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

11. Our nation has fallen to its present state in part because many of our seminaries departed from the Bible as their primary focus and trust, and put their trust in the philosophies and ideas of man. And surely this was aided by the fact the church sat back and did nothing about it for the most part. Some did but as a whole nothing was really said or done.

12. Obviously, if we are going to have a nation of godly leaders, men and women of integrity instead of capricious politicians (cf. Isa. 2:22-3:5), and a constituency of people who know the Lord and are sound in Scripture, we need schools and churches that are committed, not to a social gospel or some watered-down version of what God has called the church to believe and be, but to the faithful proclamation of the truth of the Bible (cf. Acts 20:28f; 2 Tim. 4:1-5; Jude 1:3-4).

13. So, with Elijah gone, how would Elisha respond? Would he go back to farming? Would he complain and question God’s timing in removing Elijah. After all, was not the nation still in a degenerate condition; and who could truly replace the great prophet?