2 Kings 2:1–2 (ESV): Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
How beautiful is the father/son relationship. How beautiful is the mother/ daughter relationship. Elijah knew that his time was close, so he asked his spiritual son to wait while he went on, perhaps to leave this world by himself.
Clearly the Lord had spoken to Elijah and he knew that his time was short.
Perhaps Elijah knew that he was going up into heaven this way and wanted to be away from people for the experience. Maybe he had an inkling that it was going to be a sight unseen on earth before him, so he wanted to be away from people so-as-to, not make people worship or glorify him.
You can’t ponder this passage without sensing the love that Elisha has for Elijah. You think of old Prophets and think they are crusty and coarse. But clearly there is a level of relationship in this story that portrays a deep father/son relationship.
What do you think is pushing the motives of Elisha’s following? Why wouldn’t he oblige the old Prophet his request and let him walk off into the sunset alone, like he wanted?
I think that in any father/son relationship there is a longing for impartation. (Ponder this)
The son waits.
The way that God made all people…we wait for the parental impartation. There are a thousand things that can be imparted, but the act of imparting is what I am talking about. The releasing from a parent into the heart of the son/daughter.
If we know we have a parent and if we count them credible, we wait. Elisha clearly had drank from that well already and wanted to stay with Elijah, not really to get something – because the best impartation a father can give a son is “with.” This is what I believe Elisha wanted most.
Just one more moment. Maybe one more encouragement. Perhaps one more, “I love you son.”
Elisha couldn’t leave the side of his adopting spiritual father. Even though the father had some very important things to do, like…leave this world. So, it is with spiritual fathers, sometimes the moments that you least want to be a dad, you shine through as a dad in impressionable and etching ways.
For Elijah it was the moment he said goodbye. We are not there just yet in the story. There are some other things for us to explore together before we experience the good bye.
Who has been a spiritual father/mother to you? Does that person know it? It only counts if they know it. Who has been the person that you look up to? Sometimes we over spiritualize this question and we defer to God. We believe things like, “God alone has fathered me…”
Maybe, our life has not made allowances, for one reason or another, for spiritual fathers.
Perhaps you have come to the conclusion that it is unnecessary to be imparted into. Maybe you feel that you don’t need to wait like Elisha. Everything on earth waits for the Lord to bring it food, in time. The birds, trees, fish – everything waits for the Father of all to supply nourishment.
Do you know why you can’t wait? Do you know why you have come to the conclusion that you do not need to be imparted into? Are you too old? Maybe too smart for all of that? Or, maybe you have concluded that it isn’t a good thing to trust others to impart into you because having opened your heart before you were left wounded.
Have you timed out, or become so mature that you do not value such things? Well, I pray that the Lord would change your mind about such things. I pray that you would develop a heart that longs for relationship with others that have the capacity to impart into you.
“Let me be!” “I will not let you be!”
“Leave me alone!” “I will not leave your side!”
Oh, the richness of this exchange. It is marvelous how God has made human beings. We cling for the things we want, to the very end. Relationally hungering in the hopes of that impartation. Whether it happens or not, what a beautiful thing it is to want it. God will provide, trust me, He will provide – even if in life you wait for that impartation, expecting it from one place, God will impart through another.
God knows you need it, He hand crafted that wanting and yearning in you. He put it there on purpose. Even Paul speaks to it, actually very powerfully. Listen to his words because this is a key feature in the life of a content and satisfied person. Listen super carefully to this important fathering message.
1 Corinthians 4:15–16 (ESV): For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Wow! I think we are going to need to unpack this for a bit. Just…not all today.
This is a special day, my dad went home to be with the Lord only two hours ago (at the time of writing). He has been waiting his whole life, just like Elijah, to go home. So, the stirring of impartation is fresh this morning.
I wonder what Paul is saying here? What is the difference between a guide and a father? Clearly Paul wants us to have a spiritual father like him and be aware of the difference between a guide and a father. Can we see the difference in Elisha and Elijah? I thinks so.
Father, let us yearn for the truly satisfying things of this world. Let us long for fathers/mothers. Lord, this world holds no promises in the physical except death, but you see fit to supply every need we have. I am particularly grateful for your ready supply of spiritual fathers. I am thankful for earthy fathers and spiritual fathers alike, and when they are in the same person, how very sweet. Thank You for Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Thank You Jesus for making all things possible.
Blessings,
Pastor D
