We turn to 2nd Kings chapter 2. 2nd Kings chapter 2, you might Notice that we've done a little bit of a jump there in terms of the chapters in the Bible. That's because although Elisha is called initially by Elijah, then it continues on with the story of Elijah for a time. You remember that Elisha continued as a servant of Elijah for a time. Now we come to the time when Elisha will actually take the place of Elijah, and that's what we read of here in this chapter. So we read 2 Kings 2, we'll read the verses one through 15, and that section is also our text for this evening. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Elijah said unto Elisha, tarry here I pray thee for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yea, I know it, hold ye your peace.' And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, yea, I know it, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee here, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went on. And 50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they too stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. he said thou hast asked a hard thing nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee but if not it shall not be so and it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven And Elisha saw it and he cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. 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." Thus far we read, giving thanks for God's mighty and infallible word. The Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we saw last week, Elisha was called to be the Lord's prophet in a most clear and striking way. Yet, as I've already mentioned tonight, that that calling was not to immediately step into a leading role. Indeed, for at least eight years, Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah, which is what we read about him last week. The idea of that was that he became a servant to Elijah, very much serving him in that way. But at the same time as being a servant, as a servant, he was put into training. So he was being trained in that way. but also in fellowship, so that these were two godly men whom the Lord brought together. And remember that this was after Elijah had been very downcast and disheartened, and part of the Lord's encouraging him was to provide, as it were, a servant under him who was a godly man to encourage Elijah also, as these two continued together in the work that God called them to do. in that encouraging one another in their love and worship and service of the living God in those very hard and dangerous times, all of this was the equipping of Elisha. He was being equipped to do the work of the prophet for many decades following this. We don't read about any of that, as you read back through the chapters that come before there, you don't read of specific teaching and training and so on that Elijah was giving Elisha, this is what's going on. However in our text tonight we do read of the special work of God as he equips Elisha right at the time when he is to take up this active role of being the prophet in Israel. once again, as we've noted last week, this occurs more through action rather than words, that there are words there, but there's far more in the way of action that we need to take into account and to understand. What happens here? Well, from the very first verse of chapter 2 there, we note that it seems God has made very plain, first of all to Elijah, but also to Elisha, and also as we read on very clearly to the sons of the prophets, and we'll see what they are shortly, that Elijah is to be taken home to glory. Not only that, but it's going to be that very day. This was the day that Elijah would be taken home. And so both Elijah and Elisha set out on this journey, which will culminate in Elijah going home to glory, to be with the Lord. But it's also a journey through which God will undertake this final equipping of Elisha for the work God has for him to do in the northern nation of Israel. We take up our text therefore under the theme, Elisha equipped to be a prophet. will consider in this first of all his steadfast seeking of the Lord in this equipping. Secondly we look at the fact that this was blessed through faith that he was given. Thirdly we see that this equipping was then exercised in power. Elisha equipped to be a prophet. As I've mentioned Elijah knew the Lord had finished all of his work, God's work in and through Elijah for the nation of Israel and was about therefore to take him home and away from this life and as a consequence of that Elijah we're told travels from Gilgal to Bethel and then to Jericho and then to Jordan and across the Jordan and into the wilderness of Gilead If we understand the actual places where these are, that's actually quite significant. If you look on a map, I can sort of show it to you with my hands, but it'll be reversed, east to west, but anyway. If you look at a map, Gilgal is located right next to the Jordan River. And so you've got the Sea of Galilee up north, and then you've got the Jordan River runs down to the Dead Sea, and down toward the bottom of the Jordan River on the west side, there is Gilgal. So Gilgal is very close to the Jordan River, but Gilgal is also really, really close to Jericho. So it's really close to Jericho there, whereas Bethel, well Bethel's about 20 to 25 k's to the west. So there they are at Gilgal, and they could have just gone straight across to Jordan. But instead, the Lord calls him and Elijah desires to go up to Bethel and then all the way back to Jericho, right next to Gilgal again, and then across the Jordan and into the wilderness of Gilead. Why? Why this sort of movement in this way? Well, the significance is this. God called him to go to these places and he was desirous to go to these places because of the sons of the prophets. the schools of the prophets. Now we don't read about them before now and it appears that the Lord had so encouraged Elijah and given him Elisha as it were his understudy that during the time since when he was really discouraged in this last eight to ten years they have established then these schools of the prophets in both Bethel and Jericho. Why in these places? Well these men were being It seems systematically taught in the truth of the Word of God, so they would know very much the Torah, the five books of Moses, and the Psalms they would have, and a number of other writings that they would study in to know the Word of God, and they're being trained up to be preachers and teachers, if you like. Prophets, also. They're called sons of the prophets, not because they are direct sons, but just the same as Timothy was called the son of Paul. Not a physical son, but a spiritual son. And so here, these were spiritual sons that Elijah and then Elisha will be training up. But it's also significant that you've got this whole area of the Northern Kingdom. Well, where are Bethel and Jericho? Right down here, right at the bottom. They're only a hop, skip and a jump from the border with Judah. And in fact, both of them are only about 25 kilometers from Jerusalem. where, of course, those who are godly and faithful would go up to worship in the temple, and especially three times a year, the feast. These men, being godly men, would be going to Jerusalem regularly to worship the Lord as faithful believers do. So Elijah goes at this time, today's the day when he's going to be called home, what does he want to do? He wants to go and encourage these men to be about their work, to remain faithful despite the very real threat of persecution and death from Ahab and Jezebel. Well, when Elijah heads out then to go and to travel to do these things, he turns to Elisha and he says to him, in fact he continues to say to him as we read three different times, Elisha, tarry, stay here because the Lord has called me to go to wherever the next place was. And besides this, Elisha is also told twice in each of these places by the sons of the prophets, do you know that Elijah is going home to glory today, that the Lord's going to take away him from being your guide, your leader, your master, that you're going to lose him today, that he's not going to be with you anymore. Elisha, of course, had been all this time, as we've said in the last eight to ten years at least, he's been led and taught and trained and guided and had the communion and fellowship by this godly and great saint, but from today he will have no guide and no teacher to be with him anymore. Do you know, we need to understand that this kind of thing is also a reality for us in life as we grow up as Christians. Though for a time, we might have those that lead us and guide us and be our mentors and so forth in this life. Maybe it is that, you know, you grow up in a Christian home, for example, and you have your parents who will teach you and guide you and lead you in things for a time, yet there comes a time when you, yourself personally, must face up to life before the Lord and what is your relationship to Him and to live before Him in a personal way. Perhaps you have some older Christians who have guided you and helped you and always been your go-to people and they are taken away and you realize I'm now someone who's becoming older in the church and I actually need to be an example to others. Whatever it is, we need to know the Lord calls us in all places in our life to more and more to have that personal seeking Him and trusting Him and fighting the good fight of faith always in the context of the church with God's people around us that's true but we personally are to come to the Lord and have that personal faith and trust in Him. So this is a testing of Elisha really What is he going to do when Elijah says, stay behind, draw back, no need to walk the whole way with me? In a sense, kind of saying to him, reconsider what you are called to do. And it's also a testing of Elisha when the sons of prophets come to him and say to him, do you realize there's not going to be from today any more leader? Any more strength for you from this other man? No man to be a decision maker for you? You are going to need to step up and to take this great weight of being the prophet in Israel? What would Elisha do? Well, the answer is written here in the Word of God, isn't it? He says, I will not turn back from what the Lord has called me to do. He is my guide. He is my savior. He is indeed the living God. And I will walk with him as long as he lives. In other words, forever. And I will walk with Elijah for as long as he is with me, because that's what the Lord called me to do. For as long as he lives, I'll be with him until he's taken from me. I commit myself to these things. What about us, brethren? Are we consciously committed to following the Lord no matter what. What will you do when you are tested? Because the Lord does do that in our life, he brings about these kinds of testings even as he here in his providence tested Elisha. There are times where the Lord gives us as it were times of ease and refreshing in our Christian life and things go well and it's easy to walk as the Lord's people there are other times when he takes us as the master refiner and he thrusts us in the midst of the fire and it's painful and it's difficult and and very troublous you think particularly if someone like Job and what the the Lord caused to to come about in in his life. What about us? Do we have faith in God's word? What happens when there is no one else around and we are faced with great temptations that come our way and no one else can see? A bit like Joseph when he's tempted by Potiphar's wife. What will we do? What happens when there comes such things as perhaps criticism and even anger against our church as a whole? And what will you do? Will you stand still in the truth? What will you do when it becomes obvious that we, individually and together, that we are, as a church, still broken and failing sinners? And sin is apparent in our midst. Will you turn back? Because very often, it's not just the difficulties and the trials that come to us, it's also that we know, in and of ourselves, we know that we're frail. and we know that we're weak, and we know how easily we fall, and we know that at times we're assailed by doubts and fears. Well, what are we to do? We're to do exactly what Elisha did. He did commit himself to the Lord and said, I will not go back. But he also, he pleaded and sought for God's blessing. Having traveled with Elijah, 25 kilometers up to Bethel and now back to Jericho. Now they're heading for the Jordan and Elijah appears across the Jordan River. Elisha is with him and they come to the Jordan. What does Elijah do? But he takes his mantle and that's very symbolic. It's the symbolic of his office. And remember, it's also what he used to cast upon Elisha. He takes that mantle and as it were, he rolls it up into a bit of a roll and he takes it and he strikes it upon the water of the Jordan River. And a great miracle happens. The water opens up. It goes here and there. And having opened up, then there's dry ground for Elijah and Elisha to walk through to go across to the other side. We are immediately reminded, aren't we? We ought to be immediately reminded of the similar events that have already happened in the history of the people of God. We're reminded of the Red Sea, where God caused the Red Sea to open up and the people to escape from the Egyptian army coming and to pass through. We're reminded of this very place at Jordan, or very close to here, that the people of Israel have come wandering through the wilderness, a picture of the walk through this life, and they come to the Jordan River, a picture of death. And what lies beyond is the promised land. and the Jordan River at the time of flood is opened up and they walk through on dry ground and into the promised land that God had given. This is a picture very much of the work of Jesus Christ as all miracles are, it's a picture of the work of Christ. A picture of death being opened up that we may pass through to what he has prepared. Remember Elijah was about to pass from this life and into glory. And for him, literally, death was parted. He did not experience death. He passed directly from this life and into glory in that fiery chariot. Elisha is there to see this. This is part of his equipping. He's there to see this powerful work of God and everything that it spoke of, to be reminded that this is exactly what he needed as he faced an uncertain future without his master, without his teacher, without that companion by his side. And hence it is that directly after this, Elijah, through the working of the Spirit in his heart, Elijah asks, is there anything that I can do for you, Elisha, before the Lord takes me from you? And this then takes us back to Solomon too, doesn't it? Remember Solomon, came into the kingship and the Lord came to Solomon and he said, what would you have? What would you desire? And Solomon, he didn't ask for riches. He didn't ask for, you know, defeat of all of his enemies, but Solomon asked for wisdom from the Lord. And here we see something very similar when Elijah asks of Elijah, what would you have? Elisha asks, I pray thee, Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. We shouldn't think here that Elisha is, as it were, a bit greedy. You know, he's saying, well, you got one lot. I'd like twice as much, please. I want to be twice the man that you were. That's not what Elijah is asking for. He's not asking, as it were, for the spirit of the man, Elijah himself. He's asking for the portion of the spirit of God that was in Elijah. That's what he's asking for. And not only, but as it were, God would work a double portion of that Holy Spirit in him. This is in fact a very humble request. When you look back at Solomon, look back in comparison Elisha is not here saying, you know, please endow me with lots of intelligence and cleverness so that I can, you know, really defeat all of the wiles of Ahab and Jezebel and so forth and all the others that come. Nor is he asking, look, please give me a peaceful life without any trouble and not horrible persecution come upon me as a prophet. You can well understand, I think I might be tempted to ask for that. Elisha is recognizing in and of himself it is impossible that he would be able to undertake the sort of work that Elijah had been called to do and knowing himself he's saying give me a double portion of the Spirit because I'm gonna need it only more than Elijah as it were this is a this is a humble request but there's also a reference here to inheritance because in the inheritance in those days the inheritance would pass from the fathers to the son but particularly the eldest son would receive a double portion and so that's the idea that's being conveyed here as well he's asking that he might receive from God all the inheritance of the grace and power of God that he had given to Elijah that this would pass to him also. Brethren, is this what we seek for? Is this what we are seeking from the Lord also? Do we recognize that every single day in whatever calling that God has given to us right now, Whether that be a child in the home, or whether it be that we're called to be a husband or a wife, called to be a parent in order to nurture and nourish and bring up a child, or whether it be that we're called to old age and simply in a gracious and wonderful way show forth our trust in the Lord. What's the calling that God has for you and me right now? Do we recognize that we will never be able to walk in His ways, to honor and glorify Him, fight against our pride and our wretched sin, except it be that God is with us by His Spirit? Without that, it's impossible. Except it is that God's Spirit is in us by the grace of God, through that faith, working by His Word and His grace, first of all to save me, but then also to transform me and strengthen me and help me to mortify my sins and encourage me in righteousness and enable me to live that life set apart to God, then I cannot and I will not do the least good thing. That's where this request from Elisha comes from, a humble heart, that says, oh, how I need a double portion of that Spirit to be upon me. Elisha was here humbly and fully seeking after the Lord to be equipped with the Spirit and we should also. And through this humble faith, through this humble request and seeking of the Lord, he was blessed through faith. notice Elijah's answer to Elisha, you have asked a hard thing, you've asked a hard thing. Why does Elijah say that? Well we ought to recognize first of all he's not saying this is a hard thing for God to do, is anything too hard for God? Not at all, this is not, what he's saying is this is a hard thing for me, Okay, because Elijah just simply said, what can I do for you? And Elisha says this, and Elijah says, you've asked a hard thing, and therefore I, I cannot give this to you, and I cannot even say to you that you can have such a thing, and therefore Elijah gives him a sign, because it's not up to Elijah to determine about this, this is up to God to determine this, Elijah gives him a sign, whereby he may know, Elisha may know, God's answer to this humble request. And this is the sign. He says to Elisha, if you actually see me, if you see me after I am separated from you, when shortly God will take me, and you see me when I'm separated from you, and you see me going, then this request will be fulfilled by God. And Elisha, you will have that double portion. If you don't see me, then you will not receive that. Well, they continued walking and notice they continued talking. They continued to communion with one another. You can bet like anything, can't you, that what they were talking about was not some trivial matters. These are two godly men and they know that shortly Elijah is to be taken and to go to glory. and therefore the matters that they would be talking about would be wonderful and sweet and spiritual communion in the most important things in life. But as they do so, a sudden and most remarkable event occurs, but one that it seems that only Elijah and Elisha witness. God causes a fiery chariot and horses to appear. Fiery chariot and horses. Once again, we ought to not just think, oh wow, isn't that wonderful? We ought to think about what's being spoken to us here. Fiery chariot and horses. This speaks of the God of, of course, first of all, fiery righteousness. God is a pure and a perfect God, which is what the fire speaks of, that purity. But the chariot and the horses also speak of warfare. God is all involved in a holy warfare. He is the Lord of hosts of armies and a powerful warfare against all sin and iniquity and he is accomplishing this. But as Elijah is taken home to heaven it speaks of a most powerful receiving of Elijah after a faithful ministry. All of these things it speaks of. It separates the two of them. So this chariot that comes down, this fiery chariot and horses, it comes down and it drives between the two of them, as it were, and separates the two of them. But Elijah is taken into it. And then we read in a whirlwind, a great swirling tempest, it comes and swirls around and this fiery chariot and horses ascend up into heaven and finally disappear from view. And Elisha witnesses every part of it. It appears that the 50 men who were watching did not see this. They see them depart, and then they see Elisha coming back, but they didn't see it. Elisha does get to see this, however. He sees it. This is no empty sign. Once again, this is a miracle, isn't it? This is a miracle of God, and whenever we see the miracles of God, what we look for is the person and work of Jesus Christ. This was the wonderful truth for Elisha and this is part of his being equipped with the grace of Christ. First of all, this is a wonderful confirmation of the beauty of salvation in Christ. You see, Elisha has lived with this man very, very closely for the last eight to 10 years. Do you think he'd know all about his personal sins and foibles and so on? Just the same as if any of us, we live together. We get to know each other, don't we? Pretty well. And you start to know what we're like. Elisha would have known all about Elijah's sins and his failings and so forth. And yet, here is confirmation. God is well pleased with Elijah. And though Elisha knows that he Elijah is also a sinner with many faults like himself, yet God receives him in such a way, in such a powerful way, and receives him with great glory into the kingdom of heaven. What a wonderful thing that would speak to Elisha's heart, look at the grace and the mercy of God that receives us as sinners through the Savior who's coming into heaven. But more than that, Elisha is privileged to see this mighty and fiery chariot. Yes, a vehicle that's used to carry Elijah into heaven, but more than that, this is the fiery chariot and horses of Jehovah of hosts. Jehovah of hosts doesn't just have one fiery chariot and set of horses, he's the Jehovah of hosts. He has an innumerable company of angels and fiery chariots and horses. Why is this such an equipping of Elisha? Well, he's stepping into the office of prophet and he's facing such as Ahab and Jezebel and other ones that would come also. But what are Epiphany, Ahab and Jezebel and all of the army of Israel compared to even one fiery chariot from the Lord? And you see this, this is impressed upon his heart and his mind and he sees this by faith and he goes on seeing this by faith even after he's left here. Do you remember what happens not long after here? He's in Dothan. And while he's in Dothan, Elisha, that's when the Syrian army comes and surrounds that city. And the servant comes into him in the morning and goes, Elisha, we've had it, you know, the whole Syrian army surrounding us and Elisha is calm. And he prays to God, Lord, open his eyes. And the servant sees that surrounding the Syrian army are, what? Fiery chariots and horses of the Lord. Elisha knows and sees by faith. He doesn't see it literally, but he sees by faith. From now on, he is trusting in the Lord. He's being equipped, you see, in this way, by faith, he sees. And the Lord encourages him in this way. And what's more, God answers his request in prayer. It's only by God's opening his eyes in this way to behold spiritual truth and he sees, by faith, Elijah going up to heaven and he's blessed and encouraged. He knows, I can go from this place in the strength of the Lord. He knows of God saying to him, yes. Yes, the double portion of my spirit, that inheritance that is given to every one of my people who faithfully serve me, it is with you. And hence, with all of this, and it's only as we understand all of this that we understand the fullness of what Elisha says here when he cries out, he rends his clothes and he cries out, my father, my father, chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." What's he saying? Well first of all this is an acknowledgement, it's a thankfulness to God that the Lord has enabled him to see Elijah and has promised to him the Spirit and he's full of thankfulness for the fulfillment of this request. Yes, it also does include a grief. My father, my father, this is his spiritual father being taken from him. And there's a grief at that separation of the two of them as Elijah goes into glory. But it's also exalting here in the powerful work of God in his church. You notice he doesn't say the chariot of Elijah and the horsemen thereof. He doesn't say the chariot of Jehovah and the horsemen thereof. He actually says the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." Or if you like, the chariot for Israel and the horsemen thereof. This is God's mighty and powerful work for His church, for the blessing of His church. It's God's and it's God's power. but it's being exercised for His Church. And therefore, as He rends His clothes, yes, it's grief, but it's also gladness. It's also in the greatness of this event. It's in the humility of standing for a God who has blessed and strengthened His heart in so many ways as He has beheld this wondrous miracle that speaks so much of the Savior and His work. But the Lord hasn't finished. The Lord hasn't finished strengthening and equipping His prophet. the mantle, the same one that Elijah had cast over Elisha and the one that that spoke so much of Elijah and his position in Israel as the prophet, it falls to the ground. It doesn't disappear up into heaven, the rest of Elijah's clothes go with him, but it's God himself who takes the mantle and casts it down for Elisha as Elijah goes into heaven. It's put there for him. It's another speaking of the Lord to Elisha. God equips Elisha in this way, by giving him the mantle. God is saying to him in a visible sign, I'm with you. This is passed on to you. Just as I have been with Elijah over these number of years and I've been his guide and his strength, so it is that I am with you. Elijah may have departed, but I am yet with you in all of my power and I will cover you and I will protect you. I will cloak you about and I will give to you all that you have need of to be about this work. So when Elisha picks up that mantle, he's ready. He's been equipped to take up the work of the prophet. By faith in God, he's received from him all that he needs to do the work that lies in front of him. Beloved, what about us? What about our faith? By faith, do we take up and put on the mantle that God has given to us? We live in 2021, and yes, the Ahab and Jezebel were a long time ago, many thousands of years, but do you know today we face our own Ahab's and Jezebel's, don't we? And we also face the weakness of our own faith and our own besetting sins and faults, but are we taking to heart what Jesus is saying to every one of his saints here? Have you seen great and wondrous things? Just as by faith Elisha saw these things, so it is by faith we have seen that one go up into heaven who is far greater than an Elijah. By faith we also have seen Jesus Christ come, the great prophet, who hung upon the cross and died on our behalf and buried in the tomb but rose again. And we know by faith, we see that he has risen into heaven, and he's sitting on the right hand of God, and he's ruling as the king. By faith, we see that. Remember what Jesus said to Thomas? When Thomas believed, when he actually touched Jesus' hands and put his hands in the nail holes, and he said to Thomas, well, you are blessed in that you believe, having seen, but blessed are they who, having not seen, yet believe by faith. We have beheld through God's word, the fulfillment of God's covenant promises in sending forth therefore of his son, Jesus Christ. And we have seen the power of God also wherein he has faithfully kept and taken to heaven all the saints that have gone before us so that Jesus has gone to heaven 2000 years ago, but his wondrous gospel has spread out from those few saints in Jerusalem and it's gone into Judea and Samaria and from there into the rest of the world so that we are here in 2021 with the mantle of the Christian faith passed on to us. We have been saved and redeemed and rescued and strengthened through the power of God's grace. And we are part of that one true church that is found across the whole of this world. And now God says to us, be faithful. Believe and all that wondrous truth that I revealed to you and I show to you and I set before your eyes and walk in it and pass on that mantle to the generation to come. Be blessed, be encouraged in these things. And furthermore, then Elisha, having been equipped, he then exercises this in power. Elisha, having taken up that mantle, he turns and walks back to the Jordan. Notice that Elisha doesn't go, well, Elijah's gone, he took me across the Jordan, I've got a long way to walk around, you know, as it were, and head off. No, he doesn't. Full of faith and assurance in the Lord, he turns and walks straight back to the bank of Jordan. And that likewise is very symbolic. He is about to walk through the Jordan and into the work in Israel that God has for him and God will open the way by his power so that Elisha can be about that work. Notice also as he takes up this mantle he doesn't try to do something different and sort of go, well I'm a new man, I'm a new prophet so I'm going to do things new ways. No, that's what the Word of God tells us. Seek out the old paths and walk in them. We are to take up and carry on with that same truth that has sustained the church of Jesus Christ down through the ages. We are to take up with the same Jesus Christ in the same salvation and to walk in it with his power and grace. So Elisha comes to the banks of the Jordan, does the same thing as Elisha and rolls up the mantle and he strikes the water. But he does do something different, doesn't he? Why does Elisha cry out Where is the Lord God of Elijah? How does he cry this out? We ought to understand this is not a doubting cry. Okay, so this is not Elisha staying here and striking the water and saying, well, you know, where is the Lord God of Elijah? As if it's some sort of doubting as if he really is there. Not at all. He is full of the wonderful portion of the spirit that's been given to him in full of assurance of what God has just showed to him. And neither is this a challenge, as it were, to God. This isn't a presumptive, well God, are you going to do what I want you to do? Not at all. When Elisha does this, this is what he's doing. Fully believing, fully trusting with an assured confidence, he is demonstrating that the Lord God of Elijah is right here. Elijah has departed, but the Lord God of Israel has not departed. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is right here. And the waters open and in his powerful demonstration, the Lord God of Elijah is yet with us today also. He is here in the midst of his people and he is with his people in every way by the Spirit of Christ. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is here, brethren. in us and with us by His Spirit. We may know that Jehovah is still at work and He continues to be at work. He is saving and comforting His people even in the midst of horrible apostasy and those who hate His Word and His truth. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is right here in His Word and by His Spirit and by His grace, especially in the great prophet who was then looked for and desired and who's now come and continues to thunder forth on his white horse, conquering and to conquer. Elisha has been equipped. Elisha has been strengthened and blessed. So he immediately returns to the work that God has for him in Israel. He heads for Jericho. He heads for the sons of the prophets. He will continue to train them up and teach them and teach them to preach the word of God. And he will continue to bring the truth to his people steadfastly in the face of Ahab and Jezebel, in the face of all of Satan's wiles. And God will continue to powerfully use that work. Of this, Elisha was sure. Just as much as he was sure of his own weakness and his own abilities, inabilities, and his own frailty, he was sure of God's mighty work, of Jehovah being powerfully there to save his people and to bring about his kingdom. And so Elisha set his face to serve the Lord out of thankfulness, out of gladness, The God of his salvation had met with him even in the departure of Elijah and it encouraged and strength and equipped him to be a prophet. Even as God meets with us, saves us, encourages and strengthens and equips us for all of our life with him until he takes us home to glory. Amen. Let's stand to pray. Our Lord, our God, we give you thanks and praise for that equipping. You are the God who chooses us in Christ Jesus. You are the God who comes unto us and saves us and you prepare and equip every one of your people for their callings. We give you thanks for that. We glorify and praise you, for Lord, all the glory and all the praise belongs with you, even as we see it with Elisha. Oh Lord, may we by faith see it with ourselves in the midst of our church. Strengthen and encourage us in our faith and walk, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.