2 Kings 2:1-14: This passage records the moment when one of the greatest men in the Bible was taken to heaven by a whirlwind. Elijah emphasised an unconditional loyalty to God. His strange dress sense and appearance; his rugged constitution and cave-dwelling habits; all suggest that he was a robust, outdoors-type of person. Elijah was a nonconformist who shaped the history of his day and went on to dominate Israelite thinking for centuries afterwards, but the day came when it was time to pass the baton on to the next generation. To a person who could wear the “mantle of the prophet”!
Our text tells us about a young man named Elisha. He was totally different to Elijah. He cultivated a different image - he was more typical and average. Instead of following Elijah’s example as a loner and complete outsider, Elisha chose to work within the established system. Through prophecy, advising and anointing kings, helping the needy, and performing miracles, he enjoyed a harmonious existence with the administration. But what stood out more than anything was this - he was a man hungry for all God could give him. He genuinely wanted the Lord’s power in his life and was willing to pay the price to get it.
