Elijah Taken Up

2 Kings 1-2

            The end of Elijah’s ministry is an amazing story. First, a detail from chapter 1, namely, that Ahaziah recognized Elijah because he was dressed in a shirt of hair and a leather belt. In the New Testament, Luke intentionally portrays John the Baptizer in a very similar fashion. We’re supposed to think about John as a new Elijah, calling Israel to repentance. In that case, we’re supposed to think of Jesus as a new Elisha. As we read on, notice that there are more stories of Elisha than Elijah and that many of Elisha’s stories parallel the stories of Elijah. Just as Moses was followed by Joshua, who in a sense was greater then Moses because he brought Israel into her promised land, Elisha is greater the Elijah and Jesus is greater than John.

            Elisha is worth noting, too. He has many chances to back out, but he is committed. Each time Elijah offers for Elisha to stay behind, Elisha follows. When Elijah asks Elisha what gift he wants, he asks for double portion of Elijah’s spirit. To us that might sound greedy, but Elisha is not asking for twice as much of the spirit as Elijah has; he is asking for the firstborn’s portion. In ancient practice, the firstborn got two shares of the inheritance. If there were two sons, the firstborn received two-thirds of the estate. If there were four, the firstborn received two-fifths. You get the idea. Finally, taking up the mantle of Elijah, Elisha crosses the Jordan on dry ground, a sort of reenactment of both the Exodus and the Conquest, too.

            Then there is the dramatic scene of Elijah’s being taken up into heaven. This marks Elijah as only the second person in the Bible who avoided death. (Enoch, in Genesis 5, was the first.)