We are in an Elijah-Elisha shift of leadership. And just as when the fifty prophets insisted to look about for the lost Elijah after he had been taken up by the Lord, now is the season of many rising and claiming to be Elijah, giving people what they want in the form of old promises re-worked and old forms and strategies, while Elisha has clearly been seen by the fifty prophets as the next leader in line.
But since he looks different, and brings different messages and giftings, people prefer to run off to see if they can find Elijah because of the weakness of preferring familiarity.
2Kings 2:14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
2Kings 2:15 ¶ Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.
2Kings 2:16 Then they said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” ¶ And he said, “You shall not send anyone.”
2Kings 2:17 ¶ But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him.
2Kings 2:18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
“Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
The fifty prophets sought for three days for Elijah until they came to the realization that they needed to go back to Elisha, who they saw clearly receive the mantle of Elijah.
Elisha is the fulfillment of Elijah. The problem with Elisha is that everyone remembers when he was just a servant of Elijah. We remember that he was just the guy you walked by to get to the prophet Elijah, but now he is the prophet. Elijah just showed up one day out of nowhere, seemingly, but Elisha was a guy that everybody knew growing up. Think Moses and Joshua, or even John the Baptist and Jesus, or possibly Barnabas and Paul.
There is new opportunity and possibility in seeking the simpler ways of leadership. A return to basic teachings is required to rid the entire system of plans and promises based on opinion and faulty logic; thinking that had the appearance of being powerful, prophetic or timely, but were mixed blessings at best.
Could it be that the Lord himself is requiring the leaders he is raising up now to be more wise in the ways of the world than their predecessors? They are to instruct people to seek the Word rather than "words" for their own sake. When you draw near to the Lord, He draws near to you, and how could He not speak to His children?
After God had set in motion the changes from Elijah to Elisha as spokesman for the Lord, a new government was instituted and new leaders came to prominence. Jehu, a commander and general was made king in Israel, and dealt with the evil Ahab and Jezebel, and reversed their evil acts and made sure that the victims of their cruelty were compensated and proper restitution employed.
As those with insight, what part are we to play in this transition? I really believe times of prayer, though seemingly weak, humble, and ineffective, are the true power of our day to make this transition happen. Asking the King of Heaven to give us wise and kingly leadership, and to restore the character and core strength of our nation, which is faith.
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2Chronicles 7:14
Amen and amen! We don't merely need a change in leadership. We need a change in direction back to the ways of faith that made our country an example of hope to all.
ReplyDelete