The Prophet ElishaNäide

Accepting and Respecting Elijah’s Successor

“The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, ‘The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.’ And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.” (2 Kings 2:15)

When Elisha had seen Elijah go up to heaven, he picked up the prophet’s cloak and went back to Jericho. Previously, when the two of them crossed the river Jordan together, Elijah had hit the water with his cloak and the water became separate so they could go across on dry ground. Now Elisha did exactly the same, asking: “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?”. In response, God parted the water again. This was an important sign for Elisha and for those watching that “the spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha”.

Elijah had left them, but the Lord God had not. He was still the same. The need for a prophet who would preach the Word of God and call people to repentance, was still there. Now this was Elisha’s task for as long as the Lord would call him — which in his case, was for the rest of his life.

The group of prophets at Jericho now had to accept Elisha as their spiritual leader. Similarly, we may sometimes have to say goodbye to a pastor or minister to whom we are emotionally attached, and welcome another whom we may not even know.

Are you attached to certain spiritual leaders — maybe even too much? How can this story help you to find a healthy balance?