My father worked until about six weeks before his death. My brother who is pushing 80 is still working. I never thought about retirement, because of our family history of work.
It is different when you are a pastor instead of an attorney. Pastors need a succession plan, because of the difference between a church and a law practice.
I am profoundly grateful that God sent Jake Taylor to Maywood Baptist Church. After serving the church for 35 years, Jake and I knew the best decision we could make would be for a seamless transition of leadership.
Two of my pastor friends did not approach the leadership transition well. I’m not sure their churches have fully recovered from the approach they took.
I’m sure Jake and I haven’t done everything perfectly, but I’m very thankful for the outcome. Maywood Baptist Church continues to be an effective and Christ-honoring institution under Jake’s leadership.
Looking back to the time six years ago when I resigned as pastor of Maywood to make way for a new leader, my thoughts turn to Elijah and Elisha.
Mentoring Elisha
There was a period of time when Elijah mentored Elisha for the role of God’s prophet in Israel. The younger prophet had one more test before assuming the mantle of leadership.
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. (2 Kings 2:1-2).
There is a pattern in Elisha’s experience. He will follow Elijah from location to location. The elder prophet will frequently tell the younger, “Stay here.” Elisha will refuse to stop following Elijah.
In the account, a company of roving prophets will advise Elisha, and receive a similar answer.
The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent” (2 Kings 2:3).
A similar dialogue between Elijah, Elisha, and the company of prophets took place in Jericho and again at the Jordan River.
At the Jordan, Elisha and the other prophets witnessed a parting of the waters, similar to Moses’ time.
Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and the two of them crossed on dry ground (2 Kings 2:8).
Throughout this journey, Elijah told Elisha to not follow him. This was a test of the younger prophet. Elisha would face more serious tests in the future. If he wavered in following his mentor, how would he fare with more serious obstacles.
Elisha passed every test and was ready for the next step that would set him aside as God’s prophet.
Elisha’s Request
Elijah and Elisha had one more interaction. This final dialogue would certainly remain with the younger prophet all the days of his life.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”
He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”
As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.
Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (*2 Kings 2:9-12).
The request for a double share of Elijah’s spirit was in keeping with being the firstborn son. The firstborn always received a double portion.
That Elisha would have a double portion was confirmed when he saw his mentor taken to heaven in a whirlwind.
Surely, that would have been an awesome moment. In many ways, it was no different from Ezekiel’s vision of the wheel within a wheel chariot for God or Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the temple. Later on, Paul was called to the ministry on the road to Damascus.
Reflections
When God called me into His service, I didn’t see an awe-inspiring vision of the Lord. I was mowing the grass at our family’s home. Even though that was the case, my call to serve the Lord was as real as Elijah, Elisha, the prophets, and Paul.
In two short years, I will celebrate a 60-year anniversary of that meeting with God while mowing the front yard of our home.
You don’t have to be a vocational minister or prophet to have a call on your life. For example, I have explained to one of my friends in AA that his God-given calling is serving alcoholics and addicts.
Another one of my friends is incarcerated. I have written to him letters of encouragement to see his call as being a faithful follower of Jesus in prison.
What we all need to do is recognize that God has a role for us to play in His purposes. Let’s be determined to follow His leadership, just as have the heroes of the faith.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 