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Chariots of fire and horses of fire have just separated Elijah and Elisha, Elisha watches as Elijah is pulled into a whirlwind and taken to Heaven. If you are not familiar with 2 Kings start right at the beginning, chapter 1 verse 1, you will not regret it. We meet up with Elisha on the bank of the Jordan where he is holding Elijah’s cloak in his hands and talking to God. He is witnessed by several of the prophets from Jericho, and they devise a plan. Seriously, spend 60 seconds today in 2 Kings verse 5-18 it is worth it!
16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
2 Kings 2:16 NIV
They are offering to form a search party and search for Elijah, “hey, we have people ready to roll, we will go look for him!” It would have been hard to believe he was taken to Heaven without dying, this would make Elijah only the second person ever to go to Heaven without death (the first being Enoch in Genesis).
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
2 Kings 2:16 NIV
Elisha knew he was gone, and although a search party coming back empty-handed might help bolster the faith of the prophets who did not witness the event, it was not necessary, for faith alone was enough.
17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him.
2 Kings 2:17 NIV
I wonder what this looked like, did they jump up and down? Did they quote scripture ad nauseam, whatever they did it was enough for Elisha to give in. As a mother with young children giving in out of exhaustion resonates with me. How many times have I just said, “fine, go, just stop doing what you are currently doing please.” They come back from the search empty-handed unable to locate Elijah.
18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?
2 Kings 2:18 NIV
Even though Elisha knew they wasted the resources, the manpower of 50+ men, and three days in their search he did not scold them, he did not belittle them, he just said, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” and then they moved on. For some of the prophets not finding Elijah bolstered their faith, for others it may have left them with unanswered questions. Either way, there are practical lessons for us that have been unlocked in this section of 2 Kings and I expect depending on your season of life those lessons might look differently. In this season, I needed the reminder of the grace Elisha showed the prophets and the 50+ men upon their return. How many times has one of my children ventured off on their own with a bold plan I knew would end badly, only to return with a limp, a cut, or tears? Countless. I tend to reconstruct the failure while consoling but I can do better. Elisha did not remind them of the wasted manpower, the three days they could have used in countless other ways, or accuse them of lacking faith. They just moved on.
Lord thank you for this piece of scripture and the beautiful reminder of how we should treat others. Many times, we will have opportunities to remind others of their failures, may we bite our tongues and extend our arms in a loving embrace, welcoming them home. May we show our love for Jesus in our thoughts and actions towards our brothers and sisters. Let me show grace like Elisha and always move forward on the mission to serve you, God. -Amen
May the words that flow from me Lord be filled with Your message and when I am obedient may they be backed by the Holy Spirit. When I serve righteously let none of the words, I utter in praise of You fall to the ground. Help me to craft every word, may they pierce hearts and refresh weary souls. This gift is Yours; God I simply aim to use it for your glory.
–Love Cortney