The Call Of Elisha

I Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

Every once in a while we hear of a man or woman who leaves a good job to go into ministry, either becoming a pastor, missionary, or some other ministerial career.  We might wonder why they would leave a promising good career, maybe as an attorney, an architect, or some prestigious business position, to become a pastor of an inconsequential church or travel to the jungles of a foreign country as a missionary.  We might even be critical, believing that they aren’t thinking of their family or their future financial security.

In our Scripture passage today we read of the calling of the prophet Elisha, and how he responded to that calling.  Prior to the opening of our passage, the prophet Elijah had victoriously defeated the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel (I Kings 18:19-40), and then traveled to the wilderness near Mt. Sinai where the Lord encouraged his falling spirit (I Kings 19:4-14).  While there, the Lord instructs Elijah to travel to Syria to anoint a man to become the next king in Syria, another man to become the next king of Israel, and a third man who he will train to become the next great prophet in the land.

Elijah obeys the Lord’s instructions and travels from the wilderness near Mt. Sinai, far south of the nation of Judah, to the village of Abel Meholah, located by the Jordan River, a little south of the Sea of Galilee.  Elisha was a young man still living with his parents who were wealthy landowners, owning a large farm. The farm was large enough that they needed at least 12 yoke of oxen to plow the fields. That would be a substantial farm.  Oxen are big, strong animals, and Elisha’s family were wealthy enough to own at least 24 of them. Elisha was the son in this family, and was possibly going to inherit the place when his parents died.

On this day when the prophet Elijah showed up, Elisha was hard at work out in the fields handling one of the twelve yokes of oxen, servants probably handling the others.  Elijah came up to Elisha and placed his own mantle around his shoulders. That was a symbolic gesture signifying that he was to be Elijah’s successor. Elijah was a well known prophet and preacher of the one-true God.  As a believer and worshipper of God, Elisha must have known who Elijah was when he arrived. He knew this was God’s call upon his life to go into full-time ministry with the great prophet.

Why did God pick Elisha, we might wonder.  Elisha was definitely a believer who worshipped God, not any of the myriad of other false gods so many Israelites had fallen into the worship of.  Nor did he mix the worship of God with any of the false deities. His worship was true and pure. Elisha was a hard worker. When Elijah came he was out in the field working.  Even though he was a rich man’s son, he didn’t lounge around the house, letting the servants do all the work. He worked hard himself. God doesn’t use lazy people.

What was Elisha’s response?  Here he was, the son of a wealthy landowner and farmer, likely to inherit the property later.  Many young men in his position would tell the prophet, “Thanks for the thought, but no. I’m staying here.  I have too much to lose.” That was not the response Elisha gave. He readily accepted the call of God upon his life, no matter what the cost.  Elisha didn’t ask Elijah to wait awhile for him to get used to the idea, or to go on vacation first. No, he went to his house to tell his parents and say goodbye to them.  Elisha then offered his yoke of oxen as a sacrifice to the Lord. Not only was that a sacrifice to God, it also showed Elisha’s complete acceptance and dedication to God’s call upon his life.  There was no turning back.

Have you heard God’s call upon your life, calling you to some type of service for Him?  If you have, is there a hesitation because of what you might have to give up? Or will you willingly accept like Elisha did?  God used Elisha in a mighty way because he was willing to obey the call upon his life. What can He do with your life if you willingly give it to Him?