This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

Ahab's evil line is coming to an end, 
but so is the prophet Elijah’s ministry.

Ahab’s son Ahaziah is badly
wounded and sends a messenger

to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the
god of Ekron, if he’ll recover.

But God sends Elijah to
intercept Ahaziah’s men.

Wearing nothing but a cloak made of hair and a
leather belt, he tells them that Ahaziah will die
for his failure to inquire of the God who lives in Israel.

Enraged, Ahaziah sends two
troops of 50 men to capture Elijah.

Each cries out,
“Man of God...Come down”.

The Hebrew word for “man” is
very similar to the Hebrew for “fire.”

So, Elijah says that in response to their threats
and disbelief, the fire of God will come down— 

and it does on the first
two troops of Ahaziah’s men.

But a third battalion asks 
for mercy and is spared.

Ahaziah dies shortly after, knowing
mercy was only an ask away.

Soon Elijah will die and
leave Elisha to continue

his prophetic opposition
against Ahab and Israel’s idolatry.

Together they travel from Bethel
to Gilgal, and then to Jericho;

each a significant location in 
Joshua's succession of Moses.

And in each, Elijah offers Elisha the opportunity 
to refuse his prophetic mantle, but he won’t.

Groups of false prophets try to taunt 
Elisha away from this calling by  

jeering that Elisha will have no 
“head” or leader to protect him.

As a threat, they gather in a 
troop of 50 by the Jordan River.

Meanwhile, like Moses and Joshua, Elijah 
parts the waters of the Jordan with his cloak.

And Elisha asks God for a 
doubling of Elijah’s anointing.

Immediately, Elijah is caught up in a whirlwind 
and ascends to heaven, leaving his cloak.

Elisha wears it as Elijah’s successor and asks the
taunting prophets, “Where now is the Lord?”
The implied answer is in Israel and with Elisha.

Elisha proves this by
parting the Jordan himself.

Unlike Joshua, who parted the river and 
destroyed Jericho, Elisha heals the enemy city.

And when a new group of young men taunt 
Elisha for having no “hair” on his “head”  

(which is an innuendo about how Elijah and 
his “hairy” robe was used to protect Elisha),  

bears come out of the
woods to maul them.

Just like fire fell from the sky to vindicate Elijah,  
God proves Elisha is Elijah’s successor and
is protected by Israel’s God himself.

[music]

This is one of many stories
of succession in Scripture

where the next generation
is greater than the first.

Moses led Israel to the borders of their promised 
land, but Joshua conquered and settled it.

Elijah performed powerful
miracles, but Elisha

has twice his anointing and will
do almost double his miracles.

Again, at the Jordan River, John the 
Baptist said of Jesus, his successor,  

“he must become greater;
I must become less”.

And Jesus’s ministry didn’t just wash people as a
sign of repentance but bathed them with God’s Spirit.

And you and I are also successors.

When Jesus, like Elijah,
ascended to heaven

the mantle of his authority 
was passed on to his disciples.

And like Joshua and Elisha, by his Spirit, we 
will do greater things than our predecessor Jesus.

His anointing is not doubled, but tripled, quadrupled,
and billion-dupled with every believer on the planet.

And while Joshua and Elisha got a taste
of God’s Spirit, we are filled by God’s Spirit.

God has not left us alongside unconquered borders, among jeering rulers, and in an evil world 
without a dose of his anointing.

Just as Joshua, Elijah, and Jesus all
passed through the waters of the Jordan

and saw God was in Israel with them, we
will pass through the waters of baptism

and will know God is
with us wherever we are.

This is not because we ascended to heaven 
or because bears maul our enemies or  

doves rest on our shoulders, 
but because the tomb is empty.

With Elisha, we can stand in
Israel over Jesus’ empty grave

and ask a taunting world,
“Where now is the Lord?”

Knowing that Jesus has mauled death like a 
bear, and his Spirit has fallen like fire on us.

So, as new Joshuas and Elishas,
we go into a hostile world unafraid.

Because, our predecessor has overcome the
world and his help is only an inquiry away.

I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes
to see the God of Israel who is with his people.

And may you see Jesus as your predecessor, who
has filled you with his Spirit to overcome the world.