When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

–Parallel verses:
I Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬-‭21‬
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.”

The prophet Elijah was commonly viewed as one of the most powerful prophets in the Old Testament times. He was right up there with Moses. In fact, when Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up the mountain and he was transfigured (his clothes were white beyond any earthly brilliance), it was Moses and Elijah that God chose to supernaturally meet him there and encourage him.

In his first meeting with Elisha, Elijah put his cloak around him. This is a symbol of a calling to follow him in his prophetic profession. And follow him Elisha did — in dramatic fashion. After he said goodbye to his parents, he took his wood plough and started a fire and slaughtered and cooked his oxen, feeding the people of the town. This was a symbolic gesture (as well as a generous one), similar to Ponce de Leon burning the ships at port to ensure his troops would not retreat. It is tantamount to Elisha saying to Elijah, “I have sacrificed my worldly success and my career on the altar to God and I will follow you and be mentored by you. I will never turn back. I am 100% committed to the ministry.”

Then, as we read in II Kings 2 (just before Elijah is taken into heaven with chariots of fire, never dying), Elisha does something equally incredible and bold. Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him before he leaves. Instead of asking for something to make his life easy or to make him famous, he simply asks for a double portion of his spirit. What an AMAZING ASK! It not only communicates his love and great respect for Elijah, but it reflects his heart to serve God with even more power.

So I have three questions: Who am I mentored by in my spiritual ministry and am I 100% sold out to follow their lead (as they follow Jesus)? Will I have served them well enough for them to grant me a blessing at the end of their ministry? And will I boldly ask for that blessing to be one that enhances my ability to serve God?

Lord, help me to be bold in following the leaders you provide me, “burning the ships” so to speak, and giving all I have to serve you! May I have earned the respect to be granted a blessing, and may I be bold in asking for it … to the benefit of your Kingdom!