What is the difference between elijah and elisha

In any and all of these contexts, the actual event of succession can be triumphant, or disastrous, or anything in between, and if we have spent any time at all in a church the examples come easily to mind. The question of succession itself has therefore received fresh attention in the literature of leadership. This essay looks at the relationship of Elijah and Elisha as it is portrayed in 1 and 2 Kings to see what insights may be found regarding the problem of succession.

This passage points to a number of elements in succession. The first is the value or advantage of settled succession, not least to the prophet. Succession is not something Elijah conceives or requests; God both initiates the idea and announces the candidate.

Third, the immediate results are somewhat ambiguous. Elisha responds promptly and faithfully as we must understand , resisting the temptation to read into it the Gospel encounter of Luke Was the relationship a mentoring one?

Was Elisha learning attitudes, methods, techniques, life style? There is nothing in our literature to encourage such hypotheses. In fact the second important text touching on the question of succession only adds to the ambiguity of the relationship of these men and the purpose of their overlapping association. Here is established the clear succession of Elisha to Elijah. But the second clear theme in the narrative is the element of distance between the two men.

Elijah understands the time has come for the Lord to take him, and Elisha accompanies him toward the wilderness. Elijah however desires to make the final journey alone, but Elisha refuses this.

His whole gait was that of the ordinary citizen. Elisha was no lonely man dwelling in the grot of Cherith or the solitudes of the wilderness.

He had his own house in Samaria. He was known in far Damascus. Indeed the whole contrast between Elijah and Elisha is so significant and instructive as to be well worth following from point to point. Elijah simply drops upon the scene. There is no warning, no period of pupilage or preparation. Of his previous history nothing whatever is known. Like Melchisedec he has neither "beginning of days nor end of life. Shaphat is a man of means, for he has twelve ploughs at work; a man of piety also, for he has refused to do homage at the shrine of Baal.

In particular, he has trained his son to know Israel's God. As Elijah taunts, they bound around their altar gashing their bodies, but all to no avail. As the time of the evening sacrifice nears, their sacrifice remains untouched by fire. Symbolically Elijah builds his altar from 12 stones representing the twelve tribes. He surrounds the altar with a ditch, lays the sacrifice on the wood and pours water over it until even the ditch is full. Fire not only consumes the waterlogged sacrifice but the wood, the stone, the dust and the water that was in the ditch.

He flees to the wilderness where he wishes for death. Again he is sustained by miraculously provided food and drink. In exchange, he offers a better vineyard or money. Naboth refuses to give up his inheritance. Ahab descends into a serious sulk, so Jezebel devises a plan to obtain the vineyard for her husband.

She has two witnesses falsely testify that Naboth cursed God. He is stoned to death and Ahab takes possession of the vineyard. His entire line will come to an end. Jezebel too will become food for the dogs. Often we may find ourselves being the only Christian in a situation.

In the example of the prophets of Baal, he was outnumbered by the hundreds. Still, he exercised faith and his God won out the day. Elijah also learned the importance of passing the mantle of a ministry. But he entrusts Elisha to finish what he started. Maybe we have similar experiences. However, we can trust that we set the groundwork for another Christian to continue witnessing to them in our stead. When called by Elijah, he completely abandons his trade and follows him. Perhaps God has done the same in our lives.

Maybe he has called us into a vocation in which we have no experience, or he calls us away from our comfort zones. We can also learn from Elisha what it looks like to carry on a legacy of a mentor or Christian who came before us. Before the New Testament discipleship existed, Elijah and Elisha showed a great example of how to teach someone in ministry and pass the mantle to them. We need mentors in our lives, older Christians who can instruct us and help us on our spiritual walk.

They learned the importance of passing on a legacy and humility.