Posted on Oct 25, 2016 in Pastor's Pen |
“And Elisha Died”
2 Kings 13:20
“And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.”
The great prophet of Israel has finished his course as we all will. It was a sad day when he departed as he was a bright and shining light amongst the people of God. The king called him the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. He had given hope to this nation in spite of their spiritual idolatry. God’s hand of blessing was upon him since the day of his master Elijah’s rapture. He truly received a double portion of his master’s spirit. Even the miracles appear to be double of that which Elijah performed. Elisha had parted the Jordan River, healed poisonous waters, made iron swim, healed a leperous soldier, blinded a band of Syrian soldiers and brought them into Samaria, he prophesied provision in the midst of a famine and so it came. These and many other miracles brought hope to Israel and gave Elisha a name for himself. All this he did because he walked in the presence of the Lord as his master Elijah had done. Now he is gone and the first thing we read is that the Moabites started to invade the land. Who are the Moabites? Throughout the Bible they are a fleshly type of people, from their conception as a nation to their behavior throughout scripture they are clearly a type of our overindulging flesh (Galatians 5:17). It is not coincidental that Moab began to invade after Elisha’s death. He was the spiritual sustaining force in Israel without him they lost that influence.
When you are removed from that which spiritually sustains you, you can expect the flesh to take advantage of you. You will be far more vulnerable to temptations when you neglect fellowship with God. This is why church attendance is so important; “One week without church makes one weak”. You need to read your Bible prayerfully and regularly. You need good Christian fellowship. You need to be around people who make you feel uncomfortable about sin. Elisha died but the God of Elisha is ever present. Don’t let anything remove his influence from your life, “…walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”
Galatians 5:17.
Read: Galatians 5
