JUNE 6: Pass The Torch

Steve Smartt is pastor of Moultrie Baptist Church in St. Augustine.

Accompanying a sense of responsibility for a present task, there is often an overactive view of our own persona. With a diligent ambition to “get the job done,” we sometimes become so aggressive in accomplishing our individual tasks that we fail to draw others in with us to achieve an even greater goal through the cooperation of many hands.

Going back into 1 Kings, we see the prophet Elijah standing victoriously in the power of God, but soon overwhelmed by the gravity of his circumstances. Although hours before, he had brought a great victory to the name of God and great destruction to the prophets of Baal, the breadth of the ongoing task now seemed too great to accomplish. With his eyes on his proficiency alone, he became discouraged by his temporal view of God’s plan. If there is one criticism to be levied against him, it is that his inability to see the big picture of God’s providence caused him to focus on the incremental task that he was called to fulfill.

Now moving into 2 Kings, it appears that Elijah has recovered his perspective. Chapter one shows a man who is very confident in the power and intervention of God, who, after hearing the Word of the Lord, obeys and speaks forth the prophecy against Ahaziah. Then, to the company of soldiers, twice he calls down the fires from heaven in his defense. But now in chapter two, the Lord is about to take Elijah up to heaven, leaving Elisha to fulfill his commission to succeed him as prophet (1 Kings 19:16).

Knowing this to be the case, Elijah offers a test to validate Elisha’s determination and his suitability for the prophetic office, just as any mentor should test those they are mentoring to see first if they are suited for their particular function. Elisha’s response to the company of the prophets at Bethel (2:3) indicates that he knew Elijah’s departure was imminent as he declares to Elijah that nothing would prevent him from following on and continuing the task (2:2).

Elijah had been Elisha’s mentor. Now as his ministry was coming to an end, Elisha desired to follow in his footsteps. Having witnessed the prophetic ministry as modeled by Elijah, Elisha requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit in accordance with that which is received by the firstborn of every man (2:7-10; ref. Deut. 21:17). As Elijah had wrapped his cloak around Elisha in his initial call to follow (1 Kings 19:19), so his cloak was to be passed on for Elisha to continue the prophetic ministry.

Elijah had accomplished great things for the glory of God. As his successor, Elisha would do the same by fulfilling the work entrusted to him. With an unfailing commitment to his mentor, Elisha was determined to accompany him until the Lord took him away. Though his own reluctance to release Elijah is displayed in his declaration of him as the “chariots and horsemen of Israel” (3:12), Elijah’s departure left the task of the prophetic ministry fully to him. Validating his own place in ministry, Elisha took up the cloak left by his mentor and duplicated the miracle of parting the Jordan River (2:13-14).

Each one of us has the responsibility to run our course with the greatest of our energy. But like runners passing a baton, there is a runner ahead who is called to accompany us, succeed us, and to complement the continuation of our ministries. It is incumbent upon us that they should be prepared to receive the commission to carry on. We must identify these runners, invest in their preparation, and release them to contribute to the race before us.