Who's Got Next?

Who Got Next?

1 Kings 19:1-3 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”



On a British Airways flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, a wealthy middle-aged woman found herself sitting next to a black gentleman. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating.


“Yes madam, what seems to be the problem?” asked the attendant.


“Can’t you see?” the woman snapped loudly, “You’ve seated me next to a kaffir. I can’t possibly sit next to this discussing man. Find me another seat!”


“Please calm down, madam,” the attendant replied. “I believe the economy section is full today, but I’ll check to see if we have any upgraded seat available in club or first class.”


The woman struck a snooty pose, looking condescendingly at the embarrassed black man beside her (not to mention many of the outraged passengers).


A few minutes later the cabin attendant returned with good news. “Madam, as I suspected, our economy section is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and business class is full. However, we do have one seat available in first class.


The woman gave the people around her a smug grin.


The flight attendant continued, “Please realize, it is most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the extreme circumstances, the captain felt it was outrageous that someone should be forced to sit next to such a disgusting person.”


With that, she turned to the black man and said, “Sir, if you’d like to get your things, I have your first-class seat ready for you.”


As the man got up and walked to the front of the plane, the surrounding passengers gave him a standing ovation. 


The Bible says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2).


Who Got Next? Surprisingly enough, this has nothing to do with basketball.

Picture this: In our opening thesis we see Elijah was running for his life—from the wicked queen Jezebel.
Who was Jezebel? Reading her biography it reads like a blockbuster trailer of a top box office action movie: The name creates a visual that anyone would recognize; a woman who strives to undermine the authority of others and will use anything, even murder, to get what she wants of power, prestige, and fortune. Jezebel is known by many as the name representing a woman with dangerous and harmful intentions in mind, who never hesitated to create the downfalls of others in order for her plans to work. Jezebel wasn’t a figment of people’s imaginations, but a real woman who was possibly one of the first feminists in our history.
At a time when he needed all the friends he could get, Elijah found himself isolated in the wilderness battling fearful imaginations of Jezebel’s henchmen making good on her death threat. His servant was supposed to protect him, to stand with him—to run with him if necessary. Instead, this unnamed servant stayed behind in Beersheba (1 Kings 19:3). The Bible says Elijah left his servant there, but there’s no indication that the servant even tried to convince him to stay by his side. As most good servants would do.
It’s amazing, Elijah’s servant had just watched God bring rain to the land at Elijah’s word after several years of drought. This servant had just witnessed Elijah call down fire from heaven. Elijah’s servant had witnessed the man of God defeat 850 prophets. God only knows how many other miracles Elijah’s servant witnessed. But we see Elijah leaving him behind in Beersheba, while Elijah isolated himself in the wilderness.
Elijah’s servant missed out on being next, he could have been the next in line for a double portion anointing, but he forfeited it by staying behind and not sticking with Elijah through to the end. This could have been an act on Elijah’s part to save his servant's life. But one will never know because that’s the last we hear of Elijah’s servant.
There are three key factors in being the next one used by God. In fact, these same factors are found in everyday life.
1. Picked: 1 Kings 19:15-16; 20-21
2. Prepared: 2 Kings 3:11
3. Positioned: 2 Kings 2:11 
Picked
God gave Elijah a new servant not too long after this. God gave him Elisha to carry on his ministry. In contrast to Elijah’s first servant, Elisha refused to leave his side. Elijah even commanded him more than once to stay behind and Elisha refused to leave him.
God gave Elijah a new servant not too long after this. God gave him Elisha to carry on his ministry. In contrast to Elijah’s first servant, Elisha refused to leave his side. Elijah even commanded him more than once to stay behind and Elisha refused to leave him.
From the beginning, you can see Elisha’s fervent spirit for the Lord. Elisha was plowing with 12 yokes of oxen when Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
God gave Elijah a new servant not too long after this. God gave him Elisha to carry on his ministry. In contrast to Elijah’s first servant, Elisha refused to leave his side. Elijah even commanded him more than once to stay behind and Elisha refused to leave him.
From the beginning, you can see Elisha’s fervent spirit for the Lord. Elisha was plowing with 12 yokes of oxen when Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.
19 So Elijah went and found Elisha the son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”
Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”
21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

Prepared 
Elisha served Elijah faithfully—and fervently. He was widely known in the kingdom of Israel as the one who poured water over Elijah’s hands (2 Kings 3:11 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah"). Through his faithful, fervent service to Elijah, Elisha was actually serving God’s purposes in the earth and being prepared to do even greater works than Elijah.
But when Elijah’s time was drawing to an end, would Elisha stick with him or as many have done today, rush out to launch his own ministry before God’s perfect timing? Would Elisha hang tough with Elijah no matter where he went or what he did? Or would he too run and hide in a cave when the battle gets intense and another Jezebel threatens to take your his life or do him harm? Elijah gave his apprentice three chances to leave his service.
You can’t help but think of when Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus was giving Peter more responsibility for the Church in that process. Elisha may or may not have realized it, but Elijah was about to give him a great responsibility—as his successor. Elisha had already been anointed as his successor, but now it was nearing time to take the mantle of responsibility and carry on where Elijah would leave off.
Elisha knew his master was about to go up to heaven. Instead of bailing on him, he stuck closely by Elijah’s side to draw everything he could to the very end. 2 Kings 2:9-10 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”
And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
Positioned
2 Kings 2:11 11 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 was bold enough to ask Elijah for a double portion of his anointing before he went on to be with the Lord. He knew he would need it to continue the work of the ministry. Up until that time, he has witnessed some great supernatural events and early on Elijah was willing to entertain the request. But would Elisha stick by his side until the end? Watch this...
11 As they were walking along and talking together...
Can I go deeper? These two men, one a prophet and the other a prophet in training— one young, and one old— were walking together and talking. Can you imagine what they were talking about? Both men knew that their time together was short. This was Elisha’s last chance to draw wisdom from his mentor; and Elijah’s last chance to offer his spiritual son some final instructions. And while they were talking, a chariot of fire parted them and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into the heavens.
The Bible says, 12 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 (This was a sign of taking off the old to put on the new). 
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
As a result of witnessing this event, Elisha was positioned to receive the double portion anointing for which he petitioned. He was now in a position to be positioned for the double portion of Elijah’s anointing. But was he convinced? Was he completely sure he really had it? The Bibles says, 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left..., There was his proof that God picked him, prepared him, and positioned him, the writer says, “and he crossed over.” 
Elijah’s other servant, the one who stayed behind at Beersheba, was a candidate for this double portion anointing. At the very least, he was in line to receive a mighty impartation from Elijah.
It would seem that Elijah’s other servant wasn’t willing to go with him through the hard times, to go with him to the hard places. We can only assume that Elijah’s other servant didn’t have this same fervent spirit, in serving the Lord. So Elijah’s other servant disappears into Bible obscurity, without even so much as a name by which to call him. But the Bible does say, Elisha, by contrast, went on to do twice as many miracles as his mentor. Elisha maintained his fervency until the end.
In fact, Elisha was so fervent in spirit that the miraculous followed him even after he was dead and buried: (2 Kings 13:21) “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”
Are you next? Consider the anointing God has in store for you and those who faithfully—and fervently—serve Him at all costs. You can be next! You will be next! Better yet, you are next!

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