"My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”

Death of Elisha  2 Kings 13:14-21

¹⁴ When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” ¹⁵ Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. ¹⁶ Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ He said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” ¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

²⁰ Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

Notice the words spoken by Joash when he comes to Elisha,  “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”  When Elisha received the double portion of the spirit of Elijah it says in 2 Kings 2:9-15      When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” ¹⁰ He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. ¹² Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. ¹⁵ Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.”

 “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”  There was a common vision, a common presence of God's heavenly host present in both times. Ministers, messengers, warriors of the heavenly realm sent to bring God's servants home to their eternal place with God. There is a difference that we see between the two accounts though. We are told the when Elijah was taken up, he was seen no more. Elisha received a double portion of Elijah's spirit and picked up the mantle of Elijah. Elisha  was called to carry on the work  of Elijah, his mentor and spiritual father. He was given all that he needed to carry out that calling. We too are called to carry on in the work of our Father. Jesus says:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.(John 14:12) 

Just as Elisha received the spirit of Elijah to enable and empower him to walk in the call, we receive the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit to empower us to walk in His call and commission.

Verses 20-21 show us that the power of the Holy Spirit is the power behind the works of any servant of God and the Holy Spirit is  eternal, His power continues beyond the life of any man.  Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.   

Jesus says:  "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
(John 11:25) Jesus holds the power of the resurrection, sometimes that resurrection power is manifested in the natural realm and we see the miraculous physical resurrection of someone being actually raised from death to life. Other times there is the no less miraculous spiritual resurrection, from this temporary life to eternal life with God in the heavenly realm.

One of the most difficult questions for us to understand or answer is why we don't see more of the first resurrection. Why, though we know and believe God has empowered us with His Holy Spirit, and we believe God does answer our prayers as Jesus  says:

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.(Mark 11:23-24)

Why then did I lose two dear friends this past week to the curse of cancer? Many including myself, prayed  and believed for their healing, for the power of resurrection to be seen and manifested here on earth. I don't know why. I don't believe though that it is because God doesn't care or that He doesn't answer our prayers as He said He would. I will trust Him and I will go on in the confidence of the knowledge that each of those who passes from this life, with the knowledge that Jesus Christ died for their sins and is their Savior, enjoys the eternal resurrection of the spirit into the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

I don't know why sometimes we don't see the answer we would like to see. I trust in God. There is also a lesson I will continue in from today's text. 

 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. ¹⁶ Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ He said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” ¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

I will continue to shoot the arrows of the victory of the Lord, the arrows of intercession and prayer. I will continue to strike the ground the enemy stands on, with the arrows of God's victory. I will strike it not three times, not even just the five or six times that Elisha prescribed. I will continue to strike the ground the enemy stands on until he is completely destroyed or my days here are over,until I see,  "the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”. Cancer does not have the final say or the ultimate authority. Philippians 2:10-11 says:

at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.       That includes every spirit contrary to the Spirit of God, that includes the spirit of death that operates through cancer.

When Jesus asked the disciples who He is this is what He says:      “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 16:16-19) 

Upon the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Lord of Lords and the King of kings He will build His church and the gates of hell will not overpower it. Upon the truth that Jesus is the Christ, I will continue to take my stand against all the gates of hell which are open in this earthly realm. I will continue to pray and believe:

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.   Amen.