Yeah, I suppose so! Sometimes we get so focused on just the right words, that the message itself gets lost. And when the message is a matter of life and death, it must be very clear—no mixture!and powerful King and Queen of Israel, Ahab and Jezebel, and yet, with God's Spirit, he faced down their 450 false prophets on Mt. Carmel. These were serious times—God is God, and that must be known!
We can see this very plainly in the relationship between two of the most famous prophets ever—Elijah and Elisha. The times were serious, and so were their messages. In 1 Kings 18, we find that Elijah had to deal with the very evil
When the time came for Elijah to choose his successor, he finds him quickly—"So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him." (19:19) The mantle is the outer cloak, and, in the Hebrew, it refers to something very ample and full. It was symbolic of the anointing that God had placed on Elijah's life, and soon, it would be upon Elisha's. When he asks if he could bid his family farewell, Elijah tells him to go, but watch out! You see, this traditional time of farewell often dragged on for a couple of weeks or more, and there would be no time for that—watch out for other attachments when the Lord is calling! Elisha's heart was clear in the matter—"…he took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." (vs. 21) The focus was on other's needs, not his own!
Praise God—the truly blessed place to live is where mixture is not a permanent fixture! In 2 Kings 2, when this succession was about to take place, we see the same thing—no mixture! Centuries before this, the people of Israel had made their way, with the Lord's leading, from bondage in Egypt, through 40 years in the wilderness, and to the shores of the Jordan River—the entrance to the Promised Land. Now, Elijah was on his way out—literally—so the journey would take them back to the river. As they got ready for the trip, Elijah told Elisha, "Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord has sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-elcame forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace." (vss. 2,3) Now this incident didn't just happen at Beth-el, the "House of God," it was repeated as they came closer and closer to the Jordan River—in Jericho and on the banks of the river itself. Elisha and the others were being tested—just how far were they willing to go to live in the place where mixture is not a fixture? A place of purity and holiness, with a devoted adherence to God's word, no matter the cost? Or will we rationalize, and in so doing, hinder the relationship with compromise?
As they stood there on the shore, "…Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground." (vs. 8) Boy, talk about deja vu—it sounds an awful lot like what happened the first time Israel crossed the river—check it out in Joshua 3—it's almost like hitting the rewind button. Once they were both across, Elijah asked Elisha if there were anything he wanted before they parted ways. And sure enough, there was—Elisha asked, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (vs. 9b) Elisha wanted everything Elijah had, and then some—no mixture, no compromise—just a spirit that took the Holy Spirit seriously in the midst of serious times.
Elijah told him that he had asked a "hard" thing—in the Hebrew, it refers to something dense, tough and severe. The fact is that serious times do call for serious devotion and commitment. Elijah told him that if he would keep his eyes on him—especially throughout what was about to happen—he would indeed receive his request. And then it did happen—"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more…" (vss. 11,12) And—Praise God—Elisha did receive his request—as the chariot vanished, Elijah's mantle fell to the ground, and with it, Elisha "smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over." (vs. 14)
Praise God—even without Elijah physically present, Elisha was going to continue to seek and serve the Lord—without mixture! Doesn't the whole thing ring a bell with you? To me, it sounds like the plan of salvation! As Jesus knew that the time for His departure was at hand, He and His disciples made their way to Jerusalem. Over and over again, Jesus speaks of His death and resurrection, but His followers don't get it—perhaps it was just too severe and grievous. As Jesus is led out of the city to the cross, the waters are parted—so to speak—and He crosses the river of death, only to find greater life. Forty days later, He ascends into heaven, but not without the promise of the coming Holy Spirit—a double portion, ample and full! From Pentecost on, His people—His Elishas—would need to cross back over and live in this world, staying clear, however, of the mixture. How crucial it is to let Him control every aspect of life—personal, relational, and social.
First, the individual Christian! Is my focus myself, my ways, my comfort, and, essentially, I just want to be blessed? Watch out—self-interest is one of the most dangerous diversions from true Christianity to which we can attach ourselves. Why do I say that? Because it quite naturally leads to the same thing with regards to our relationships—using other people for our own gain. In many families today, both fathers and mothers have as their goal to keep harmony in the home—at all costs! So the prayer then becomes that our unsaved families get what they want, so that life is easier on us. The true prayer, however, should be for their salvation. Christian parents have the God-given responsibility to live Jesus before one and all, and in that, draw them to repentance, a denial of themselves, and a heart and life surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. In both the personal life and in our relationships with others, our focus must not be on what we can get out of it—peace and tranquility in the home, for example—but on a soul that truly does need Jesus!
And lastly, consider the Church. Right now, thousands of people are flocking down to Florida, chasing after supernatural blessings, but where are the people who are willing to have Him His"Father, give me the angels in heaven right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the earth and gather me money." Oh, come on—do you see the focus?—ME! It's that ridiculous "prosperity gospel." The evangelist also speaks of angels walking down the aisles, sprinkling gold dust on people. This is foolishness—using Jesus for personal gain. Where is the real Jesus in all of this mixture? 1 John 4:1 tells us, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (or test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." The false prophets today are calling all to blessings and an easier life—what kind of anointing is that? God says that these times coming up will not be easy—the bridge is O-U-T, and we need His very ample double portion to cross that river and live the Elisha life. Amos said, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." (8:11) Not the Word, now—Bibles are everywhere, but the famine is of the hearing of that Word! Come away from the compromise and live in a very blessed place, where mixture is NOT a fixture! way? The evangelist, with his tattoos, body-piercings, and choice of hard rock music in the services, said in his message, "Angelic Hosts,"
