Morning Moments

2 Kings 2:13-14 (ASV)
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

There is an amazing picture in the experience of Elisha that clearly portrays our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. All the man asked for was a double portion of the mantle of Elijah and what he got was stunning and amazing. What we have in Christ is much more than what the average Christian ever realizes. When the Queen of Sheba had seen for herself the kingdom of Solomon, she exclaimed “The half has not been told…”. Jesus later said, “A greater than Solomon is here.” There are two phrases that leap out in a study of Naaman the leper, “Behold he went down” and “Behold now I know.”

If the average Christian today had a clue of what we have in Christ, he/she would stop pleading and start praising, stop limping and start leaping for joy, stop whimpering and start worshipping. Low is the standard in today’s Christianity. Preacher have proclaimed “forgiveness” without “fullness”, “salvation” apart from “sanctification”, and a “gospel” that excludes “godliness”.

In a very real sense, Elijah is a picture of the weakness of the law and Elisha a picture of the strength of the “abundant life” we have in Christ. Although the law is good, grace is better, for grace provides for us what the law demands of us – righteousness.

There is no record whatsoever of the failure of Elisha, but there is of Elijah. Don’t misunderstand; we are not contrasting the character of the two, but the typology of the two. In other words, what the law could not do in that it was “weak”, God did in Jesus. The principle of salvation is the same in both – faith, but the power of the two differs. Elisha is an example of the fullness of the Holy Spirit – a double portion, and that is what is lacking is much of today’s superficial Christianity. We see sprinkles but not showers, dew but not a deluge. God is waiting for us to wait upon Him. We have more knowledge about the Bible than ever before, but far less spiritual understanding. There is much talk, but there are few tremors. If the volcano of the presence and power of God ever erupts in our generation, the lost will run for cover.

We know well the words, but we have long since lost the melody. True Christianity is not a song, but a symphony, not some little chorus, but a massive choir tuned and blended to perfection. The ditty and the dance have out volumned the design and director of the entire arrangement. We must pray that God will once again be recognized as the designer and director of the symphony of life and that we might know once again the power of the “double mantle” of Elisha.

BLESSINGS!