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In Death There Is Life Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 25, 2006 (message contributor) Summary: The death of Elijah released the ministry of Elisha My text this morning is taken from the Old Testament reading: 2 Kings 2:1-12 It is the well-known story of Elijah and Elisha and how God took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind and Elisha was left behind on his own. This morning, I would to look at Elisha, and see how he dealt with the loss of his friend. God had called Elisha to be a prophet. He had trained for a long time with Elijah and now God was taking Elijah away. If I had been Elisha, how would I have reacted? Would I have blamed God for taking my friend away. Or would I have been able to see that the time of appenticeship was over and God was now releasing me to fulfill the call that he had for my life on my own. The challenge to us this morning is: How singleminded am I in God’s service? What do we know about Elisha? He was a businessman - in fact a farmer. Judging by the fact that he had "twelve yoke of oxen" (1 Ki 19:19), he was pretty successful. Yet when the call of God came to him, he left that all behind to become Elijah’s pupil. We read that He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burnt his plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant." By the time of this morning’s reading, Elisha had spent a lot of time with Elijah. The master-pupil relationship had probably developed into a father-son relationship. Elisha had developed his own relationship with God and his prophetic gifts had been growing. But Elijah was always there to leaned on. As long as Elijah was around, Elisha could not fully develop into the prophet God had called him to be. The day had to come when God would release Elisha to be on his own. He would now have to depend on God more directly than ever before. And so I wonder what was going on through Elisha’s mind as he walked on the road from Gilgal to Bethel and from Bethel to Jericho. He was losing a very close friend Although he had given up his old life to trust God in his new life, he was losing the security that Elijah had brought to his new life. He would have no option if he wanted to take over from Elijah as the prophet in Israel to look to God and God alone. Was he tempted to look back and ask himself if he had made a mistake in leaving the farm to follow Elijah. Story: I remember the day that my father died. Even though I had left home some eight years and was living in Switzerland, I was married and had three boys - yet when Dad died I felt a deep sense of loss. Dad was gone. I am sure many of you know what it feels like. There is a time when God takes away someone close on whom we depend and we ask: Why Lord? I think similar thoughts were going through Elisha’s mind. I did when Dad died. Yet it is in these very circumstances that God releases you into your own ministry. Painful as it may feel. That was the case for me when Dad died. He was such a powerful character, that I could not step out into my calling as long as he was alive Back to the story: Elisha and Elijah arrive in Jericho and then move on from there down to the Jordan river. As Elijah comes to the Jordan, he strikes the river and the water divides to allow them to pass. They cross and when they get to the other side, Elijah asks: What can I do for you before I am taken up from you? I wonder how I would have answered the question. I know my wife, Maddy would probably have asked for a nice little farm with horses and goats up in East Yorkshire!! Others might have asked for a nice husband or wife and family to support them in their ministry. Elisha knew what God had called him to do. He had made a commitment to it when he slaughtered the oxen and had burnt the ploughs. So Elisha asked for what was necessary to fulfil the task God had called him to. So he asked Elijah for "a double portion of his Spirit". Elijah replies: "If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours - otherwise not" Elisha realised that the key to Elijah’s ministry was the Spirit in Elijah and he knew that he needed that.
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2 राजा अध्याय 2 जब परमप्रभुले एलियालाई आँधीवेहरीमा स्वर्गमा उठाए लैजान आँट्नु भएको थियो। एलिया र एलीशासँगै गिलगाल छोडे। 2 एलियाले एलीशालाई भने, “कृपया यही पर्ख, किनभने परमप्रभुले मलाई बेतेल जानु भन्नु भएको छ।”तर एलीशाले भने, “परमप्रभु हुनुहुन्छ अनि तिमी जिउँदै छौ, यसर्थ म शपथ खाएर भन्छु, म तिमीलाई छोड्ने छैन।” यसकारण दुइ जना मानिसहरू बेतेलतिर गए। 3 बेतेलमा अगमवक्ताहरूको दल एलीशाकहाँ आयो अनि उनलाई भन्यो, “तिमीलाई थाह छ परमप्रभुले तिम्रा मालिकलाई आज लिएर जानु हुनेछ।”एलीशाले भने, “हो म जान्दछु यो। यस बारे कुरा नगर।” 4 एलियाले एलीशालाई भने, “कृपया यहीं पर्ख, किनभने परमप्रभुले मलाई यरीहोमा जानु भन्नुभएको छ।”एलीशाले उत्तर दिए, “म शपथ खाएर भन्छु किनभने परमप्रभु हुनुहुन्छ अनि तिमी जिउँदो छौ, म तिमीलाई छोड्ने छैन।” यसकारण दुइ जना मानिसहरू यरीहोमा गए। 5 यरीहोको अगमवक्ताहरूको दल एलीया कहाँ आयो अनि उनिहरूले उसलाई भने, “के तिमीलाई थाहा छ कि तिम्रो मालिकलाई आज परमप्रभुले तिमी देखी टाढा लिएर जानु हुँदैछ।”एलीशाले भने, “हो, म जान्दछु यो विषयमा कुरा नगर।” 6 एलियाले एलीशासँग भने, “कृपया यहीं पर्ख किनकि परमप्रभुले मलाई यर्दन तरेर जानु भन्नुभएको छ।”एलीशाले भने, “परमेश्वरको साक्षी दिएर म प्रतिज्ञा गर्छु, म तपाईंलाई छोड्ने छैन।” अनि दुइ व्यक्ति गए। 7 अगमवक्ताहरूको दलका पचास जना मानिसहरूले तिनीहरूको अनुसरण गरे। एलिया र एलीशा यर्दन नदी मा उभिए। पचास जना मानिसहरू एलिया र एलीशादेखि टाढा उभिए। 8 एलियाले आफ्नो खाष्टो खोले, त्यसलाई पट्याए र त्यसले पानीमा हिर्काए। पानी देब्रे र दाहिनेतिर दुइ भागमा बाँडियो। तब एलिया र एलीशाले सूख्खा भूइँमाथि हिंडेर नदी तरे। 9 जब तिनीहरूले नदी तरे एलियाले एलीशालाई भने, “परमेश्वरले मलाई तिमीबाट लिएर जानु अघि तिम्रो लागि म के गर्न सक्छु?” एलीशाले भने, “म तपाईको उत्तराधिकारी हुन चाहन्छु।” 10 एलियाले भने, “तिमीले अप्ठ्यारो वस्तु माग्यौ। जब तिमीबाट मलाई लिएर जाँदा यदि तिमीले देख्यौ भने तब यस्तै हुन्छ। तर तिमीले देखेनौ भने त्यस्तो हुँदैन।” 11 एलिया र एलीशा हिंडिरहेका थिए अनि कुरा गरिरहेका थिए। अचानक केही घोडाहरू र एउटा रथ आयो अनि एलीशाबाट एलियालाई छुट्यायो। घोडा र रथ आगो समान थिए। तब एलियालाई हावाबतासमा स्वर्गमा लगियो। 12 एलीशाले यसलाई देखे अनि चिच्याए, “मेरा पिता! मेरा पिता! इस्राएलको रथ अनि उहाँका घोडसैनिकहरू।”एलीशाले एलियालाई फेरि कहिले देखेनन्। एलीशाले आफ्नो लुगालाई पक्रिए अनि आफ्नो शोक देखाउन च्याते। 13 एलियाको खाष्टो भुइँमा झर्यो त्यसकारण एलिशाले त्यसलाई टिपे र यर्दन नदीको किनारमा उभिए। 14 एलीशाले एलियाको खाष्टो लियो र त्यसले पानीमा हिर्काए। उसले भन्यो, “एलियाका परमेश्वर परमप्रभु कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ?” जब एलीशाले पानीमाथि प्रहार गरे। तब पानी दाहिने र देब्रेतिर दुइ भागमा विभाजन भयो र एलीशाले नदी तरे। 15 जब यरीहोका अगमवक्ताहरूको दलले एलीशालाई देखे, तिनीहरूले भने, “एलियाको आत्मा अहिले एलीशामा छ।” तिनीहरू एलीशालाई हेर्न आए। तिनीहरू एलीशा अघि भुईंमा निहुरिए। 16 तिनीहरूले उनलाई भने, “हेर, हामी पचास जना असल मानिस छौं। कृपया तिनीहरूलाई जान देऊ अनि आफ्नो मालिक खोज्न देऊ। हुन सक्छ, परमप्रभुको आत्माले एलियालाई माथि लगेको छ अनि उनलाई कुनै पहाड अथवा घाँटीमा झारेको छ।”तर एलीशाले उत्तर दिए, “होइन, एलियालाई खोज्न मानिसहरू नपठाऊ!” 17 अगमवक्ताहरूको दलले एलीशालाई तिनी अलमल्ल पारूञ्जेलसम्म बिन्ती गरिरहे। तब एलीशाले भने, “ठीक छ, एलियालाई खोज्न मानिसहरू पठाऊ।” अगमवक्ताहरूको दलले 50 जना मानिसहरूलाई एलियालाई खोज्न पठाए। तिनीहरूले तीन दिन खोजे तर तिनीहरूले एलियालाई भेटेनन्। 18 यसकारण मानिसहरू यरिहो गए जहाँ एलीशा बसेका थिए। तिनीहरूले उनलाई एलियालाई तिनीहरूले खोज्न नसकेको बताए। एलीशाले तिनीहरूलाई बताए, “मैले तिमीहरूलाई नजानु भनेको थिएँ।” 19 शहरका मानिसहरूले एलीशालाई भने, “महाशय, तपाई यस शहरलाई राम्रो ठाउँमा बनाउनुहुनेछ। तर पानी राम्रो छैन। त्यसकारण नै जमीनले अन्नबाली उँमार्दैन।” 20 एलीशाले भने, “एउटा नयाँ कचौरा मकहाँ ल्याऊ र त्यसमा नून हाल।”मानिसहरूले एलीशा कहाँ कचौरा ल्याए। 21 तब एलीशा त्यस ठाउँमा गए जहाँ भुइँबाट पानी बगिरहेको थियो। एलीशाले पानीमा नून हाले। उनले भने, “परमप्रभुले भन्नुभएको छ, ‘म यस पानीलाई शुद्ध बनाइरहेको छु। अब देखि यस पानीले कसैलाई मार्ने छैन अथवा जमीनलाई अन्न फल्ने बनाउँनेछ।”‘ 22 पानी शुद्ध भयो। त्यो पानी अझै आज पनि राम्रो छ। यो यस्तै भयो जस्तो एलीशाले भनेका थिए। 23 एलीशा त्यस शहरबाट बेतेल गए। एलीशा शहरतिर पहाडमा उकालो चढिरहेका थिए अनि केही केटाहरू शहरबाट तल झरिरहेका थिए। तिनीहरूले एलीशाको हाँसो उडाउन शुरू गरे। तिनीहरूले उनलाई भने, “माथि चढ, तँ तालुखुइले मान्छे। माथि चढ तँ तालुखुईले मान्छे।” 24 एलीशाले पछि हेरे अनि उनीलाई देखे। उनले परमप्रभुलाई तिनीहरूप्रति नराम्रो होस् भनी बिन्ती गरे। तब बनबाट दुइवटा भालू निस्किए अनि केटाहरूमाथि आक्रमण गरे। भालूद्वारा बयालीस केटाहरू च्यातिदिए। 25 एलीशाले बेतेल छोडे अनि कर्मेल पहाडतिर हिंडे। अनि त्यहाँ बाट एलीशा सामरियातिर फर्किए।योराम इस्राएलका राजा हुन्छन्