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AGAPE LESSON 16
IN PURSUIT OF PURPOSE
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
Case study: ELISHA
[1Kings 19v16—18] Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the
son of Shaphat of Abel Mehola you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever
escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.
(18) Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every
mouth that has not kissed him.
Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Mehola: God hand-picked a specific Elisha for Elijah. A son is given.
[Isaiah9v6] For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.
• Abel Meholah – mountain of dancing. It depicts sentimentalism. This location must be
abandoned by those who desire the apostolic/prophetic mantle. This is a place of mourning
by those who are left behind.
Jonathan, because of his sentimental attachment to his father (Saul), died with him in the battle. He
should have followed David as his right-hand man. He was fully aware that David was God’s choice
and next on the throne. [1Samuel 23v17] And he said to him, “Do not fear for the hand of Saul my
father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul,
knows that.”
• You shall anoint as prophet in your place.
Elisha was to be under-study for Elijah. He was to receive impartation from him to carry out his
assignment as prophet. [Mark3v14] Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and
that he might send them out to preach.
That they might be with Him = to bond with Him; to be committed to his vision; to receive training
and impartation of grace and truth that was packaged in Him (John 1v14).
• I have reserved seven thousand in Israel: Elisha is one of those God had reserved.
[1Kings 19v19—21] So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was
ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by
him and threw his mantle on him. (20) And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let
me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again,
for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and
slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and
they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”
• Running after Elijah speaks of a burning obsession. He could not contain himself when he
perceived in the spirit, God’s will.
• Was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him.
Twelve speaks of government. Elisha’s position and Elijah’s anointing gives us accurate
governmental order within the local church and the body of Christ.
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Around Elijah’s altar was a trench of water [word of God (1Kings18v35)]. Accurate government is
word-based; and everything counterfeit is exposed like the prophets of Baal.
• Was with the twelfth – he was holding a lucrative position in the family business. In today’s
terms we could say, he was a CEO.
• Cooking the oxen and partying with the people was a very costly and decisive move;
abandoning a lucrative position and demonstrating a determination not to look back, but
follow Elijah. He burnt his bridges.
• He became his servant. [2Kings3v11] – – – – – -? One of the servants of the king of Israel
answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of
Elijah.
[2Kings 2v1—14] And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a
whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. (2) Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please,
for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you.” So, they went down to Bethel. (3) Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel
came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from
over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” (4) Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay
here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul
lives, I will not live you! So, they came to Jericho. (5) Now the sons of the prophets who were at
Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take way your master from
over you today?” So, he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” (6) Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here,
please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul
lives, I will not leave you!” So, the two went on. (7) And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went
and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
• Gilgal = place of circumcision; circle of stones.
• I will not leave you! = I left sentimental attachments to follow you. [Ruth 1v16] Entreat me
not to leave you, or turn back from following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and
wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if
anything but death parts you and me.
• Bethel = house of God (the gate of heaven). [Genesis28v16—s17] Then Jacob awoke from
his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (17) And he was
afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven.”
• I will not leave you! = the thing I know best to do is follow you.
[Luke22v28–30] “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. (29) And I bestow
upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed upon Me; (30) that you may eat and drink at My
table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
• Will take your master from over you = Elijah was covering grace over Elisha.
• Jericho = fragrant) to smell; perceive odor (metaphorically – of delight)
You will remember when Joshua and the children of Israel were about to take Jericho: It was the
harmony between them that caused the wall to fall. Their going around for seven days, and on the
seventh day the priests blowing the trumpets, was a build up to the harmony. Joshua had
commanded the people and said, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a
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word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.’”
(Joshua6v10) They were all of one heart and one mind; none were giving or voicing their opinion in
the matter. It takes a lot of passion to follow a strategy that sounds so foolish (shouting at the wall) –
— enduring that much suspense and staying focus; marching around thirteen times in seven days and
not getting the end result; but just buying into the set-man’s vision to do the will of God.
• As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you! = I will follow you till we get to
the finishing line. [2Timothy3v10—11] “But you have carefully followed my doctrine,
manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance (11) persecutions,
afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I
endured. – – – -.
• Jordan = place of separation
(8) Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and
that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
Mantle – glory, cloak, magnificence
• Water is a constant picture of the of God. [Ephesians5v5—6] Husbands, love your wives, just
as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself to her, (6) that He might sanctify and
cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word.
• It divided this way and that = speaks of rightly dividing the word of God. [2Timothy 2v15] Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth
Elijah was running a school of prophets – was the fathering grace; but the company of prophets was
not covenanted to him, and only Elisha was intimate. He unrelentingly pursued very close to Elijah.
Elijah’s going from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and to the Jordan, he was giving the other disciples
(company of prophets) a chance to tap and draw from his grace; but instead, they remained
spectating, and entertained that he was going to be taken away from above Elisha. This was now
time for Elisha to graduate.
(9) And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for
you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be
upon me.”
Ask! – to inquire carefully.
What may I do for you?
In essence, Elijah is saying to Elisha – look intelligently into what is packaged in me, and ask.
• Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.
Here Elisha is saying, “I am reminding you to see me as your first-born son and therefore I am legible
to a double portion. The task ahead of me demands a strength that I do not have. And double of
what you carry, will be sufficient for the task.
(10) So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken away
from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.
You have asked a hard thing:
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What you are asking depends on your position and perception. Spiritual things are not taught but
caught through impartation; and impartation demands proximity. Elisha had to be there to receive
what he was asking.
[Romans 10v17] So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
• Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken away from you:
If you perceive what I truly am. It shall be so. You cannot receive what don’t see.
(11) Then I happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly, a chariot of fire appeared
with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Separated the two: — two is a number of witness.
• And Elijah went by a whirlwind into heaven
This was prefiguring the ascension of Jesus in full view of His disciples [Acts 1v9—11] Now when He
had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of
their sight. (10) And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men
stood by them in white apparel, (11) who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as
you saw Him go into heaven.”
Elijah was taken by a whirlwind to another position. He was not seen dying and his body was not
found. [2Kings2v17] – – – – – -. Therefore, they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days, but
did not find him.
(12) And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its
horsemen!” so he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two
pieces.
His own clothes – his old wineskin (old pattern of doing thing things).
• And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces:
He was getting rid of the old wineskin to embrace the new wine. [Mark2v22] No one put new wine
into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins
are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.
(13) He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the
bank of the Jordan. (14) Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the
water, and said, “Where is the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was
divided this sway and that; and Elisha crossed over.
Where is the God of Elijah – all along Elisha’s eyes were beyond Elijah, to see the true God of Elijah.
Water – a constant picture of the word of God.
Water was divided this way and that. = Elisha is now mature and is able to divide the word of truth,
does not depend on Elijah anymore.
Ruth would not let go of Naomi.
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The woman of Shunem would not let go of Elisha.
Timothy stayed close to Paul.
The disciples followed Jesus up to the cross – all “IN PURSUIT OF PURPOSE.”