October 24, 2023

Oh, to meet our Heavenly Father face to face!

2 Kings 2

Morris Johnston
Tuesday's Devo

October 24, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

October 24, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

October 24, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

October 24, 2023

Big Idea

Forgetting God's Word is the first step away from faithfulness.

Key Verse | 2 Kings 2:11

And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2 Kings 2

Elijah Taken to Heaven

1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the LORD has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. 18 And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

S2:207 2 Kings 2

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | 2 Kings 2

At the beginning of college, I overheard a teacher give his introduction to the book of Revelation. Much of what I heard didn't make sense, which set me on a path to discovering the true message and meaning behind this prophetic book and many Old and New Testament prophecies.

I discovered one of the greatest prophets of all time was Elijah. Elijah was one of the greatest miracle-working prophets of Scripture. He caused the rain to cease (1 Kings 17:1); asked God to bring down fire from heaven, defeating the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:18-40); followed the word of God who was speaking in "the sound of a low whisper" (1 Kings 19:12), and performed many more miracles.

But God wasn't finished with Elijah. He miraculously took Elijah to heaven while still alive. Elijah and his protégé Elisha were walking east of the Jordan River when "behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." (2 Kings 2:11) Hundreds of years later, Elijah spoke with Jesus at His Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). Many speculate that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 who herald Jesus' Second Coming.

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 that believers in Christ will one day meet Him in the air, describing a scene that seems similar to the way God called Elijah home: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven . . . . And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Over time, learning about biblical prophecies such as today's passage turned into years of service for my wife and me, teaching us the love of Christ and pressing upon our hearts the need to be ready for the time of His return. The day I've yearned for is coming when we, like Elijah, will be caught up in the air to meet Him face to face and will forever be with the Lord.

This month's memory verse

5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
6  In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
 

– Proverbs 3:5-6

Discussion Questions

1. 2 Kings 2 tells of Elijah's final days traveling to several towns in Judah, testing the faithfulness of his protégé Elisha, and leading to Elijah being taken to be with the Lord. Throughout his travels, Elijah knew that the Lord would take him up and anxiously awaited that faithful day. Like Elijah, are you anxiously awaiting that faithful day of Christ's return? If not, how should you help yourself and others around you to be ready for His return?

2. Are those around you (children, co-workers, friends, neighbors) also ready for that wonderful day? What plan can you develop to help you be more intentional in sharing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the joy of looking forward to His return? Take a moment in prayer, asking God to give you the words and the opportunity to speak to those who need Jesus so they will be ready for His return.

3. 1 Kings 19 tells the story of Elijah, who fled from Ahab and his wife Jezebel and finds himself in a cave in southern Judah. The Lord spoke to him there in "a low whisper," asking, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:12-13). If God spoke to you today in "a low whisper," would He ask, "What are you doing?" Are you faithfully following the will of the Lord in your life, or are you following the whims of this world? What do you need to do to follow God's direction now and in the future?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning fellow Journeyers! The always amazing Emma Dotter has a GREAT preview of 2 Kings - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey/id1600151923?i=1000632168663 If you are not listening to the podcast every day you’re missing a great blessing. ———————————————————————— Good morning, Morris! What an awesome devo. Many thanks for a great start to the morning. I LOVE your link to the rapture and the idea that we’ll be caught up with chariots and horses of fire. How amazing will that be!!! Our time here will finally be over and we will live in Paradise in perfect union with God. Jesus please come soon!!! Q1. I have learned that God will use us to put His plans into place and advance His kingdom. I know that my heart and mind MUST be rightly oriented so that I can know Him so well that my trust, surrender, and obedience are as natural as breathing. In seeking to live out this life in surrender to Him I hope to disciple others, (Psalm 71:18, Matthew 28:19-20), and to be His witness, (Acts 1:8). Q2. I try to look for and listen for opportunities to link a person’s comment into a spiritual conversation. Sometimes I’ll respond to a question with a reference to my faith. The latest one is “when will you retire?” I usually respond with something like “When God calls me to different mission.”. Q3. In recent months I have been convicted by the Spirit that my heart is divided. So many emails. So many tasks. I use the analogy of dozens of birds on a branch. I have to decide who gets a worm and who doesn’t. My prayer has been for God to show me what my “best yes” is. And, that this path will lead me to a place of fuller devotion to Him and an undivided heart.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

June 6, 1983. I walked into the office of my first professional job at a major stock brokerage firm. I was strung tighter than piano wire. I was on the road I wanted to be on but was unsure of just what may lie ahead. All I knew was that a long series of 50-60 hour weeks was in my future. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how important it would be for me to connect to an older man who would guide me along the way. I was incredibly blessed with that exact figure almost right away. He has two daughters so it seemed he was somewhat oriented to helping a young guy. A few years later I changed firms and it was harder to keep up but we still did. When I finally moved to Dallas, I knew his influence on my life and career was at an end. It was a rite of passage. ———————— I have spent lots and lots of time thinking about Elijah and his mentorship of Elisha. I have been consistently puzzled about his nearly instant reversal of faith after the incredible victory at Mount Carmel. The notes helped me a lot in understanding that his disappointment in Israel’s response reflected his self-orientation and thinking that he had failed in some way. I am very susceptible to my own version of navel gazing so I can at least partly understand. The epiphany of seeing his reaction as an outgrowth of a self-oriented posture helped me see my own error in the same posture. Among the gazillion life changing lessons I learned in Prodigal was that God called me to know-trust-surrender-obey. He would work THROUGH me. In this, He called me to embrace my role but not misunderstand that He was working through me - my job is to obey. I’m not the one who is making all these things happen. The ESV SB notes this - “Elijah’s days have been numbered since 1 Kings 19:15–18, and particularly God’s instructions there about Elisha.” My takeaway is to stay centered on God’s call to me. My obedience is in faithfulness to act and speak as directed. In this, I am in charge of inputs. Only God is in charge of outcomes. With unsaved prodigal children this is a tortuous temptation. I want to DO SOMETHING. This urge betrays a lack of faithfulness. God is working and my job is to do what He says to advance the plan.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

It’s very interesting to note that Elijah’s going “up to Heaven” is unusual. The ESV SB notes say this- “The idea of going up to heaven at the end of an earthly life was not common in ancient Israel. The OT more characteristically speaks of the deceased’s “going down” to Sheol, the world of the dead (e.g., Job 7:9; Isa. 57:9; see note on 1 Sam. 2:6). It was the fate even of mighty heroes of the Hebrew tradition to be “gathered to their people” in this way (e.g., Gen. 25:7–8; 1 Kings 2:10). Elijah represents a remarkable exception to this way of speaking (see also Enoch in Gen. 5:24; cf. Heb. 11:5).” The notes explained the different missions of each prophet- -Testimony against evil, and consequent suffering, mark the history of Elijah. -Power, and grace in using it for others, mark that of Elisha. -“In their persons they symbolized two aspects of the divine power toward the people: Elijah was the divine judicial power opposing a rebellious people and containing wholesale violence; Elisha was the dispensing of divine blessing when people repented."[31] -Both are seen in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose shadows, of course, they were. In one aspect of His history on earth, we see the suffering, driven, persecuted Witness; the world hating Him, because He testified that its works were evil; in another we see the powerful, gracious, ready friend of others, all that had sorrows or necessities getting healing and blessing from Him."[17] -Elijah had been Elisha's spiritual father and mentor (v. 12). Elisha referred to Elijah as his "father" figure. Similarly, the pupils of the prophets were called their "sons" (vv. 3, 5, 7, et al.). These titles expressed respect and dependence.[26] Though having the same objectives in view as Elijah, Elisha's manner in reaching them was somewhat different. ... {Elisha] was more at home in cities and was often in the company of kings. Also whereas Elijah had been more a man of moods, either strongly courageous or despairing to the point of death, Elisha was self-controlled and even-tempered. Elisha never staged dramatic contests nor sulked in a desert. It may be, too, that Elisha was more interested in the needs of people, for many of his miracles were for the purpose of aiding and giving relief to persons in difficulty."
GJ

Greg Jones

Hey Morris thank you for years of service fulfilling the great commandment, love your neighbor as yourself. I see an elephant in the room of this account. Or two she bears to be more specific. He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 2 Kings 2:23-24 How do we feel about verses like that? And does how we feel about them affect how we feel about others. The gospels may shed some light on how scriptures concerning Elijah and Elisha may have affected the disciples. Two of the times they are rebuked by Jesus these are the back stories. When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. Luke 9:51-56 Later Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Luke 18:15-16 When you’ve been raised your whole life on, when Elisha saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. Then “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” can be an incredibly radical statement that challenged Jesus followers to their core. Who is this LORD, that he speaks of as his Father?
SF

Shawn Foster

Good Morning Morris, You are the embodiment of what an ambassador for Christ lives like! Thank you very much for sharing, wisdom, and truth with us on a weekly basis. You certainly help us eagerly wait for the day of Christs return. Thank you very much for doing what you’re doing and for this enlightening devotional. Blessings, Shawn.
JC

Jason Cromwell

It's so easy to get caught up in the past. Elijah did many great things, and Elisha could have taught, "Well Elijah's gone that's it." So many times I hear that in Churches that this person or that person isn't here anymore, and we will never have that spirit again. We are not called to look to those who have gone before us, but to Jesus our ever present "Author and Finisher of our Faith." We must be like Elisha and pick up "The Mantle" where the great saints who have gone before us left off, and continue the race "Until the End of the Age."
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Yes. In preparation for Christ’s return, it is best that each of us do our best, doing good things ourselves and helping others do good things when possible. 2. Yes. In preparation for Christ’s return, I can share information about Christ as appropriate, and I can help others do their best. Prayer: God your words and your wisdom are good. It is an honor to celebrate your son Jesus everyday. May I help people know Jesus better, and may I help people be ready for his return. Amen. 3. I follow the will of the Lord as I live. Reading the Bible, listening to sermons, serving for the church, and discussing God with others are ways I can continue following God now and in the future.
MS

Michael Scaman

Hard to imaging what it was like for two men to be walking along and be separated by a chariot of fire. I'm hoping the 42 boys were only wounded and not killed.... but... don't know. Elisha helped people but mocking Elijah is mocking God.