DID ELIJAH FAIL GOD AND LOSE HIS ANOINTING?

When we last visited Elijah, he had been so empowered by the “hand of God” that he was outrunning a team of horses. When he arrived at Jezreel, the wicked Jezebel threatened him, saying he would be dead within twenty-four hours (1 Kings 19:1-2).

A part of the spiritual DNA of prophets is that they are people of tremendous courage, so what happens next is uncharacteristic of Elijah. Hearing Jezebel’s threat, Elijah reacted in fear and ran for his life. Out in the desert alone he prayed, “I have had enough, Lord, take my life…” (1 Kings 19:4) and then he lay down and went to sleep. Sometime later an angel awakened him and said, “Get up and eat” and there was fresh baked bread and a pitcher of water for him. After eating, Elijah slept some more and a second time the angel awakened him and instructed him to eat, as he would need strength for his journey.

This is the picture of an emotionally and spiritually exhausted man. I believe Elijah’s fearful reaction was the result of extreme weariness, coupled with his sensitivity as a prophet. Prophets are those who “hear from the Lord,” which means they are sensitive, sometimes too much so, and are vulnerable to criticism and threats.

Over the next forty days Elijah traveled hard to get to Mount Horeb, sometimes known as Mount Sinai, the same mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments. When he arrived at the mountain, God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah complained about being the only one left who was devoted to the Lord and then he had a powerful experience with God. But before God spoke directly to him, a tornado-like wind tore up the mountains, followed by an earthquake, and then fire from heaven. But the Bible says that God was not in any of those demonstrations; and again Elijah heard a gentle whisper, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13).

I have heard many sermons and teachings over the years declaring that Elijah’s response to God’s question sealed his doom and God declared him to be unfit to be a prophet. The assertion is that Elijah failed and God replaced him—but these teachings are completely wrong. We know that Elijah didn’t do the right thing after Jezebel’s threat but God did not declare him a failure and replace him—no! A hundred times—no!

God listened to Elijah’s complaint but did not chide him. God simply stated that there were 7000 who had not bowed their knees to Baal and then He proceeded to give Elijah a new set of marching orders. One of the things God told Elijah to do was to “anoint Elisha…to succeed you” (1 Kings 19:16). Please note the wording: it is not replacement, it is successor, and if Elijah had really failed, God would not have been sending him on this mission. In fact, this story gives us a wonderful picture of God’s longsuffering and grace.

Elijah followed through on what God told him to do and finally called his successor, Elisha. Elisha was a farmer when “the call” came to him through the prophet. He was not in Bible school or in one of the schools of the prophets…he was a working man, a farmer (1 Kings 19:21).

After Elijah and Elisha teamed up, the Bible is silent on them. The best records available indicate that the time from Elisha’s call to ministry to Elijah’s last appearance is about ten years and perhaps longer. What were they doing during this period of silence? We don’t know for sure but we can surmise from the powerful ministry of Elisha after Elijah was gone that the silent years had been well spent with Elijah mentoring his successor.

In 2 Kings 2, Elijah and Elisha reappear after the years of silence. The narrative tells us that the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah tried to talk Elisha out of traveling with him during his last days: “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel” (2:1). But I believe Elisha knew what was about to happen and he would have nothing to do with Elijah’s suggestion. He made it plain that he would not leave his mentor’s side (2:2). Twice more Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay, but Elisha refused (2:4, 6).

Coming to the Jordan River, Elijah took his cloak and struck the water with it. The waters parted and the two crossed over on dry ground. Elijah then turned to his protégé and asked, “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elisha quickly replied, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit” (2 Kings 2:9).

“‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not’” (v. 10).

Suddenly a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated the two prophets as Elijah was caught up to heaven in a whirlwind. As Elijah was being taken up, his cloak fell on the ground (please note this carefully). The cloak did not fall on Elisha but on the ground, and Elisha picked up the cloak of Elijah. The mantle of God’s anointing does not fall on people, it is a gift of God that is received by faith.

Elijah was not a failure—he finished strong! Yes, he made a mistake in running from Jezebel, but he took his correction and his new marching orders and went on. He trained his successor and then went into the presence of God in a spectacular display of God’s love for him. Enoch is the only other Old Testament character to be caught into God’s presence like this.

Elisha began his ministry at the point that Elijah finished his. Elisha picked up the cloak of Elijah, struck the Jordan River with it, the waters parted, and he crossed over into his destiny!