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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
The Double Portion
2 Kings 2:1-11
2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
The word had spread. One of the greatest events of the entire Old Testament was about to take place. Either through the revelation of God to His prophets or by word of mouth, the news was spread that Elijah, the great prophet of God, would soon be taken away in a whirlwind. This was to be no secret exit. He would be taken away in plain view of those who were willing to pay the price to see him go.
God never hides His blessings from His children and from the faithful. He reveals Himself to all who would seek after Him.
Even in the New Testament we read where God will open the mysteries of His word to all that knock at the doors of Heaven; that He will reveal the secrets to those who will diligently seek after His will and He will give great blessings to all who will only ask.
In this scripture portion Elisha, the student of Elijah, is determined to get God’s best for his life. He was willing to stay the course until God would grant him a double portion of the spirit that was upon Elijah.
Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
As we can see from this scripture that Elisha was claiming the “right of the firstborn” which was a claim to the estate of his teacher, Elijah. Whatever Elijah had was included in this inheritance. Elisha wasn’t concerned with the earthly possessions of Elijah. He wasn’t concerned with houses, land, wealth or any such thing. What Elisha wanted was the power of God that rested upon Elijah to be his when Elijah was taken away.
Elisha had already received so much from Elijah. He had been under Elijah’s training for some time. He had seen God move upon the old prophet to perform mighty miracles of deliverance. He had seen God answer Elijah’s prayer with fire from Heaven to consume the altar and the offerings. Surely God was with Elijah.
Elisha had most likely come from the “School of the Prophets” that was in Gilgal (a place, probably in the hill country of Ephraim). He too, had begun to learn and teach others of the Law and of the power that Yahweh had over the affairs of man. Most of the prophets from this school were learned men who became teachers, priests and leaders of the people of Israel. It is not spelled out in scripture but, if you read between the lines, there were none who were endued with the Spirit of god and the Power of God like Elijah. Elisha wasn’t satisfied just being one of the prophets. He understood that there was something very different about Elijah and that is what Elisha wanted to have. He didn’t settle for the life of the mediocre but charged ahead, against all odds, to become a great prophet like Elijah.
As Elijah began the journey toward the time when God would take him away, his journey ahead was to a long and arduous task. The road was long, hard and filled with pitfalls. There would be those who would oppose his going and there would be those who would choose to follow at a distance. The old prophet looked at his student, Elisha, and knew that it would be hard on him. In his heart, Elijah hoped that Elisha would be willing to follow him to the end, but he also knew that it had to be by choice. He could not and would not force Elisha to walk the path with him.
2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
“Elisha, I’m going to Bethel (House of God - In troublous times the people went to Bethel to ask counsel of God). Elisha, will you seek the face of God with me? Are you willing to pay the price of listening and obeying the voice of God? Will you learn of His Word and His ways? Are you willing to pay the price of being a true prophet, walking in God’s perfect will, or will you choose to take the easy road that the other prophets are taking?
There, Christian, is your question also! Will you follow close to God or will you choose the easy road! If we are going to experience God’s Double Portion in our lives, there is a price to pay. We must be willing to study, listen, learn, meditate, pray and seek God’s will constantly. It’s a life of self-discipline, self-denial and complete obedience to the leading of the Spirit. It’s a life of dedication to a higher cause, living for a higher purpose and absolute commitment to be all that you can be in Christ! Will you take the easy road or do you really want the inheritance of the Double Portion?
What was Elisha’s attitude? My God is alive, what is more important than going to counsel with Him and to learn of Him? I am determined to go all the way Elijah. Let’s both go to Bethel.
2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
Just as we see so often in our day and time, if a man or woman of God makes a total commitment to Christ, there will always be those who dwell in God’s own house who don’t think that you made the right decision. The sons of the prophets had an attitude toward Elisha because it made them feel inferior.
They attempted to bring Elisha down to their level of commitment. “Why are you following Elijah? Don’t you know that he is a has-been and that God is finished with him and will soon take him away? Why commit your whole life to an old man?
Sold out and radical Christian, why are you on fire? What are you so excited about? Don’t you know that this world is about to end? Don’t you know that Satan’s influence is growing more powerful each day? Don’t you know that we are going to soon be taken out of this world? Why are you so radical?
I want to stand up and shout like Elisha, Yes I know all of that, but my God is still alive and I still have work to do. I want the Double Portion of His Spirit in my life. I will not settle for anything less than absolutely the best that God has in store for me. If you want to be mediocre and settle for less, go right ahead, but be quiet and leave me alone to follow as close to God as I can.
Those who will raise their vision and step out from among the crowd of the mediocre will have a greater vision, a deeper walk with the Lord, a more sanctified life on this earth and they will see and experience things that no others will ever see or do.
2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
Jericho - Place of Fragrance - a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan.
Elisha’s decision to follow Elijah was not a one-time decision. After every part of the journey Elisha was challenged by Elijah whether he would continue on the journey or find a place of comfort and stay there. Elijah knew that it would not only take, commitment and dedication but it would also take perseverance in the face of discouragement and opposition to get the Double Portion that Elisha would seek for.
They had come to Jericho. This city was a place of safety and pleasure. There was a lot of distractions in this place. The sweet aroma of the bakeries wafted through the air as the fresh bread was place out for sale. The plenteous supply of food, water, fellowship and every desire known to man was there for the taking.
2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
Jericho was a good place, a place of comfort and a place where many of the sons of the prophets had chosen to spend their days in learning and teaching but never reaching very far past the walls of the city. After all, they reasoned, there are people in Jericho that must learn of the one true God just as much as anywhere else.
Brother and Sister in Christ, there will come a time when we must decide whether to take the road less traveled and step out of our comfort zone, go beyond the walls of the church and step out into the unknown and dangerous road ahead.
Too many Christians have found their place of rest in the Lord. They are satisfied with the Good Life that God has blessed them with. They are happy with their church, happy with their job, happy with their lifestyle, happy right where they are. There is nothing wrong with being content in the blessings of God but there is a lot wrong with not desiring to walk on into a deeper knowledge of God and there is very much wrong with not having a desire to reach out to a lost and dying world.
We can’t afford to get complacent. We can’t afford to get too comfortable. We must continue on the journey and leave the comfort, safety and familiarity of our environment and step out by faith lest we are lulled to sleep and don’t keep our eyes on Jesus.
Elisha once again committed his life to following his Master to very end. He would not be deterred by any who would try to stop him. Once again, he steps out from among the crowd as he travels to his destiny and the Double Portion of the Spirit of God.
You will never experience the power of the Double Portion if you never step out of your comfort zone!
2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
Jordan - "The Descender; "The Watering-Place"
This last leg of the journey of Elisha with Elijah is the one that brings to mind the fact that so many people give up on their walk with the Lord just a few years, a few days, a few hours, a few minutes or a few seconds away from experiencing their breakthrough.
Elisha had come to far to quit now. He would not stay at Jericho and so they traveled on until they reached the River Jordan.
The implications of this part of the story are so obvious, at least on the surface.
The River Jordan, even in our western culture, has always been associated with death. I believe that this was what God was trying to show Elisha through Elijah. Elisha must die to his old desires, his old dreams and his own chosen path. He must lay down his life for the Lord and then God would “water him”. God would raise up Elisha and give to him the thing he desired most, the Double Portion of God’s Spirit and Power.
Church, we are going to have to go that same road if we want the Double Portion also. We must come out from among the world and come out from among those of the church who refuse to be moved like a tree planted by the water. We must die to self and allow God to raise us up by His power and in His will.
2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
As you can see, there aren’t many who will make this journey to obtain the Double Portion of God’s best for their lives. Most will only go so far as to watch what happens, to praise those who continue on, to marvel at what God is doing – but they won’t commit themselves to be a part of what God is doing for fear that something may be required of them that they aren’t willing to do.
Only two men would be standing in the very place where Elijah would be taken away in God’s Heavenly Chariot of Fire. Only two men, out of the multitude of the sons of the prophets, would ever experience God’s best, and only one would ever experience the Double Portion of God’s Power.
When I read this story I am reminded of Jesus’ promise in John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
The key to having the Double Portion and doing the “greater works” than even Jesus did while He walked on this earth is this: You must have faith that Jesus is the Son of God. You must have faith that He will give you God’s best. You must have faith that He will keep that which you commit unto Him. You must believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Finally, you must continue to follow Him to the end.
2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Only Elisha experienced walking across the Jordan with Elijah. Only Elisha was willing to go all the way. Now, only Elisha would be granted his deepest desire – for the Double Portion.
This was a wish that only God could grant. Even the great prophet Elijah had no power to “call Elisha into God’s service”. The call must come from God.
They had to go over Jordan, past the point of death to this life and into the power of the life of the Holy Spirit before the Double Portion could come.
2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
This last portion of our text for this sermon speaks volumes to me as a Pastor and as a Christian who is looking for and waiting for the Coming of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church.
Surely this life is sometimes hard. We grow weary in well doing. We long for the day of His Glorious Appearing. But, there are many who like the 5 foolish virgins of the parable of Jesus. They are not watching close enough. They aren’t staying on fire for God. They have been lulled to sleep and their excitement for the things of God has gone out. They aren’t the light of the world anymore because Satan has covered their light with a bushel called Cares of this Life.
Do you want to know who will get the Double Portion? It will be those who are watching, waiting and are ready for the Coming of the Lord will get the Double Portion.
There is coming a day when we, who are watching and waiting, will be caught up into the clouds in similar fashion as Elijah.
Until that day, if we will but keep our eyes upon the Lord, we will have the promise of the Double Portion.
Keep your eyes on Jesus! He is our great “Prophet”! He is the one who is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven! He is our Double Portion! Keep your eyes on Him and allow the “mantle” of the Holy Spirit to fall on you and give you the Double Portion of the Spirit and Power of God in your life!
Then, when you come again the River Jordan, God will be with you. Strike the mantle on the waters and watch them part as the Lord Jesus Christ walks you across on dry ground into the glorious wonders of Heaven for all eternity.
Then, you will really experience the fullness of the Double Portion of the Spirit of God!
