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And we'll read beginning with verse one. Second Kings, chapter two, verse one. And it came to pass when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind or tornado, we'd say. Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord has 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. 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 today?
And he said, Yea, I know it. Hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, carry here, I pray thee, for the Lord has 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. 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 today? And he answered, Yea, I know it. Hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
And they too went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they too stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said to 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. And he said, thou has 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. 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. One of the most wonderful things about the Bible is the fact that wherever we look, we see the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, search the scriptures, for they are they which testify of me.
And if we want to know Christ, we have to search the scriptures, for everywhere we look in the word of God, we see him. On the road to Emmaus, we read that he began in the Psalms and the prophets, and explained to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. There's no question about it that these two paramount prophets, Elijah and Elisha, are a picture of one prophet, our Lord Jesus Christ. Great prophet of our God, our tongues would bless thy name, by whom the news of free salvation came.
Elijah is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ's ministry here on earth, a ministry of righteousness. And Elisha is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ's present ministry. For Elijah is observed by Elisha as he disappears into the heavens, even as the disciples in our Lord's day saw our Savior as he ascended up into heaven. And now we have the present ministry of Christ, a ministry of grace, as pictured by this prophet.
And we notice in this story that Elijah took Elisha to the places where Israel had failed, but the places where God's faithfulness is seen. First of all, he took him to Gilgal. It was at Gilgal when Israel came into the land that they were instructed to be circumcised. All of those who were born during the trip in the wilderness had not been circumcised. This was a sign of the covenant between them and God. And that's the point of beginning, not only for Elisha, that's the point of beginning of every soul under heaven.
We were just reading on that hymn sheet, except a man be born again, he cannot see the King of God. Said our Savior to Nicodemus, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. And that's pictured in circumcision, the cutting away of the flesh. Circum means to cut around. For God's word says the flesh profits nothing. The fleshly mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. F. B. Meyer says in one of his books, you can take the word flesh, drop the H as Englishmen tend to do, and spell the rest of it backwards, and you've got what the flesh is. S-E-L-F, self. And there's no room for self in the things of God. Self-judgment, that's the place. And that's the place called Calvary, because that's where self is. The apostle says, I have been crucified with Christ.
And as far as God is concerned, there's absolutely no room for you or me, no room for self. But God has given us something very wonderful in its place. I have been crucified with Christ, he says. Nevertheless, I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Well, Israel had failed miserably at Gilgal. They had failed also at Bethel, which means the house of God, the house of God. For not only do we have a problem to deal with the self, we have another problem, because there are idols in our lives, and God contemptuously calls Bethel, in one of the prophets, Beth Haven, which means not the house of God, but the house of vanity.
Because the apostles, as we know, that an idol is nothing. It's nothing. But that's what the devil uses to get men away from God. Nothings, nothings. An idol is nothing. And as the wise man Solomon contemplated this scene, he said in the opening of his book and in the closing of it, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. The god of this age had blinded the minds of them which believe not.
That which should be a house of God, the Lord Jesus said in his day, the temple which was God's house. He said, you have made it a den of thieves. It's a house of vanity, and he drove the money changers out of the temple. And you remember he disowned it completely when he said, your house is left unto you desolate. God says, this is where there's no house for me down here. You can forget that. There is no house of God anywhere on earth. In my father's house are many mansions. That's the house that God would have us occupied with.
And then they came to Jericho, and Jericho is a type of the world under the curse of God. First, south at Gilgal, then the devil, and what purports to be the house of God, which has become a house of vanity. God isn't in it at all. In fact, the Lord Jesus says, behold, I stand as he looks at Christendom, I stand at the door and knock. If any man. Christendom itself is a corrupt mass, but the Lord appeals to the individual to receive him. I stand at the door and knock. If any man, any boy, any girl, will hear my voice, open the door, I'll come into him and will sup with him, and he with me.
And then there's Jericho under the curse of God, a picture of this world. And the Bible says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. And each step, as they went together, they came to Gilgal, and tarry you here, Elijah says. And they came to Bethel, and there were these discouraging things. Tarry you here, he says, I'll not leave you. I'm gonna stick with you. All the wonderful loyalty of Elisha to Elijah. And the key words, it seemed to me, that ring out in this passage is, they too went on.
They too went on. Think of Elijah as a type of Christ. And think of Elisha as a believer, and what is his responsibility? First of all, to follow Christ in the place of self-judgment. To reject the things that are most highly esteemed among men. Yesterday, I watched a portion of a football game, maybe some of you did. And I wa- watched those men as they ran down, uh, the, uh, field, and I thought to myself, millions of people today are taking pleasure in the legs of a man.
Because this fellow sprinted to the goal with such tremendous energy. And yet it says God takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. Millions of Americans were taking pleasure in the legs of a man. But God's word says the things which are most highly esteemed among men are abomination in the eyes of God. God is not so much interested in the legs of a man, for the scripture says the Lord's portion is his people. And Elijah took tremendous delight in the utter devotion of Elisha to him.
He says, I'm not going to leave thee. Though Elijah told him, as it were, just stay here, tell you nothing to it. He says, I'm going with you. I'm going with you. He said, as it were, for me, it's nothing but Christ as on I tread. The gift on price, God's living bread. With feet in hand and... staff in hand and feet well shod, nothing but Christ, the Christ of God. Nothing save him in all my ways. Giving the theme for ceaseless praise, my whole resource along the road. Nothing but Christ, the Christ of God. The Lord Jesus said, no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
He said, whosoever loved a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. They too went on. How wonderful indeed. They too. Elijah is a type of the believer as well, because we know he pictures the believer who is taken to heaven without dying. You remember in Matthew seventeen on the Mount of Transfiguration, we have the two only possible ones that could be with Christ in the glory, those who have passed through the portals of death, like Moses. He says he died in the Lord buried him.
And those like Elijah are taken to heaven without dying. Those are the only two routes that you can take to be with the Lord, either by way of death or by way of the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. You remember in John chapter twenty one, the Lord Jesus underlines that truth when he said to, uh, Peter, who said, Lord, what shall this man do? The Lord just got through telling him he was going to die a death of martyrdom. He says, what about John? And the Lord said, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Now, John didn't tarry, but he pictures those who will be here when our Lord Jesus Christ shall come again.
Consider, as I said, Elijah is a type of Christ who has ascended to heaven, and Elisha is a type of the believer left here to represent the Lord Jesus here on earth. I must first of all go to Gilgal. Self must be judged. I must go to Bethel. All idols must be set aside. Beth Haven. Keep yourselves from idols, John said. And then the world must come under judgment. And then I must go to Jordan. Either by death or resurrection, I'm going to see the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans fourteen eight it says, whether we live, we live under the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord.
Whether therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's. What a wonderful assurance that is that the believer has. To him who loves me, from him who loves me now so well, what power on earth can sever, shall life or death or earth or hell? No, I am his forever. They too, think about that, they too went on. They walked together, and the Lord Jesus has said to all of his own, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He has said, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.
In Luke twenty four, two very discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, and then we read these words, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. The word that was a been a comfort to David Livingston in Africa, he said, was the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor who said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Recently, I was in Avery, Georgia, and a brother there, Curtis and Agnes Thigpen, their daughter had a little book which I read and greatly admired.
It was hymn stories put together by Alfred Smith. And, uh, I read this book, and I guess they could read the covetousness in my eyes, and, uh, she sent me a copy of that book. And in the book, it tells the story of one hymn, lots of hymns, but this hymn particularly. There was a man named C. Austin Miles, a devoted Christian, and his hobby was photography. And he managed to, uh, though money was very tight, he managed to buy some, uh, photographic equipment, and he had his own dark room, and, and he was able to develop his own photos so he could indulge in it without it costing him too much.
And he discovered that even though he was in the dark room, he could still read his Bible, in spite of the darkness that was necessary for the development of the film. In one particular morning, as he was waiting for that film to develop, he was reading the story in the twentieth chapter of John's Gospel, the story of Mary and the Lord on the resurrection day. She supposing him, saith unto the gardener, gardener, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him. And then the Lord Jesus called her by name, Mary, just one word.
And she responded, Rabboni, which means my master. He claimed her as his because he called her by name. And he said, as he meditated on that word there, waiting for the film to develop, he said he, he seemed to feel and sense that he was in that very place with the Lord. He could, he could just feel that he was there. And he said the words sprang into his mind so quickly, he just jotted them down as fast he could write them. These are the words that he wrote. I came to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses, and he walks with me, and he tells me I am his own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.
He speaks to me, and the sound of his voice, it's so sweet that the birds hush their singing, and the melody that he gave to me within my heart is ringing, and he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own. And he said, it seemed to me that this scene that happened two thousand years ago is not just a matter of history, it's a matter of fact for the believer today. For Jesus himself draws near and goes with us.
We are never alone. They too went on. On the old Charles E. Fuller radio program, they often used to sing this song. On the Jericho Road, there is room for just two. No more and no less. Just Jesus and you. They too went on. They not only walked together, but they talked together. Elijah said unto Elisha, and it says, as they still went on, verse eleven, and talked.
Just a little walk with Jesus. Just a little talk with him. He walks and talks with his own. What a tragedy it would be to live life without the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think over the happenings of the past few days in our own family's experience, that it had not been for the reassurance of the Lord and knowing him, we would have been completely devastated.
I like these lines written by Max Reich, a Hebrew Christian. He wrote this, ah, life is lonely without God, the desert drear and wild. One feels in exile, far from home, and like an orphan child. Though weak and sinful, God is found by those who are sincere. To hearts that hunger for his love, he tenderly draws near. To know the Father and the Son is everlasting bliss. Earth's fading joys cannot compare with joy as pure as this.
We leave Earth's joys to seek in him the good Earth cannot give. When fellowship with God is found, then we begin to live. Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And then they crossed the Jordan. And Elijah turns to Elisha, and he gives him a blank check. Just fill in the amount. What do you want? Ask what I shall do for thee.
Because of before I'm taken up, ask. A lot of people, if you ask them, they'd say they'd like to have a million dollars. Millions of dollars, I suppose, were spent on this lottery tickets. A hundred million were passed out, and I suppose they got more than a hundred million in. The state isn't operating at a loss, I hope. And, uh, it's interesting to observe what people do with what they get. What, what would you like me to give you? What are you going to do with it when you get it? You know, it's a costly business to be a Christian.
Sometimes we don't realize how costly it is. Simply for the fact we've never really made any real sacrifice, and therefore we never really know the cost. But he asked for a hard thing. He says, I want to be just like you. Well, I'll tell you one thing. If you're going to be just like Christ, it's going to cost you everything, not something. He says, that's what I want. He says, I want a double portion of your spirit. I want to be your double. I want to be just like you. Ask what I shall do for thee.
Thou hast asked a hard thing, impossible for men. The Lord Jesus said, if you're going to be like me, I'll tell you what it's going to cost you. It's going to cost you your life. That's what's going to cost you, not a few pennies, paltry pennies. You know, so often we speak about the fact if we had a million dollars, what we would do with it. And I like the story they tell about the two fellows who were walking down the road one day, and one of them says to the other, Sam, he says, if you had a million dollars, would you give me half of it? He said, boy, don't talk. As good friends as we are, if I had a million dollars, I'd sure give you half of it. He says, Sam, I want to ask you another question.
If you had a hundred bales of cotton, would you give me fifty? Because on your front porch the next day, he said, if I had fifty bales of cotton, he said, you'd have half. I want to ask you one more question, he said. If you had two pigs, would you give me one of them? He said, man, he says, you know I got two pigs. You know, it's very easy to give what you do not have. We were singing this morning in our closing hymn. Praise the Savior, ye who know him, who can tell how much we owe him? Gladly. Let us render to him all we are and have.
And the Lord Jesus said, there's a price for discipleship. Whosoever will deny himself, not things, self, you, me, whosoever will deny himself, let him take up his cross and follow me. It cost him everything. And the scripture says, in First John chapter three, hereby perceive we the love of God, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion to him, how dwelleth the love of God in him.
It's a very practical thing, it's to be seen in our lives. I am constantly amazed by the difference that we see in people. There are people that offer to help, and there are people that help. There's a lot of difference between those two. There are people that see a need and do something about it, and there are people that just see the need and just talk about it. We have to lay down our lives for one another. Occupation with the man in the glory. That's the life-changing thing. Brent said to me the other day, concerning David's passing, this has been a life-changing experience for me.
But you know the thing that is really the life-changing experience? It's keeping our eyes on the one who is gone up in the glory. He says, if you see me, that's a condition. If you keep your eyes on me, he says, you'll become just like me. If I'm occupied with the world, I become worldly. If I'm occupied with money, I become mercenary. If occupied with Christ, I become Christ. That's what the scripture says. We all with unveiled face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are being changed from the same image, from glory to glory.
Men boast in their strength the legs of a man. But I observed over the past several weeks, as David got weaker and weaker and weaker, he wasn't even able to blow out the candles on his birthday cake, August the thirty first. But he got stronger and stronger, and the Lord who has said that my strength is made perfect in weakness. It's not what we can do for him. It's what he will do in us and for us if we keep our eyes on him. Max Reich was right, he said, if occupied with Christ, we become Christ-like.
He saw him go up. He couldn't look around him. He couldn't look about him. He couldn't look behind him. He had to keep his eyes on Elijah every minute. He says, if you see him, they go up. He says, you'll be changed. And I can see him, boy, he wanted to look around at this and that. No, I've got to keep my eyes on him. And if my desire and your desire is to be like Christ, there's only one answer. Keep our eyes on him. That's going to be the final life-transforming experience for every believer. The scripture says, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God.
Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knoweth him not, knew him not. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. Why? For we shall see him as he is, not as he was, not as he was on the cross, we'll see him as he is in all his glory. And we shall be glorified with him. Oh, what a day. Oh, what a change that awaits the child of God.
I make it a practice to read about five hymns each day from the old Little Flock hymn book. I've done that for many, many years, and I was reading just about a day or two ago this portion of one of the hymns, and this is what it says. We shall behold him, whom not seen we love. We shall be with him, whom we long to see. We shall be like him, fit for realms above. Well, may each of us pray that we might keep our eyes ever focused on the Lord Jesus.
Oh, fix our earnest gaze so holy, Lord of thee, that with thy beauty occupied, we elsewhere none may see. Shall we pray? Now, our Father, for thy precious holy word and for the blessed hope that we have as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we do thank thee. We're thankful for the privilege of recognizing that we share our mutual woes and our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows a sympathizing tear. We're thankful for the day that is fast approaching when, together with our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall praise the grace which brought him from the realms of eternal glory so that we might be with and like him forever.
And we pray, Lord, in the interim, that thou wouldst keep us pleading to thyself and still believing to let our of our receiving promised joys with thee. Use thy word to the help and encouragement of us all present, we pray, as we thank thee for it, in Jesus' name, amen. Could we sing in closing a verse of a hymn? Number, uh, one hundred and eighty six. Do we have a pianist? Okay, one eighty six. We'll just sing two verses of that number. Find it here in a minute.
When Jesus comes to reward his servants, whether it be noon or night, faithful to him will he find us watching with our lamps.