1 Kings 19:16, 19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-25; 2 Kings 3: 1-14; 2 Kings 4:1-42; 2 Kings 5:8-25;
2 Kings 6:1-32; 2 Kings 7:1; 2 Kings 8:1-14; 2 Kings 9:1; 2 Kings 13:14-21
Also, you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. So, he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth.
Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him, he left the oxen ran after Elijah, said, “Please let me kiss my father, my mother, 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.
… To contextualise the argument, I would want to explain two or three fundamental words – SERVANT, ATTENDANT & APPRENTICE… key words that we all need to understand if we are to appreciate LIFE and all its mysteries to a large extent….
…. A SERVANT is…one who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation…as opposed to a slave…. He is also one who serves another, providing help in some manner.
…AN APPRENTICE is…a trainee, especially in a skilled trade…one who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement to serve a tradesperson, or other person, for a certain time, with a view to learn from the art, or trade, in which his master is bound to instruct him…or one not well versed in a subject; a tryo, novice, rookie, recruit, amateur, freshman, tenderfoot or newbie…..such a person is also put under the care and supervision of a master, for the purpose of instruction in a trade or business…
….AN ATTENDANT is…one who attends; one who works with or watches something…. or going with; associated or concomitant…. or depending on, or owing duty or service to….
….Prophet Elijah was a great servant of the Lord God of Hosts…who performed great feats….he stopped rains for years and later called rains back, called fire from the heavens to demonstrate the power of the Lord of Lords against the priests of Baal…and yet in his moment of great triumph…killing the priests of Baal, he suddenly realised he was just a mortal like anybody else…he was afraid of death like you and me…he forgot all the impossible exploits he had done before in the name of the Lord God of Hosts…and just ran when Jezebel threatened to kill him…so the Lord directed him to ANOINT Elisha…the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah as prophet in his place…because he Elijah was coming to the end of his tenure…..
..The presumption is that this Elisha might be another prophet….or if he wasn’t, then he had the calling over his life… he had all the capabilities and talent and skills…to replace him, Elijah…the mighty prophet of valour…it meant Elisha was known by the Lord as a great prophet even though at that point he was just a farmer!!….it is worth emphasising that no matter our humble beginnings…we have no idea what we have been predestined to become…and most times we miss our unique opportunities by our attitudes…
…. It’s also important to appreciate the link to his father…. son of Shaphat…do you remember ‘HONOUR YOUR FATHER’? …you can’t claim what you don’t honour or recognise such as one’s parents …especially as the matter of ‘GENEALOGY’ is very important in all matters of our life here on earth….
…. Many a time we miss the opportunities ordained for us before the foundations of the universe were formed…because there are some fundamentals we miss or don’t recognise…and also realise that ‘Elisha didn’t come with airs’ …he did not do as some of us would and say …’Aaaah!!! Look at this prophet paaa…throwing his mantle to me ….. he was just a common farmer plowing with twelve yoke of oxen…
…. Remember, Elijah was to anoint him his successor…as a prophet of the Lord…and yet look at even how Elijah went about it …. he didn’t walk up to Elisha and tell him that the Lord has directed me to come and anoint you my successor…especially when Elisha wasn’t prepared for the mission…he, Elijah just passed by him, Elisha and threw his mantle on him…
… Imagine if it was you…you would have thrown it back and ask ‘Who does he think he is?’…. but he, Elisha isn’t like the typical Ghanaian who is so full of himself…to understand and appreciate the workings of the Lord…at worst, the Ghanaian that he is…he will rather go and refuse to serve as a servant or attendant or apprentice…and miss his destiny….
…. First…Elisha…left the oxen…or his comfort zone…He was not aware of even the remuneration associated with the position…not even when he hasn’t negotiated his employment package before…nor did he ask if the position went with a brand new car and a fully-furnished house with servants and a cook…with another Land Cruiser V8 to pick his children to school and another to run errands for the house…he didn’t ask nor negotiate all these…nor carry any airs…but just ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother…(first, to honour my parents and bid them farewell…) and then I will follow you, Elijah…
…. However, consider Elijah’s response…”Go back again, for what have I done to you?”…
…’HUMILITY’ is a great ‘weapon of life’…not a show of weakness…if you don’t know this…then you need to go back to the ‘classroom of life’…back to class one and start all over again…
…. Now note Elisha’s subsequent reactions and responses….he turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them…boiled their flesh and gave it to the people and they ate…a ‘sacrifice offering’ for the benefit of his co-workers or colleague farmhands… and as a ‘thanksgiving offering’ for the journey into the unknown he was about to undertake…he did not know the risks nor the remuneration or what was ahead of him….but obedient to the calling…do you now remember a similar incident concerning a young rich young man, who went to Jesus Christ of Nazareth and asked how he could be saved?…and when he was told the conditions, he felt so sad, for how on earth can anybody supposedly in his right senses tell him to go and sell his riches and come follow Jesus…sell everything for a Kingdom he couldn’t see or fathom?
… Elisha did all that…left the oxen and his parents…arose and followed Elijah and became his ‘SERVANT’…. not his successor, not Elijah’s ‘deputy prophet’, not his equal, no car, no negotiations or terms of engagement or house to lay his head…but straight into an unknown future…
BY Magnus Naabe Rex Danquah, the ‘Ghanaian’