RCL reading for Sunday, February 22, 2009:
Excerpt from The New Revised Standard Version
via Oremus (http://bible.oremus.org)
2 Kings 2:1-12
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 Elijah said to Elisha, ‘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 The company of prophets* who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’
4 Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, 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 company of prophets* who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’
6 Then Elijah said to him, ‘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 company of prophets* also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’
10 He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.
12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
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Thhe succession of Elisha to the status of Elija is legitimized by the foreknowlege of the mentors departure, and by the change of the mantle from a garment to an instument of power like Aaron's rod. The chariots and horsemen of Israel refer to the miraculous defeat of the Syrian army by the sound in the night of chariots and horsemen which is fortold by Elisha in 2King7:6. That the chariot was firey refers to Elijah calling down fire on the emmisarries of Ahab's son. That he addressed Elijah as "My Father" simply confirms that this has been a term of address to a man of religion from earliest times (!).
ReplyDeleteThat Elijah and Moses are related to the messiah is written in Malachi4:5, the last two verses of the old testatment.
maimon