2 Kings 2:11-12a As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
Elijah was not Elisha’s biological father as far as we know but this heartfelt cry indicates that Elisha felt a great sense of reverence, respect and love for Elijah. Military strikes have been back in the news this past week (were they ever really gone?) and once again our attention is drawn to evil and what is the righteous response to it. In the above, Elijah is called the strength of the nation even though he is but one man and a man who had a significant breakdown along the way- see 1 Kings 19. The thought is that what makes for real victory is the character and faith of the few rather than the military might of the many. When God wanted to defeat evil he came as a solitary individual, Jesus, who had a short career as a prophet and then was executed. In the still of the morning of the third day after, evil and its ally death were conquered when the stone rolled away and life anew was announced. If Elijah was the chariots and horsemen of Israel what was Jesus? Lord and Savior. This week, how will you connect to the power of that resurrection event?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 