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Jul 10, 2022

The Genius of God

The Genius of God

Passage: 2 Kings 2:1-15

Speaker: Patrick Lafferty

Series: Easter Egg, the hidden figure of Elijah in the life of Jesus

Keywords: spirit, chariots, stay, leave, jordan, strike, taken

The fame of enduring composers is usually tied to some distinct musical signature they employ–a feature or style of their work that makes their music memorable and cherished. One feature of many such composers is the use of “leitmotif”: using a recurrent theme or melody, usually associated with a person or setting, to hold a larger work together. If you read the bible through, you find certain recurrent themes that hold its storyline together. Here at the end of the account of Elijah’s life and ministry we see one theme–a leitmotif–stand out. And that theme isn’t unique to Elijah, but finds its way throughout Scripture. But its presence in the storyline of the bible has implications for our own life, too. We want to isolate what the pattern is, the part we play in it, and the strength we need to play the part.

Readings & Resources

PREPARATION: Psalm 16:5-8, 11
LEADER: The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

ALL: You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH/SCRIPTURE READING/CORPORATE PRAYER: (John 14:1-5, 8-10, 12-14; 16:5-7)
LEADER: John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 . . . .

John 14:8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. . . .

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. . . .

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

CENTRAL TEXT: 2 Kings 2:1-15
2 Kings 2:1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Eli me b we sha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please 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 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

2Kings 2:4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please 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 sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

2Kings 2:6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please 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 sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

2Kings 2:9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

2Kings 2:15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

BENEDICTION: Ephesians 3:20-21

LEADER: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever..

ALL: Amen

RELATED SCRIPTURES:

  • Exodus 14:14-30
  • 1 Kings 19:15-21
  • 2 Kings 6:17, 18; 2 Kings 13:14
  • Malachi 4:5-6
  • Matthew 1:21
  • John 8:31-32
  • John 14:12
  • John 16:5-7
  • Acts 1:6-14
  • Acts 4:13

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Have you a favorite musician (singer, songwriter, composer, you pick)? Why them? What would you say is distinctive about them?
  2. We saw a similarity between the chorus’s affirmation of the spirit of Elijah now dwelling in Elisha and the Spirit of Christ dwelling in those who follow after him–the church. Jesus speaks of those who follow him doing “greater things” than what he did. What might he have meant?
  3. In the sermon we spoke of three parts to God’s work of liberation in and through us: demonstration, proclamation, cultivation. Review what we said each of those meant. In what simple ways are those possible within us? Can you tell a story of your part in any one of those aspects?
  4. How would you describe Elisha’s regard for Elijah. What might have contributed to that regard? Why might the regard the Elisha had for Elijah be essential to the kind of regard we have for Jesus, in terms of walking in his way? What happens if we lack that? 
  5. Now more importantly, how is that regard born in us? And how is it further nurtured?

QUOTES: 

  • Do we go into this?" asked Caspian at length. "Not by my advice," said Drinian. “The Captain's right," said several sailors. "I almost think he is," said Edmund. Lucy and Eustace didn't speak but they felt very glad inside at the turn things seemed to be taking. But all at once the clear voice of Reepicheep broke in upon the silence. "And why not?" he said. "Will someone explain to me why not." No one was anxious to explain, so Reepicheep continued: "If I were addressing peasants or slaves," he said, "I might suppose that this suggestion proceeded from cowardice. But I hope it will never be told in Narnia that a company of noble and royal persons in the flower of their age turned tail because they were afraid of the dark." C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
  • if we want the gift of evangelism, we must first pray for the gift of friendship. Dustin Messer, citing J.I. Packer
  • Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. William Carey
  • When I replace the story I have been given with one that I write for myself, I place the entire burden of sustaining meaning on my own shoulders….The appeal of [Cognitive Wellness Culture], then, is identical to its main deficiency: It never asks you to take on unchosen obligations. If you want your life to be enjoyable, exciting, and satisfying, CWC has its uses. I’m not sorry that I have used it, and in some ways I would recommend it, but it can’t give us meaning. If you want your life to matter, go beyond it. Be part of the story that predates you. William Gonch 
  • I think, true freedom feels like relief: relief from having to protect ourselves, to exonerate ourselves, to prove ourselves, to justify ourselves. “I am not the Judge,” wrote Karl Barth. “Jesus Christ is the Judge. The matter is taken out of my hands. And that means liberation.” Freedom feels like relief, and it looks, I think, very much like love. Stephanie Phillips
  • …And there’s no exit in any direction ‘Cept the one that you can’t see with your eyes. Bob Dylan

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