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cross the Jordan, but to observe what should happen. It need scarcely be added that,
as in all similar attempts to see the Divine, they could not succeed in their purpose.
And now the two had gone down the bank of the Jordan, and stood by the edge of its
waters. Elijah took off his loose upper garment, the symbol of his prophetic office,
and wrapping it together as if to make it a staff (comp. Exodus 14:16), smote with it
the waters. And lo, as when the Ark of God had preceded Israel (Joshua 4:23), the
waters divided, and they passed over dry shod. Surely there could not have been
more apt teaching for Elisha and for all future times, that the power of wonder-
working rested not with the prophet individually, but was attached to his office, of
which this rough raiment was the badge. The same truth was conveyed by what
passed on the other side. There the reward - or, perhaps we should rather say, the
result of his spiritual perseverance awaited Elisha. But although Elijah asked him to
say what he should do for him before their parting, it was not his to grant the request.
No one would imagine that Elisha's entreaty for a double measure of his master's
spirit was prompted by the desire that his ministry should greatly surpass that of
Elijah, although even in that case it would not be warrantable to attribute such a wish
to anything like ambition. "Earnestly covet the best gifts," is a sound and spiritual
principle; and Elisha might, without any thought of himself, seek a double portion of
his master's spirit, in view of the great work before him. But perhaps it may be safer,
although we make no assertion on the point, to think here of the right of the firstborn,
to whom the law assigned a twofold portion (Deuteronomy 21:17). In that case
Elisha would, in asking a double portion of his spirit, have intended to entreat the
right of succession. And with this the reply of Elijah accords. Elisha had asked a hard
thing, which it was not in any man's power to grant. But Elijah could give him a sign
by which to know whether God designated and would qualify him to be his
successor. If he saw it all, when Elijah was taken from him, then - but only then -
would it be as he had asked.
Viewing Elisha's request in that light, we can have no difficulty in understanding this
reply. And in general, spiritual perception is ever the condition of spiritual work. We
do not suppose that if all the fifty sons of the prophets, who had followed afar off,
had gathered around, they would have perceived any of the circumstances attending
the "taking away" of Elijah, any more than the prophet's servant at Dothan saw the
heavenly hosts that surrounded and defended Elisha (2 Kings 6:14-17), till his eyes
had been miraculously opened; or than the companions of St. Paul saw the Person or
heard the words of Him Who arrested the apostle on the way to Damascus.
And as we think of it, there was special fitness in the sign given to Elisha. It is not
stated anywhere in Holy Scripture that Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot to which
fiery horses were attached - but that this miraculous manifestation parted between
them two, as it were, enwrapping Elijah; and that the prophet went up in a storm-
(^)