Elijah 6 - Elijah’s New Serving Anointee

David W Palmer

(1 Kings 19:9–19 NLT) “... anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. … Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.”

God revealed Elijah’s next level in ministry—the key to achieving his life’s objective of getting rid of Baal worship and idolatry, including the wicked rulership class of Ahab, Jezebel, and their comrades. God instructed him to anoint a new generation of leaders—Hazael and Jehu as kings, Elisha as prophet. The way this anointing happened was different in each case, especially Elisha. Let’s look at his case as he was the first:

(1 Kings 19:19–21 NLT) So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

On first reading, it may appear that the anointing of Elisha happened right then, and in part it may have. We probably all wish a full transfer of the anointing/mantle that will bring us to our full destiny in God could happen in one prayer, a laying on of hands, or a single prophetic act. And this may have set Elisha in the right direction and given him the green light for what he desired, but there was far more to it.

When we read through what happened between Elijah and Elisha to fully effect this transfer, we see that the throwing of the cloak—or physical mantle—was a prophetic action of what God intended to do, if … if he fulfilled his part in this. In other words, this was more like a promise of what could happen than a completed accomplished fact there and then.

First, Elisha had to pass a crucial test; did he really want what Elijah was offering him?

(1 Kings 19:20–21 NLT) Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” {21} So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

Elisha passed his first test with flying colours; he clearly burned any way of returning to his former life. Plus, he sowed what he owned and followed Elijah. This sounds exactly like what Jesus told his followers—the ones wanting to position themselves to be anointed with the anointing he operated with:

(Luke 9:62 NKJV) But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Elisha made sure he couldn’t look back to his old life; he burned his career and sowed his assets. Jesus also gave the following instruction about what it takes to follow him as his disciple:

(Matthew 19:21 NKJV) Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Elisha did this; he killed his oxen—he sacrificed his assets and sowed them into others, who completely consumed them. In this way, he had sowed, creating treasure in heaven; and he had made sure that he would have no way of returning to his old life. Elisha made the right start in taking hold of his destiny and putting himself in life for a full transfer of the mantle of Elijah. Whether it be the 12 following Jesus or Elisha serving with Elijah, the next step seems indispensable, overlap:

(1 Kings 19:19 NKJV) So he departed from there, and found Elisha … Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.

God sent Elijah to Find Elisha. Today, God is looking for those who are gifted and ready for promotion; God’s prophets are on the watch for new prophets. This seems to be part of a prophet’s nature and calling. They are discerning about this, and may seem very very fussy about whom they think is suitable. But this is God’s gift in operation. And then, even after this discerning selection and calling, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:14 NKJV).

Elisha was ploughing in submission to the father of his house. Then, in Elijah’s prophetic action, God had him pass by Elisha picturing a moving transition period. He threw his mantle over the potential protege—picturing the transfer of anointing that God wanted to achieve. Then Elijah simply walked on; because for this to work the way God wanted, Elisha had to make the very next step; he had to demonstrate that he had the appetite, passion, and fully surrendered desire to take on what Elijah had. If he didn’t have this, it wouldn’t have worked; it would not have produced fruit through Elisha, and it would have only drained Elijah without allowing him to give himself 100% to his office and calling.

Elisha wisely followed and burned the bridges of any return. He had to stay the course no matter how challenging or difficult it may become. To receive the full transfer of God’s anointing from Elijah would require an overlap period of proximity—like the baton change in a relay race. What’s more, to be continually in Elijah’s presence and close enough to catch the mantle, he would have to serve him as a menial or assistant. This he did until Elijah’s ministry on earth was completed.

Today, God’s narrative in this story reveals his plan for us. If we are older in God, and if we have a mantle of ministry anointing, he wants us to discerningly find someone to whom we can set up a transfer of God’s mantle to them. If you are new, God’s plan is for you to accept an invitation to serve someone with a mantle. This way, it can transfer to you as your serve and attend them.

Remember, God’s view of who has the mantle you need may be vastly different to your current idea. When God opens this kind of opportunity, take it, serve humbly. Be like David, don’t fall for the temptation to kill off the one God calls you to serve; and don’t let yourself be put of by their human frailties—after all, we all have this treasure in earthen vessels or cracked clay pots. Like David serving Saul, serve the anointing that’s on their life and it will most definitely come on yours. If you don’t lay your life down to serve it when it’s on another flawed human, you don’t pass the test of proving to God that you will serve that anointing when it’s on you. Perhaps in Jesus, we need to be both serving another anointed vessel while simultaneously allowing others access to serve us—and allow them to have the anointing transfer to them in a period of mutual overlap.