Elijah and Elisha

By Mary Vee
I Kings 19

From Elisha's Notes

I'd grown up on a farm and enjoyed working the fields. I owned my own equipment, my oxen and yoke and everything else necessary to do the job, I won't make a boring list for you.

On this day, I was working in a field with twelve others. Each of us plowing our portion, twenty four oxen preparing a large field to be seeded in all. The sun bore down on our backs making the work a sweaty job. I didn't mind. I loved the smell of the earth.

I drove my oxen along the edge of the field and saw out of the corner of my eye a man walking toward me. I stopped my oxen and turned. 

The prophet Elijah had a reputation among all of us. Even if we hadn't seen his face before, we would instantly recognize him. This man challenged queen Jezebel's prophets to a battle and won. He delivered messages from God and stilled the rain from the land for three years. If only I had the same measure of Spirit from God as he. 

Elijah walked to me, removed his cloak and placed it on my shoulders. He didn't have to say a word, I knew what the symbol meant. I had been called to work with him. What an honor. "Please, Elijah, let me kiss my father and mother good-by and then I will come with you."

Elijah shrugged and said, "Go ahead. I won't keep you."

I drove my oxen home. Knowing I needed to get rid of everything I owned to follow in the steps of Elijah and serve the almighty God, I burned my plowing equipment. With the fire I put fresh meat from my two oxen. There was a lot of food. I gave meat away to everyone in the village. It was a feast. The people wished me well and said good bye.

I left the village with Elijah's cloak and a portion of the food to searched for him. He hadn't gone far. I'm not sure why he didn't join our celebration, he certainly was welcome. Still, I wanted him to have food so I gave him what I brought and then we walked together. 

To walk alongside such a man of God like Elijah and to hear the words God had given him was better than to eat the best meal served at a king's table. I feel so blessed and excited for the days ahead.

****************************
photo courtesy of Christianimagesource.com

1.  What type of work did Elisha do?
2.  Who came to visit Elisha?
3.  What did the person give Elisha?
4.  What did this person want Elisha to do?
5.  Elisha asked permission to __________
6.  Elisha share __________ with the people in the village.
7.  After the celebration Elisha _________________.