Although the previous article looked at this same passage, I’d like to revisit it from another perspective. There’s a consistent message being presented about Elijah’s departure here (and throughout 2 Kings 2:1-12): Elijah wasn’t leaving on his own. He wasn’t bailing out or quitting. Instead, God was taking Him.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
2 Kings 2:9-10 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ki.2.9-10.NIV
As a corollary to that, Elijah was expected to remain faithful until God determined that it was time for Elijah to be done with that ministry. Like Elisha remained faithful even when he knew that Elijah was going to be taken (see 2 Kings 2:2-6), Elijah was expected to not quit before his time. And, Elijah – like many of us, I suspect – definitely wanted to quit sometimes (see 1 Kings 19:1-18).
To me, this reinforces the fact that our service to Jesus is expected to continue: starting when we committed our lives to Him, all the way until He calls us home. Consider Paul and Timothy, for instance: while Timothy was already serving in the church, Paul continued to advise and counsel him, even as Paul continued to witness to others. Paul didn’t say, “Well, Timothy has taken over, so I don’t have to minister anymore. I can retire now.”
Of course, God’s roles for us often change throughout our lives, and I’m not saying that you will always serve in the exact same ministry role where you have in the past or present. However, our walk with Jesus needs to continue until God decides that our work on earth is completed, not until we decide that we’ve done “enough” (as if anything we could do would be enough to “pay back” Jesus for gifts like salvation and being a part of God’s family!)
So, since you are still here on earth (unless you’re reading this from somewhere else!), I believe that you still have a ministry to serve in. The exact nature of that ministry is likely to be different for each of us, but the key is that our service and commitment to God (even if we move from one ministry role to another)…that service doesn’t wrap up until we move on from this mortal life into eternity.
For what it’s worth, I believe that we could even have meaningful things to do in eternity, serving God and each other. Like a job that we’d do even if we didn’t get paid for it, though, I believe that this service will be an unblemished joy to share.
As a result, let me encourage you today that if you still have a pulse, you still have a purpose. God can use people of all ages, all abilities, all backgrounds, and all situations for His greater plan. So, don’t just “check out” and coast until He calls you home. Use every day that you can for serving (and worshiping) Him!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 1, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 & 2 Kings, by Jesse C. Long, Jr. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 