2Ki 2:2 | KingComments | STEP | When Elijah wanted to leave Gilgal to go to Bethel, he told Elisha to stay where he was, because the LORD was sending him to Bethel. He seemed to say that the LORD’s commission was for him personally and that this did not mean that Elisha necessarily had to go with him. With this, he allowed Elisha to make a choice of his own. Elijah did this at every subsequent location. With this remark Elijah tested, as it were, the motives of his companion to go with him, whether he does so for Elijah, or whether he also sees a personal assignment from the LORD in it. Elisha passed the test with flying colors every time. He wanted to learn the lessons that are connected to each place, so that he could better serve the people of God, as a man of God. Every time, he accompanied Elijah without expressing a single reservation. Elisha went with Elijah as Ruth used to go with Naomi ( ). Bethel speaks of the unchanging faithfulness of God, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” ( ). God was faithful to Jacob, the ancestor of Israel. He wanted to dwell with His people and have His ‘Bethel’, that means ‘house of God’, with them. Likewise, God is faithful to His heavenly people, the church of the living God. He wants, and will also, have His ‘Bethel’ with us. The church is built to be an eternal dwelling place of God in the Spirit ( : ). God will also reach His glorious final goal with us. This can never be undone by our unfaithfulness and our failure. It is good and necessary that we should always realize this, although we will also have to bow our heads, ashamed of so many things that have crept in and dishonored God, such as heresy, materialism, idolatry and sinful practices. But what was left of what God meant by Bethel? Elisha observed that in Bethel a false religion had been established around a golden calf. The religion of the flesh had supplanted and replaced true service to God. People had made their own houses of worship, according to their own ideas and shapes. A servant must see that too. The right understanding of what the house of God is, is also of importance today, in order to be able to do a service. Abraham learned the lesson. He set up his tent and altar by Bethel ( ). Jacob knew that place too; he met God there ( ). There God teaches about His faithfulness to His promises. In the application for us, it means that servants are formed in the church. First learn what Gilgal means: the judgment of the flesh, and then learn what Bethel means: the house of God, to know God, as the God of the house of God. At Bethel, there were also sons of the prophets, or student prophets (cf. ). At the schools of prophets in Bethel, and also in Jericho ( ), the ‘students’ had been taught about the taking up of Elijah. The students thought they should inform Elisha about this, without having a connection with Elijah themselves. They spoke to Elisha about Elijah not as ‘our’ lord, but as ‘your’ lord. They also noticed that Elisha taught things they didn’t learn at their school. They didn’t go along the way that Elisha went with Elijah, but stood at a distance. The student prophets didn’t tell Elisha anything new. Despite the fact that he couldn’t boast of training at an approved institute, he was aware of what was about to happen to Elijah. Elisha had no education, but he had his calling. The expression ‘take away … from over you’ indicates that Elijah was above Elisha and taught him. This is also literally the case when Elisha was at his feet and Elijah was therefore standing over his head. Elisha would soon have to do his job independently without the instructions of his master.

‏ 2 Kings 2:2

The Lesson of Bethel

When Elijah wanted to leave Gilgal to go to Bethel, he told Elisha to stay where he was, because the LORD was sending him to Bethel. He seemed to say that the LORD’s commission was for him personally and that this did not mean that Elisha necessarily had to go with him. With this, he allowed Elisha to make a choice of his own. Elijah did this at every subsequent location.

With this remark Elijah tested, as it were, the motives of his companion to go with him, whether he does so for Elijah, or whether he also sees a personal assignment from the LORD in it. Elisha passed the test with flying colors every time. He wanted to learn the lessons that are connected to each place, so that he could better serve the people of God, as a man of God. Every time, he accompanied Elijah without expressing a single reservation. Elisha went with Elijah as Ruth used to go with Naomi (Rth 1:19).

Bethel speaks of the unchanging faithfulness of God, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). God was faithful to Jacob, the ancestor of Israel. He wanted to dwell with His people and have His ‘Bethel’, that means ‘house of God’, with them. Likewise, God is faithful to His heavenly people, the church of the living God. He wants, and will also, have His ‘Bethel’ with us.

The church is built to be an eternal dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:22: Rev 21:2-3). God will also reach His glorious final goal with us. This can never be undone by our unfaithfulness and our failure. It is good and necessary that we should always realize this, although we will also have to bow our heads, ashamed of so many things that have crept in and dishonored God, such as heresy, materialism, idolatry and sinful practices.

But what was left of what God meant by Bethel? Elisha observed that in Bethel a false religion had been established around a golden calf. The religion of the flesh had supplanted and replaced true service to God. People had made their own houses of worship, according to their own ideas and shapes. A servant must see that too.

The right understanding of what the house of God is, is also of importance today, in order to be able to do a service. Abraham learned the lesson. He set up his tent and altar by Bethel (Gen 12:8). Jacob knew that place too; he met God there (Gen 35:9-15). There God teaches about His faithfulness to His promises. In the application for us, it means that servants are formed in the church. First learn what Gilgal means: the judgment of the flesh, and then learn what Bethel means: the house of God, to know God, as the God of the house of God.

At Bethel, there were also sons of the prophets, or student prophets (cf. 1Sam 10:5b ; 1Sam 19:20). At the schools of prophets in Bethel, and also in Jericho (2Kgs 2:5), the ‘students’ had been taught about the taking up of Elijah. The students thought they should inform Elisha about this, without having a connection with Elijah themselves. They spoke to Elisha about Elijah not as ‘our’ lord, but as ‘your’ lord. They also noticed that Elisha taught things they didn’t learn at their school. They didn’t go along the way that Elisha went with Elijah, but stood at a distance. The student prophets didn’t tell Elisha anything new. Despite the fact that he couldn’t boast of training at an approved institute, he was aware of what was about to happen to Elijah. Elisha had no education, but he had his calling.

The expression ‘take away … from over you’ indicates that Elijah was above Elisha and taught him. This is also literally the case when Elisha was at his feet and Elijah was therefore standing over his head. Elisha would soon have to do his job independently without the instructions of his master.