1 Kings 2:25
"And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria."

One of the greatest ministerial contrasts in Scripture is that of two prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Their chronological juxtaposition made the differences even more noticeable than they otherwise might have been. Though they both were prophets in another dispensation, their story affords lessons and practical challenges to the modern day minister in a local church setting.

Elijah was easily the more flamboyant prophet. The high points of his life were remembered for years to come. Generations after his translation (he never did die), Jewish young men admired him and longed to duplicate the miracles that he did. When Jesus was one His way through Samaria to Jerusalem, He sent messengers before His face to prepare the way before Him. The Samaritans did not receive Him because His face was set toward Jerusalem. James and John recalled at that time the miracles of Elijah when they asked, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Doubtless James and John had forgotten parts of the story of Elijah calling down fire from heaven, but the glamour of celestial flame was not lost on them. Such were the high points of Elijah’s ministry. No less than three times did he call down fire from heaven. It was he who appeared out of Gilead one day to announce to Ahab, Israel’s most wicked king, that there would be no dew or rain except at his word. James tells us that this took place because of his earnest prayer. It was Elijah that prayed and delivered the once dead son alive again into his mother’s arms. It was Elijah that confronted wicked Ahab after the murder of Naboth. It was Elijah that chided the messengers of Ahaziah when that wicked king sent to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron. The greatest moment, however, in all of Elijah’s ministry as a prophet to Israel came on Mt. Carmel. On that mountain, one man of God took on 850 false prophets. On that day, the LORD’s prophet proved to an indecisive people that “the LORD, He is the God.” On that day, God’s dynamic messenger mocked the powerless idols of the current religious system, only to prove by contrast the power of the one, true God. As if all of that were not enough, Elijah was then taken to heaven, not by death as almost all other men are, but by direct translation riding in a whirlwind. Truly there were great high points in Elijah’s life.

By contrast, this same Elijah experienced some of the lowest depths recorded in the Old Testament. Immediately following his inaugural message from God about the coming drought, he found his way to a brook of God’s choosing. After experiencing the power of God in a public ministry, Elijah now found himself hiding along a the banks of a forgotten stream. Although his menu for that period is not recorded, God does allow us to meet the waiters. The very thought is humiliating, much less the actual experience. On a hillside not far from the brook, the human imagination can picture a raven feasting on the dead carcass of some recently slain animal. As the bird descends, flies beat a hasty retreat from what was so recently theirs. Size rules the day for a time as the raven eats his fill. Suddenly, the raven takes to the air again, having heard the command of God. Having satiated his avian lusts, he must now obey the voice of his Creator and bring food to a lonely prophet. There may have been times that Elijah was witness to a similar incident – doubtless a low period in his life. The lowest time of life, however, came after Elijah’s greatest victory. The most wicked king to ever rule on the throne of Israel was stirred up by a woman. Evidently, she was the driving force of wickedness in the kingdom at that time. Accordingly, Elijah fled after the victory on Mt. Carmel, simply in response to Jezebel’s threat on his life. In his wilderness hideout, he began to focus on himself. His most striking request was that he might die. God tenderly cared for him during this time, but it was probably the lowest time in Elijah’s life.

God refused Elijah’s request to die and allowed him to live longer and continue in the prophetic ministry. Immediately after the lowest depth, God told Elijah to appoint his successor. From that time forward, Elisha served Elijah even pouring water on his hands when he needed to wash. The day finally came when Elisha was to take the reigns. All of the sons of the prophets knew it and twice reminded the young successor of what was about to happen. Both times he responded, “Hold ye your peace.”

Exactly what went through Elisha’s mind in his mentor’s final days cannot be firmly asserted. This one thing, however, is clear. Elisha was Elijah’s opposite. Elijah was a rough man, hairy and “girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.” Elisha was just another farmer in an agrarian culture. Elijah was a poor man who ate from the hand of God. Elisha was a wealthy man of some means before God called him to be a prophet. Elisha’s personality was probably not as dynamic as his predecessor’s. In any case, he was probably somewhat nervous as he accompanied Elijah on that final journey from Bethel to Jericho to Jordan and finally over to Gilead. His final request showed the tenderness of his heart and his desire to continue the work that had been started: “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” God granted the request. After Elijah was gone, Elisha’s mind must have whirled. Now the mantle of the prophet and the power of God were upon him. He had to have proof.

Coming again to the Jordan, he asked, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” God answered his question by showing him that personality does not matter, but only the power of God. Elisha’s ministry was yet young when he found himself going to a very interesting place. Carmel was different now and only the charred ground continued to give testimony of the showdown that had taken place there years earlier. It was here that God had showed His power the greatest through Elijah. Before the new prophet would continue on to Samaria, he must stop here at Carmel and ponder the great power of God. Though he knew that he could never have the charisma of Elijah, yet the power of God displayed on Carmel could be his.

In today’s world of the church age, the present generation can sometimes look to the past with a wistful eye. Evangelists long for the days of protracted meetings. Pastors long for the days when the church building on a regular Sunday night had standing room only. American Fundamentalism can look at great leaders of the past and long to see the power that God displayed through them. God mightily used R. A. Torrey, Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Mordecai Ham, Bob Jones, Sr., J. Frank Norris, R. V. Clearwaters, C. T. Studd, David Livingstone, Jim Eliot, and many others in days gone by. We no longer have the “giants” of previous days. Some sigh in themselves and long for the days of the Fundamental superstars. When Elijah left the scene, Israel was still steeped in the sins of Jereboam and had not nationally turned to God. Elijah’s work of turning God’s people to Himself was yet to be completed. Like Elijah, the great church leaders all passed from this life with work that was yet to be done. In the United States, the great leaders of days gone by, though greatly used, did not completely turn the nation to God. The work of the pastor is still needed, as is the work of the evangelist in the United States. The work of world missions definitely proves that there is yet much work to do.

The lesson, then, from Elisha is simple: Appreciate what God has done in the past, but do a work for God in the present. There is nothing wrong with asking, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” Any other great leader’s name could be inserted, provided his ministry was in demonstration of spirit and of power. There is nothing wrong with taking a trip to Carmel and remembering what God has done. As we descend from the mountain, however, let us remember some things. First, God has not changed nor has His power diminished. Second, the task is not complete and there is much to do. Third, God has created each man for his time. Therefore, each young man must trust God to do great things at least as great as the things about which he reads in history. He must work faithfully to do that task that God has called him to do. Finally, he must be the person God has created him to be. Lasting results do not come from personality, but through demonstration of God’s power.