Elijah and Elisha: Prepare to be Replaced

Elijah and Elisha are names that just seem to go together. Despite the fact that they go hand in hand, one of the most often asked questions, when Elijah and Elisha’s names are thrown out in a discussion, is “But which one came first?” I don’t think that question comes from not paying attention to the pair so much as it is about the similarity of their names. Perhaps this was strategic on God’s part. Perhaps He named them with the thought that we would have to continually go back to Scripture and look them up to remind ourselves which one went up in a chariot of fire and which one received a double portion so that we would be drawn back to and learn from their stories.

Let me save you some time, but not some reflection: Elijah went up in a chariot of fire and Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2).

All mentors are leaders, whether one wishes to admit that about oneself or not. But let’s follow this through. Leaders are those whom people follow. Since mentors are not mentors without mentees and mentees look to their mentor to guide them, which means that mentees are following their mentors, it stands to reason that all mentors are leaders.

The reverse, sadly, is not true. Not all leaders are mentors. All of us will run into times in our lives that require us to follow someone, to do someone else’s bidding, simply because that person has a particular position or title. These leaders don’t have any particular interest or skill in empowering others, so we are often left feeling like someone’s minions, but because we don’t have a choice, we keep moving forward, following them.

Often, these types of leaders do not recognize that they are replaceable. Beyond that, they do not recognize that they need to make a concerted effort to actually replace themselves; they need to mentor, train, and empower those who come after them to take their place in the role that they will one day vacate.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I launched a ministry for girls with a few other people on my team. Oh! Did you catch that? I said “my team.” That one little word, “my,” makes all the difference in the world. It shifts the perspective of the team working together to begin this ministry under God’s direction to me taking charge and trying to force the team to work through my perspective, using my vision and my ideas, rather than allowing space for all of our heads to come together for the best outcome.

The team followed me and did what I said, but they had no respect for me. I wasn’t able to mentor and grow the team members. Instead, my attitude, which I didn’t even realize I had, made us come within an inch of crashing. I am blessed that God, through a painful realization, got ahold of me, showed me where I need to apologize, and taught me how to lead His team well. This ministry is still running smoothly today, all thanks to God and the other team members who were willing to give me a second chance. Eighteen years later, I serve in a support capacity under people whom I, by the grace of God, was granted the privilege of being allowed to train to replace me.

God knows what’s coming and God plans ahead. We see this time and time again in Scripture: Moses and Joshua, Paul and Timothy, Eli and Samuel, Jesus and the Disciples, just to name a few. But the pair that often jumps out to us when we are thinking along the lines of passing the mantle is Elijah and Elisha.

The Lord said to [Elijah], “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:15, 16, 19-21, NIV)

And why is it that this pair jumps out when we think about the need to replace ourselves? Could it be that despite the fact that they both were prophets during the corrupt reign of evil kings, they both led many to continue following the Lord? Could it be that Elisha had such a great relationship with his mentor, Elijah, that he desired “a double portion” of what Elijah had? Could it be that they had similar circumstances recorded about them from which we are blessed to learn? Could it be that Elisha was present at Elijah’s ascension?

Whatever it is for you, the fact remains that Elijah set an incredible example for leaders regarding not only the need to be mentors, but the need to intentionally prepare to replace yourself through mentoring.

And, for Elisha’s part: Elisha dropped everything, and burned his bridges – well, his plowing equipment and slaughtered his animals to feed others – so that he could move forward as God had called him to, without an earthly crutch on which to lean back. Elijah left what he knew to turn to what is better. Just as Elijah had been brought to total trust in God’s provision in 1 Kings 17, Elisha is brought to that place as well.

So, while we do not know all of the details regarding the mentoring relationship between Elijah and Elisha, we do know that Elisha was willing to follow Elijah completely; Elisha was willing to sacrifice a good life (he had twelve yoke of oxen) for a hard life, but a better life. The life that God calls us to is always better. We also know that Elisha was not afraid of hard work – he was helping to plow rather than just letting others do all the work for him. God had prepared Elisha throughout out his life so that Elisha was ready when his call came.

Then, when it was time for Elijah to be called home, when it was time for Elijah to be replaced, Elisha was more than willing to continue following in Elijah’s footsteps. In fact, Elisha wanted so much to be like Elijah that he asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2:9). Who would ask for a double portion of the spirit from a leader who was not worthy of being followed?

Interesting note here: When it was time for Elijah to be taken by the Lord, fifty other prophets were following both of them (2 Kings 2:7). Not only had Elijah been mentoring other prophets, but those prophets also respected him, wanted to follow him, and were prepared to follow Elisha. Elijah’s mentoring had paid off and he had trained Elisha well to follow in his footsteps.

Elijah was not simply a leader whom Elisha, or any of the other prophets for that matter, were required to follow. Elijah was a leader who was a true mentor. He was a mentor who people wanted to follow. He was a mentor who trained his mentees well and stepped back when it was his time to do so. He was a mentor who passed on his skills, empowering those under him to add those skills to where God had already been leading them.

In being mentors, it is important recognize that our mentees will not do everything the same way that we do and that this is VERY GOOD! We cannot get discouraged at different ideas and think that person is not learning or growing well because they do not do everything the same way that we do. Just as God was already working in the life of Elisha when Elijah came along, God is already working in the lives of our mentees. We are not there to dictate instructions. That is what leaders who are not mentors do. Rather, we are there to set examples and help open space for where God is already leading, while empowering our mentees to mentor others because, one day, it will be our time to be called from here.

This is not our work; it is not our mission. It is God’s work and God’s mission that we have been invited to join in. Mentoring has been going on long before us and will continue long after. God is making sure of that and He has chosen to bless us with taking part in that forward movement.