Elisha and the peeping prophets

2 Kings 2.

All the prophets knew—

The ministry of the Prophet Elijah had come to an end. He was about to be taken by the Lord from this earth.

Elisha also knew what he wanted—

A double portion of his master’s anointing.

And he would not be distracted.

Three times, he was told to “Tarry here…”, but Elisha would not.

Why?

Was it because he was loyal to his master? He would serve him till the end.

Or was he just determined to receive this thing he desired?

Everywhere they went that day, trainee prophets kept coming to tell Elisha what he already knew—

“Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today?”

Always, his response was the same—

“Yes, I know it: hold ye your peace”.

Most times, while God is working, we do not have a full understanding, or a complete picture of what He’s doing. At times like this, it’s best to keep your mouth shut, and your tongue in check so that you do not with your own mouth, undo what God is doing in your life.

Elisha, just like these other prophets, knew what God was about to do. He was determined to be a part of this move of God. He was focused, and would not be distracted.

He would not discuss the matter with people who were content with only talking about this thing God was about to do.

At Jericho, fifty of the trainee prophets went as far as viewing from afar off—

But that was as far as their faith could carry them.

The mantle was about to be transferred—

The Lord would not just take a prophet without placing another in the stead of the one He had taken.

They knew this, but these peeping prophets could only watch from afar.

Could they have been part of this move of God had they desired it enough to be more than just spectators?

I believe so.

They could have received from the Lord the same anointing as Elisha, and be part of this new thing God was doing.

When you sense a move of God, what would be your response?

Would you follow, completely yielded to God, trusting Him with your life, even when He has you crossing Jordan with no boat in sight?

Or would you be a peeping prophet, content to only be a spectator, and maybe talk about what you have properly discerned, till you’re blue in the face?

Remember what our fathers used to tell us—

“Your action is so loud, I cannot hear what you’re saying”.

If you say you trust God, do you trust Him enough to keep believing until you see the manifestation of what you have believed Him for? Or would you make other arrangements, just in case?

The mantle fell.

The Prophet Elisha saw it, and he received the hard thing he had asked for.

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 2 Kings 2:15.

While following though, be careful to not open up yourself to just any spirit.

Remember—

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. 1 John 4:1–2.

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36 thoughts on “Elisha and the peeping prophets”

  1. Thank you for this examination of 2 Kings, Boma. I can’t tell you how much I needed this good reminder: “Most times, while God is working, we do not have a full understanding, or a complete picture of what He’s doing. At times like this, it’s best to keep your mouth shut, and your tongue in check so that you do not with your own mouth, undo what God is doing in your life.” Thank you.

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  2. Thank you for this encouraging and challenging word, Boma. I have a tendency to be a spectator and to stand back and watch what happens to others first. I pray that God would give me courage to be the person he wants me to be, and to be available for Him.

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  3. Oh Girl … I completely get your message here! I have so been there with feeling God is moving in something and speaking out of my mouth what should have remained silent. I’m aware I have delayed His working in my life (or even sabotaged it) in the past. Also watching who I share my God given dreams with is important. When I’ve shared with friends in the past, I’ve had a few friends that would get impatient with waiting with me and begin speaking (becoming a naysayer) about what I’m hoping, praying and waiting for. Awesome post sweet sister! Very awesome! ❤

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    • And usually, we don’t even realize what we’ve done with our mouth until after we’ve done it! God help us! Thanks for visiting, Donna. Many blessings to you!

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  4. Elisha’s ministry is so fascinating to me. I often get he and Elijah mixed up in my head and have to go back and re-read portions of Scripture to straighten it out. LOL Maybe if their names weren’t so similar it would be easier to keep them straight.

    Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements.

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    • Usually, it’s when we’re quiet in spirit that we hear God speak, and correctly discern His leading. It’s hardly in the thunder, or fire; it’s the still, small voice. Thanks for visiting, Jessie. Many blessings to you!

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  5. Great post. Thank you for refreshing my understanding of this story. Discerning when to speak and when to be still, when to wait and when to move forward, these are very important lessons to learn as we walk with the Lord.
    Sweet blessings to you!

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  6. What a mighty word picture: “a peeping prophet, content to only be a spectator, and maybe talk about what you have properly discerned, till you’re blue in the face?” I’m sure I have held back for many reasons. Thanks for the encouragement to discern when and how to move!

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  7. The lives of Elijah and Elisha were so fascinating! I’m not sure if God would have given those 50 prophets in Jericho the same spirit that Elisha received (we are not all called to the same ministry, or to receive the same gifts) but I agree that it is all too easy to sit back and watch instead of developing our own spiritual gifts and living out our calling!

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    • It’s true, Katrina, we’re not all called to the same ministry, but had those prophets chosen to be more than just spectators, their ministries would have been impacted in unforgettable ways on that day. Thanks for visiting. Many blessings to you!

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  8. Thanks for sharing, Boma! I’m a visual person, so I can just picture these “peeping prophets.” I imagine they were always waiting and looking but not wanting to put in the time, effort, or sacrifice to seek God more for themselves.

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