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The Call of Elisha

The Call of Elisha: The Cost of Total Commitment 🚜

A Shallow Dive on Discipleship from 1 Kings 19:19-21 (KJV)

The calling of Elisha by the prophet Elijah is one of the most dramatic and complete acts of commitment in the Old Testament. It serves as a clear illustration of what is required to leave one’s former life entirely behind for service to God.

The Prophetic Hotspot: The Cloak and the Response

The call was simple, carried out through a symbolic act:

“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.” (1 Kings 19:19, KJV)

  1. The Mantle (Cloak): The mantle was the prophet’s official garment. Casting it upon Elisha was the ancient equivalent of ordination—a tangible sign that Elijah’s prophetic office was being passed on.
  2. Immediate Recognition: Elisha immediately understood the call, which required a response of total abandonment.

Elisha’s single request was to say goodbye to his parents, which Elijah granted. However, Elisha immediately followed this with a definitive, irreversible act.

The Return Question: Why Burn the Equipment?

Elisha’s actions after his call demonstrated that he intended no retreat and left no possibility for a return to his old life:

“And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” (1 Kings 19:21, KJV)

  • Slaughtered the Oxen: The oxen were the source of his livelihood and wealth. By slaying them, he sacrificed his means of income.
  • Burned the Instruments: He used the ploughing instruments (the yoke and wood) as fuel to cook the meat. This act symbolically and literally burned the bridges back to his former profession as a successful farmer.

Conclusion: Elisha’s radical response set a high standard for discipleship: a total break from the past. The call of God demands that a person make an immediate, public, and irreversible commitment, rendering their old life impossible to reclaim.