David Diga Hernandez - The Double Portion Anointing

I will explain why Elijah’s servant didn’t receive the double portion anointing, even though he was in close proximity to the Prophet. I will elaborate on that toward the end of this message. First, I want to examine the relationship and dynamic between Elijah and Elisha, especially the transfer of the double portion anointing. Let’s look at 1 Kings chapter 19, verse 16. Here, God is speaking to Elijah about Elisha: «Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to replace you as my prophet.» First and foremost, it is God who called Elisha; it was not Elijah who called himself. God directed the Prophet Elijah to anoint Elisha. Now, let’s jump down to verse 19: «So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were 12 teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the 12th team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.»

We see that Elisha, the Prophet, was plowing the field; he was working. God will not anoint the lazy. God will not call someone to greater things unless they are already doing something. God will not give you more if you are not already taking care of what He has given you. When Elijah throws his cloak on Elisha, notice that Elisha did not ask for this; he did not seek prominence or popularity. He was not pursuing power; he was simply doing his task, operating in the day-to-day. This is often how God calls people. Many desire to be called by God, hoping for the prominence they imagine it will bring them, but God looks for someone who is working. He seeks someone who is busy, someone who is just doing the daily tasks.

If God finds you engaged in the day-to-day, He will send forth the mantle through His cloak unto you. Elisha did not seek it; he did not ask for it. However, God called him out because he was faithful to the responsibility he already had. Verse 20 says, «Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, 'First, let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will go with you.' Elijah replied, 'Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.'» Elijah knew that what he had done was symbolic and understood he was being called to follow the Prophet. He requested to say goodbye to his family, and Elijah allowed it but urged him to consider the weight of what had transpired.

Elijah encouraged him to count the cost and not to enter into this lightly or apathetically. He wanted him to meditate on the significance of what had happened. In verse 21, the scripture tells us, «So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.»

This is interesting because Elisha recognized that this was a total commitment. He destroyed any possibility of reverting to his former life; he burned it all. In other words, he burned his bridge. He understood he was committed for good and would not go back to the old ways. When God calls you, you must resolve in your heart to burn the bridges and eliminate any possibility of returning to what you once knew—your plan B. Some of us have plan A, which is pursuing the call of God, but we also prepare for contingencies. No, you need to eliminate your backup plan entirely. If God has called you, there must be no alternative. Having a backup plan is akin to looking back. Jesus said, «If any man puts his hand to the plow and looks back, he is not worthy of that calling.» I believe this is somewhat of a reference to what Elisha did.

If you look back or make a plan for «just in case» it doesn’t work, if you prepare a contingency, that is not faith. If where you are going does not require faith, it is not the destiny God has for you. Time passed since Elijah was called. This occurred around 858 BC. Fast forward to 851 BC, just about seven years later, and we see the fulfillment of what transpired. Elijah threw his cloak on Elisha, but Elisha didn’t receive a double portion until roughly seven years later. Many different events took place during this time: wars, transitions of powers, and kings. We find ourselves in 2 Kings chapter 2, where the story of Elijah picks up again. A lot happened with the Prophet Elijah, but we will cover that in a moment. In 2 Kings chapter 2, beginning at verse 1, the scripture says, «When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.» This was around the time that King Ahab and his son had died.