The Way
The Cloak Thrown over Elisha
The day he burned the yoke
Story
The fields of Abel-meholah in the Jordan Valley were full of the breathing of oxen pulling plows. Twelve pairs of oxen turned the soil in a line, and Elisha son of Shaphat was driving the twelfth pair, at the very end. Elijah, back from Mount Horeb, came walking to the edge of that field.
As Elijah passed by Elisha, he threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” Elijah said, “Go back. What have I done to you?”
Elisha went back. Then he slaughtered the pair of oxen he had been driving. He broke up the plow and the yoke to make a fire, boiled the meat, and gave it to the people. He left no yoke to put on again and no plow to come back to. Elisha got up, followed Elijah, and served him.
Walk this scene on the map →Words of God and the Prophets
Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye. Then I will follow you.
Go back. What have I done to you?
Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to be the prophet who will succeed you.
The sayings are fresh renderings of the original meaning in today's language. Text: 1 Kgs 19:19–21
Background
A prophet's cloak marked who he was, and throwing it over someone is understood as a call to carry on his work. Twelve pairs meant twenty-four oxen, which shows that Elisha's family had a well-off farm.
Pause and Reflect
What do I need to let go of now in order to follow the Lord?