This experience must Come - Chambers, Oswald

2 kings 2:1223

And he saw him no more. 2 kings 2:12

And he saw him no more in the way of leadership. If you have been learning a truth with a man or woman of god, there comes a time when you see him or her no more, not necessarily physically, but in your spiritual experience they stand no more to you as your guide and leader because god does not intend they should. That is the time you accuse god of making blunders i cant go on without Elijah. God says you must.

1. Alone at your Jordan (2 kings 2:1314)

Your seal

Your Jordan is some type of separation in which no one can have any fellowship with you, and no one can take the responsibility for you; you have to put to the test what you learned when you were in communion with your Elijah. As a saint in gods work, your experience is that you have been to Jordan over and over again with your Elijah, he taught you won- derfully how god did things, and you saw how god worked through him, but now you are up against it alone. There is no use saying you cannot go on with- out him, this experience has come and you must.

What did Elisha do? He took up the mantle and did exactly what he had seen Elijah do. In the discipline of fellowship god always makes us go first as apprentices. He gives us comrades and leaders and guides whom we depend upon up to a certain stage, then there comes the experience of going alone. It is not wrong to depend on Elijah so long as god gives him to you, take all you can get from him, but remember the time will come when he will have to go. Beware then that you don’t look for Elijah, don’t look for any assistance, but call on god and he will give you your seal. The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha (2 kings 2:15). There is no sentiment here, but reality. If you want to know whether god is the real god you have faith to believe he is, then go through your Jordan alone. Jordan is taken to mean death, but here it means the threshold of life. We

Have to go through our Jordan as men and women who have really learned of god. 2. Alone at your Jericho (2 kings 2:1622) your sin. Jericho is the place where you have seen your Elijah do great things. There are times in your life when redemption and rationalism come into conflict, and your faith in god seems the most feeble and ludicrous thing there is. If you have learned well of your Elijah, you will never trust your reason, or wits, or anyone elses wits, you will remain true to what you learned with Elijah, and you will get the sign that god is with you; but you must go there alone. When you are up against your Jericho, you have a strong dis- inclination to take the initiative and trust in god, you want someone else to take the responsibility. While you are with your Elijah he takes the responsibility, but you come to the place where Elijah is no more use. Whether it be your Jordan or your Jericho, stand true to what you learned with your Elijah, and don’t side with the clamour of the educated prophets.

3. Alone at your bethel (2 kings 2:23)

Your sacrament

And he went up from thence unto beth-el. Beth-el stands for the house of god, the place where god revealed himself to Jacob. Elisha had been with eli- jah to all these places and they two went on, and now Elisha goes alone, and at bethel he is slandered and treated as a hypocrite. At your bethel you will find yourself at your wits end and at the beginning of gods wisdom. When you get to your wits end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don’t. In spiritual matters never do what you feel inclined to do naturally. If you knuckle down to the tyranny of physical conditions, it is all up with learning gods lesson at that particular bethel. Stand steadfastly true to god, and god will bring his truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament, i. E. , the abiding presence of god will come through the simple elements of your life, but you must wait for him.

Perhaps this experience has come in your life, not in a sentimental way that makes you interested in yourself, but in reality, and you are up against it. The only thing to do is to put into vogue what you learned with your elijahuse his cloak and pray; determine to trust in god and don’t look for Elijah any more. When god removes his servants he never allows any time to mourn over them. Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise. . . .