Elisha asks for a DOUBLE PORTION from Elijah. But a double portion of what?
First born privilege? Material possessions? Anointing? Power?
If we look closely at what Elisha asked Elijah for, it becomes clear.
2 Kings 2:9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “ASK! WHAT MAY I DO FOR YOU, BEFORE I AM TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU?”
Elisha said, “Please let A DOUBLE PORTION OF YOUR SPIRIT BE UPON ME.”
Elisha wanted a DOUBLE PORTION OF ELIJAH’S SPIRIT UPON HIM.
His SPIRIT!
What does this mean?
Can God give a person’s spirit onto another person?
Well let’s look back to the days of Moses to find the answer.
We often hear messages about the “Jethro Leadership Principle”. Moses’ father-in-law (a Midianite (pagan) priest), gave Moses the advice of placing multiple leaders over the people.
Exodus 18:21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.
23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”
It certainly sounds like good advice! And in fact if you look up Jethro leadership advice, you will find a large number of leadership sites that explain how this principle is a key of leadership.
But it is often overlooked that the system didn’t work. The scripture teaches that while some ideas look good on the surface, they are just it is a good men’s ideas, not necessarily God’s ideas. The Jethro principle didn’t work.
Even with the Jethro Principle in full effect, Moses was overwhelmed and wanted to die.
Numbers 11:14 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.
15 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favour in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”
But while man’s leadership principles do not work, God’s leadership principles DO WORK.
Numbers 11:16 So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.
17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I WILL TAKE OF THE SPIRIT THAT IS UPON YOU AND WILL PUT THE SAME UPON THEM; and they shall BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE PEOPLE WITH YOU, that you may NOT BEAR IT YOURSELF ALONE.
23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle.
25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and TOOK THE SPIRIT THAT WAS UPON HIM; AND PLACED THE SAME UPON THE SEVENTY ELDERS…
Now THAT is God’s leadership principle. Not Jethro the pagan priest’s leadership principle.
So yes, God can TAKE THE SPIRIT that is upon a person and put it on another.
For what purpose? They shall BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE PEOPLE WITH YOU, that you may NOT BEAR IT ALONE.
This is directly linked with the DOUBLE PORTION.
The FIRST BORN received twice the amount of possessions, because he needed them to BEAR THE BURDEN of the whole family. And instead of doing it alone, he received provision enough to do so.
So what was the SPIRIT OF ELIJAH like?
Does the scripture tell us?
Yes of course it does.