Skip to main content

Cloaked in Mystery?

Leadership transitions are often couched in sports terms such as passing the baton.

Sometimes such transitions go smoothly, the outgoing leader has everything in order and the new leader is prepared to lead.  The baton is passed smoothly and the race continues.

Sometimes such transitions are not so smooth.  The outgoing leader might have to abruptly leave and/or the new leader may not be as prepared as people would like.  The baton is sometimes dropped or the handoff is handled clumsily and the race is impacted.

See which of the following might fit the above two scenarios:

1.  So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. (Ki 19:19)

2.  And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.  And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. (Num 20:27-28)

When Elijah threw his cloak on Elisha, he was symbolically designating him as his heir apparent.  The account later indicates that God confirmed Elisha as Elijah’s replacement when He worked the same miracle through Elisha that He had worked through Elijah.  No mystery here.  The baton was passed smoothly.  The prophetic line continued. 

It was very different with Aaron.  Moses stripped Aaron of his priestly garments and placed them on Eleazar who did serve as priest so the priestly line continued.  But part of the consequences of Aaron’s earlier rebellion was that He had to be removed as priest and he was not allowed to place his garments on his son.  The passing of the baton was anything but smooth.    

You might think, well who cares about all this?  I’m not an Old Testament prophet or priest who is going about selecting an heir apparent.

But it does matter!  Every one of us should be modeling 2 Timothy 2:2 in entrusting things to faithful men who will be able to entrust things to other faithful men.  This word “entrust” is translated in other versions as commit, deposit, deliver, share and pass.  It is figuratively putting our cloak on others so that they can do the same.

On the other hand, if we have to be figuratively stripped of our garments, it could be that we’ve been rebelling against God. 

I’m definitely thinking the cloak route is the way to go! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Little Words, Big Impact

Sometimes we get caught up in the big words and that certainly has its place.   But, sometimes I think I appreciate the little words even more.   These are one or two or three letters words that can have big meaning and big impact. Take the word “I”.   It is a pronoun that often is used to identify the one who might be communicating.   The communication could be something like “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “I will do that.”   Meaning and impact from a word with just one letter! Take the word “no”.   It can put a stop to things. For example, you could have what you think is a really great idea but if you receive a no, your great idea comes to a screeching halt.   Meaning and impact from a word with just two letters! Take the word “yes”.   It can set things in motion.   For example, perhaps you are in love with that certain special person and you ask that question and they say yes.   Big things are set into motion and yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Double Entendre

Double entendre:   a word or expression used so that it can be understood in two ways.   For example: Seriously struggle with sin : 1.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, they see how easily sin entangles and they take their struggle with sin seriously and overcome it. 2.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, sin easily entangles them and they have serious struggles with sin and they never seem to overcome it. The example is not just theoretical, it is real.   And it is likely that many of us have experienced both over the course of our lives.   But whatever you have experienced, I have some more double entendres that follow a bad news/good news format: 1.   Sin is costly .   The cost is spiritual death.   But we have a Savior who paid the cost with His own life so that we can live spiritually. 2.   Sin has consequences . The consequence of sin is eternal separatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Flee From/Flee To

If you are going to flee, do it right! What?   Give me a chance to explain! But first, let’s land on what it might mean to flee.   To flee is to run away from a place or situation of danger or evil.   It also means to hurry toward a place of safety. So, here are some possible explanations: 1.   Flee when God tells you: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt , and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  (Matt 2:13)   2.   But don’t try to flee from God: But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord . He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord .  (Jonah 1:3)     3.   Flee from danger: For they have fled from the ...
Post a Comment
Read more