2 Kings 2:1-14

Hey New Life,

Happy September! We just talked about the certainty of death on Sunday, but our Daily Bible passage today (2 Kings 2:1-14) shows us a man who never died: Elijah. Here are a few lessons from Elijah's glorious entrance into heaven.

1. Past- Elijah is one of two people in Scripture whom we know for certain did not die. The other one is Enoch (Genesis 5:24). They both lived their lives in such personal communion with the Lord that God just took them. In our passage, we also see Elijah and Elisha visit Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan River. These are all significant places in Israel's history where God's promises were fulfilled. An encouragement for us from these men is to remember God's faithfulness to His promises and live in intimate union with Him.

2. Future- Although Elijah and Enoch did not die, they are still looking forward to the resurrection just as much as we are. Their bodies are not resurrected like Jesus' and are in the order of Adam (1 Corinthians 15:42-49). The goal is not for us to pray for a non-death like these men, but the goal is for us to hope in the glory of our future resurrection, along with these men. On that day, we will see the complete restoration from the curse of sin and the fulfillment of the Covenant of Life with Adam through Jesus.

3. Present- In the passage, we see Elijah and Elisha walking on dry ground through the Jordan River. This reminds us of two events in Redemptive History: the Exodus across the Red Sea and the Entrance into the Promised Land. The note of dry ground is important, because in the Old Testament, we see the waters pointing to evil, chaos, and judgment. The note of dry ground is referring to the elimination of evil, chaos, and judgment for those who are crossing. We are able to walk on the dry ground of our salvation, because Jesus took on all our sin, evil, and judgment on the cross. We are delivered from condemnation, and one day, we will be brought into the Promised Land of the New Heavens and the New Earth. And as we have been freed through the cross, God calls us now to live freely in Him.

Our passage is an incredible testimony of God's power over death. But it also points us to the greater testimony of God's grace to one day reverse the curse of the Fall and to lead us into everlasting life in Christ. May that be our hope for today.

Have a blessed week!

In Christ,

Pastor Tim