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Commentary on "Elijah's and Elisha's Mantle"
Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, April 30, 2011 - Introduction
Overview
The mantle was a cloak worn by these two prophets of God which visibly displayed their authority to speak and act as God’s messenger to an idolatrous nation in desperate need of repentance.
Today’s memory verse:
For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. (2 Cor. 7:10 HCSB)
As we consider the meaning of Elijah’s mantle in today’s commentary we will be focusing on the biblical meaning of sanctification, which is the core topic introduced in the memory verse. Sanctification is closely related to our imputed righteousness and holiness but with the added meaning of being ‘set apart’ by a holy God.
Observations
The following verse gives us a clear biblical definition of ‘sanctification’:
You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be Mine. (Lev 20:26 HCSB)
To gain a clear understanding of the memory verse, we should to back up and study the verses that followed the ‘Therefore’ at the beginning of the chapter.
Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. (2 Cor. 7:1 HCSB)
Paul is talking about sanctification when he says that repentance leads to salvation. He is expressing his joy that their repentance is leading to their spiritual growth founded upon ‘godly grief’ that only someone sealed into the family of God can have. Otherwise, they would only be expressing ‘worldly grief (which) produces death’. Now, let’s back up some more and consider these verses in chapter six:
Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor. 6:14-18 HCSB)
Paul is speaking to ‘Believers’. These Believers are declared as being righteous and can have no true ‘fellowship’ with the unrighteous. They can have no fellowship with the unrighteous because God declares there can be no agreement between Christ and Belial. Or, as the old saying goes; ‘Oil and Water will not mix’. Believers are “the sanctuary of the living God”. For this reason, they are separate from unbelievers. The ‘good news’ of the biblical gospel is that God see Believers as his sons and daughters and are those who are eternally sealed into the kingdom of God.
In practical terms, we need to consider what does scripture mean for believers, those who God declares as sanctified and holy, to be separate from unbelievers. The following verse is just one of many places where we are commanded to be in obedience to God:
Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. (2 Cor. 7:1 HCSB)
It is clear that we are to be in obedience to God and grow in sanctification. However, we should never forget the teaching found in Romans 3:9-18 where God views all our human works are as ‘filthy rags’. Our own works can never contribute to a perceived sanctification formula where the imputed righteousness of our Savior makes up the difference between our supposed level of sanctification and the perfect requirement of God. Instead God views us exclusively through the perfect complete righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Summary
- Elijah’s mantle, which was later worn by Elisha, was a visible sign that the person who wore the mantle was sanctified, set apart, by God with authority to warn the idolatrous nation of Israel to repent of their sins.
- Any person who has been sanctified by God is declared holy and righteous because of the imputed righteousness of God. Christians, those adopted into the kingdom of God, have been declared righteous and sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
- Those who are sanctified by God are commanded to be obedient to God and grow in sanctification. However, this does not mean that our obedience contributes in any way to the perfect imputed righteousness of our Savior.
- Elijah, Elisha and all others who have been ‘set apart’ by God can have no fellowship with the unrighteous. Put another way, those who are in the kingdom of God are in the world but not of the world.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised April 16, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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