The Last Walk

God always looks beyond. He knows what is up ahead. He is designing our future, planning everything. Never does a great God make little plans. Everything God does is part of a greater plan. The entire Bible weaves itself in and out as some master tapestry. There is nothing there that is just a part of the Scriptures to fill in space. Every "jot and tittle" is important. This goes for genealogies and geographies, not just the Gospel. Right now I want to look at the geography of it all, well, in the life of Elijah and Elisha (II Kings 2:1-15). On their final rendezvous, their last walk, they passed four specific places. I want to observe something interesting, a sort of pattern, in each of these places. Each of these four places had a school for prophets, a sort of Bible Institute or Christian college. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's look at each one of their stops and see what we can learn.

Gilgal (Joshua 4:19-24) Here two monuments of stone were erected. God's people was being tried or tested, not only with a river and with enemies on the opposite shore. No, there was something bigger at stake. True it was quite a feat. They had to cross the Jordan river with entire families, livestock, and the baggage of their belongings. But to cross over into the Promised Land they had to be clean. This sense of cleanliness was achieved by circumcision.

Bethel (Genesis 28:13-19) Bethel, which means House of God, was earlier known as Light. Jacob was the one who had stolen the birthright. He was the one who had to escape, and so he did. He escaped. But on his escape he grew tired. So tired in fact that he even used a rock for a pillow. Yet God was merciful or compassionate enought to keep His promise and make a great nation from him. We exist only because of His mercies or compassion.

Jericho (Joshua 16) This is a place of conquest. Even though in Christ we are more than conquerors it would seem we are too comfortable to win Jericho over again. Today we would rather go around it and claim to "tolerate" it when in reality we still have, in Christ, the power to conquer it.

Jordan (II Kings 2:7-8) Here Elijah strikes the waters with his cloak in order to cross. Here we learn the lesson of confidence. There was no other way to cross to the other side than to trust in God. Since they were in God's will, even seeking His will, they were confident that He would not only protect but also provide.

Geography matters. The Bible presents us with each of these places with a purpose, because above all books this is the One that has a purpose for our lives. You see, each of these places teaches us a lesson, each has a purpose. Even for us today.