"Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?"

With those words of invocation, Elisha opened a window into his own squeamishness at being rather suddenly thrust into the role of the head prophet. Anyone who has been asked to fill the shoes of a legend can relate to his discomfort; Elisha fully expected every Israelite to look him up and down skeptically and say, “You’re not Elijah!”

Elijah's departure illustrates what is, ultimately, the failing of every leader; no matter how effective, their time eventually comes. It was the failing of Israel’s leaders also - and not only of the prophets. The faithful of Israel must have watched with growing unease the onset of Eli’s old age, knowing as they did the wretchedness of his sons. And who envies the young man who had to follow in King David’s footsteps, with his melancholy plea: “And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.”

The greats of the earth have this in common with the rest of us: they die - each and every one. Except…

…our Mediator is “fully furnished with all authority and ability, to execute the offices of prophet, priest, and king of his church, in the estate both of his humiliation and exaltation.” We understand what that means, right? Christ also died, but having died, he rose. He also left, but having left, he sat down at the Father’s right hand - to do what? Simply to continue being our Mediator. He is the everlasting Prophet, the immortal Priest, and the eternal King. We will never need to say goodbye and sadly turn our attention to His less suitable replacement.

As the Psalmist wrote:

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

But then:

The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

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