The Chariot of God

 

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:9-12 ESV).

 

Perhaps you’ve grown up singing the wonderful old traditional folk song with the melodic chorus of “Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.”  I’ve always loved the words. Many people are mistaken into thinking that the chariot was Elijah's limousine, with first-class service to heaven. But the Bible says, twice in our reading for today, that Elijah went "up to heaven in a whirlwind" (a symbol of God's presence, like the pillar of cloud and fire during Israel's time in the desert, cf. Exodus 40:36-38). What a sight that must have been!

 

But then what was the chariot for? Elisha knows it is part of the angelic army that fights Israel's battles (cf. 2 Kings 6:11-17). Its function at this moment is to separate Elijah and Elisha. This chariot guards the boundary between earth and heaven. Elisha has been holding on to Elijah with fierce devotion, but God is saying, "This far; no further." Elijah is going to heaven, and Elisha must stay behind.

 

Did you know that heaven has a security force? We can't just show up like we do at a grocery store or a fast-food restaurant. We can't just wander in, say "Jesus" like a code word, and expect to get inside. No, heaven allows us in when we lay down our defenses and recognize Jesus as King of our lives, and then walk with him always. Then one day our moment will come, and we too will be lifted into the presence of God, to heaven.

 

I suppose the lesson here for us today is that there is no “cheap grace.” The grace of God that allows us entrance beyond the chariots of fire and the angelic guards is the most expensive, extravagant gift of all time. It cost God everything. It was paid in the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus. The thought that we somehow control our destiny is so foreign to the Scripture. Only God opens the gates to receive us. Only Jesus has the keys to the Kingdom of God. The good news is that He has made heaven available to us. Trust in Him today!