“My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
2 Kings 2:12
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened
in order that you may know the HOPE to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
and his incomparably great POWER for us who believe.
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted
when he raised Christ from the dead.
Ephesians 1:18-20
Ah these magnificent words! They are wrapped in mystery, and shout out the power, glory, and majesty of God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is a bulwark never failing. His is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.
The chariot words above are the highpoint of one of the most familiar narratives of ancient Israel. They tell of the incomparable power of God, and they point to the hope to which He has called us.
The words are torn from the mouth of Elisha, the awestruck man on the scene, as he walks along the River Jordan with his teacher and leader, the prophet Elijah. Suddenly a fiery chariot and horses of fire erupt from the sky, and charge between Elijah and Elisha, a whirlwind close behind. Elijah is taken up to Heaven in the whirlwind. The Bible account tells us that Elisha knew Elijah would be taken that day. But, Elisha’s shock makes clear that this display of God’s power was, quite literally, a revelation to him. You can read the story
HERE.
But wait, there’s more! Those burning chariots reveal something else deep and wonderful. We hear about it in the hopeful lyrics of the African American spiritual,
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” God’s power — demonstrated in wind, fire, and deliverance — gave hope to slaves amidst the awful suffering of their bondage. One of the song’s verses proclaims: “The brightest day that ever I saw, coming for to carry me home. When Jesus washed my sins away, coming for to carry me home.”
This is the deep and potent truth of the fiery chariots of Israel. The power authenticates the hope. The slaves sang out their hope in the power of Jesus to wash away their sins and carry them home to eternal life.
This past Easter we joined with the great cloud of witnesses who for millennia have proclaimed hope in Jesus and in His power displayed in the empty tomb. This is the hope that the apostle Paul writes about in the Ephesians verses at the top of this story. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, and our confession that He is our Risen Lord, are our only hope for forgiveness of sins and life eternal. (Romans 10:9, 10)
The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds
(Psalm 68: 17, 20, 4)
God bless you!
Donna
