Double Portion, Double Trouble, Double Blessing Part

To be blessed double, you must be prepared for double persecution.

Elisha the Prophet is a prime example of one who wanted more of God's power in his life. Before his predecessor Elijah was taken away in a fiery chariot, Elisha asked of him:

"And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (2 Kings 2: 9)

Elijah made no guarantees, but when Elisha saw Elijah riding up, Elisha knew that God gave had given the second prophet what he wanted.

The other men of God saw the blessing on Elisha:

"And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him." (2 Kings 2: 15)

Instead of treating him with greater respect, the men of God questioned his authority, dismissing his ministry:

"And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

"And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not." (2 Kings 2: 16-17)

The other prophets pressed Elisha until he was embarassed. They demonstrated no proper respect to this prophet, one who would accomplish more than Elijah had done, whose bones would bring dead men back to life, a picture of the Coming Messiah.

Still, Elisha did not mince words with the prophets in training, when they returned empty-handed:

"And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?" (2 Kings 2: 18)

This verse is telling. Most people in positions of power become flustered when those who are supposed to be following them do their own thing. In Elisha's case, he waited in Jericho until the other prophets returned. But he did chasten them, basically rebuking them with, "I told you so!"

Unflustered by the first challenge to his authority, Elisha displayed the power of the double blessing, that the Spirit of Elijah rested upon him, by dividing the Jordan River with his predecessor's mantle.

His miracles did not stop there. Elisha then healed the waters of Jericho with salt, declaring that there would never again be death or barrenness to land. He went about healing and doing good, just as the Messiah Jesus Christ would during His earthly ministry.

 Of course, having the double portion did not spare him from further opposition, which in the second great challenge came in the form of forty-two unruly children:

 "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head." (2 Kings 2: 23)

Elisha is God's representative on earth. No man may mock a prophet, for God is not mocked. These youth did not respect the authority of God's anointed, no more than the previous men of God who attempted to find Elijah thrown among the mountains. Elisha knew who he was, he would not allow them empty railing of a group of children dismiss his authority:

"And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." (2 Kings 2: 24)

Every believer is anointed with the Holy Spirit:

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2: 20)

When you have the anointing, when you know and believe the love that God has for you, when you stop heeding the empty cat-calls of your detractors, when you call upon the name of the Lord, the name by which every man is saved, your double blessing will give you double victory in the face of double trouble!