Circumstances of the Call of Elisha

Driving home: He who takes upon himself to interpret the scriptures must be able to give a reason and a sound reason for the manner in which he handles the word of God.

Martin uses the analogy of a target with three concentric circles (bullseye, middle ring, outer ring) to explain his interpretive principle for Elisha's call: God's dealings with all people, with those in special office, and with Elisha individually. This helps distinguish universal truths from unique aspects of a prophetic call.

Then he arose and went after Elijah and ministered unto him. Now as we come to the examination of this very fascinating, and in many ways touching, account of the call of this man, Elisha, to the prophetic office, I wish to underscore a basic principle of interpretation which will govern my treatment of the passage and I trust your understanding of the passage. He who takes upon himself to interpret the scriptures must be able to give a reason and a sound reason for the manner in which he handles the word of God. Now the basic principle of interpretation is this. Though there are some things p...

5:57 - 7:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It would seem in a very real sense that we could describe the influence of this godly man Shaphat and his wife who is not even mentioned as the influence of parents who reared a son with a tight rein and with an open han…

To illustrate the wealth of Elisha's family, Martin compares having twelve yoke of oxen to having a 'two-car garage with cars in both stalls and maybe a third one out in the driveway,' making the ancient context relatable to a modern audience.

The indication being that there were probably other brothers or servants each of whom was behind a yoke of oxen and Elisha as sort of the foreman of the entire group brings up the rear of this other team of oxen. Although this was probably a wealthy family for wealth in those days was measured as it is in many agrarian societies in terms of cattle and beast of burden to have twelve yoke of oxen was the indication at least of an upper middle class family. They had at least a two car garage with cars in both stalls and maybe a third one out in the driveway. They had their twelve yoke of oxen pro...

15:14 - 16:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It would seem in a very real sense that we could describe the influence of this godly man Shaphat and his wife who is not even mentioned as the influence of parents who reared a son with a tight rein and with an open han…

Martin introduces the central metaphor of 'rearing a son with a tight rein and with an open hand' to describe godly parenting that balances firm discipline with yieldedness to God's will for the child. This metaphor is revisited throughout the sermon.

as the influence of parents who reared a son with a tight rein and with an open hand. And I should like to use that analogy and come back to it in that imagery. They reared him with a tight rein but with an open hand.

17:41 - 18:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It would seem in a very real sense that we could describe the influence of this godly man Shaphat and his wife who is not even mentioned as the influence of parents who reared a son with a tight rein and with an open han…

He contrasts the dangerous reality of being a prophet in Elisha's day with the romanticized idea of having a 'preacher boy' in the 'Bible belt,' highlighting the true cost and lack of worldly acclaim for such a calling.

There was the tight rein of teaching him the discipline of work teaching him respect for parenthood for parental authority teaching him respect for and devotion to his parents there was that tight rein of close and guarded discipline and training yet there was the open hand always holding him as God's possession realizing that he was but a gift that was given to influence for a time so that when Jehovah's claims come upon their son there is no tenacious cleavage with clenched fists saying well we want him to be a godly Israelite we don't want him to be a Baal worshipper but oh Jehovah keep him...

18:04 - 19:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He was a plow boy and when the call of God came to him he was fully engaged to the hilt in his legitimate occupation in the language of the New Testament he was doing what he did with all of his might as unto the Lord an…

Martin references the story of the lad killed by sunstroke (likely from 2 Kings 4) to emphasize the harsh conditions of Elisha's work as a plow boy, underscoring his diligence in his legitimate occupation.

He was a plow boy and when the call of God came to him he was fully engaged to the hilt in his legitimate occupation in the language of the New Testament he was doing what he did with all of his might as unto the Lord and not as unto men. He wasn't marking time waiting for an opening he was out under that hot burning Palestinian sun that you remember later on was hot enough to kill a little kid with sunstroke you remember the lad that was given to the barren woman and he goes out to help his dad in the field one day and the sun is so hot that he's killed with sunstroke and with the crude instr...

20:48 - 22:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Parents, rear your children with a tight rein but with an open hand, not compromising standards for fear of losing their affection.

He extends the 'tight rein' metaphor by comparing a rebellious child to a 'young colt' trying to get the bit in its teeth, illustrating the struggle parents face in disciplining their children to prevent them from self-destruction.

upon the neck of the rebellion and the lust of their children God says you're to rear them with a tight rein but with an open hand you know what that means I came not to send peace but a sword I came to set a man against his father the daughter against the mother the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law and a man's foe shall be they of his own household and though the scripture cast a screen of silence over any struggles through which Elisha may have passed in those difficult years of maturing into manhood though there is a veil over Elisha over any of that surely surely unless God did an...

28:12 - 29:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Young people, if your parents are seeking to rear you with a tight rein of biblical discipline, do not despise it, but thank God for it and honor them.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his family's Thanksgiving gathering, where his father honored his mother for her selfless parenting, which involved holding 'ten reins' on 'ten wild young asses,' illustrating the fruit of the 'tight rein and open hand' parenting.

look back and say thank God for blue fingered parents and I'm not just waxing sentimental I want you to have this privilege my family gathers on Thanksgiving day the only holiday that I'm able to spend with my parents in fact usually it's the only time I go to see them once a year I'm not free to go off weekends as many of you are I don't say that disparagingly that's just a fact it's an occupational hazard of the ministry but we met in a rented hall between 50 and 60 of us that was just all my brothers and sisters nine of the ten of us were there with all of our wives and children and then my...

36:22 - 37:49 Read in full sermon