A Prophets Legacy
A PROPHETS LEGACY
Elijah talked with the group of prophets for fourtyminutes. His speech, Elisha thought, was the best of hislife. The prophets listened with awesome awareness that the great man of God would soon be gone.
The great mentor talked of the past and of the future,of the battle won and the war ahead. He talked of truth, ofnearness to Yahweh, of listening for God’s voice amid the dimof religious chaos. He talked of a prophet’s distinct andtailored call and how it is garbled when he listens more toother prophets that to God. He challenged them at last toignore the thumping drumbeat of prophetic fame, so to hear the weeping wail of the wounded day.
As the great prophet spoke to the assembly, Elisha’smind was caught up in his own sense of destiny. Elijah, heknew, did not stand honored before the prophets because hewas famous, but because he was faithful. Ironically,thefamous man never had sought fame, only Yahweh’s distinctiveword. To be like that at my life’s end, Elisha thought, to beable to look back on life without regret, to have theassurance that life was handled well, faithful against theconfusing call of the generation, that is life’s greatest moment.
William H. Stephens