Comments on: Elisha’s Sacrifice(?) http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/ A biblioblog Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Kevin A. Wilson http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-24054 Kevin A. Wilson Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:39:32 +0000 http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-24054 The text gives no indication that Elisha was anointed. Elija merely places his mantle over Elisha. But even if he were anointed, that would not give him the right to perform sacrifices (at least according to P). Prophet, priest, and king were separate offices. We see them combined sometimes, such as in the person of Samuel, but it was not the general rule. Whether David's sacrifices were acceptable is open to question. I would reject the notion that the NT interprets the OT, at least in the way you are using it here. I don't think there is any reason to read Luke 9:61-62 into the 1 Kings passage. The text gives no indication that Elisha was anointed. Elija merely places his mantle over Elisha.

But even if he were anointed, that would not give him the right to perform sacrifices (at least according to P). Prophet, priest, and king were separate offices. We see them combined sometimes, such as in the person of Samuel, but it was not the general rule. Whether David’s sacrifices were acceptable is open to question.

I would reject the notion that the NT interprets the OT, at least in the way you are using it here. I don’t think there is any reason to read Luke 9:61-62 into the 1 Kings passage.

]]> By: James Rinkevich http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-24036 James Rinkevich Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:18:57 +0000 http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-24036 NAB has slaughtered with the implication that the yoke was the instrument of slaughter. However, since Elisha has just been anointed (cf 1Kgs 19:16), he has a priestly function as well and so the difference is really moot. David was anointed and often did priestly functions (for example, He dances in a priestly garment before the ark and his wife complains about it) But since the NT interprets the OT (Lk 9:51-62). And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." (To him) Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." (NAB w.RNT/RP Lk 9:61-62) Thus the one who puts his hand out for Jesus and looks to the LEFT BEHIND isn't fit for heaven. The OT didn't require the perfection of the NT, because in NT we have the true sacrifice, the true communion that is God, when in the divine liturgy the bread and wine become Jesus's body, blood, soul and divinity, and we can truly stomach Him to sustain our spirits to participate in the devine economy. Also, we cannot be fit for heaven, if we are looking to the "Left Behind" crowd - beware the Left Behind book series. NAB has slaughtered with the implication that the yoke was the instrument of slaughter. However, since Elisha has just been anointed (cf 1Kgs 19:16), he has a priestly function as well and so the difference is really moot. David was anointed and often did priestly functions (for example, He dances in a priestly garment before the ark and his wife complains about it)

But since the NT interprets the OT (Lk 9:51-62). And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” (To him) Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” (NAB w.RNT/RP Lk 9:61-62) Thus the one who puts his hand out for Jesus and looks to the LEFT BEHIND isn’t fit for heaven. The OT didn’t require the perfection of the NT, because in NT we have the true sacrifice, the true communion that is God, when in the divine liturgy the bread and wine become Jesus’s body, blood, soul and divinity, and we can truly stomach Him to sustain our spirits to participate in the devine economy.
Also, we cannot be fit for heaven, if we are looking to the “Left Behind” crowd - beware the Left Behind book series.

]]> By: Kevin A. Wilson http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-23985 Kevin A. Wilson Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:20:54 +0000 http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-23985 I would think that destroying his parents livelihood would be something more than incidental, at least to them. If he is illustrating the absolute priority of the prophetic call, then I am unsure why he takes the time to stop and feed the people. I would think that destroying his parents livelihood would be something more than incidental, at least to them. If he is illustrating the absolute priority of the prophetic call, then I am unsure why he takes the time to stop and feed the people.

]]> By: Doug Chaplin http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-23969 Doug Chaplin Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:13:14 +0000 http://bluecord.org/biblioblog/2007/07/elishas-sacrifice/#comment-23969 I must admit I didn't give this much thought in my sermon prep, since my focus was elsewhere, but in my rather superficial way I took this as an absolute commitment, where Elijah's rather peremptory rebuke stirs Elisha not to go back to his parents as he intended, but to turn his back on normal livelihood without thought for his parents, and incidentally, destroy their livelihood in the process, so that it becomes a case of the absolute priprity of the prophetic demand. But perhaps I was over-influnced by the Gospel for the day. I must admit I didn’t give this much thought in my sermon prep, since my focus was elsewhere, but in my rather superficial way I took this as an absolute commitment, where Elijah’s rather peremptory rebuke stirs Elisha not to go back to his parents as he intended, but to turn his back on normal livelihood without thought for his parents, and incidentally, destroy their livelihood in the process, so that it becomes a case of the absolute priprity of the prophetic demand. But perhaps I was over-influnced by the Gospel for the day.

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