Learning the Hard Way

Before the rapture of Elijah, several prophets from neighboring towns knew today was the day that Elijah would be “taken away.” How they knew this information, we don’t know for sure but since the Bible calls them prophets, we can assume the Lord revealed this information to them.

Obviously though, the information they had was partial. They didn’t know or didn’t understand that Elisha and Elijah being separated meant Elijah would be raptured because after the rapture occurs the prophets come to Elisha and say:

2 Kings 2:16 KJV
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.

They seemed to think God just put an earthly separation between Elijah and Elisha. Elisha, who was there when the Lord raptured Elijah, knew better. He told them not to go looking for him, knowing it was a waste of time.

But the men were adamant:

2 Kings 2:17 KJV
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.

Elisha, on whom the spirit of the Lord rested, allowed these men to learn the hard way. That means sometimes, God will allow us to learn the hard way if we don’t listen to his guidance.

In addition to letting us learn the hard way, God will also remind us once we’ve learned, that He told us not to go that direction in the first place:

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

Let’s be obedient to the word of God, so we can avoid learning the hard way.