Give It Up pt2

After it has had a chance to soak in, there is more to say about Elijah's fallen mantle. Originally, he cast his mantle upon Elisha before he did anything else. This was a symbol of the anointing passing to Elisha. Yet, a single dose.

1Ki 19:19
(19) And he left there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat; and he was plowing; twelve pairs were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him, and threw his mantle upon him.

One definition of 'anoint' is "To choose by or as if by divine intervention." Typically it was done with oil, but in this case, the mantle fell upon Elisha as oil.

So what does it mean to have a double portion? Can you be twice as chosen? No. But you can be twice as enabled. That is the part of the definition that is missing. When God anoints His servant, He also enables His servant. A servant carrying a double portion is walking in a supreme authority of his master.

If Elisha had not received the double portion, the mantle would have never fallen to him the second time upon Elijah's departing. He simply would have continued on as before.

But we cannot miss this. Originally, the mantle fell, then Elisha destroyed the yoke.

1Ki 19:21
(21) And he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen, and sacrificed them, and boiled their flesh with the yoke of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and ministered to him.

Isa 10:27
(27) And it shall be in that day, his burden shall turn away from on your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.