Burning the Plow

So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.

And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. (I Kings 19:19, 21, ESV)

A plow, twelve pairs of oxen, and a cloak. These very different items are all part of the story of two men, Elijah and Elisha. It’s the story of a hated prophet and a farmer. It’s a story about making choices.

Elijah was a prophet of the Lord and a man of miracles. He boldly declared to King Ahab  that a drought would come to the land. Later, we see him in a showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Yet when wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, he fearfully ran for his life. (Read I Kings 18 and 19.) God instructed Elijah to find Elisha and anoint him as his successor as a prophet.

Elisha was a rather well-to-do farmer (based on the number of oxen he owned) who one day had the prophet Elijah visit him and “cast his cloak upon him.” The prophet’s cloak was a distinctive garment. The placing of this cloak upon Elisha was a sign of God putting a divine calling upon his life.

Elisha had a choice to make. He could stay with his oxen and just continue farming. Or he could leave everything behind and accept the call to go with Elijah. Elisha no doubt had enjoyed a good life as a farmer, but he chose to trade that life for something better. He would follow the call of God. But first he slaughtered his oxen and burned his plow. He was not turning back on his decision.

Others in the Bible also faced the choice of whether to go or to stay. Some seemed to make the choice easily while others struggled with the sacrifice it would require.

• Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their fishing boats behind to follow the Lord (Matthew 4:18-22).
• Matthew, a tax collector, arose and followed Jesus (Matthew 9:9).
• Philip chose to follow Jesus and brought along Nathanael (John 1:43-45).

Not everyone decided to fully commit to following the Lord. Matthew 19:22 tells us that the rich young ruler turned away sorrowfully. He was unwilling to sacrifice his earthly riches to receive eternal riches. Others also asked to follow Jesus, but then, after learning the sacrifices to be made, they believed the cost was just too great.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Luke 9:57-58, ESV)

When we decide to follow Jesus, it becomes a daily decision. He asks us to take up our cross every day, not just when it feels convenient for us.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV)

Each day we make a deliberate response to His invitation to “follow me.” It requires total commitment—killing the oxen and burning the plow. We choose daily to move forward in His will. It is our choice to trade our past life for something far, far better.