Boiling Our Oxen
Elijah was a prophet of God during the reign of king Ahab and queen Jezebel, a wicked and cruel couple. At one point, he was ready to just give up, but God would not let him. Instead, God told him to appoint Elisha as his successor. When Elijah called Elisha to become a prophet, he was plowing with a yoke of oxen. He took the oxen and slaughtered them; he used the yoking equipment as fuel to boil the meat. Then he gave the meat to the people to eat. Why did he do this? He was cutting ties to his past because he knew that his work as God’s prophet demanded everything.
Can you cut your ties with the world?
In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” In Luke 14:33 he said, “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” What does it take to be a disciple of Jesus? Many will tell you to just believe that Jesus will save you and do whatever you want after that. Why would Jesus make these demanding statements? Why would he ask for complete commitment?
Occasionally, we sing, “I Surrender All.” “All to Jesus, I surrender; all to Him, I freely give. / I will ever love and trust Him; in His presence, daily live. / I surrender all. I surrender all. / All to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” Have we boiled our oxen with our yokes? Have we kept our hand on the plow and not looked back? Have we forsaken all? God help us to let go of all things on this earth so we may enter his heavenly kingdom.