“And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead :”
My Notes
What Does 2 Kings 9:1 Mean?
"Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead." Elisha sends a young prophet on the most dangerous assignment in the Old Testament: anoint Jehu as king of Israel while Joram still reigns. The commission is specific — gird up (prepare for running), take oil (the anointing instrument), go to Ramoth-gilead (the military camp). The instructions are action-focused: prepare, carry, go.
The "gird up thy loins" means tuck your robe into your belt so you can run. The young prophet will need to flee after the anointing (verse 3: 'open the door, and flee, and tarry not'). The mission is a sprint: arrive, anoint, announce, and run before anyone can react. The speed is the safety. The lingering is the danger.
Elisha delegates rather than going himself: he sends a young prophet to perform the anointing that will trigger a revolution. The master equips the student with the tool (oil), the instructions (anoint Jehu), and the escape plan (run). The student executes. The master stays behind.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What seemingly insignificant commission are you carrying that could change everything?
- 2.What does 'gird up thy loins' — prepare to run — teach about the danger of revolutionary obedience?
- 3.What does the master delegating the most consequential assignment to the student teach about trust?
- 4.What 'box of oil' — small instrument of enormous change — is in your hand right now?
Devotional
Tuck your robe. Take the oil. Go to the army camp. Anoint a new king. Then run. Elisha sends a young prophet on a mission that will overthrow a dynasty — and the instructions include an escape plan because the mission is that dangerous.
The 'gird up thy loins' — prepare to run — means the anointing is a combat operation, not a ceremony. The young prophet isn't performing a dignified ritual. He's executing a revolutionary act in a military camp and sprinting away before the soldiers process what just happened. The anointing is a grenade with a fuse measured in seconds.
Elisha's delegation is the master's final act of training: he doesn't go himself. He sends. The young prophet receives the commission, the tool, the instructions, and the escape plan — and executes alone. The master trusts the student with the most consequential assignment available: anointing the king who will exterminate the house of Ahab.
The box of oil is the smallest, most portable, most concealable instrument of the most dramatic political change in generations. A small flask. A few words. A hand on a head. And the entire political order of Israel shifts. The revolution is carried in a pocket-sized container by a unnamed young man nobody would notice.
What small, concealable commission are you carrying that could change everything? What 'box of oil' is in your hand — what seemingly insignificant instrument carries the authority to reshape the landscape?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets,.... Who the Jews generally say (k) was Jonah the son…
Box - Rather, “flask,” or “vial” 1Sa 10:1. Oil and ointment were commonly kept in open-mouthed jars, vases, or bottles…
One of the children of the prophets - The Jews say that this was Jonah the prophet, the son of Amittai.
Gird up thy…
We have here the anointing of Jehu to be king, who was, at this time, a commander (probably commander-in-chief) of the…
2Ki 9:1-10. Elisha sends one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu, and give him his commission (Not in…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture