The Tucked Cloak
Imagine being Jehu. King of Israel. Successor to Ahaziah’s nefarious reign. Charged and anointed by a prophet sent by Elisha. And prior to your commission, this messenger is given the most random instruction: “Tuck your cloak into your belt” (v. 1). Wait, what? Is Elisha tipsy here? Did somebody bump his head after doing the chicken dance too many times? Probably not. What is certain is the Bible does not directly clarify the significance of this action; however, you can bank on this representing something important. Quick rabbit trail: I would argue that God crafted the Word so that its readers would have to dig in to find certain answers pertaining to inherent questions. Another message for another day though… Back to the cloak… A concordance check reveals that this isn’t the first time this instruction is mentioned. We find it earlier in 2 Kings 4 and Exodus 12, when God bestows Passover guidelines to Moses. In both situations, haste is specifically addressed. Why? Per...