Ride the Chariot

 

And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked,

that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire,

and parted them both asunder;

and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father,

the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof.”

And he saw him no more…

2 Kings 2:11-12 

African American spirituals were often rooted in biblical stories. Ride the Chariot borrows from the story of Elijah and Elisha – prophet and prophet-in-training,  One day the two men went to the Jordan River.  Elijah struck the water with his cloak and the water parted, letting them walk across on dry land.  Suddenly a chariot of fire appeared and Elijah climbed aboard. 

As the chariot lifted away, Elijah dropped his cloak down to Elisha, indicating that he was to carry on Elijah’s work.  When Elisha returned to the Jordan River, he struck the water with the cloak, and the waters parted for him to walk across. 

 

Lycoming College Choir 2004: Ride the Chariot