THE DAYS OF ELIJAH – A MAN LIKE US

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

In his book, These Are the Days of Elijah, How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things, R.T. Kendall lists some amazing feats and accomplishments of Elijah the prophet;

 

“He could run faster than a horse-driven chariot.

He is one of two humans in Scripture taken to heaven before they tasted death.

He is the only one, other than Jesus, who, it is prophesied, will return to earth before the ‘Day of the Lord.’

He is one of two who have seen the backside of God as He passed by.

He is the only one with an anointing great enough to call down fire from heaven.”

 

But we also find out that Elijah was a paradox of a man. He had spiritual foresight, but there were times that he seemed blinded by his stressful predicament. He demonstrated great faith, but then we find him at times falling into a deep depression. He demonstrated amazing power but also great weakness at times. He faced 850 false prophets, defeated them spiritually and had them killed, but ran like a chicken from one woman. Possibly this explains the passage where he is mentioned in the book of James.

 

James 5:17-18

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

 

This scripture verse in James should be our focus as we travel through the life of Elijah. It gives us an intimate perspective into who he was and who we are. James describes Elijah as simply a man. He does not describe Elijah as a super saint or someone who should be idolized. We see James describe him first and foremost simple as a man, “with a nature like ours.” As we study his life we will find out that he was often brave, but at times also very afraid. We will see he was strong in his faith in God, but at times he seemed to forget all that God did through him and for him. In other words his faith failed him at times. We will discover that he was very good at confronting people with the Truth of God, but at other times he ran like a chicken to avoid certain people, especially Jezebel.

 

This presents a challenge for us to consider. If Elijah was a man with a nature like ours with all the weaknesses and shortcomings, but he could pray like he did, take action like he did, dedicate himself to God like he did, so can we.

 

Elijah’s name means “my God is Yahweh.” There is very little difference, if any, between Elijah and us today. He had the same basic genetic makeup. He grew up in a different culture, but faced all the same struggles we do growing up as a child. He was a man like us with all the same temptations, weaknesses and questions we face in life. We will see some amazing things that God accomplished through this dedicated servant. But, we will also see his weakness and fragility at times. Elijah is no superman, simply a man who loved God and sought to obey his Lord and serve to the best of his ability. He had his weak moments just like we do, but Elijah’s example in his prayer life illustrates what can be accomplished for the glory of God if we simply humble ourselves and rely upon our Heavenly Father to empower us to serve Him and accomplish His will on earth. Elijah shows us dramatically the power of prayer if we apply ourselves to this holy habit.

 

Before exploring the history of Elijah’s life, it is important to cover the historical events that took place leading up to his ministry as a prophet.

 

 ISRAEL’S PERSISTANT FAILURE AS A NATION

 

Samuel was born about 1080 B.C. and eventually was called by God to be a Prophet and Judge of Israel. Judges ruled Israel when issues arose and were appointed by God Himself.

 

Eventually Israel wished to be ruled by a King like other nations. While Samuel did not condone this, God allowed him to give the people what they wanted. This led the people down a road of division, chaos and ruin.

 

1 Samuel 8:1-9

“And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day — in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods — so they are doing to you also. “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

 

Throughout their history in the Promised Land, the children of Israel struggled with conflict among the tribes. The disunity went back all the way to the patriarch Jacob, who presided over a house divided.

 

Saul was the first King appointed by Samuel. David followed as King; then Solomon, David’s son. Because of Solomon’s spiritual life of sin, God dethroned him and the Kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom; Israel led by Jeraboam with 10 tribes and Judah; the Southern Kingdom with 2 tribes led by Rehoboam.

 

With very few exceptions, each Northern and Southern King followed in the sinful footsteps of Solomon. The children of Israel and Judah continued to follow false gods and to commit horrible sins of immorality and the worship of false deities. It was a time in the history of God’s Chosen People that there was an atmosphere of spiritual degeneration. A demonic atmosphere gripped the land.

 

When Ahab became the Northern King he did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any other kings before him. He was literally addicted to evil and all types of sinful behavior.

 

1 Kings 16:29-30

“Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.”

 

Ahab, King of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, who was king of the Sidonians. Jezebel’s father was a pagan priest and she worshipped the false gods of her father. Jezebel had an evil and sinful reputation, so much so that she is mentioned in Revelation 2:20:

 

Revelation 2:20

“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

 

Ahab rebuilt the city of Jericho in rebellion to the instructions of Joshua a generation before, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho.” Joshua 6:26

 

Ahab introduced heathen or Phoenician idols of the false gods of Baal and Ashtaroth to the nation of Israel. Not only did Ahab bring in such ungodly worship, he even built sanctuaries to them. In essence Ahab was replaced the worship of the one true God of Jehovah with the worship of Baal and Ashtaroth.  W. Phillip Keller states in his book; Elijah, Prophet of Power that, “Religious, moral and social rot were consuming Israel like gangrene in an injured limb. The entire body and life of God’s own chosen nation were decaying and dying under the influence of inner moral corruption…It was a desperate hour of darkness for Israel…this people stood in mortal peril of total extinction. Their destruction would come, not from without, but from moral decay from within.”

 

David Roper in his book, Elijah, A Man Like Us states, “Baalism became Israel’s state religion. Baal worship was the most degraded religious system ever devised – and Phoenician Baalism was the worst of the lot. It’s thought by some scholars that the Phoenician coast was settle by the refugees from Sodom and Gomorrah who fled the Valley of Sidim when their cities were destroyed and who brought with them their depraved culture. The Phoenician version of Baal worship was deemed evil even by other pagans. When the Romans – hardly paragons of virtue themselves – encountered Baalism at Carthage, a Phoenician colony, they were utterly grossed out by it.”

 

We will see in many ways Israel was attempting to blend worship of the one true God with the worship of false demonic gods. This form of blending religions is called “syncretism.” Syncretism is the attempt to combine differing beliefs into a single faith. The problem is that the God of the Bible is exclusive. He shares His worship with no one. There is only one Truth and the God of the Bible is just that. One must also realize that your faith is only as good as the object of your faith. You can have intense and sincere dedicated faith to something, but if the object of your faith is false, your faith is worth nothing.

 

In many ways we see similarities between Israel at this historic time and America today. We are witnessing the godly foundations of our nation eroding before our eyes as our society embraces worldly pursuits of crime, pornography, corrupt government, selfish hedonism and abandonment of godly virtues. We need men and women like Elijah in our time to stand up and not just believe the gospel, but to live it out with the power of the Holy Spirit living within them.

 

As we go through the following scriptures and learn more of how Elijah was a man like us I would ask you to consider if you have the following five traits that Elijah possessed. As a Disciple of Christ I believe God calls us to live out and grow in these seven traits as a child of God.

 

You, as a Disciple of Christ, are convinced of the reality of God and that He truly exists.

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, are convinced that you are a personal representative of God in your society.

 

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, realize that you have a responsibility to speak for God, when others are hiding.

 

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, believe that the Word of God is the final Word to guide your life by.

 

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, have committed yourself to the privilege and power of prayer in your life.

 

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, will minister to others in love, seeking to minister to them as God would desire.

 

 

 You, as a Disciple of Christ, will wait on God when He asks you to, but take action when He convicts you to do so.

 

Let’s proceed with a study of the life of Elijah and see how God uses him to change a nation. The name; “Elijah” means “Jehovah is God” or “My God is Jehovah.” Elijah will live up to the meaning of his name. We will see God use Elijah in many ways to turn Israel from destruction and steer them in a new direction. But we also see that the passage in James proves true, that Elijah was a man with a nature like us, strong and mighty when relying upon God, weak and frail when loosing sight of His Maker and Sustainer.

 

PROPHECY THEN SECLUSION – 1 Kings 17:1-24

 

Elijah’s Prophecy of Drought – 1 Kings 17:1

 

“1 Now ELIJAH the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.””

 

There were two types of godly prophets in the Old Testament; prophets of words and prophets of deeds. Isaiah is an example of a prophet of words. Elijah is an example of a prophet of deeds. Elijah spoke for God by taking action rather than spoken words, although we see several miracles that took place because of Elijah’s words of prophecy.

 

We see here that Elijah was a Tishbite and his people were settlers of Gilead. Josephus, the Jewish historian supposes that Tishbi was some place in the land of Gilead. It has been identified by some with el-Ishtib, a place 22 miles due south of the Sea of Galilee, among the mountains of Gilead. Elijah appears dramatically without much introduction other than his origin and giving a prophetic message to King Ahab. Elijah claims godly authority and informs the king that there will be not a mist, dew or drop of rain until Elijah, by God’s power, declares it to be so.

 

Elijah’s first part of his oratory is; “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives,…” Ahab is living as if the God of Israel has died, disappeared or departed. He is pushing all the boundaries of immoral sinful living as if the Lord never existed. Elijah wants to make sure that it is very clear that God is not dead and He will soon prove it to be so.

 

The second portion of Elijah’s statement is a witness to Ahab of the commitment Elijah has to God, “before whom I stand.” Elijah is saying he knows God exists because he is standing before Him as he speaks to Ahab. This is a tense critical moment for Elijah and he is in a sense witnessing to Ahab that God is the only true God. This is an example to us to be brave as we live out our lives for God. We stand on the fact that God exists and wherever we go we stand before Him.

 

We are given no information as to Ahab’s response. Possibly he thought Elijah to be a mad man. It is very likely Ahab had no concerns for Elijah’s message, being ungodly, materialistic and concerned more with the wealth and power of his kingdom more than the words of strange man. We will find out that Ahab and his wife are a perfect pair, both selfish, ungodly, seeking fame and wealth and influenced by false gods and the cults of Baal and Ashtaroth.

 

Baal and Ashtaroth were the principal god and goddess, respectively, of the Canaanite nations. Baal was essentially associated with the sun and storms. Baal brought rain, lightning-fire as well as showers, mist and dew to the land and crops. Ashtaroth was a violent and vindictive false god who was associated with sex and fertility.

 

As nature gods, Baal and Ashtaroth were energized by demonic spirits and it was claimed that they had “evolved” out of the primeval watery chaos. The worship of both was both grossly licentious and extremely cruel. They were essentially equivalent to similar gods in other countries, all having originated at the first Babylon under Nimrod and then spread throughout the ancient world with the dispersion.

 

A Prophecy Fulfilled…

Deuteronomy 11:16-17

“Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. “Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.”

 

The total period of this drought was to be three and one-half years according to James 5:17-18, so the drought had been going on already for six months before Elijah appeared to Ahab. Possibly God wished for Elijah to show up after some portion of time of drought to reinforce the message Elijah was to deliver to Ahab. There would likely have already been some concern for lack of rain when Elijah shows up to reinforce the critical nature of Elijah’s chastisement of Ahab and Jezebel sinful life.

 

But notice Elijah added one more crucial comment. There would not even be dew in the morning. Usually even in the dry season there was at least dew on the ground, but Elijah is warning Ahab that there will not be the least little bit of moisture during this drought, not even a morning dew.

 

The setting of this confrontation was between one man, Elijah, and the kingdom of Ahab, his wife Jezebel and their false gods. Because Elijah was a man like us, we too may sometimes be placed in similar circumstances where we will be called to stand in faith against evil, sin, debauchery and dishonest behavior. We can gain strength from the example that Elijah demonstrated as he stood for his God…our God.

 

God’s Instruction for Survival in the Wilderness – 1 Kings 17:2-6

 

“2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.”

 

In verse 2 we see God instruct Elijah to go to the east and to hide himself by the small brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. Cherith was not a lush full mountain stream. It’s name means “cutting place” where a small crevice has been cut into the bedrock due to many years of the trickle of water flowing over the rocks. From this tiny stream of water Elijah would drink for as long as he was able. We find that God would also provide food for him through the supernatural behavior of ravens, otherwise known as crows. This is a miracle in itself for crows are selfish scavengers and share the food they find with no other living creature.

 

Elijah obeyed all of God’s instructions and walked into the bleak oblivion of this desert canyon with little water and food delivered by carrion eating crows. Many times God will ask us to be humbled before He wishes to use us. Often He will instruct us to endure hardship before we experience blessings. God often desires to test us and mold us into an obedient servant in order for Him to be able to use us to fully accomplish His will and plan for the future. For Elijah, Cherith represented the task of learning dependence on God. This is a lifelong task for all of us and it was the same for Elijah. Our Cherith is a place where we learn that all things are done by faith in our Heavenly Father. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and without it nothing enduring gets done in our lives.

 

We see in verse 5 of this chapter that Elijah “did according to the word of the Lord.” This is the first step in walking into your future, making important decisions and living as Jesus Christ would. The “word of the Lord” to us is Holy Scripture. Elijah did not have the Bible we have, but he had the Mosaic Law and God spoke directly to him as well.

 

The second step necessary for us to walk in the ways of the Lord is to listen to the Holy Spirit who lives within us as a Disciple of Christ. He will illuminate the Word to us and help us understand it. The Spirit will empower us to apply it in our lives and encourage us to obey it at all times. Another resource that is critical to any Disciple of Christ’s spiritual walk is fellowship with other Christians. While our faith in God and relationship with Christ and the Spirit is very personal, we need the balance of fellowship with other Christians and the mutual ministry between us and others for a balanced, strong and empowering spiritual life.

 

Scriptures of encouragement can come to our minds when we are placed in our own “Cherith” to be tested and wait for God’s further instruction.

 

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

 

Psalms 34:19

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

 

Isaiah 40:31

“Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

 

Elijah trusted that God would be faithful and that He would deliver him from the humbling living conditions. He knew that God had sent him to Cherith; that God would support him at Cherith and God would deliver him from Cherith in His perfect timing.

 

Dr. Raymond Edman, in his little book, In Quietness and Confidence, wrote about a godly man who faced a trial like Elijah.

 

“This is how he met it: He was quiet for a while with his Lord, then he wrote these words for himself:

 

 

 First, He brought me here, it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.

 

 

 Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child.

 

 

 Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.

 

 

 Last, in His time He can bring me out again – how and when He knows.”

 

If you are going through a season of trials can you both make and believe the following statements?

 

I am here by God’s will and plan for my life.

I am in His care and love.

I am being trained by my loving Heavenly Father.

God will show me His perfect purposes in His timing.

 

We can learn from Elijah this precious truth. God won’t abandon you no matter what you are going through. He is in complete control and will either rescue you from your situation or will empower you with the strength of the Holy Spirit to endure any trial you are living out. Several scriptures encourage us in such situations.

 

1 Peter 4:12-14

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

 

James 1:2-4

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

Saint John of the Cross wrote of these dark times that test us, mold us and refine us.

 

“God perceives the imperfections within us, and because of His love for us, urges us to grow up. His love is not content to leave us in our weakness, and for this reason He takes us into a dark night. He weans us from all of the pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness. In doing so He is able to take away all these vices and create virtues within us. Through the dark night pride becomes humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth becomes strength. No soul will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the Dark Night.”

 

God’s Instruction for Survival with a Widow and Her Son

1 Kings 17:7-12

 

We will see in the next portion of scripture one of the personal disciplines that made Elijah a great prophet of God. It was his instant and ever-ready obedience to the promptings of God. We should take note of this trait and seek to foster it in our own lives. What is required of us for such obedience is consistent and continual communication with God through prayer. We see that Elijah was “a man like us” as James tells us, so we have no excuse for seeking to be ready and willing to be directed by God in our lives and the decisions we make.

 

“7 It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

 

In this passage we see Elijah’s source of water dry up. Often in life God’s bountiful provision can dry up in our lives; we lose a job, a relationship ends, a financial hardship occurs, a health issue manifests itself. This can cause us great concern, but it is a time to draw closer to the Lord, ask for help and discernment for His will in our lives. It is a time for deep prayer for direction and provision. Philippians gives us instruction in the difficult times we face.

 

Philippians 4:12-14

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

Experiences such as these can cause us to stumble, but they are also opportunities for us to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. They are times we can draw even closer to the Lord in prayer and dedication. They are experiences that will help us, help others in the future, if we rely on our God for resolution and patiently wait for a solution to the trial, hardship or storm in our life. The faith of Job is needed in such situations. A hard scripture to apply often is Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” It can seem like God is out to purposely cause damage to your life sometimes, but such experiences and situations are to grow us in faith, help us rely upon the Lord for strength and depend on Him for a resolution. This is what Elijah did. He obeyed when God told him to leave Cherith for another adventure. Cherith had prepared Elijah for the next step in his journey of faith at Zarephath.

 

In verse 8 God instructs His prophet to go to Zarephath a seaside town on the Mediterranean coast in the area known as Sidon. The name Zarephath means; “the place of refining” and for Elijah this will definitely be a place where he will be refined in character, faith and trust in His God. The Sidonians were outsiders to the nation of Israel. Their ancestors were the Phoenicians who dominated the seas of the Mediterranean. They were fierce and worshipped pagan gods, one of which was Baal. Sidon was the headquarters for the King of the Sidonians; Ethbaal. Believe it or not, Ethbaal’s daughter was Jezebel. Elijah had now been given a directive by God to enter enemy territory. Not only was it enemy territory, it was the home to the main player in leading Ahab and all of Israel into Baal worship. Elijah was being called from his home country to go to a strange and dangerous land. Elijah had to take another step of faith, trust God; obey His directives and follow the path assigned to him. Often we are presented with similar situations of decision. God is leading us to step out in faith, trust Him for provision and through prayer and faith allow God to lead us into our future.

 

Another interesting fact concerning God sending Elijah to Zarephath was that He was putting the care of Elijah in the hands of a widow. Traditions of the faith were that you were not supposed to impose on a widow or her offspring for this would be a burden to someone already facing hardships and trials. The penalty for such imposition on a widow was the wrath of God and also isolation from others in the society (Exodus 22:22-24). But apparently God wished to use this widow to minister to Elijah and as we shall see, God will also work in the life of the widow and her son to bring them to an understanding faith in God. We must also understand that this widow was a pagan Gentile because she lived in the land of the Gentiles. Another proof of this is in Luke 4:25-26 where Jesus states the following;

 

 Luke 4:25-27

“But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”

 

Here Jesus is speaking to Jews and is boldly announcing that His ministry would be shared with and welcomed by Gentiles. Up to this point the Jews were considering Jesus’ words gracious and loving but once Gentiles were alluded to in his speaking of Elijah and the Gentile widow they were furious! Elijah being cared for by a Gentile Widow on God’s instructions has prophetic significance for what takes place in New Testament history where the Gospel is made available to the Gentiles.

 

But we must understand the step of faith that Elijah was taking in obeying God. He did not know the name of the widow nor what she looked like. He had no idea where she lived in this city. Elijah had to completely step out in faith and trust God that he would be led to this widow that he was to place his trust in to provide room and board for him. Sometimes FAITH is spelled RISK. Risk means, “to accept or expose yourself to possible harm or loss.” Gentiles in this part of the ancient world hated Israel. We will see that this risk involved both Elijah and the widow. Elijah risked offending her and the widow risked giving her last portion of food. Both of them were going out of their comfort zones to respond to and care for each other.

 

Before we come to the next adventure on which God will take Elijah, I would like to share some insights from Charles R. Swindoll in his book, Elijah, A Man of Heroism and Humility, concerning walking in the will of God.

 

“Number one: God’s leading is often surprising; don’t analyze it.”

 

 

 “Number two: The beginning days are often the hardest days; don’t quit.”

 

 

“Number three: God’s promises often hinge on obedience; don’t ignore your part.”

 

 

 “Number four: God’s provisions are often just enough; don’t fail to thank Him.”

 

Now we continue with Elijah obeying God and traveling the long journey to Zarephath.

 

“10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

 

We see here with Elijah’s first contact with the widow two human traits of response. When Elijah asks for water, she out of love; promptly seeks to meet his needs. But when asked by Elijah for bread, she is honestly shares she has no bread only a small portion of flour and the same amount of oil. She didn’t have enough ingredients to make bread and therefore was probably beginning the process of considering her future of possible starvation. Could it be that of all the people in Zaraphath that God could have used to minister to Elijah that He chose this widow, not only to minister to Elijah, but to rescue a her and her son from starvation? How generous, loving, and efficient are the works of God’s provision for those he calls to minister to others. We need to remember this when we are given opportunities to minister to the needs of others. We should take to heart the message in 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; “God loves a cheerful giver.” When we are called upon to truly sacrifice for someone else, it never comes from our bountiful resources; it comes from the little supply we really do have. It is also true that vibrant faith is tested and proved, not when we rely upon our own resources, be they abundant or meager, but when we are placed in a position to trust in God’s resources and His intervention in our life situations.

 

Elijah’s Prophecy of Provision from the Lord for Survival – 1 Kings 17:13-14

 

“13 Then ELIJAH said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 “For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.'”

 

Here we see a tremendous example for us in our own lives regarding our faith in God. Elijah doesn’t blink an eye in response to the widow’s fear and panic. He models faith without fear. First he calms her fears and asks her to trust him, God’s servant and that God will provide for her, her son and Elijah as well. He speaks with authority that flows from his intimate relationship with God and his personal experience of God meeting his needs in the past.

 

Phillip Keller states regarding sacrifice for others, “Few of us ever seem to discover that true sacrifice for another comes out of our very survival, never out of our surplus.” Elijah was calling the widow to sacrificially provide for him and to trust God that He would take care of her, her son and Elijah as well.

 

There are times our faith is tested when those around us express doubt and discouragement or fret and worry. We have a choice to chime in with them and squelch our faith or to step out and trust God for provision and power to deal with our hardship or trial. While fear and panic can be contagious, so can faith and trust in our mighty, powerful, loving Heavenly Father.

 

Matthew 6:33-34 instructs us to seek God and His Kingdom and not to worry about the future.

 

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’” We see God’s provision for needs not only in this Old Testament situation, but also in the experience of Jesus when he fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and fish.

 

We see the response of the widow to Elijah’s strong faith in God in the next verse.

 

Elijah’s Prophecy is Fulfilled – 1 Kings 17:15-16

 

“15 So she went and did according to the word of ELIJAH, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through ELIJAH.”

 

Verse 15 tells us that the widow did not protest, hesitate or argue with Elijah. She was assured and secure in the confident words of Elijah that God had worked in Elijah’s life and would work in her and her son’s as well. Elijah’s words of encouragement proved fruitful for Elijah, the widow and her son for they ate for many days from a bowl of flour and jar of oil that was miraculously replenished according to their needs. God miraculously enabled the widow to bake some “flatbread” with a handful of flour and a small portion of oil so that she and her son as well as Elijah could eat for months and months. We must honor this passage and realize that there are times God provides miracles to accomplish His will, but there are other times when our will is not His will. Sometimes we may suffer, starve or endure hardship because God has other plans in our trials that work to build our faith or teach us something of how to trust and rely upon Him.

 

Elijah is Blamed for the Death of the Widow’s Son – 1 Kings 17:17-18

 

“17 Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to ELIJAH, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”

 

Amidst the miraculous provision of God of food for nourishment a horrible illness came upon the widow’s son that eventually led to his death. We don’t know if God chose to test the faith of Elijah and the perceptions of God’s provision for the widow and her son by allowing the young boy’s death. We also don’t know if there was possibly demonic intervention to attempt to frustrate God providing for Elijah through the hospitality of the widow. Whatever the cause, it disturbed the delicate world of the widow and threatened her relationship with Elijah and possibly with God as well.

 

Death of a loved one will often cause us to lose all sense of reason and hinder proper thinking. The grief can be overwhelming, so much so we often lash out at others. This is what happened to the widow when her son died.

 

The widow blames Elijah for bringing God into her life at this time. She possibly felt that God had forgotten her existence and any possible sins she had committed in the past as well. Before Elijah came she very likely had isolated herself from God and when Elijah the “holy man” came on the scene she began to think of spiritual matters. This reminded her of past mistakes and sins and it is very likely with the wonderful provision of food came a burning interest in the things of God. We aren’t given details of all her conversations with Elijah. It is possible she was growing more interested in godly things and possibly even towards a relationship with Him. But with this death of her only dear loved one she immediately assumes the worst and blames Elijah and very likely God as well.

 

We have no knowledge of why the young boy died. Was it of natural causes, some illness that he had contracted or was it some genetic disease that was lurking in the background until manifesting itself at this time? We don’t know.

 

As I mentioned earlier there’s also the possibility that it was from demonic influence or attack. What better way for Satan to frustrate the actions of the benevolent widow’s actions towards Elijah than to take her only loved one and hinder both her ministry towards Elijah as well as her consideration of commitment to the one true God.

 

We see in the following verses that Elijah did not respond negatively to her accusations and anger. He did not attempt to justify or defend himself. He observed the wisdom of Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” He patiently, calmly, lovingly responded to her emotional needs at the time. He did what a god-fearing and obedient servant does. He reached out in love and ministered, trusting that God would work a miracle in the situation.

 

Elijah Pleads to God for Healing of the Widow’s Son – 1 Kings 17:19-21

 

“19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”

 

Elijah did a most amazing, loving and caring thing. He asked the widow for her to give her son to him and he carried him up to the upper room where he was living and laid the lifeless boy’s body on his own bed. We must also be aware that while a most wonderful loving gesture, it was also a most dangerous and risky one.

 

First, Elijah had no thought that possibly this young boy had some communicable disease. Human wisdom would dictate to find a physician or someone with medical knowledge to evaluate the situation.

 

Secondly, it was prohibited for a priest or prophet to even touch a corpse of someone who had passed away (Leviticus 21:1-4) and not only touching the boy’s body, but carrying him to the upper floor of the house was breaking the law of God.

 

Elijah’s actions of faith and bravery were based on his faith in God. Elijah walked in faith; thought in faith and acted in faith. God had provided and worked in his life and He would do the same here. He was in intimate communion with God and he made his decision to act based on what he knew God would have him do for this widow and her dead son.

 

Elijah was acting as Christ would have by intimately associating himself with someone who was grieving and someone who had lost their physical life.

 

It’s interesting that rather than seeking to perform a miracle in the public square Elijah takes the boy up into his private room. Elijah apparently felt that this was a private matter that required special personal attention. He was not to draw attention to himself, but focus all his attention on the deceased boy. Elijah lays the lifeless body of the young boy on his own bed. His own bed mind you! His thoughts were very likely motivated by the fact that possibly God had allowed this horrible event to take place to demonstrate the loving power and tender mercy of the God he served. Miracles can motivate people to turn to God, but the ultimate miracle of restoring life to those who are dead is very likely the most powerful witness of both God’s power and love. It is also possible that Elijah hoped that this miracle would draw the widow to his God so that she would become one of the Lord’s dedicated followers.

 

As I mentioned before, it was prohibited for a priest or prophet to touch a dead corpse. Elijah goes way beyond this prohibition, evidently being led by the Lord to do so. He, without hesitation, stretches himself completely upon the dead boy’s body. To us this is a most gruesome thing for anyone to do, but apparently God is leading Elijah in this matter of healing. Elijah is completely and absolutely identifying himself with this dead boy. W. Phillip Keller states regarding Elijah’s actions, “Only out of such utter selflessness; only out of such self-sacrifice; only out of such self-denial in sorrow and suffering for another could there come the infinite, irresistible, invincible life of God.”

 

Elijah prayed two types of prayers over the young boy. First, he questions why God has allowed this young boy to die. Secondly, he prays that God would give back life to the boy. Let me ask you something; if you were Elijah, which prayer would you actually want God to answer? The “Why” of what happened, or the “Solution” to what happened? Sometimes the “why” of what happens to us are never answered. Sometimes we received the “solution” to what has happened to us. And there are sometimes the “solution” to what has happened to us is not what we desire and we must trust God in His infinite wisdom, love and grace that it is His will that is part of His perfect plan for our lives. Another point should be made though. If we get stuck on the “why” of things that happen and never pray for a “godly solution” we will never gain insight into what the will of God is and we will flounder in coping with our hardships and traumas. Answers to our prayers are better and more important than answers to our questions. It’s also very likely that answers will come to anyone who chooses answered prayers over answered questions.

 

Elijah’s faithful prayers for the revival of the boy from death’s grip remind us of a passage in the New Testament.

 

James 5:16, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

 

We see in the next verse that Elijah’s prayers for the boy are answered.

 

Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son from Death to Life – 1 Kings 17:22-24

 

“22 The Lord heard the voice of ELIJAH, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23 ELIJAH took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and ELIJAH said, “See, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to ELIJAH, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

 

The result of Elijah’s faith in God, his trust that God is ever ready to intervene in the lives of people in need and his brave and bold willingness to intervene for the boy and the widow proved not only the depth of his trust in God for intervention, but also the goodness and love of God for all people.

 

CONFLICT ON MT. CARMEL – 1 Kings 18:1-46

 

Obadiah Meets ELIJAH – 1 Kings 18:1-16

 

“1 Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to ELIJAH in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 2 So ELIJAH went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly; 4 for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.” 6 So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.”

 

It is estimated that Elijah spent close to three years with the widow woman and her son. James tells us the drought lasted three years and six months. One might estimate that Elijah stayed at the brook of Cherith for three months before it dried up so that would put Elijah’s stay with the widow at about three years. Elijah moved when God told him to move. He left the brook of Cherith when told to and to go to Zarephath where he would stay with the widow. Now God instructs Elijah to go meet with Ahab and that God was planning to send rain to the earth and Elijah obeys.

 

1 Kings 18:3-6 jumps from God’s instruction to Elijah in verses 1-2 and gives us information as to what is happening in the courts of King Ahab at this time. We find here that because of the severe drought there is a great famine. We also meet Obadiah who was responsible for the household of Ahab. Obadiah was apparently what might be called a “lord high chamberlain or mayor of the palace.” We see that even thought Obadiah was under King Ahab’s authority to obey his commands, he also feared God greatly. Obadiah took it upon himself to hide 100 prophets of God in groups of fifty in caves where he would feed them and protect them from being killed by Ahab and Jezebel.

 

We see the selfishness of King Ahab in these verses. He is not worried about his subjects concerning the drought. He is only concerned that there be water and food for his horses and mules. He also doesn’t want to have to kill some his cattle so that his horses and mules can live. Ahab places his horses and mules above his cattle and also above the people he rules. How selfish and cruel can a person be!

 

So Ahab and Obadiah split up and go out to survey the land for water. We will see that even though Obadiah feared the Lord he also catered to the whims and commands of King Ahab. He was a man with divided loyalty, a man walking a fine line between godliness and worldliness. Some Bible commentators believe Obadiah would be what we call today a “secret Christian,” someone who believes in God and follows the teachings of Christ, but hides their conversion and commitment to the Lord from others. They believe in the doctrines of the Bible, but they don’t want anyone to know so they can keep one foot in the church and one foot in the world. In verse 7 of 1 Kings 18 Obadiah and Elijah meet.

 

“7 Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, ELIJAH my master?” 8 He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.'” 9 He said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? 10 “As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. 11 “And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”‘ 12 “It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth. 13 “Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid a hundred prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14 “And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”‘; he will then kill me.” 15 Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.””

 

We see in the above section of scripture Obadiah’s divided his commitment between God and Ahab. Obadiah is on his mission for Ahab to find water when he runs into Elijah. Obadiah recognizes Elijah and falls on his face in submission. He even calls him his master. Elijah replies, by confirming Obadiah’s observation and tells him to go to Ahab (Obadiah’s master) and tell him that Elijah is here. This seems to indicate Obadiah has two masters, Elijah for spiritual matters and Ahab for worldly matters. The gospel of Matthew tells us you cannot serve two masters.

 

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

 

In response to Elijah’s command, Obadiah’s vacillation and split commitment reveals itself. He questions Elijah’s command to go tell Ahab that Elijah is in the country. He claims that if he obeys Elijah that when he does God will cause Elijah to go away and Ahab will kill him when Elijah cannot be found. This shows his weak commitment to Elijah as well as a poor commitment and trust in God. Then Obadiah throws in his credentials of faith by saying he has feared the Lord from a young age. If Obadiah really had continued to fear the Lord he would obey Elijah without question. It is very apparent that Obadiah has a strange concept of what “commitment” means and it may change or vacillate depending on who is in power at the moment. Then Obadiah throws in some extra credentials to prove his commitment to God, his good works. He shares his protection for the prophets he hid and fed in the caves. While it is commendable that Obadiah hid and fed the prophets, it is very likely to him that this was something that would build up his own self-awareness of doing good works while also demonstrating some commitment to God. But of the thousands of prophets that had existed, had Obadiah picked only a hundred to save to gain some appearance of holiness and obedience? Obadiah was King Ahab’s “majordomo” a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Obadiah had bound himself to serving a king who was rebellious to God and thus compromises his own witness. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 informs us this is not proper or right.

 

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

“14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.”

 

It is also true that Obadiah was a “double-minded” man, attempting to divide his allegiance to both God and King Ahab and we know what James 1:7-8 states about that; “For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

 

In subtle ways Obadiah was assisting King Ahab in his personal sins as well as in the sins that Ahab was causing the nation of Israel to commit. As God’s children we are not to participate in such deeds, we are to expose them;

 

Ephesians 5:11-13

“11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.”

 

At this point we must ask of ourselves, in any way am I dividing my allegiance, am I an Obadiah who attempts to pay homage to God, but also of the world in some fashion. Am I focused on living like Christ, obeying the Word of God and ever attentive to obeying the Holy Spirit within me? W. Phillip Keller states,

 

“This God, through his spokesman, calls us to face truth. He offers the choice of giving ourselves to Him or to the world around us,. We cannot be people of divided minds, divided loyalties, divided affections. The truth is that many of us do know what is proper and appropriate for us to do. But like Obadiah we are rather reluctant to commit ourselves to acting bravely on God’s behalf. We prefer to play it safe. Unsuccessfully we try to accommodate ourselves both to the social culture of our times and to truth as revealed to us in God’s Word. Truth does not in fact become viable, potent and powerful in our lives until it is actually acted out.”

 

Obadiah’s petitions of his good works does not phase Elijah. He repeats that he will surely show himself to Ahab. Elijah was insistent that he was to see Ahab and he was not impressed by nor showed any approval of Obadiah’s attempt to appear holy and obedient to God. Obadiah had one foot in the house of God and one foot in the house of Ahab and only cared about his own personal safety. Obadiah obeyed Elijah and went to Ahab to tell him Elijah was in town and Ahab went to meet with Elijah.

 

Before we see Elijah confront Ahab I would like to share some thoughts Howard G. Hendricks wrote of in his book, Elijah, Confrontation, Conflict & Crisis. Dr. Hendricks asks the question what kind of man does God choose and use. He answers his question with these statements;

 

“He uses one who is convinced that one plus God constitutes a distinct majority.”

 

 

“God uses a man, as He did Elijah, who is not problem-oriented but who is potential-oriented.”

 

 

“God uses a man who does not focus his attention on his ability but rather on his availability.”

 

These three principles I believe would apply not just to a man, but also to a woman as well and would include a child, teenager, elderly person or a single or married individual. God uses all people if they are willing to be used to bring Him glory and to work out His will in the world.

 

Elijah’s Challenge on Mt. Carmel – 1 Kings 18:17-35

 

“17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

 

Here Ahab calls Elijah a “troubler” of Israel. The noun form of this Hebrew verb that means “to trouble, to bring calamity is here translated “troubler.” There were times when this Hebrew word was used to mean “viper, asp, or snake.” So “troubler” in this situation is another way of Ahab saying to Elijah, “Is that you, you sorry snake in the grass!” Ahab feels that Elijah is a snake and the reason for all the trouble in the land, the trouble of a horrible drought.

 

We see here a truth that often can be seen in the lives of people who wish to blame others for their sinful choices. Unwilling to admit sinful decisions, faulty reasoning and poor choices they lash out at others to deflect blame to themselves.

 

We see in verses 17-19 that God works through His servants to confront, challenge, reform and chastise those in positions of authority when they are doing evil in the sight of the Lord. While it might have been easier for God to just to strike Ahab and Jezebel dead and replace them with an appointed King and Queen chosen by Elijah, God works through His servants in more natural earthly means. This gives a chance to those in rebellion to repent. It also gives a chance for God’s servants to step out in faith and see the methods of God’s ministry in the world. God desires to second and third chances for people to repent and turn from their ways. This models for us how we are to treat others as well, even those who appear to be rebellious to God and who have sinned against us. Isn’t it true that you and I are given multitudes of chances for repentance in our daily lives as we stumble into sin or even choose to willingly disobey God?

 

Ahab’s first words are to accuse Elijah of disrupting the order of things in Israel because of the drought. We see that Ahab and Elijah are not even close to being on the same page as to the evens taking place because Ahab is blinded by his sin. The pollution of lies never gets along with God’s holy truth. Evil and good are never friends. Corruptive sin is never compatible with godly purity. Wrongdoing and righteousness are mutually exclusive.

 

Elijah turns Ahab’s words back on him. It is not Elijah who is causing trouble for Israel it is Ahab. Elijah gives a list of the sins that both Ahab and Jezebel have committed. He confronts Ahab with his sin of forsaking the commandments of the Lord by following the false faith of the false god of Baal and its prophets.

 

Phillip Keller shares some profound thoughts on the this topic of when a person, a group of people or a nation fails to observe and obey the laws of God. He states, “The profound truth is this. Every law, every edict, every command, every guideline for proper and appropriate behavior given to men by God has been bestowed upon us for our own well being and prosperity. The man or woman, family or nation that flaunts those laws; who repudiates and rejects them willfully, who ‘breaks them’ with impunity, discovers to their sorrow that it is not the laws of God which are actually broken, but themselves.”

 

Elijah then throws down the gauntlet and challenges Ahab to gather all of the people of Israel on Mount Carmel. He also commands that the 450 prophets of Baal be there as well as the 400 prophets of Ahserah. You might say this is turning into the shootout at the O.K. corral. Here Elijah, a single godly man, will stand against 850 false teachers and their man-made demonic gods.

 

Remember the passage in James 5:17 that says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,…” Can you see yourself in Elijah’s place? You might think that you could never stand before a King Ahab or a woman like his wife Jezebel and challenge their false beliefs and evil actions. You might think that you could never challenge the faith of 850 false teachers. But, James 5:17 encourages us to consider and grab hold of the truth that because our nature is like that of Elijah, we are to live our lives as children of our almighty Heavenly Father, as followers of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are able to do this as Disciples of Christ, not because of our own power, strength and knowledge, but because of the God we serve.

 

As we return to the confrontation between Elijah and King Ahab we find that there appears to be no further argument from Ahab with Elijah’s command. In verse 20 we see Ahab obey Elijah’s instructions.

 

“20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.”

 

Ahab sends a message to all of Israel to assemble at Mt. Carmel, he brings all the prophets of Baal and Ahserah to the mountain top as well. A spiritual battle is about to take place with physical evidence to verify the power and reality either Ahab and Jezebel’s false gods or Elijah’s one true God.

 

“21 ELIJAH came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

We see Elijah now come before all of Israel and present a question and a challenge. He asks Israel how long will they hesitate to choose in their hearts and minds what is true! Elijah is confronting them and asking them to choose between the false gods of Ahab and Jezebel or the living God of Israel. He is calling them to take a step of faith before any demonstration begins. It would be easier for Israel if Elijah waited until after the contest. The people could simply pick the winner. But Elijah wants them to choose before the proof is presented. This is what faith is all about. Faith is trusting God for who He is and refusing to let worldly power, group pressure or the threat of retribution deter you from making a commitment to accept God as your ultimate authority. 1 Corinthians shares some of Paul’s thoughts on idolatry and how as Disciples of Christ we are to avoid and flee from it.

 

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?”

 

After Elijah’s questioning challenge the answer from all the people was simple silence. No one wishes to step forward and commit to the God of Israel. Elijah has set the example of holy boldness, but none are following him. Would you, if you lived at that time?

 

Elijah now gives instructions as to how the altar competition will be carried out.

 

“22 Then ELIJAH said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.  24 “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

 

I should mention a few facts about Elijah’s first comment to the people gathered at Mt. Carmel. It is true, that God chose him alone to confront Ahab and the false prophets and it probably is his personal experience that there are no other prophets around at the time to challenge Ahab, Jezebel and the false prophets. Elijah knew from speaking with King Ahab’s main house servant, Obadiah, that he had hidden 100 prophets in caves to protect and care for them. We also find out later that God has a remnant of Israel hidden in the hills of over 7,000. But on the account of the 100 prophets hidden in the caves; they were not willing to challenge Ahab and Jezebel so they were not speaking up for the God they believed in and a true dedicated prophet should be in the ministry of confronting sin and error. We also shouldn’t blame Elijah for being misinformed by his limited knowledge of the hidden fact of 7,000 people of Israel. These very likely were men, women and children which might include prophets, but apparently God had led them to hide so that a remnant could be preserved for the future of God’s nation of Israel.

 

One question might be asked concerning this confrontation between the God of Israel and the false gods of Ahab and Jezebel. Why was fire from Heaven pursued rather than rain? Rain is what was needed for the land and the people, not fire! The answer is rain would supply the people’s needs but would not have convicted them of their sin and disobedience. The power of the one true God communicated through fire falling from Heaven would have demonstrated the omnipotence of God. It would prove that God was alive, unlike the false gods of Baal and Ashteroth. The other point that could be made concerning this fire from Heaven is that this symbol of the power, majesty and judgment of God is often used in Holy Scripture. Consider the fire of the burning bush that Moses witnessed (Exodus 3:2), the fire at night that guided Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22), the smoke and fire on the mountain of God (Exodus 19:18), the fire that consumed the burnt offering (Leviticus 9:23-24), and of course the tongues of fire that appeared over the heads of the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:3).

 

Elijah lays down the instructions for the sacrifices that are to be made by him as well as the prophets of Baal. It is interesting that an ox is chosen for the animal to be sacrificed. A priest, a prophet, a man of God was to offer an ox as a sacrifice to God for his own special, private sins. This type of sacrifice was to be atonement on behalf of just himself and his own immediate household. This was a sincere personal sacrifice that would declare to God that the person was aware of his own unworthiness. This was a sacrificial rite instituted by God Himself for the cleansing, purification and preparation of His dedicated servant (Leviticus 16:6). Elijah knew about his own unworthiness so when he sacrificed his ox it was out of a humble contrite heart. Of course when the prophets of Baal offered their ox it was out of wrong motives because of their beliefs and lifestyle and would only bring judgment for their hearts and minds were perverse and sinful.

 

The Confrontation:

Baal, Ashtaroth and their prophets

vs.

Holy God and Elijah

 

The Sacrifice:

A Sliced Ox Laid Upon Dry Wood

vs.

A Sliced Ox Laid Upon Wet Wood

 

The Test:

False Prophets to Call upon their gods

vs.

Elijah to call upon Jehovah God

 

“25 So ELIJAH said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.”

 

The false prophets prepared their ox and called upon Baal and Ashtaroth to burn up their sacrifice. There was no response heard from either of their false gods. They danced and pleaded, shouted and begged for their gods to respond, to prove Elijah false and to validate King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. But there was only silence as flies gathered on the meat of the dead ox.

 

“27 It came about at noon, that ELIJAH mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”

 

Elijah begins to mock the false prophets as well as their nonexistent god. He instructs them that possibly if they yell louder their gods will hear them. He suggests that possibly their gods are busy doing something or are out of range of hearing their pleading chants. Elijah suggests that possibly their gods are on a trip somewhere and cannot hear them. Elijah even suggests that possibly their gods are taking a siesta or a long nap and needs an alarm clock to wake them up. I would hazard to guess that Elijah was to some degree enjoying this. I think there is such a thing as godly laughter.

 

Psalms 2:4 is such evidence; “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.”

 

Theologian Albert Barnes comments on Psalms 2:4 in his commentary, “God sits calmly in the heavens, smiling on their vain attempts, and then solemnly declares that, in spite of all their opposition, He “has set His King upon His holy hill of Zion.” While men rage and are tumultuous in opposing His plans, He sits calm and undisturbed in His own heaven…God will laugh and smile at their vain attempts; will not be disturbed or agitated by their efforts; will go calmly on in the execution of his purposes. This is, of course, to be regarded as spoken after the manner of men, and it means that God will go steadily forward in the accomplishment of his purposes. There is included also the idea that He will look with contempt on their vain and futile efforts.”

 

But as often the case with people who unfortunately believe in falsehood and lies the misled and deluded false prophets continue in their hopeless shenanigans of calling down fire from their false gods of Baal and Ashteroth.

 

“28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”

 

We see in verse 28 and 29 the intensity of where hopelessness will take you when you pursue belief in lies and false doctrine. You will throw common sense out the window and begin torturing yourself attempting to verify the lies you have committed your life to. I hope none of you reading this commentary on the life of Elijah are caught up in any false religion that are more numerous to count in today’s world.

 

The false prophets cried louder and louder, probably until they lost their voices. They cut themselves with swords and lances. Such self-torture is common among worship of false gods for Satan and his demons are the origin of such false beliefs. The demonic kingdom relish and enjoy the self-mutilation of those who are deluded by false teaching and deception. We see this drastically hopeless effort of the false prophets went on till the evening with no response from Baal or Ashtaroth.

 

Now it was Elijah’s turn at bat.

 

“30 Then ELIJAH said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 ELIJAH took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.”

 

Elijah calls all the people to come near to him. He proceeds to repair the altar of the Lord which had been torn down by King Ahab’s contingent of false worshipers. He gathers twelve stones which represented the tribes of the sons of Jacob that represent all of Israel. He stacks the rocks in a formation of three tiers of boulders with four stones in each tier.  Elijah uses these stones to build and altar. He makes a trench around the alter big enough to hold two measures of seed. Two measures of seed would be equivalent to about 5-6 gallons. This trench would also hold not only the water but also the hide, entrails, dung and residue left from the butchered ox for it was decreed in Leviticus 4 that all of the parts of the ox were to be consumed with the sacrificial fire. Elijah continued by placing wood upon the altar and then the ox which he would have cut into pieces that could be arranged on top of the wood. But Elijah does not stop there. He raises the bar for what God will do to prove the false prophets wrong. God loves a challenge as if there is any such a thing to challenge our living God. Elijah gives further instruction according to direction from God.

 

“34 And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.”

 

Elijah gives instruction for four pitchers of water to be poured on the burnt offering and on the wood. You might ask, Where in the world would they get water at this time after three years of a drought. Well Mt. Carmel is somewhat close to the Mediterranean Sea, just about 12 miles. So it is suggested by commentators that it was not fresh water that was poured on the altar, but salt water. Fresh water would be extremely valuable at this time and very scarce. It is hard to believe that King Ahab or his false prophets would agree to give up their precious water. But Elijah doesn’t instruct for this to be done just once, but a second time and a third time as well. The water soaked the pieces of ox, the wood, the stones and the dirt and filled up the trench surrounding the altar. Elijah was making it almost impossible for fire to light this sacrifice on the altar by drenching it with sea water. This was no challenge for the one and only God, the God of the Bible, but in the eyes of those watching it would make a much deeper impression when God sent fire from Heaven.

 

I should share yet another significant note about the seawater that was used to drench the sacrifice and altar. The ancient edict of Jehovah stated that no sacrifice should ever be offered to him without salt being included. Salt was an essential ingredient of every single offering. In ancient times salt was very precious. It was a preservative, it was a condiment that flavored food. Salt was used as medicine for healing. It was a symbol of friendship. Salt was necessary for life. Salt also was used as a commodity for payment in trade. Raw meat will give off a disagreeable odor when scorched with fire, but when coated with salt gives off a exquisite fragrance. Salt was contained in this sea water used to drench the altar before the sacrifice.

 

Do I hear a drum roll beginning…

 

Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer – 1 Kings 18:36-39

 

“36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

 

The time of the offering of the evening sacrifice came and Elijah approaches the altar of sacrifice to the Lord God Almighty and he prays to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. By this he is witnessing before everyone that the one true God has a historical commitment to His chosen people which began through Abraham and Isaac for the nation of Israel. Elijah identifies himself as a servant of God and verifies that he has obeyed God in all things according to the word of the Lord. He then petitions God to answer him, to demonstrate to all those present, but especially His chosen people, that He is the Lord God Almighty. He also asks that God demonstrate to His people that He has turned their heart back again to Himself. Immediately a holy intense devastating fire falls from the Lord and consumes the burnt offering of the ox, but also the wood. Even the stones and dust of the earth are obliterated completely. The water in the trench around the alter is also vaporized instantly. The people present seeing the result of this overwhelming conflagration of destruction of everything on and around the alter fell on their faces and together they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

 

William Verner in his book; The Chariot of Israel states, “Elijah’s prayer was effective, not because of its language, nor because of its length, nor because of its loudness. His prayer was effective because it was earnest, expectant and based on God’s promises.”

 

R.T. Kendall in his book, “These Are the Days of Elijah” states regarding this fire from Heaven, “I cannot imagine fire falling – it always rises. But this was not natural fire; it was supernatural. Instead of the rain they wanted, they got fire they needed. They needed to see that the God of Israel was behind the famine – to get their attention – and that this was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – to demonstrate who was the true God. Fire ‘falling.’ Perhaps it was like poured water except that is was supernatural fire.”

 

I imagine any of us witnessing such an event would have responded in similar fashion. But it is unfortunate that God has to demonstrate in such dramatic ways at times for people to respond to Him. Even when we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and have received the Holy Spirit to live within us, we still tend to drift away at times, make inappropriate choices and fail to heed His council. God continues to be patient with us as we repent and confess our sins. He is always ready to reestablish a relationship with us no matter how we have sinned against Him. We must always give thanks for His mercy, patience, forgiveness and love for us as well as His efforts to pursue us even when we have run away from Him.

 

There are several Biblical truths we can note here in this portion of scripture:

 

When we are sure that we are living in the will of God, we are invincible.

 

When someone has a divided allegiance, trying to please God and their own desires, it is as bad as open idolatry.

 

Our most powerful and effective tool in all of life’s situations is the prayer of faith.

 

Never, ever underestimate the power and influence of one life totally dedicated to the Lord God Almighty.

 

Elijah will now carry out godly justice upon the false prophets and priests.

 

Elijah Carries Out Godly Justice – 1 Kings 18:40

 

“40 Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”

 

Elijah now commands that all the prophets of Baal be seized and they are taken down to the brook of Kishon and were killed. Elijah knew that sin and rebellion against God must be purged from God’s people. It is also true for us personally that any sin in our lives must also be purged from our lives once it is identified. These false prophets had misled God’s people and perverted their hearts and minds. They had caused them to sin against God and for this, the godly judgment was death. Today in our own lives when we see sin, it must be confessed and steps taken to repent from it and as God forgives us of such sin we are to return to it no more. We must seek to die to sin and live for Christ. We should keep short accounts with God in our lives and when we detect or sense any sin manifesting itself in our lives by word, deed or thought we should slay it and run to the arms of Jesus seeking forgiveness for straying from His narrow path. It is for God’s glory that we do this. It is to honor Christ’s sacrifice. It is to avoid grieving the Spirit who lives within us as Disciples of Christ.

 

In 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 we find the Lord speaking to Solomon and what is said parallels to what has happened in 1 Kings 18, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.”

 

God’s desire for repentance of His people is consistent and eternal. He draws close to those who seek Him, who repent and turn from sin, who wish for Him to be their Lord and Savior. Down through the centuries to today, He desires to have an intimate relationship with us and this requires us to repent from sin and draw close to Him.

 

One more thought we should consider is what allowed Ahab and Jezebel to come to power and then allow them to bring in false prophets to Israel? It was the silent majority of Israel. Men and women chose not to stand up and speak their mind for God and His Word.  Edmund Burke stated it well when he said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” We should listen to Edmund Burke; but even more so to the witness of Elijah as he sought to listen to His Lord, obey His instructions and live for God in his nation. If we really take James 5:17 seriously, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,…” then we can live like Elijah, obeying the Word, speaking up and living for Jesus Christ, not allowing evil to live on degrading our society and the world.

 

In the following verses we find Elijah’s words bringing the much needed rain to the nation and God’s people.

 

Elijah’s Prayers for Rain, Elijah Runs Before Ahab’s Chariot to Jezreel – 1 Kings 18:41-46

 

“41 Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44 It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.'” 45 In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.”

 

Ahab must have been overwhelmed and speechless by the events that had just taken place. Surely he must have trembled in his sandals with to some degree seeing the fiery display and the obliteration of the altar by God, not to mention the killing of all the false prophets.

 

Elijah instructs Ahab to go eat and drink because Elijah perceives the roaring sound of a heavy rain storm. We see here that there is an “ear of faith” or an “eye of faith” that can hear or see what the flesh cannot. This is a manifestation in ones life of Hebrews 11:1-2.

 

Hebrews 11:1-2

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.”

 

Elijah telling Elijah to “go up, eat and drink” may have been asking Ahab to observe the Jewish tradition of a covenant meal as mentioned in Exodus 24:1-11. Covenant meals were an important part of covenant-making in the ancient Near East. Eating with others was a significant event for making and keeping peace between individuals, tribes and nations. Elijah may have been suggesting that Ahab demonstrate that he was repentant of his past actions of rebellion and sin and desired to be at peace with God. There is no reply of Ahab recorded so we may assume that he did as Elijah instructed. But we have no clue as to whether Ahab was repentant of his sins and it is likely that he simply went and ate some food because it had been a long day. We will see that Ahab did not change his ways and was greatly influenced by Jezebel.

 

Elijah on the other hand proceeds to climb up to the top of Mt. Carmel with his servant. He crouches down on the ground and puts his face between his knees. There are a plethora of positions in which we can pray: standing, sitting, laying down, kneeling, bowing, with hands lifted up, with eyes closed or open. We see that for Elijah his posture of prayer was sitting with his head between his legs. This was Elijah’s posture of prayer, possibly at all times, but at least for now it appears a posture of focused undistracted prayer to the Lord God. It is a known fact that praying between ones knees is often practiced in the Middle Eastern countries. We might say that his posture of prayer for Elijah was his “private prayer closet.’ Before he begins his prayer, he tells his servant to go up and look out to sea. His servant obeys and returns with the report that he sees nothing. Elijah instructs his servant to go back and look for a total of seven times. Elijah continues to pray.

 

This passage of scripture gives five godly components to Elijah’s prayer for rain as he claimed God’s promise:

 

First, Elijah separated himself.

Secondly, Elijah humbled himself.

Thirdly, Elijah prayed specifically.

Fourthly, Elijah prayed persistently.

Fifthly, Elijah had an attitude of expectancy.

 

We might wonder why it took only one prayer of Elijah before fire fell from Heaven but it took prolonged prayer to receive the blessing of rain. We might postulate that while often God is gracious in postponing judgment due to His mercy; when called upon at a critical moment to verify His character and his requirement of dedication to Himself He will not hesitate to manifest His power to convict men and women to make a choice. Such was the case at this incident on Mt. Carmel. The reason for the prolonged delay for rain to come possibly was as a test for true repentance of the people of God. God knew Elijah was a dedicated servant, but God possibly wished to test the people of Israel. Aren’t we ever ready to serve God after having been chastised, but lose motivation the more time passes. It very likely the delay in rain coming was a test for Elijah as well as the people of Israel to remain steadfast in commitment over time, to wait and continue to faithfully wait for God’s response to provide rain to a parched land and a spiritually parched people.

 

It is also true that persistent prayer is often required to demonstrate our persistent faith in God that He will protect and provide for us. The Gospel of Matthew contains verses which talk about asking and seeking in continual prayer.

 

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

 

When you truly seek something, you don’t seek only once. You seek continually until you find what you want. When you knock on a door, you don’t knock with one wrap of your knuckle. You knock numerous times until an answer results. Prayer is to be done in the same way. We are to be ready to pray at a moment’s notice or to put it another way, we are to continually be aware that we have the ability to pray at any time no matter where we are or whatever we might be doing.

 

 Colossians 4:2

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

 

We need to pattern our lives and especially our prayer life after that of Elijah. Our prayers often fade over time because we lose faith, are impatient or simply lack trust in God and His provision for our lives. We should read Luke 18:1-8 where it shares the story of the persistent widow and the King. Her persistent communications with the King caused him to move to approve her request and often God wishes for us to be persistent in our prayers before He will move to grant them. It has been said that, “prayer is the hand of faith that translates promise into performance.”

 

Finally on the seventh return of his servant there is the report that there is a small cloud the size of a man’s hand coming up from the sea. Possibly it is not coincidence that Elijah sends his servant back seven times to check for rain clouds. In God’s heavenly order seven represents fulfillment, completion and finality. It is a special holy number. After rain clouds are spotted, Elijah sends his servant to tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and to head home to Jezreel, otherwise the torrential rain may make it hard for him to reach the city. Flash floods can occur in dry rock-hard ground areas and after over three years of drought this was what the land consisted of in Ahab’s kingdom.

 

We are now told the sky is beginning to grow black with clouds and there is a strong wind rising up and finally a heavy downpour of rain begins. Ahab is already on his way to Jezreel in his chariot. Next a most amazing thing takes place. The powerful hand of Almighty God comes upon Elijah. Elijah tucks up his clothing and loin cloth and runs ahead of Ahab’s sleek chariot and reaches the city before Ahab. This was an 25 mile sprint for Elijah, but with the hand of the Lord upon him, nothing was impossible. It is not clear as to why this happened. One would assume that since we are told that the hand of God came upon Elijah that this caused him to run with great strength, endurance and speed. But what is the meaning of this action.

 

It was customary in ancient times, and still is, in some countries of the East, for kings and nobles to have runners before their chariot. Elijah, like the Bedouins of his native Gilead, had been trained to run; and because God’s power was within him, he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot with agility and strength. It was, especially in this circumstance, a most proper service for Elijah to render. It tended to strengthen the favorable impression made on the heart of Ahab, and hopefully furnish an answer to any objections of his wife Jezebel. It is possible that Elijah hoped that it would show that while he was zealous in the service of God, he was at the same time attempting to show some loyalty to King Ahab. Possibly there was a hope that this demonstration of God’s power and might on Mt. Carmel had made a lasting impression on King Ahab. Unfortunately we see as the drama plays out later, that the response of Ahab was a partial and temporary. We will see that Ahab’s character has not changed in the least. When he returns home in Jezreel the violent vengeful anger of his wife Jezebel will alter the course of events. It appears from the evidence in scripture that Jezebel had continually been influencing Ahab in his kingly decisions. It is very likely that Jezebel wore the pants in the family and the true power lay with her rather than Ahab as far as the kingdom was concerned. Jezebel’s response and actions we will find out will have a dramatic influence on what will happen in Elijah’s life.

 

FEARFUL ELIJAH RUNS FROM JEZEBEL – 1 Kings 19:1-18

 

Elijah Flees from Jezebel – 1 Kings 19:1-3

 

“1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.”

 

We see here the fact that Ahab often bowed to the control of his wife Jezebel. Ahab reporting what had happened on Mt. Carmel in the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal sets Jezebel explodes with venomous anger. She sends a messenger with her deadly threats to tell Elijah what she will do to him because of what he has done to her false prophets.

 

Jezebel’s evil intentions to kill Elijah demonstrates the fact that godly obedience is often met with devilish hatred. It is a solid fact that:

 

Darkness cannot exist in light.

Unrighteous evil hates godly righteousness.

Death strives to destroy life.

Hatred seeks to extinguish love.

Deception seeks to pollute and pervert the truth.

Wrong pursues the obliteration of right.

 

We would expect Elijah to respond with bravery and godliness to Jezebel’s tirade but instead we see him tuck tail and run. Rather than trusting in God for strength and provision, fear rises up within him and he runs for his life all the way to Beersheba 150 miles away.

 

But we should note that in all of Elijah’s previous ministry travels it was the Lord who directed him in where and when to go. Here, there is no instruction from the Lord. Elijah just takes off in fear to get as far away from Jezebel as he can. Elijah was not following the encouragement of the Psalms.

 

Psalms 23:4

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

 

Elijah was physically, emotionally and very likely spiritually exhausted from all of the confrontation with Ahab, Jezebel and the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth. The over-adrenalized experience on Mt. Carmel pushed him over the edge and when Jezebel threatened him he was overcome and could not deal with one more confrontation. Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

 

Fear can have one of two meanings;

 

Forget Everything and Run      OR       Face Everything and Rise!

 

When we let fear overwhelm us, we fail to focus on the fact that God is with us, will protect us and give us the strength to overcome our fears. We forget His love and care for us and run for the hills. But when we focus on Him and His faithfulness towards us, we can gain strength and face anything that might come our way. We rise in the power of the Lord and endure hardships, persecutions, emotional trauma and illness. This doesn’t mean we won’t suffer in many ways, but it means we can know that God is right by our side, Jesus is praying for us and the Holy Spirit God has given us will sustain and empower us to endure whatever trial we are facing.

 

Elijah’s fearful flight after a wonderful spiritual victory shows us again the humanness of the prophet Elijah. We do not know what caused such fear in Elijah after his previous bravery and godly boldness. Was Jezebel’s evil power so tremendous and intimidating that it scared Elijah out of trusting in the Lord? Was Elijah just physically and emotionally exhausted from the pro-longed prayer and energy drain of confronting Ahab and the false prophets that he had no spiritual, physical and emotional strength left? Were both of these conditions to blame for his fear? Whatever the cause, Elijah runs in overpowering fear.

 

We should take to heart the fact that right after we have had a great spiritual victory, served in ministry that has demonstrated God’s awesome power, or seen God work in amazing ways in the life of another; Satan can seek to strongly attack us in whatever way he can. He seeks to counterattack, to hinder any further spiritual victory or growth in our lives. We might be flirting with spiritual pride or exhausted from the ministry we have participated in, whatever it might be, Satan seeks to find a weak point and take advantage of it. Remember Peter in Matthew 14:24-3:3. When he took his eyes off Jesus and was distracted by the churning water and blowing wind, he began to sink into the waves of the stormy seas and had to be saved by Jesus.

 

The Apostle Paul was used greatly by God much like Elijah. Paul found balance in his life through trusting God and humbling himself. His past history was one of boasting of his knowledge of the scriptures and persecuting Christians. His meeting the Lord humbled him greatly. In Acts chapter 9 Paul is confronted by Christ and comes to faith in Him. He then travels to Arabia to be tutored by God and readied for ministry (Galatians 1:15-18). In 2 Corinthians we see the godly perspective we should all acquire as we live for Christ in both good and bad times, in the times we have great spiritual victories and the other times of hardships, temptations and weakness.

 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

Elijah’s life may possibly remind us of ourselves at times. We often face great periods of trial, temptation or testing and are able to rely amazingly upon the Lord for strength, discernment and power. But once this is over and we are presented with another trial or temptations we fall flat on our face or fall into a deep depression. The possible cause of this for Elijah, and us, is that we take our eyes off of the strength and power of God. The victory that was won by God through us is taken for granted. Sometimes we take pride in what we have done forgetting that it was God who empowered us and God allows us to be tested further to help us understand it was He who sustained us. Another reason could also be that we relax spiritually and are not ready for the continuation of the struggles in our lives. We sense that once a spiritual battle has been conquered by God working in our lives we can rest, only to find that the battle is just beginning. We forget that Satan is an expert at spiritual warfare. What better way to cause defeat and depression then by allowing someone to feel victorious just long enough to hit them again with a “sucker punch.”

 

Many prophets are like us, their great triumphs were often followed by times of depression. Elijah’s “up” at Carmel was followed by a desperate “down.” This passage is helpful in several ways. First, it helps us realize that the great people of the Bible truly were mortal, just as we are. We really can identify with them; they are not “spiritual giants” so unlike us that we cannot learn from their lives. Second, this chapter shows us how gently God dealt with the depressed Elijah. God did not harshly rebuke Elijah, but offered support and comfort. We need not be ashamed of our own times of depression, but can turn to the Lord who truly does understand and care. And third, in the model of God’s care for Elijah, you and I learn how we can be helpful to friends or family who may also be depressed during and after great emotional, spiritual or physically demanding battles of life.

 

Possibly a meditation we should recite on a daily basis to keep us balanced spiritually would be a meditation written by Charles de Foucauld.

 

“My Father, I commend myself to you, I give myself to you, I leave myself in your hands. My Father, do with me as you wish. Whatever you do with me, I thank you, I accept everything. I am ready for anything. I thank you always. So long as your will is done in me…I have no other wish, my God. I put my soul into your hands, giving it to you, my God, with all my heart’s love, which makes me crave to abandon myself to you without reserve, with utter confidence. For are you not my Father?”

 

Elijah Begs God for Death 1 Kings 19:4

 

“4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said,

“It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”

 

After Elijah travels frantically to Beersheba he goes a day’s journey into the wilderness to hide. Exhausted emotionally, physically and spiritually he prays that God would allow him to die. Here is an instance that we can see the blessing of an unanswered prayer. Sometimes we pray for things because we are not in a good spiritual, emotional, physical or mental state. God is intimately aware of how we are coping. God in His wisdom will not grant prayers that are unwise or detrimental to our well-being. Usually in such struggles of life we are not spiritually considering what the will of God might be at the time. True honest prayer in such situations should be prayers for what God wants, not what we want.

 

Charles Swindoll shares some insights into why Elijah responded with frantic fear at Jezebel’s threats.

 

“First, Elijah was not thinking realistically or clearly. The threat hadn’t come from God; it had come from an unbelieving, carnal human being who lived her godless life light years from the things of God.

 

Second, Elijah separated himself from strengthening relationships. He left his servant and went alone a days journey into the wilderness.

 

Third, Elijah was caught in the backwash of a great victory. Our most vulnerable moments usually come after a great victory, especially if the victory is a mountaintop experience with God.

 

Fourth, Elijah was physically exhausted and emotionally spent. There is little doubt that Elijah had come to the end of his rope physically and, for sure, emotionally – all of which couldn’t help but weaken him spiritually.

 

Fifth, Elijah got lost in self-pity. Self-pity is a pathetic emotion. It will lie to you. It will exaggerate. It will drive you to tears. It will cultivate a ‘victim mentality’ in your head.”

 

Elijah was looking at his circumstances rather than the source of the strength of the One who could protect and provide for him. We must also consider the fact that Elijah possibly desired pity from God. If he really wanted to die, why had he run from Jezebel? His death was assured if he had simply stayed in Jezreel and allowed Jezebel to put him to death. Elijah asked for the Lord to take his life because he was depressed from his fears of Jezebel. The Psalms are always a good place to run to for spiritual comfort, wise godly counsel and encouragement.

 

Psalms 37:1-9

“Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. 2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”

 

Elijah, exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally lies down and sleeps and in God’s loving tender way the Lord ministers to him. God allowed Elijah a period of time for rest and sustenance. He didn’t chastise or get on his case about his response. God communicated lovingly, patiently and wisely with Elijah

 

Elijah Rests and God Ministers to Him 1 Kings 19:5-7

 

“5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

 

Elijah needed rest in many forms and so laid down and fell asleep. Again we see here how Elijah was a man like us. He had limitations just like we do. He needed rest after strenuous physical exertion. He had been pushed to the limit of his mental and emotional abilities and needed to recover. He was also spiritually drained from combating evil manifested in Ahab, Jezebel and the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth. He was worn down from witnessing the apathy and lack of commitment by the majority of the people of God He was also disappointed by the seven thousand of God’s people who simply had retreated into the hills so as to avoid standing up for their faith (1 Kings 19:18). We too need to recognize our limitations and rest after we have experience the struggles and trials of life.

 

Elijah was facing physical exhaustion, fragile emotions and spiritual melancholy bordering on depression, which were a result of his confrontation with demonic evil. This pushed him into a pit of exhaustion. At such a time he needed to trust and depend on the Lord as Psalms 91 states.

 

Psalms 91:11-12

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

 

Elijah here illustrates the example of what happens when we feel that we are indispensible to God and we are the only one that is available to carry out His will. It is a pride that rises from the stresses of spiritual service and obedience. When we begin to take our eyes off the power of God and how He can sustain and protect us, our faith can falter and fall. Rather than remain a humble servant, relying upon God for strength and insight; instead we choose to have a pity party. God often uses such situations to set us straight, sometimes with a beneficial lesson or at other times in a humbling experience.

 

After his rest, apparently Elijah still wished to put distance between him and Jezebel. We don’t see God instruct him to go further away from Jezreel, but God allows him to continue to run from the evil queen.

 

Elijah will now exhaust himself physically, emotionally and spiritually even further by continuing to flee from Jezebel. He will flee in fear another 150 miles to Mt. Horeb.

 

Elijah’s Pity Party at Mt. Horeb – 1 Kings 19:8-10

 

“8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

 

Elijah travels for forty days and forty nights to Mt. Horeb, the mountain upon which Moses climbed to commune with God and to receive the Ten Commandments. This is another 150 miles south from the place where he slept under the Juniper tree. Elijah finds a cave and sets up camp inside. While it is only common sense that Elijah finds a cave to camp out, one wonders if he is attempting to hide from God? Elijah finds out, as if he didn’t know already, that you cannot run from the Lord God Almighty. The Lord God comes to him and asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replies by building his case for his service and dedication to the Lord. He states, “I have been very zealous for the Lord” as if he assumes God wasn’t aware of all he has done he shares the events on top of Mt. Carmel. You might say that Elijah is having a pity party and moaning and groaning about all the great things he has done for God as a prophet. I can see myself sometimes as an overstressed exhausted Elijah, can you? We may have just endured a great test in life or are still enduring a spiritual task that God has placed us in and we whine to the Lord how we are the only one that is being used by Him and how persecuted we are because of how we have served Him. There is a precious truth for all of us to learn from Elijah’s example. We cannot sustain ourselves on past actions of dedication to our Lord. We must be continually dependent upon His power and love. No matter how powerful, amazing or overwhelming God has worked in our lives in the past; we cannot live by the power of previous experiences and actions. We appreciate the past and cherish the present, but we must live actively dedicated to continuing to live faithfully and obediently into our future. Your spiritual obedience and reputation is sustained by a constant desire to live by the power of the Holy Spirit, obeying the Holy Word, modeling your life after that of Jesus Christ and seeking to bring glory to your Heavenly Father.

 

The other aspect of Elijah’s statement to the Lord is it suggests that Elijah may have been demonstrating not only depression but also “self-righteousness.” His statement, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of Hosts” illustrates this. Sometimes our pity parties are tied to us thinking we are indispensible to God and that we have sacrificed so much for Him that He owes us sympathy. Don’t get me wrong, God is always willing to minister to us in our hardships, especially in our depression, but when we toot our own horn expressing self-righteousness, God will lovingly, but cautiously love us while also cautiously seeking to confront us with our “self-righteous” attitude.

 

R.T. Kendall in his book, These Are the Days Of Elijah states concerning “self-righteousness.” “Self-righteousness is basically a feeling of ‘I’m okay.’ “I am basically all right.’ ‘I am not all that bad or awful.’ ‘I am not like other people.’ ‘It is not really my fault.’ ‘It is your fault.’ Self-righteousness is the inability to see and then admit, ‘I am wrong.’ We see wrong in others, but almost never in ourselves. We see jealousy and envy in others far more quickly than we see such in ourselves. We see ambitious motives in others before we see them in ourselves. Self-righteousness is feeling we deserve the credit. Self-pity, the twin of self-righteousness, often comes from feeling we are not getting noticed, not getting the credit.”

 

As I mentioned earlier, when Elijah was on Mt. Carmel right before he called for God to send fire from Heaven he stated, “I am the only one left.” This hints that Elijah was responding to some degree with ‘self-righteousness.’ God let his statement go, even though God had 7,000 dedicated Jews hiding in the hills, as well as the 100 Jewish prophets that we find out Obadiah had hidden away also.

 

Again, Elijah was a man, just like us. He was only human, not a super-saint, just a humble servant with physical, emotional and spiritual demands that had got the best of him.

 

Our calling in life is to seek to live as God would have us. Walking as Christ would, empowered by the Holy Spirit, being wise in how we live our lives and not overextending ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. We must maintain a godly focus and lifestyle in the world we live in today, as our society moves towards selfish sinful living and the dropping of moral boundaries. We are not to condone sinful lifestyles, encourage materialistic worship of possessions or isolate ourselves from accountability to godly standards.

 

We see God reply in the form of a multi-faceted lesson with a spiritual truth. Will Elijah understand it?

 

Elijah at Mt. Horeb – The Wind – 1 Kings 19:11

 

“11 So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind…”

 

The Lord tells Elijah to stand on the mountain before the Lord at the cave’s entrance. Basically God was telling Elijah to get out of the cave of self-pity, the hole of focusing on self. We have the tendency to behave the same as Elijah did during or after a great emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual battle or trial. We need to seek the Lord for strength and to allow Him to enable us to carry on with faith in Him. Remember what Nehemiah stated after the words of the Law were read by Ezra before the people of Israel in Nehemiah 8:10, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

After Elijah comes out of the cave, the Lord’s presence passes by and a tremendous strong wind tore into the mountains causing all sorts of rocks to fall around Elijah. But the Lord was not in this strong wind.

 

Elijah at Mt. Horeb – The Earthquake – 1 Kings 19:11

 

“11…And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.”

 

Soon after the strong wind, an earthquake shakes the mountain, but the Lord was not in this earthquake.

 

Elijah at Mt. Horeb – The Fire – 1 Kings 19:12

 

 “12 After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire;

 

After the strong wind and earthquake a burning hot fire manifests, but the Lord was not in this fire.

 

Elijah at Mt. Horeb – The Gentle Blowing – 1 Kings 19:13-14

 

“12…and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When ELIJAH heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

 

After the strong wind, the earthquake and the burning hot fire a subtle sound of gentle blowing can be sensed by Elijah.

 

David Roper states regarding this passage, “You never know about God. He may appear in extraordinary and melodramatic ways – in a hurricane, an earthquake, and or a storm. But that’s not His typical style. He seems to prefer much less obvious, less theatrical methods. God’s heroics, when they appear, are rarely as expected. He works in quietness, His Spirit gentle wafting like the wind here and there, touching one, touching another, working in silence to get His work done. The obvious is usually spurious. God’s best efforts are rarely seen…The problem with Elijah was that he had wholly unrealistic expectations of God…He had expected a repeat performance – that God would make short work of Jezebel, blasting her off the face of the earth with a fireball!”

 

When Elijah hears this gentle blowing he wraps his face in his mantle, hides his face and stands at the edge of the entrance of the cave. God again asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 

Elijah appears to gain nothing from witnessing these physical manifestations God has presented to him. Elijah states, “I have been very zealous for the Lord” and continues with what he has said before, as if he thinks that God is deaf and didn’t hear him the first time.

 

We should understand from this passage a spiritual truth. While God can manifest His power and will in dramatic physical phenomena, such as on Mt. Carmel, more often He communicates to us in a soft subtle loving voice. Because of our emotional and psychological makeup we often pursue dramatic manifestations for evidence that God exists. We desire God to overwhelm us with proof of not only His existence, but also His presence in our lives by hopefully giving us experiences and/or miracles that will validate our faith. But these manifestations at Mt. Horeb tell us that while God can influence the world around us in a powerful way, it is His still small voice, His gentle nudge of love, His soft spiritual suggestions through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that can woo us to Him and change our lives. Several scriptures come to mind when we think of how God works in our lives;

 

Zechariah 4:6-7

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

 

John 20:29

“Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

 

Also, let us remember the precious fruit of the Spirit which reflects gentle but powerfully expressive traits of how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in this cruel and sinful world;

 

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

 

God already knew why Elijah was hiding in the cave, but he wanted Elijah to be ready for further instructions of ministry for the future. The strong wind, the horrible earthquake and the burning fire were magnificent manifestations of power, but the essence of God spoke intimately to Elijah in the gentle blowing of the wind. That is when Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle and stood at the entrance of the cave. He was ready for instructions and God gave him direction as to what to do next. Elijah had overcome the sin of self-pity. W. Phillip Keller states it this way,

 

“If a man of Elijah’s caliber could become so downcast, it is apparent that the same can happen to anyone of us. The sin of self-pity is perhaps the most heinous in God’s view. It means we simply don’t believe God is managing our lives satisfactorily. We feel sorry for ourselves. In so doing we insult the Lord. The route back from this black pit of despair is not by running from God or circumstances. Nor is it by exciting and ecstatic experiences similar to the great wind, earthquake or fire. It is to hear again the still, small voice of God’s Spirit speaking to us through His Word.”

 

David Roper in his book, Elijah, A Man Like Us also has words of a similar nature of how God speaks to us lovingly and gently to empower us to continue to grow in Him and serve His holy will,

 

“Quietly and unobtrusively, His influence softens our wills, makes us thirsty for righteousness, inclines us to do His pleasure, restrains our passions, protects us from evil, makes us ashamed of sinful indulgences, and gives us the courage to choose what is good. In His quiet love, He takes all that’s unworthy in us and gradually turns it into good.”

 

In order to hear God direct our lives means we observe a triune concept of perception and obedience.

 

First you recognize God is speaking through His Word as the Spirit opens your heart, mind and soul to Truth.

 

Secondly you respond to God’s Word in faith with confidence in who God is and trusting He will guide you.

 

Thirdly you advance without hesitating, debate or arguing with God to do what God tells you to through His Word.

 

But there is one more act of wisdom that one should pursue. It is the action of seeking out other followers of Christ, more mature and wise than yourself that can help guide you as you observe the first three actions of faith. Mature Disciples of Christ can hold you accountable, encourage you in corporate prayer, and assist you as you live out your life of obedience and faith. Elijah will find his personal relational support in Elisha whom God will call to take up Elijah’s mantle. 

 

Elijah at Mt. Horeb – God Gives Instruction – 1 Kings 19:15-18

 

“15 The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

 

One of the worst things we can do when we begin to focus inward and experience self-pity and spiritual depression is to focus even more on our problems or insufficiencies. The answer for such a spiral downward and inward is to first draw close to our Heavenly Father who loves us and the Holy Spirit who lives within us. We must establish in our minds that Jesus is praying for us and that He died in order for us to live an abundant life. The second step is to seek to minister to someone else, take on a godly task that the Lord can encourage us as we encourage others. God did this with Elijah, giving him some spiritual tasks to accomplish. The third important step in coming out of this inward spiral is to seek the love and fellowship ministry of another Disciple of Christ. A shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold and a loving heart that can reach out to us will keep us from falling into ourselves even further. Christian fellowship is mentioned numerous times in scriptures and is a necessary addition to God Himself ministering to us and pulling us out of a downward dive. God telling Elijah to seek out Elisha and anoint him as prophet in his place informs Elijah that his years of hard ministry are coming to an end. They are not over quite yet, but the spiritually draining and intense confrontations are going to fade. Elijah will spend several years grooming Elisha to replace him and it will both rewarding and challenging for him.

 

The Lord gives Elijah several tasks to carry out.

 

He is to to return to Damascus and to anoint Hazael king over Aram, anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel, anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah prophet in Elijah’s place.

 

The Lord also informs Elijah of some events that will take place. Jehu shall put to death the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael.  Elisha shall put to death the one who escapes from the sword of Jenu.

 

God also shares that He has set aside 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed their knees to Baal in worship. They have been living in the hills to avoid both the detection of Ahab as well as to separate themselves from the gross sins of the nation of Israel’s people. God always has a remnant of faithful followers that He works through to bring about His will. Elijah was unaware of this large remnant of people and assumed he was the only faithful one left.

 

Elijah Travels to the Wilderness of Damascus to Anoint Elisha – 1 Kings 19:19-21

 

“19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.”

 

Elijah finds Elisha plowing a field with twelve pairs of oxen. Elijah goes over to him and throws his mantle upon him. Elijah apparently walks away and Elisha runs after Elijah and wishes to follow him.

 

Elisha says he wishes to say a proper goodbye to his parents and then he will follow Elijah.

 

Elijah replies, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

 

Elisha returns and takes the pair of oxen and sacrifices them, boils their meat and gives it to the people with whom he lives. Then Elisha runs after Elijah and ministers to him. We wish we could learn what Elisha said to Elijah.

 

Elijah and Elisha drop out of view for around six years. We have no knowledge of where they went or what they did, very likely Elijah disciples Elisha and Elisha ministers to Elijah. It is possible they both ministered to the 7,000 Jews who had hidden in the hills to avoid Ahab and Jezebel’s rule and their sinful priests. Meanwhile Israel came under attack from Syria. Two tremendous battles were fought where Ahab was the victor in the end. It is amazing after all that God had done through Elijah to minister to Ahab and Jezebel and convict them of their ways no apparent change of course had taken place. All one could say is that God sometimes steps back from His immediate judgment and lets people reap what they sow.

 

A prime example of an unchanged life in a person is the continuance of sin, selfishness and rebellion to common decency. An excellent example of this can be found in 1 Kings 21:1-19 where we see Ahab coveting his neighbor Naboth’s vineyard. He makes a generous offer to buy his vineyard, but to Naboth this was his family heritage that he wished to leave to his family. Ahab sulks around his palace until evil Jezebel decides to step in and provide an evil cruel answer to the dilemma. She announces a royal fast and invites Naboth only to accuse him of blasphemy against God and King and has him stoned to death. Ahab now is able to acquire his stolen prize of property.

 

We see the selfish, evil and cruel Jezebel commit four horrible sins against God and Naboth.

 

First, she commits forgery. She falsifies documents and uses Ahab’s seal to bring false witness against innocent Naboth.

 

Secondly, she commits the sin of hypocrisy.  She calls for a fast to call attention to the charge that a great sin has been committed which will cause punishment to come upon the city by God. She uses the faith of Naboth against him in a false way to accuse him of this great sin.

 

Thirdly, she commits the sin of perjury. The letters called for two “sons of Belial” (scoundrels) to give a false testimony accusing innocent Naboth of a horrible sin. This sin he was accused of and never committed was the sin of cursing God and King Ahab. This was a capitol offense under the law (Leviticus 24:14).

 

Fourthly, Jezebel committed murder. She had Naboth stoned to death. We also find out that Naboth’s sons also suffered the same fate as their father (2 Kings 9:26).

 

You could say of Jezebel she had a critical, conniving, controlling, competitive, contagious spirit that devastated anyone she came in contact with and produced death and destruction in horrible proportions.

 

Out of seven years of seclusion Elijah appears and condemns the actions of Ahab and Jezebel. One lesson we should learn from this is secret sins are always open to the eyes of God. Read Psalm 139 if you have any doubt of this irrefutable fact. You may get away with them for a season, but you will always, I mean always pay for them in some way, unless of course you repent, ask for forgiveness and seek God to restore your relationship with Him. But we know that Ahab and Jezebel had no relationship with God. They lived for themselves and they lived for the immediate day.

 

Elijah shares with Ahab and Jezebel the penalty for their horrible sin and rebellion against the Lord God Almighty.

 

1 Kings 21:20-24

“I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 “Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22 and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin. 23 “Of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.’ 24 “The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.”

 

We see an amazing reaction from Ahab of repentance and the Lord responds with mercy towards him, allowing him to live for a while longer. Eventually Ahab is killed in battle by a random arrow flying wildly in the sky, very likely controlled by the will of God to slip between the overlapping metal of his armor.

 

Jezebel’s fate was a different story. There was no repentance from her. She continued in her sin and rebellion until God would bring justice to her life in His timing. We wonder at times why God allows those who do evil to remain alive and well continuing to sin and do harm to others. We can only trust God for His wisdom, mercy as to the timing of His judgment. We see in the world crime, torture, heartache and suffering that seem to go unchecked. It is a test of our faith to trust the Lord for His timing and allow His will to work along its holy course. Eventually Elijah’s prophecy came true and Jezebel experienced a horrible death. In 2 Kings 9 we see Jehu, King of Israel enter the gates of Jezreel. Jezebel is living with eunuchs in her palace and has put on attractive makeup and clothing to welcome her enemy, possibly in a move to both demonstrate her pride and possibly to distract her enemy. Jehu is undeterred, he tells her servants to throw her down out of the window and they comply. We see justice done and Elijah’s prophecy come true.

 

2 Kings 9:33-37

“So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”

 

2 KINGS 1:1-18

Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

 

“1 Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 “Now therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'” Then Elijah departed.

 

After Ahab died his son Ahaziah became King (1 Kings 22:51) and was no better than his father or mother, Jezebel. Rather than seek the Lord for guidance believe it or not he sought to seek advice from the false pagan deity Baalzebub by sending messengers to Baalzebub’s temple after he fell through a lattice work in his palace and injured himself (2 Kings 1:2). Baalzebub was the dreadful god of the dung heap, the god of flies held in special esteem by the Philistines. He was worshiped as the supreme ruler of the occult world of evil spirits. My thought would be this is actually Satan posing as a god to humans.

 

We see in 2 Kings 1:3 that the angel of the Lord instructs Elijah to intervene in this young king’s plans to consult the demonic realm. Elijah appears on the scene and confronts the messengers of Ahaziah and says, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'” (2 Kings 1:3-4)  

 

“5 When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'”‘” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8 They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” 9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.'” 10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.”

 

Ahaziah responds to Elijah’s commands like his father and/or mother would have and sends one of his army captains with 50 soldiers to capture Elijah. What follows is rather impressive as we see Elijah respond in a holy casual powerful manner.

 

Elijah did not run as he had when threatened by Jezebel. When the Captain of the 50 men states, “O man of God, King Ahaziah says you must come down quickly to speak with him.” In 2 Kings 1:10 we hear Elijah simply state, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” IMMEDIATELY fire descends from heaven and burns up the captain and his 50 soldiers.

 

“11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.'” 12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.”

 

Word got back to Ahaziah of what had happened and instead of submitting the God working through Elijah he sends another contingent of soldiers, a captain and 50 more solders. We see in 2 Kings 1:11 the captain shouts a command at Elijah, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.” Elijah replies to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Yes, you guessed it, fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty soldiers. We might say of Ahaziah that pride corrupts and rebellious pride corrupts completely and hinders wise judgment.

 

“13 So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 “Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. 16 Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron — is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? — therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'”

 

So believe it or not Ahaziah sends a third contingent of soldiers; a captain and 50 of his soldiers. The third captain has heard about what has happened to the other detachments of soldiers so he goes as ordered to Elijah, but with great respect and submission begs that Elijah spare his life and the life of his soldiers. Elijah and the Lord grant mercy to this man and his soldiers and he agrees to go and see Ahaziah. Elijah confronts Ahaziah and gives a prophecy of his death.

 

“17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?”

 

We are coming close to the end of the ministry of Elijah and the beginning of the Elisha’s ministry. We have seen how God has ordered the steps of Elijah over his life and used him to save a nation from destruction. We have also seen how much Elijah is similar to us in both strength and weakness as well as in bravery and fear. Proverbs 20:24 states; “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord…” But what does that mean?

 

David Roper explains it this way;

 

“It means that

 If we concern ourselves with His will

 If we obey each day His directions

 If we heed each day His warnings

If we walk by faith

 If we step out daily along the path of obedience as best we understand it we will find that God takes responsibility for our decisions and actions. He will set us about His intended purpose. He will get us to the right person in the right place at the right time. God’s will is easy to find – if we want it…I cannot tell you how you will know, but I can tell you that when you have to know (and that’s not necessarily before) you will know.”

 

Elijah Taken to Heaven 2 Kings 20:1-14

 

“1 And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be still.”

 

We see here in 2 Kings 20 the events leading up to the translation of Elijah to Heaven. Elijah and Elisha leave Gilgal and head for Bethel. Elijah asks Elisha to stay, but he is insistent that he wishes to stay by Elijah’s side. At Bethel, the sons of the prophets warn Elisha that the Lord will take Elijah away this day. Elisha is totally aware of what is about to happen. He has become as close to the Lord as Elijah so is walking in the same knowledge and perceptions as Elijah at this point.

 

“4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be still.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.”

 

Elijah again tells Elisha to stay where he is because the Lord has called him to Jericho. But Elisha refuses and desires to stay by Elijah’s side to the end. Again, the sons of the prophets at Jericho say the same thing as those at Bethel. Elisha replies the same as he did at Bethel. Elijah now says that the Lord has called him to Jordan and that Elisha should stay here, but once more Elisha refuses and wishes to stay by Elijah’s side.

 

Very likely Elijah was testing the dedication of Elisha to remain with him. It is also possible that Elijah was attempting to avoid an emotional time for either him and/or Elisha. After all, Elijah had taken Elisha under his wing and spent much time with him training and educating him in the life of a prophet.

 

 

“7 Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”

 

We see in verse 7 that Elijah stands by the Jordan and takes his mantle, the physical symbol of his office of prophet, folds it together and strikes the river water. They part, much like the sea did for Moses and Elijah and Elisha walk across to the other side.  

 

“9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”

 

After crossing over Elijah asks Elisha if there is anything he can do for him before he ascends to Heaven. Elisha responds that he would like to have a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him in his ministry of a prophet of God. Elijah is very accurate in saying that this is a hard thing. When we think of all that Elijah has done in his life as a prophet of God it seems like an impossible request. But Elijah grants the request as long as Elisha observes him being translated to Heaven.

 

“11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.”

 

As Elijah and Elisha continue to walk along, suddenly there appears a chariot of fire being led by horses of fire which travels between them. Elijah is caught up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha calls out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Elijah was deeply moved seeking his spiritual father being taken up into heaven in such a manner. Who wouldn’t have reacted in such a fashion? Elisha had spent much time with Elijah and their bond was very close. This was a turning point in both of their lives; Elijah avoiding physical death and joining the Lord in Heaven; Elisha beginning his dramatic ministry where he would do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

As we think of how James wrote of Elijah in his letter, we can definitely see how Elijah was a man like us. We can probably identify more with his weaknesses than his strength, but we should remember the encouragement of James, that Elijah was a man like us. This gives us encouragement to stay faithful to the Holy Scriptures. It challenges us to live daily, moment by moment for Christ. It convicts us to be prayer warriors and to seek others we can minister to as well as share the Gospel.

 

Elijah spent most of his life waiting for God to use him as he was refined in the wilderness of Cherith, ministered to the widow at Zarephath and as he ran from Jezebel. Elijah finally was caught up into Heaven riding in a chariot of fire.

 

Like Elijah we spend most of our time waiting:  waiting in a line, waiting at a stop light, waiting for vacation to roll around or waiting for retirement. We are also waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. How are you waiting? Are you living vibrantly for Jesus? Are you growing in spiritual holiness? Are you living out your faith by sharing the Gospel and ministering to others?

 

Martin Luther wrote the following;

 

“This life is not godliness, but the process of becoming godly, not health, but the process of becoming healthy, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. The process is not yet finished, but it is actually going on. This is not the goal, but it is the right road. At present everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed.”

 

2 Corinthians 3:18

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

 

While we may not be taken up into Heaven in a chariot of fire, if we are alive when Jesus returns, we will be taken up into Heaven to receive our glorified bodies. What a day that will be. Our waiting will be over!

 

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

 

May God work mightily in your life as you wait for His Son to return and may the Holy Spirit who lives within you as a Disciple of Christ empower you to shine brightly for truth, purity, holiness and love.

 

Elijah did not have one thing that is not completely available to every Disciple of Christ. Take to heart the words of Howard G. Hendricks as he compares Elijah with us today. “He had the Word of God. He had the power of prayer. What more do you need? The ability to believe God for what He says and then to appropriate it by believing prayer. It is one thing to believe the Lord, to know that He can do it, but it’s quite a different thing to appropriate it in your experience.”

 

“FAITH is TESTED when we can do NOTHING; and God says WAIT.

PATIENCE is PERFECTED when we can do EVERYTHING; but God says WAIT.”

Randy Jay Burgos

 

One last thing we can walk away with after examining the life of Elijah, is that God called him to “wait” more than He called him to take action. Waiting is hard for us, even if it is waiting on God. Consider the following scriptures that speak of waiting for God’s timing, His will and His Spirit to empower you.

 

Romans 8:22-25

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

 

Philippians 3:20-21

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

 

1 Thessalonians 1:10

“Wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

 

James 1:2-4

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

 Psalms 27:14

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

 

Psalms 37:7

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;”

 

Psalms 37:34

“Wait for the Lord and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land;”

 

Psalms 119:114

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.”

 

Psalms 119:147-148

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches That I may meditate on Your word.”

 

Psalms 130:5-6

“I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord”

 

Psalms 147:11

“The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His loving-kindness.”

 

Proverbs 20:22

“Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.”

 

Isaiah 40:31

“…those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

 

Hosea 12:6

“Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually.”

 

Micah 7:7

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”

 

Waiting on God doesn’t mean we’re doing nothing; it’s about allowing God to do His will through us.

 

To WAIT on God means;

Watch God Work in His Ways

Ask God about His Purposes

Invite God to Work In Your Heart

Trust God to Fulfill His Plans