HOLY BOLDNESS REQUIRED

The prophet, Elijah, just pops up in the book of I Kings (chapter 17).  We are informed that he is from a village named Gilead [which was located just south of the Sea of Galilee on the eastern side of the Jordan River].

With no previous background provided, we are simply told that this prophet went directly to Ahab [king of Israel – the northern kingdom].

Essentially, Elijah delivered a threat to Ahab: “As surely as the LORD lives, no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it” (v.1).

Elijah is immediately told by the LORD: “Leave this place and go east and hide near the Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan River [Elijah would have been familiar with this place] (v.3).

Although this was a desolate place, it did have a water supply from a small stream.  This trip was apparently sudden because the LORD promised Elijah that there was water there and that He would cause the ravens to bring him food!  Yep! You read that right!  Verse 6 reports: “The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.”

Now the rest of the story is awesome, but we dare not move on without observing what has just taken place.

A relatively unknown prophet from a desolate region is instructed by God to go to the king of Israel and tell him that there will be no rain or dew in Israel without the command of the prophet. 

Now, verse 7 reports that eventually – while Elijah was in hiding – the stream dried up.  This was clearly a sign of the drought that God was imposing on the land of Israel!  Consequently, God sent Elijah to the village of Zeraphath to live with a widow who was facing her own personal crisis.  [More on that another time]. 

Israel has had a line of evil kings that sprung from the poor decisions of Jeroboam [whom God had hoped would be a strong and godly leader]. 

·         Jeroboam

·         Ahijah

·         Nadab

·         Baasha

·         Elah

·         Zimri

·         Omri

·         and finally Ahab

God is ready to rock the boat of this evil empire!  He apparently wants to get Ahab’s [and the Israelites’] attention!  He decided to use his prophet, Elijah, to accomplish this mission.  We know from the following chapters – as well as from James 5:17-18 – that it did not rain in Israel for over three years!

We can only imagine the suffering that this brought to the land!  It is likely that King Ahab sent out many soldiers to locate this flagrant prophet and bring him in for examination!  But, they couldn’t find him because God had hidden him!

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Now you can justify this away by saying that Elijah was a prophet.  But, in his age, a prophet was just a common person that God called for extraordinary purposes. 

But doesn’t that fit all of us? 

Last night, while waiting for the Cece Winan concert to begin, we sat eating and observing as the crowd slowly gathered around us. 

Suddenly, I turned to Debbie, but she wasn’t there.  That’s when I noticed her a few feet away talking to a man in front of us who was wearing a hoodie with the following words on the back of it: “My son is my Guardian Angel!”

Because of our own personal sensitivities regarding losing a son, my wife had gone to this man to inquire about his shirt.  He told her that he had lost his oldest son a while back.  And then he went on to report that they had also lost their youngest son a while ago. 

I watched as my wife had this man – with a long, straggly goatee (that I had joked about a few minutes earlier) - stand up.  She leaned over the chairs and enfolded him into her arms and prayed over him! 

Do you see why I love this woman so much? 

She’s obedient!  She’s responsive to God.

She recently learned of a man in Portugal who has faced a terrible trauma and is dealing with significant financial distress.  She talked to me about it expressing her desire to help him in a significant way.  She told me that she felt the Spirit leading her to do something beyond the way we might typically respond. 

Within days, she told me that she had manipulated things to acquire four hundred dollars to send to this man so that he would know that an American loved him enough to pray for him and send him some money! 

That’s HOLY BOLDNESS!  It’s also obedience! 

AND IT PLEASES GOD!  OH, HOW IT PLEASES GOD!

Lord of the Universe: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Many of us repent for not being obedient to Your leadings.

We have been stubborn children!

We think we can get along without obeying You – without responding to You.

Shame on us!

On some level, we know better. 

 

We have settled for comfortable Christianity!

We have come to believe that You don’t really expect much of us.

We have shaken off the command to “Go into all the world and make disciples.”

We are in and we’ve quit caring about those who aren’t!

 

Fortunately for us, You are willing to forgive us and give us a fresh slate!

We want to be effective followers!

We want to be courageous witnesses!

We want to be responsive listeners!

We want to be difference makers!

 

Only YOU can get us there!

We deliberately make ourselves soft in Your hands!

Take us and use us – FOR YOUR GLORY

And for the expansion of Your Kingdom!

Amen!