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.
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!
