Elijah Did, and We Can too! (Bible Character Study)
The Bible is filled with hero’s of the faith. The first time I can remember internalizing what a hero even is, was when I was young. As a young boy I loved anything and everything superhero related. In a way, we never really grow out of our love for superhero’s. Spider-Man, Batman, the power rangers, the ninja turtles-the obsession in our world over these characters has never really slowed down. Comic books, movies, toys, collectibles..the world keeps on buying these things because we are fond of superhero’s.
Now, I am the kind of person who asks a lot of questions. I am always trying to dig and find the deeper meaning to everything. Because of my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, this can be quite exhausting at times. Sometimes this quest for deeper meaning comes up empty. Sometimes, there is no deeper meaning. Let’s say I order a Big Mac from McDonald’s. I love Big Macs. I just do. But if I try and dig deeper and find begin to question “WHY do I love Big Macs?”.. I will likely come up empty. Sometimes the answer really is as simple as “I just do.”
But this isn’t the case with everything. This certainly is not the case with superhero’s. People love superhero’s, and I think there is something deeper going on. I don’t believe the obsession for superhero’s can be summed up as “We just like them because we do.” So what is going deep within us?
In my opinion, superhero’s seem to feed that inner desire most of us have to see justice, good prevail over evil, and the innocent protected. The desire to see these things is natural. We watch in amazement as superhero’s fulfill these natural desires in very unnatural ways. That is what makes them so special to us. We watch them make an impact on the world in ways we can’t. We watch superhero’s do amazing things that we just can’t do. We feel as if there is a major difference between us and them. Nobody is going to confuse me with Spiderman, or Batman. The only thing I have in common with the Ninja Turtles is our enthusiasm for pizza. They have powers and abilities that I do not have, so there is a major separation between them and me. However, Elijah in the Bible is a bit of a different story.
How does the story of Elijah relate to us?
Elijah was a hero, but he wasn’t a super hero. He did not have some kind of superpower that put him on some elite level of his own. Elijah had access to the same superpower that we do… that being an all powerful, sovereign,God. He was just a regular person like you and I.
James 5:17-18
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Elijah had a nature just like us. We live thousands of years apart, we exist within vastly different cultures, and yet we are knit together in the grand story of God. When some movie star, pro athlete, or musician humbly says “I’m just like you. I put my pants on one leg at a time.” They are simply showing that they are not some superhuman. That’s what the Bible is saying here about Elijah. He was a human just like us, and I want to help you see why that matters in your life.
Elijah prayed, and we can too
1 Kings 17:1-7
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him:3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
Elijah was able to change the weather. Ultimately, this was God doing His will, but He allowed Elijah to play a role in His will being accomplished. Now what’s amazing about this situation is not that Elijah turned the keys of the clouds with his prayers…
It’s not really amazing that he stopped the rain for years,
because we know that was only by God. The real amazement comes when we understand and appreciate prayer as the blessing it truly is. Prayer is amazing.
Psalm 34:4-7
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lordheard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
God hears us when we cry out to Him. Sometimes I feel that this truth loses its strength . Sometimes I feel like we forget who we are.
I want all my prayers answered. I want that job, bill paid, child to get better, or that vehicle to last just a little longer… But truthfully,
why would God listen to me?
Why would He even pause for one moment to hear me out? I’m a sinner. I mess up constantly. Yet, He loves me. Not only does He listen to my prayers, but many times over He answers them to my benefit!
You see, we all have a desire to be seen and heard. We often seek to fulfill this in unhealthy ways. For some of us., we just need validation from others that we exist, are seen, and that our voices are heard. However, that attention from others, even though it has some value, pales in comparison to the reality that the God of the universe loves, sees, knows, and hears us better than anyone ever could.
Not only is prayer a blessing on a personal level, but prayer allows us, as Elijah did with the weather, to truly alter the world around us.
James 5:13-18
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
All around us, we have people who are suffering, or sick. People all around us are are affected by their own sin, or the sin of someone else. Just as Elijah arrived on the scene and turned the world upside down with his prayer, we can too!
Sadly, I fear that many of us don’t spend as much time in prayer as we should.
We need to understand the blessing It is to cry out to God not only for ourselves, but also for those around us. God heard Elijah, and He hears us through our humility and through our desperate cries to God. We can play a part and altering the world around us. This role that we are blessed to participate in can have life-altering and eternity- altering results! Our prayer life can be the means that God ushers in peace for us and those around us.
One of my all-time favorite hymns goes like this:
“Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o'ershadow'd with blackness,
No shelter or help is nigh;
"Carest thou not that we perish?"
How canst thou lie asleep,
When each moment so madly is threat'ning,
A grave in the angry deep?
The winds and the waves shall obey my will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons, or men, or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey my will,
Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey my will,
Peace, peace, be still!”
Brother… Sister… That is the God we pray to! He is Lord over the sea, storm, sky, demons, men…all of it. Elijah prayed to God and made an impact on this world, and we can too!
2.Elijah confronted wickedness, and we can too
1 Kings 18:1
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.”
Now God is telling Elijah to go show himself to King Ahab. At this point, Elijah is basically like that old show, “America’s most wanted”. I can picture signs with Elijah’s face in old western font: “Wanted: Elijah the prophet- dead or alive”
Elijah is being told to do something scary. He is the reason it hasn’t rained for three years, and now he is coming out of hiding to present himself to an extremely ungodly king who is convinced that he is the problem. King Ahab has been searching for Elijah with all his might. He makes nations swear that they haven’t seen him. Ahab is not looking for Elijah to humble himself, repent, and ask Elijah to pray to God on his behalf…him and his wife Jezebel are some of the most blatantly wicked people you find in the Bible. However, Elijah does what he’s told. He goes and meets a rehab and look at this interaction
1 Kings 18:17-18
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.
Elijah calls the King out straight to his face:
“Excuse me oh King, but I’m not the problem here.. you are!”
Elijah confronts the Baal worship. He calls out the evil of worshiping false gods instead of the one true God. Ahab needed to know that his idolatry was wicked, and only the true God has the power to alter the weather.
We may find ourselves in situations where there is a desire to remain quiet. Perhaps our status, reputation,well-being or even our lives are on the line..but there may be a time that God calls you to stand for what’s right. Elijah did, and with God‘s help we can too.
1 Kings 18:19-29
19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.” 20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Elijah initiated this showdown. Elijah was determined to show King Ahab and the prophets of Baal that who they worship is a fak god.
We may have times in our life that we need to tell someone that what they believe is false.
Now, perhaps we can have a more gentle approach than Elijah here, but he certainly isn’t wrong about the content. He’s confronting them with the truth. “Hey, y’all are cutting yourselves and calling out to your precious Baal… but where is he?!”
Just as Elijah did, we may need to wake someone up from their false worship of other gods someday. We should love people enough to tell them the truth. Their sincere belief in something that is false won’t save them.
1 Kings 18:30-40
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lordcame, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 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 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that 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 hearts back.” 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 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
They came to the right conclusion, however, it was too late. There’s an old saying that says this:
“I’d rather offend you to heaven than flatter you to hell”
Elijah confronted evil, and we can too. Not only is it a good thing to show others how detrimental sin is, and how it destroys them… It is good to truthfully show someone how their false religion is destroying them as well. We must confront the evil that exists around us.
Some are doing sin actions that are destroying themselves, some simply believe false things that their religion teaches. The result is the same: destruction.
Every person who teaches that sinful actions are OK, and every person who teaches a religion contrary to the precious gospel, must be confronted.
3. Elijah failed, and we can too!
1 Kings 18:41-46
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Happy ending right? At this point, Elijah has done some amazing things. He stopped the rain for three years, prayed and made it rain again. He got rid of the profit of bail and he showed Ahab who the true God really is… We can end the story with Elijah being on a spiritual mountain top And it would close out quite nicely that may be how the superhero stories end, but that is not always how life turns out real life is a constant rise and fall of winds and losses of mountain top moments in Valley moments, Elijah goes from success to failure a spiritual high to a spiritual low.
1 Kings 19:1-4
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 more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Even after all the success, Elijah has had he now requests that God would just take his life success… Success… Success… Fail you see friend just as we can experience the same types of victories that Elijah had we can also experience the same type of failures. We are all human we all have the same nature nobody is a superhero. Elijah saw with his own eyes. God do amazing things and yet he still had this low moment. It just goes to show that past victories and successes. Don’t always shield us from future Failures. We all need God‘s grace day by day. Every single day is a new battle that we need God to carry us through now that we have established the fact that we will certainly fail at times as Elijah did. I’d like to offer some hope DL Moody in his book men of the Bible says this… A man who has failed once is always afraid he will fail again. He loses confidence in himself, it is a good thing to lose confidence in ourselves in order to gain confidence and God.”
1 Kings 19:5-8
5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
God allows, Elijah to sit in his sadness for a bit. He allows him to just exist in the season of life for a while, but all the wild, he watches over like a loving father providing for him he kindly instruct him. Hey Elijah fuel up you’re going to need your strength for the journey ahead. Elijah thought his story was over, but God reminded him that he gets to decide when our story is over. Elijah had a great failure, but God still had to work for him to do. There are people reading this who have failed time and time again some of these failures can sometimes leave us with consequences that can never be changed, but if you are alive and breathing today, God is not finished with you. He can still use you even with your failures you still have a journey ahead!
Conclusion
The same God who did amazing things, and Elijah‘s life is doing amazing things in our lives. He heard the prayers of Elijah and incredible things happened. He hears our voices and incredible things happen around us all the time he gave Elijah the courage to confront wickedness and he can help us do the same. He picked Elijah up when Elijah needed him and he can do the same for us. Elijah is a hero, no doubt about that but he was in a superhero. He had no supernatural ability. All of you have the same access to the power that made Elijah great with God‘s help we can truly make a difference in this world around us with God‘s help we can accomplish all those positive things we see the superheroes do in the movies and in the comic books Elijah did… And we can too.
Super heroes accomplish this natural desire in very unnatural ways. They are special
We watch in amazement. We could never make an impact like them
I don’t have super powers. Ninja turtles and pizza
Elijah was different. He didn’t have some super power that put him in some unnatural league of his own. The Bible actually says the opposite.
James 5:17-18
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Had a nature just like us
Thousands of years apart, different cultures, all of us knitting together God's story
“I put my pants on one leg at a time”
The point of this is to encourage you in the fact that Elijah is like us
Elijah prayed, and we can too.
1 kings 17:1-7
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him:3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
Elijah was able to change the weather. Ultimately, this was God doing his will, but he allowed Elijah to play a role in his will being accomplished
What’s amazing is not necessarily the weather changing at Elijah’s request.. it’s God listening to Elijah’s request
Real amazement is understanding how much of a blessing prayer is
Psalm 34:4-7
4
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
God really hears us. Sometimes this truth can be taken for granted
Sometimes we forget who we are and who He is
I want all my prayers answered. Job, car to keep running, kids to get better
But why would He listen to a sinner like me? Why would he pause for one moment and listen ? Grace. Undeserved favor
Not only does He listen to my prayers but many times over He answers them to my benefit!
We all have a desire to be seen and be heard . We sometimes seek to fulfill this in unhealthy ways
We just need validation from others that we exist that we are seen, and our voices are heard
Regardless.. the God of the universe loves us, sees us, knows us and hears us far better than anyone ever could.
Not only is prayer a blessing on a personal level, but prayer allows us, as Elijah did with the weather, to truly alter the world around us.
James 5:13-18
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
All around us people are hurting/ suffering
Sick people all around. Affected by their own sin or the sin of someone else
Elijah turned the world upside down with his prayer and we can too
I fear that many of us don’t spend as much time in prayer as we should. We need to understand the blessing
We GET to cry out to God for ourselves and those around us. Our prayers can be the means of God providing peace in a time of chaos
Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o'ershadow'd with blackness,
No shelter or help is nigh;
"Carest thou not that we perish?"
How canst thou lie asleep,
When each moment so madly is threat'ning,
A grave in the angry deep?Chorus:
The winds and the waves shall obey my will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons, or men, or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey my will,
Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey my will,
Peace, peace, be still!
THAT is the God we pray to. He is Lord over the sea, the storm, the sky, demons, men, everything ! Elijah prayed to God, made an impact on this world, And we can too!
2. Elijah confronted wickedness, and we can too
1 kings 18:1
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.”
“America’s most wanted” I’m sure they had his picture posted all over saying “wanted: dead or alive”
Elijah is being told to do something scary. Elijah is the reason it hasn’t rained for three years and now he is coming out of hiding to present himself to an extremely ungodly King, who is convinced that Elijah is the problem.
King Ahab has been searching for Elijah with all his. Might. He makes nation, swear that they haven’t seen him King.
Ahab is not looking for Elijah to humble himself, repent, or ask Elijah to pray to God on his behalf
Ahab/ Jezzabell are some of the most blatantly wicked people you find in the Bible. Ahab wants to make Elijah pay for what he’s done.
And yet Elijah does what he’s told. He goes and meets Ahab
1 kings 18:17-18
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.
Elijah calls the King out straight to his face. “Excuse me. Oh King, but I’m not the problem here,You are!”
Elijah confronts the Baal worship
He confronts the evil of worshiping false gods instead of the one true God
They needed to know that his worship and trust in his dollar- tree knock off god was wicked, and that only the true God has power to alter the weather.
We may find ourselves in situations where there is a desire to remain quiet, because it’s often easier
But there will likely be times we get an opportunity to stand up against wickedness around us
1 kings 18:19-29
19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Elijah initiates the showdown. Elijah is going to show King, Ahab, and the profits of bail that what they worship is false
We may have times in our life where we need to tell someone that what they believe is false
Perhaps we can have a more gentle approach than Elijah has here, but it’s still pretty funny
He’s trying to wake them up and show them that they are believing in a false God, who cannot help them
“HEY. Yall are cutting yourselves and calling out to Baal.. where is he ?”
Just as Elijah did, we may need to wake up someone up, or push back against their false religion. We should love people enough to tell them the truth.
“Let them worship their own way” “sure it’s false religion but they are sincere and happy”
1 Kings 18:30-40
30-35 Elijah sets up the alter and has then soaks it with water* -Blake’s paraphrase
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that 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 hearts back.” 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 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
Ahab confronted with the truth, he couldn’t deny that the LORD is the true God
The false profits of Baal came to the right conclusion however it was too late.
No we aren’t in a position as NT believers to round up false prophets.. the OT was different times
However we don’t want to be too soft in the name of love. Jesus was extremely offensive to people .. and loving at the same time
Sometimes we need to confront others with truth, and be bold. We can do this without being a jerk, like pastor Mike often says
There’s an old saying that says I’d rather offend you to heaven than flatter you to hell
We must confront the sin, that’s destroying people
We must also correct them when their beliefs are contrary God
God can help us have the courage to do it, AND do it in a way that’s honoring to Him
3. Elijah failed, and we can too
1 kings 18:41-46
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Happy ending right?
Elijah has done some amazing things. He stopped the rain for three years, prayed and made it rain again. He got rid of the profits of bail. He showed Ahab who the true God really is. So, we could just end this with Elijah being on a spiritual mountain top and it would close out the story quite nicely!
That may be how the superhero stories end, but that is not always how life turns out. Real life is a constant rise and fall, an onslaught of wins and losses. Elijah goes from success to failure, and spiritual high to spiritual low.
1 kings 19:1-4
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 more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Even after all the success Elijah has had, he requested that God would just take his life. Just as we can experience the same types of victories that Elijah had, we can also experience the same type of failures. We are all human. We have the same nature.
Elijah saw with his own eyes God do amazing things, and yet he still had a low moment. It just goes to show that past victories and successes don't always shield us from future failures.
We all need God‘s grace day by day. Every single day is a new battle that we need God to carry us through. We will certainly fail at times as Elijah did, but I’d like to offer some hope. DL moody says this in his book titled “men of the Bible”
“A man who has failed once is always afraid he will fail again. He loses confidence in himself. It is a good thing to lose confidence in ourselves in order to gain confidence in God.”
1 kings 19:5-8
5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
God allows Elijah to sit in his sadness for a bit. He allows him to just exist in this season of life for a while. All the while He watches over like a loving father-providing for him. He then kindly instructs him “hey Elijah,now that you're fueled up, you’re going to need your strength for the journey ahead. Let’s go.”
Elijah thought his story was over.
He even wanted it to be over, but God reminded him that HE is the one who gets to decide when our story is over. Elijah had a great failure, but God still had to work for him to do. We all fail. Some failures have lifelong consequences, but if you are alive and breathing today, God is not finished with you. He can still use you even with your failures.
God can pick you up and put you back on your feet. You still have a journey ahead of you. the same God who did amazing things in Elijah‘s life is doing amazing things in our lives.
Conclusion
God heard the prayers of Elijah and incredible things happened. He hears our voices and incredible things happen around us all the time . Prayer is a blessing.
He gave Elijah the courage to confront wickedness and he can help us do the same.
He picked Elijah up when Elijah needed him and He can do the same for us.
Elijah is a hero, no doubt about that.. but he wasn’t a superhero.
He had no supernatural ability or superpowers.
He had nothing that makes him beyond our reach. All of you have the same access to the power that made Elijah great. With God‘s help we can truly make a difference in the world around us .
With God‘s help, we can accomplish all those positive things we see the superheroes doing in the movies and in the comic books
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made
available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not
be translated in whole or in part into any other language
