The followers of the cruel Queen
Jezebel are witnessing the mighty acts and miracles of God’s sovereign omnipotence. The altar has been built and then drowned in
the waters of a nearby dirty old river with water unfit for drinking.
The land is in drought. There hasn’t been any rain for months. The people are parched longing for a Savior
who will provide in the midst of their suffering. The followers of wicked Queen
Jezebel religion have danced, yelled, hurt themselves in some needless tribute
to a token god who is silent and does not hear their mimicking cries.
The altar is prepared for
worship. Digging a trench in hope and faith that the altar will contain the
sacrifice, Elijah prepares for a miracle.
Laying down the wood while kneeling, he is in anticipation for moment of
intervention. Water drenches and absorbs into the spores within the wood.
Loud mocking shouts are heard
from the competitors who are still waiting on an answer that will never be
heard by anyone else other than from their own efforts.
It appears that both sides
are at a standstill. But then Elijah
prays.
After six searches still no
rain. But in the seventh search something
new begins. In the distance clouds start forming and move to the syllables of
Elijah’s prayer who faithfully believes that God will be there to rescue and to
provide for them.
The grey highlighted stratus
clouds filling with moisture each in their mass, glide over the empty skies
containing each space of air. Their long
awaited vapor heralds the fresh scent of morning dew with a promise of hope.
The water falls from the
skies. It pours. It drenches.
It consumes. God lovingly answers Elijah’s obedient and faithful heart.
Queen Jezebel is
furious. God has outwitted her devious
schemes. Jezebel does not like to lose.
She runs to the mountains with her husband, King Ahab to protect themselves
from the downpour of the torrential rain.
God rewards Elijah’s hope by
strengthening and encouraging him. He is
so filled with the power of God’s spirit that he even runs faster that King
Ahab’s chariot on the way to the mountains.
Queen Jezebel cannot handle
the disturbing news. Her obnoxious rival
knicknamed the “Troubler of Israel” has usurped her again. In disgust, she
hears that Elijah’s has put to death her most trusted prophets of Baal. Determined, she looks at herself in the
mirror and makes an oath, “Elijah will not get away with this!”
Her vow promises that by the
next day he will be dead. On hearing
these words through the channel of whispers and threats, Elijah is
uncharacteristically scared.
God has just completed the
most awesome thing that Elijah has ever experienced in his life. But the idea that he might not have a
tomorrow at the hand of Jezebel fills him with absolute terror.
Elijah reacts as many of us
would in the same situation, he runs for the hills. He runs to Beersheba for in the distant
corners of Judah. He brings a young
faithful servant with him but in order to protect him, tells him to stay in the
city so that he will not be captured with Elijah and sent to his death.
Elijah in fear of his own
mortality, travels anxiously to the abandoned desert where the shunned or
feared get lost in the albatross of sand and heat. In desperation, he travels an entire day in
the scorching sun until he can go no further to be alone and die.
He sees a lone bush on the
horizon and collapses beside its thorns to give up his soul. He is done with hiding and running. He has reached his breaking point. If this is where his life will end, so be it.
Elijah screams in his
loneliness and anger back at God, “Enough God!
I’ve had enough! I can’t take it
anymore! I’m done with life! Just take my life! Let it be over!”
In his abandonment and
exhaustion of his emotions, he feels overwhelmed by his sorrow and fear. He succumbs to his tiredness and despair
falling asleep under his only companion, a dried out thorny bush in the desert.
A warming light invades his
shiftless sleep arousing his senses but he weakly ignores the call of the new
day. A hand takes him by the
shoulder. Absentmindedly, he feels some
comfort in his despair and loneliness.
The man standing before him commandingly shakes him awake. “Wake
up! Get up and eat!”
Elijah slowly opens his eyes
and attempts to focus on the Angel standing before him. God provides.
Right by his head, Elijah finds a fresh baked loaf of warm bread and a
jug of fresh cool water to quench his thirst.
He eats his meal with a satisfied stomach, but believing that his vision
of longing from exhaustion and the heat, falls back to sleep.
After a few hours, he feels
the same hand waking him from his restful slumber. As his eyes open in the glowing rays of
morning, he realizes that it is not a man but a messenger from God who stands
before him. Words tenderly fall on
Elijah’s ears, “Wake up! Eat
something. You have a long journey ahead
of you that God has prepared for you.”
More coherent this time,
Elijah refreshes himself with nourishment and drinks to satisfy his
thirst. He gathers his things together
and sets out to the place that God is leading him to.
His trip is long. It lasts for 40 days and 40 nights. Nearly six weeks of continuous travel. He walks all the way to Mount Horeb. This is the same mountain where Moses was
given the Ten Commandments. It is also known by the people as the Mountain of
Yahweh.
Finally reaching his
destiny, Elijah enters a nearby cave in the crest of the mountain and in his
fatigue rests within the stone walls of protection from the elements.
In the silent echoes of the
cave, Elijah hears a familiar voice call out to him by name and inquiring of
his chosen place of occupation, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
Elijah knows ‘Who’ is
speaking to him. He’s spoken to Him many
times before. But Elijah decides to resist honesty and starts with
excuses. “I’ve been working my heart out
for God” then feeling a little more guilty knowing that he IS speaking to God
continues “Well, God as you know, the people of Israel have abandoned Your
covenant”. He wants to remind God and to
give him an incentive to be on his side.
Both have been abandoned by the same people who just praised them a few
days ago.
Elijah continues his
monologue “They destroyed the places of worship! They even murdered all Your prophets!” He wants to remind God what has happened as
if God wasn’t already aware of the grievous circumstances that have already
taken place.
In despair he cries out to
the God who has been faithful to him many times before, “I’m the only one
left!! Now, they are trying to kill me!!”
God’s voice speaks again to
Elijah’s heart with some instruction but still without a reply to his desperate
anxiety. God orders, “Go.” Elijah is to leave this place. Secondly, God tells him specifically where he
is to go, “Stand on the mountain on attention to God”. He is to keep his focus on the God who is
before him. God is greater than
Elijah. God is greater than his circumstances. Thirdly, God explains what will happen. God will respond. God promises that he will
“pass by”. He will not leave Elijah alone
to fend for himself but promises to be with him.
As Elijah reaches the
mountain at the end of the sea, a hurricane current of wind rips through the
area crashing against the side of the mountain and splitting the rocks before
him crashing to the ground below in an awesome display of nature’s power. But God is not in the wind.
Menacing tremors rumble
beneath his feet shaking the ground and the entire environment around him. The compressed earth begins to separate
causing a deep cavern below the surface into unknown depths. But God is not in the earthquake.
Heat blazes in front of him
consuming all that his around him. The
magnitude of the fire is daunting. In a
celestial display of the flickering of lights and sounds of the whoosh of its
consumption, the fire brings everything into submission around it. But God is still not in the fire.
Elijah still stands where
God has placed him. He obediently waits for God to answer.
A gentle and quiet whisper
enters his heart. Elijah recognizes
God’s presence from the many times he has met with God before and eagerly waits
to hear His voice.
Elijah covers his face with
his cloak because he knows that God is coming near. God’s holiness will be known before him. In the sheer exposure of his soul, he knows
that God’s presence is holy and pure.
Elijah moves to the door of
the cave to the Word that God is revealing to him. The quiet voice asks with
the knowledge of familiarity, knowing everything about him, asks again “Well,
Elijah. Now tell me, what are you doing
here?”
Elijah decides to stick with
the same old story of excuses in an attempt to explain his discouragement and reaction
to his fear. “I’ve been working my heart out for God.” He then continues in an effort to get God on
his side and to push away some of his feelings of guilt for running away, “The
people have abandoned YOUR covenant.
They have destroyed YOUR places of worship. The people have murdered YOUR prophets”.
Again in a pleading voice of
desperation, “I’m the ONLY one left and they are now trying to KILL me!”
God listens. He hears and understands Elijah’s fear and
desperation. Again, God gives Elijah some
instructions.
“Go back”. Two words that do not bring much comfort,
then God speaks again. “Go the way you
came through the desert”. Not too
thrilled about this route either. “In Damascus, anoint Hazael. Make him king over Aram.”
Appointing a King in the
place of another? Running away was one thing, but this would be something that
would be sure to draw attention to one self with a most likely unhappy ending.
God continues with His
order, “Then go to another country, and anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as King
over Israel.”
God is not only requiring
one King but TWO kings to be anointed and displaced by others. A bit of
unpleasant notoriety is sure to happen.
But then God promises some
support in spiritual friendship, “Anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat from Abel
Meholah to succeed you as prophet.” God’s words speak of a future where Elijah
will no longer live.
Finally God offers a word of
protection, “Anyone who escapes death by Hazel will be killed Jehu. Further, anyone who escapes death by Jehu
will be killed by Elisha.”
God then offers a remnant
for the future, “I’m preserving for Myself 7,000 souls of those who have kept
themselves pure and not kneeled to worship the false gods of Baal. I will preserve those whose mouths have not kissed
his graven image”.
Immediately, not wasting any
time, Elijah heads straight out to find and meet Elisha whom he will
mentor. Elijah finds Elisha in a field
doing what he normally does. He is a rancher
taking care of his cattle and the fields.
Elisha works for a wealthy farmer with twenty-four oxen to pull
equipment for plowing. Elisha is one of
the managers being responsible for the 12th pair.
With the help of God, Elijah
recognizes Elisha has the one whom God has chosen. In an action to claim a
sense of God’s movement and anointing, Elijah places his cloak and as a symbol
of moving his power to another one, places it on Elisha’s shoulders.
In instant obedience, Elisha
deserts the oxen and runs after Elijah who has walked away from that moment and
moved on. Catching up with him, Elisha
exclaims “Let me say good-bye to my family and then I’ll follow you”.
Knowing that God has
prepared a destiny before them, Elijah thoughtfully responds, “Go ahead. But mind you in the meantime, don’t forget
what I’ve just done to you showing you that God has chosen you for His work”.
Elisha willingly obeys. His first reaction to offer all that belongs
to him and that offers any status as a sacrifice to be offered back to God
before his begins his ministry journey.
His family has an extravagant farewell meal. They know that Elisha will be going to places
where they have never been before because God has chosen him for other work to
do in His name.
Elisha obediently leaves to
follow Elijah. He becomes Elijah’s
right-hand man and has many adventures for God that lay before him.
Sometimes we find ourselves
in a difficult place. Life is out of our
control. Circumstances beyond our
ability to change overwhelm us. It
brings sorrow, anger, anxiety, fear, desperation. Life is not fair.
God has not left you. God is near to you. Your pain is felt. Your cries are heard. Your sorrow will be comforted.
God has a future and a
destiny for each of us. The unexpected
circumstances of life can feel insurmountable but God is faithful.
God knows your heart. He knows your thoughts and can feel your
anxiety. You are not alone. He is with
you.
Deuteronomy 30:3-5 gives us
some promises.
If you obey Him with your
WHOLE heart and soul according to everything that I command you today, God, YOUR
God, will restore everything you have lost.
He’ll have compassion on you.
He’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you
were scattered. No matter how far away
you end up, God, YOUR God, will get you out of there and bring you back to the
land your family once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a
GOOD life and make your more numerous than your ancestors.
God brings us hope for the
future. God is speaking to our hearts in
the gentle whisper of His voice despite the storms that surround us.
