Just had a wonderful conversation with our brother Kurtis about the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 through 19. Following is a slightly cleaned-up version of his thoughts. My comments are right-aligned.
I woke up at 5AM for who knows what reason, but i didnt go back to sleep. I just thought of Elijah and his “mission” and what the Lord thought of it.
Here’s Elijah, his heart is for setting Israel on the right track. That’s his prayer.
Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again. (1 Kings 18:37)
“…and If I included that in my prayer, I thought for sure God was saying, ‘Yes, I agree’”
Boom, no rain in Israel for 3 1/2 years, that is big. God is whisking him here and there all over the place protecting him, he eats food from ravens, awsome stuff.
Elijah thinkings, “God is doing something big!”
Then, he gets the “call”:
“Go, confront Ahab!“
“woohoo, here we go!!!”
And man, that showdown on the mountain, insane, just incredible.
Elijah freaking outruns a chariot in a rainstorm off the power of God, his heart is at its peak of praise and wonder and finds, to his utter dismay, that the kings heart has not turned.
“i have failed, i have failed!”
But what is God’s plan? I think Elijah did exactly what was required of him.
He eats one meal and goes to Mt. Horeb (I think Sinai) and waits there. The word of the Lord says, “Elijah, what are you doing here?’ “Well, everybody is dead. I’ve failed. I’m am all that is left”
The word of the Lord tells him to go outside and stand on the mountain in the presence of the lord
and Elijah is in a cave, and the next thing he knows wind is ripping the mountain to pieces, and then an awful earthquake (probably terrifying being in a cave during that), and then a fire sweeps over the mountain, all mighty things going before the Lord. Elijah hasn’t left the cave until he hears a small voice, and then he goes out before the Lord, and the Lord asks Him the same question, and Elijah gives the same answer.
I couldn’t sleep thinking about it!
God practically turns Elijah’s world upside down with the drought and the sacrifice and the super human speed and the typhoon and the meal that lasted 40 days and 40 nights and the God who’s presence rips a mountain to pieces with fierce wind, shakes it in a mighty earthquake, and burns it in fire, yet speaks in a small voice.
I sometimes don’t expect that. Only when God whispered–came down to us–did Elijah emerge from the cave.
In the midst of failure and flight, God gives Him a new mission: Go, anoint kings. They will kill the prophets of Baal, and if they escape then the other king will kill them, and if that king, then the prophet in your place, and look, not all have bowed to Baal. I have reserved 7,000, you are not alone.
So God here is really doing what he seems to often do: Going the extra mile to show, to everyone and to us, that he is right and just in his action.
The story maybe is about who He is.
I agree. He is longsuffering
I’ve never met God like i met Him today in that chapter. “He knows we are but flesh.”
4 Comments
i’m so glad you posted your thoughts on Elijah. i really enjoyed the biblestudy on Elijah. you guys should keep posting your thoughts on guys bible study so the girls can still participate.
I urge you to check out messianic judaism. There is a cool convention that I am aware of, UMJC. http://www.umjc.net/
Jason:
Here is what the UMJC says about Messianic Judaism:
“Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish congregations and congregation-like groupings committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant.”
Can you explain this “covenantal responsibility” for me?
My understanding of a Messianic Jew is a Jew who finds Jesus as the True Messiah, yet still continues following the same traditions… Much like the earlier believers in Acts.
However I have seen many sites that are actually just modern-day Judizers: “Yes, you don’t have to follow all these OT laws as a Christian, but…” and then spend the rest of the time talking about how you’ll be a better Christian because of it. Some even blatantly say that you must follow the Torah.
That’s not cool!
Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
–Sam
Sam,
I found your site through Sarah True. I wanted to comment on the Messianic Jew thing.
I have looked into a lot of it, and I hate to say it, it is religion only for the most part. I have read David Sterns (a Messianic Jew) commentary on the New Testament and loved it, but did see his Jewish bias.
Paul goes to great lengths to demonstrate our need for Jesus and not the Law (Galatians anyone?). In Romans I believe it is, he tells us the weak ones do not eat this or that, but the strong ones can have what they want. But we should not condemn one or the other. It is like the whole eating meat offered to idols. If you want to, eat the meat, if you do not want to, just do not eat it, do not make a big deal about it. (I remember some charismatic friends I had that would not eat the Harry Potter jelly beans. I liked them, and ate them, but I did not offer any to them, I mean hey, more for me, right?)
Anyway. I have found that there are Old Testament laws for a reason. They do help us live a better life. For instance, eating pig can cause health issues (high blood pressure, and an increase in toxins in the body) and of course washing our hands before meals is a good thing.
The Festivals in the OT have a great heart behind them, but I think the bigger picture is to remember to simply celebrate God and what He has done. Take a Sabbath and throw a party, after-all, its in the Bible.
So, I would not get too close to the Messianic Jewish movement as it can turn into a religion (that God hates), but do not be afraid to be open to spiritual disciplines that may be apart of the Torah.
I get the sense that God has given you wisdom, keep using it.
–Don–
(I often offer unsolicited advice)