Elijah A Living Epistle of Jesus Christ Elijah A Living Epistle of Jesus Christ
Elijah was a man of the like passions with ourselves. Elijah was an human being like ourselves. He had weakness where we are weak . He was capable of failing where we would fail. But Elijah stood singled handed against idolatry and sin. And He turned a nation back to God. Elijah did it by using the resources that are within the reach of all of us. Elijah came from a very humble background. He grew up in Gilead , a wild rugged country of forests and mountain streams. The folks in that area lived in simple stone villages and subsisted by keeping flocks of sheep. These folks were wild, lawless , and unkempt. But we must not look to these things for the secret of Elijah's strength. This man, whom the Lord called to serve Him , was originally only a wild man at the best.
Faith made Elijah all he became. And faith will do as much for us, if only we can exercise our faith as he did , to claim the mighty promises of God. All these blessings are brought into the human hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given according to the measure of our faith. It is his faith in the Lord that enables Elijah to do exploits for God. By using your faith in the Lord Jesus , you can also do exploits for God. When you gave your heart to Christ , you inherit a great wealth - all the promises God gave you in His Word. These promises belong to you as a child of God. But you must claim them in faith. You must claim them in Christ's faith.
Whereby are given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) You must grow in the Lord so that your faith may become strong enough to subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, and defeat evil. Elijah's strength are within the reach of even the humblest child of God. There is nothing special in Elijah's life. His strength was not due to some special quality of the soul. This strength can be claimed by ordinary folks. Elijah's strength did not come from himself. His strength did not come from his surroundings . Elijah was from a humble background. And he had no special training. Elijah was a man of like passions with ourselves.He was very human like us. He was one of us. The source of Elijah's strength came from the Lord.
To Elijah , the Lord was very real. Elijah believed what he said, The Lord lives. And if we be strong in the Lord , we too must be able to say, The Lord lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ forever lives to make intercession for us. Because Christ lives, we shall also live. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.He was buried. And He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5) the person who believes that the Lord Jesus Christ lives , will have peace no matter how terrible the world might be. The Lord is here . The presence of the Lord is in his soul, in his heart, in his mind, and in his strength. The Lord is real to Elijah. The Lord lives. The Lord was the strength of Elijah's life. If the Lord was the strength of his life, of whom should he be afraid ? " Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit," says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6). Idolatry, fear, lust, greed, murders, adulteries are infesting the world at a rapid rate.Wars, corruptions, racial prejudices, discrimination, and evil cancers are eating away the world. Meanwhile what are God's people doing about it ? What can God's people do to help ? Many people are afraid to step forward for the Lord. Their excuse is that one person can not do much in such an ugly situation. But they are wrong. They can do something about it. They can start by being humble before the Lord. We can not help a dying world with might. We can not help a dying world with power. It is not by might nor by power; but by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is telling us that we will succeed not with might nor with our human strength , but with the Holy Spirit. The Lord can take ordinary things and touch them with His glory. When God does touch, the ordinary things become special. When God does touch, they become meaningful.The folks that the Lord has touch , are filled with life. These folks are even excited about doing the ordinary and mundane things. When God touches a person, this very person shall overflow with life. Elijah has a zest of life. There is a boldness about Elijah. Elijah is not proud. He is not arrogant. He is not puffed up with pride. Elijah was clear in what he believed. Folks could see that the love Elijah had for the Lord. Apostle Paul wrote,
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to
be the epistle of Christ ministered by us,
written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the
living God; not in tables of stone,
but in fleshy tables of the heart.
( 2Corinthians 3:3)
You show that you are a letter of the living
Lord God ,
written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human heart.
Clearly you are a letter from Christ .
The letter is written not with pen and ink ,
but with the Holy Spirit.
It is carved not in tablets of stone,
but in human heart.
You show that you are a letter from
the Lord Jesus Christ,
written not with computers but with the Holy Spirit
of the living God , not in computer tablets
but in tablets of human heart.
You are demonstrating that you are the
Messiah’s epistle ,
written not with ink but with
the Spirit of the living
God , not in tablets of stone , but in tablets
of human heart.
It is clear that you are Christ’s epistle.
You are a letter
written not with ink but with the Holy Spirit .
You are a letter written not in tablets of stones
but in human heart.
You are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ,
written not with ink , but with the Spirit of
the living of God, not in tablets of stones
but in fleshly tablets of the heart.
You are the living letter of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Your hearts are the substance which
God’s writing is made.
The Holy Spirit produces the love in your heart and the mark of love becomes the evident
to the world.
(1 Kings 16:29-34) In the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. And Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served the idol Baal, and worshiped him. And he reared up an altar for the idol Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. and Ahab made grove. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger all the kings of Israel that were before him. He laid the foundation at the cost of the life Abiram his first-born. And he set up gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua he son of Nun(Joshua 6:26) He meddled with the accursed city. He began to build , in defiance of the curse. But none fight against God ever prosper. The ungodly people will go to their dreadful end.
(1 Kings 17:1-7) And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel lives , before whom I stand , there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Go from here and turn east , and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is east of Jordan. And it shall be , that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there> The Lord gracefully prepares people to the work He has designed them for. The Holy Spirit knows how to fit people for these occasions. It was time for an Elijah . An Elijah was ready to do God's work, because God has prepared Elijah to do His work. Elijah let King Ahab know that God was displeased with the idol-worshippers and would punish them by their want of rain. God would withdraw His blessings from His chosen people if they continue in their idol-worshipping. The Lord commanded Elijah to hide himself. If the Lord calls us to solitude , we must go and serve Him in quietness. When we can not be useful for God, we must be patient with God. We must sit still and wait patiently and quietly for the Lord. The ravens were appointed to bring Elijah food, and did so. For with God nothing is impossible. For with God nothing shall be impossible(Luke 1:37) Elijah had to humble himself and learned to trust only in the Lord . Without the help of the Lord Elijah would have died in the wilderness. The Lord could have sent angels to serve Elijah ; the Lord chose to show that He could serve His will even by the meanest creatures such as the ravens. God is the Lord of all His creation. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening. And he drank of the brook. And after a while the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. The natural supply of water failed. But there is a river of God, which never runs dry. God's well of living water springs up eternal life. The Lord Jesus said, Whosoever drinks the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life(John 4:14). The things of the world will always fail. But the things of the Lord will not fail. The things of this world will end in death. But the things of God will forever lead to life.
(1 KINGS 17:8-24) And the word of the Lord came unto Elijah, Arise , get you to Zerephath, which belongs to Zidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you. So Elijah arose and went to Zarepheth. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks.And he called her , and said, Please fetch me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her , and said, Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. and she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel , and a little oil in a cruse. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it , and die. Elijah said unto her, Fear not ; go and do as you have said. But make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for you and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she , and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elijah. God uses the weak and the foolish things of the world to shame the proud and the mighty. God uses those folks who are despised by the world. The widow woman had noble qualities. She went to fetch the water without complaining. She was very hospitable and generous. She was willing to share her last little bit of food. The widow woman had faith in the Lord. She put her trust in the Lord to show her the right way. Trust the Lord with all your heart . Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do. And the He will show you the right way. If no ordinary means will suffice, we shall be sustained by a miracle of God. seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. The widow woman was a Gentile who lived in a Gentile city. Elijah was the first prophet of the Gentiles. Jezebel was Elijah's greatest enemy. See how powerless she was against the servant of the Lord. The Lord found for Elijah even in her own country , a hiding place. And it came to pass after these things , that the son of the widow woman , the mistress of the house, fell sick. And his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah. O you man of God ? Are you come unto me to call my sin to remembrance , and to slay my son ? And he said unto her, Give me your son And he took him out of her bosom , and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, have you also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son ? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray you , let this child's soul come into him again.And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah. And the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child , and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother. And Elijah said, See, your son lives. Those folks who are filled with the Holy Spirit carry with them everywhere the spirit of life. The spiritual folks will not only convince people of sin; but the spiritual folks will win new believers for Christ. Elijah was a meek and humble man He measured himself upon the child. How wonderful that such a great man should spent so much time and effort to save a small Gentile child. Elijah had perseverance because he had faith in the Lord to do the impossible. Elijah's prayer was directed by the Holy Spirit. The child revived. See the power of prayer .see the power of the Lord who hears prayers. Man ought to pray, and not to faint. Jesus said, He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he that receives a righteous man in the name of the righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you , he shall in no wise lose his reward. (Matt 10:42-43) And the widow woman said unto Elijah, By this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.
And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go . Show yourself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah , who was the governor of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly . For it was so when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land , unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks, peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went by himself one way. And Obadiah went another way by himself. You are not going to discover the things of God , if you are too busy in your activities and socializing in the churches. You are not going to discover the things of God , if you are continuing to be involved in your busy activities whether it is religious or worldly. Make sure there is no work of the flesh. Many people want to do something for God, but they are not ready. Their timing is wrong. They did not know God's will for them. They are acting in their own will. They rush forward by themselves. It is not God's will. They have not wait long enough for the Lord. And they get hurt. If they waited for the Lord, they would have avoided the disaster. Elijah waited patiently for the Lord. The Lord has Elijah hidden for three years before He sent him to challenge the false prophets. You are not going to hear the Lord in the king's busy court. You are not going to hear the Lord when you are a busy-body running around doing your own selfish will. We must be alone with God before we can know what the Lord is saying to our heart. you are not going to get anything done unless you are alone with God to hear what He is saying to you. There was the Obadiah plan. Obadiah was out looking for grass. This is the plan and program of men. Obadiah was relying on men. Obadiah was putting his trust inn men . He did not put his complete trust in the Lord. And Obadiah failed. The programs and plans of men always fail. If Obadiah had knew what was God's will, Obadiah would not be looking for grass. If Obadiah had knew what God wants , he would not be wasting his time looking for grass. Obadiah would be praying for rain, if he had knew what God wants. If Obadiah knew God's will , he would not be wasting his time looking for grass. This is the performance and plan of man. It does not bring the power of God. What we need is more folks like Elijah who knows the will of the Lord and who has the Spirit of the Lord. God wants to do something great with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There are so many people looking for useless performances , vain projects and human plans. They are trying to find something new to get to the people. There is no way that these human plans can ever get people to turn to God, no matter how noble they they may seem to be. Don't bow down to these useless human tactics. They will lead to failures. The grass in this world will never satisfy man's soul. It will come when we pray to the Lord for rain. And God sends the Holy Spirit. Man's soul will be satisfied only by the outpouring of God. Obadiah was so wrapped up trying to find a little grass to feed the live stocks. Obadiah was a man who fear God ; but he knew not the will of God because he tried to do things in his own human strength. he did not put his complete trust in the Lord. And he failed to get anything done. In this world there are many people like Obadiah. They tried to work out things in their own human strength without the help of God. And they sinned. They tried to introduce programs and human plans to the people. They try to bring the people t o a new patch of green grass. But the tiny patch of new grass will never satisfy the human soul. Instead of praying for the outpouring of the rain upon the world, Obadiah was trying to find a tiny patch of green grass. Even if he had found a tiny patch of grass, it would not be enough . It cost something to be an Elijah. Elijah loved the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength. Put back the Word of God into the altar of your soul. put back the word of God into the churches. Put back the Word of God into the world. It will demand great things of your life. It will mean you have to repair your altar. The word of your God must be brought to the altar. People can be so wrap up in programs and human plans that they forget about God. People can fall so deep in sin trying to be religious that they know not the Lord. A tiny new pasture and a little patch of grass is is always not enough. What we need is not a little patch of green grass. What we need is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people of the world. What we need is more brave folks like Elijah. We must get down in humility before the Lord. You must shut out all the noises and voices of the world and seek the Lord. There let the Lord speak to you. And as Obadiah was on his way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized Elijah. Elijah told Obadiah , Go tell your master the king that I am here Those folks who welcome the prophet get the prophet's reward. When the Lord calls, many people will miss the opportunity of a blessing. They are like Obadiah, who did not see the opportunity of God's blessing. Instead they will complain of danger like Obadiah, What have I done that you want to put me in danger of being killed by king Ahab ? Ahab had searched hard for Elijah in Israel and neighboring countries . He wanted badly to kill Elijah. Obadiah cared more about himself than about doing God's work. He was afraid to tell Ahab of Elijah. Obadiah was afraid that the Spirit of the Lord would carry Elijah away. He was afraid that the king would put him to death if the king could not find Elijah. Only when Elijah had promised to present himself before king Ahab , did Obediah went to Ahab and told him of Elijah. When Ahab saw Elijah ,he said, So there you are - the worst troublemaker in Israel Obediah was a good man. He did what he could to save the prophets of the Lord. We must not judge Obadiah too harshly for working for Ahab. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Are you called being a servant. Care for it. But if you may be made free, use it rather . For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the lord's free man. Likewise he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. You are brought with a price; be not you the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called , therein abide with God. (1Cornthians 7:20-24) Our loyalty to the Lord does not always involve leaving the service of men like Ahab. We are not servants of men. We are servants of Christ. Servants , obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men-pleasers ; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily , as to the Lord, not unto men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ. (Col 3:22-24) Whatever you do, do it joyfully , as to the Lord.
Ahab did not see the real cause for all the trouble that was in Israel. He blamed Elijah for all his troubles. Ahab was the reason for the disasters in Israel. Elijah told him, I have not troubled ; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forseken the commandments of the Lord, and you have follow Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. It was time for the real God to step out before the people and show His glory. so Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets of Baal together unto mount Carmel. and Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long have you between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Ahab was blind to the cuse of the trouble of Israel. Ahab was blind to the real cause of his troubles, attributing these troubles to any other source than his own sin and wickedness. Ahab and his household had caused Israel to sin because He had forsaken the commandments of the Lord. And he followed after the idol Baalim. ahab made groves. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings that were before him. When a person forsakes the Lord, he brings draught upon his life. Evil things gather around decay , as false prophets did in Israel. Elijah met Ahab and called the contest on Carmel. Many people wavered in their judgment. Elijah called upon them to determine the real God. Is the Lord the true God , the Creator, and the Governor of the world ?If the Lord is God, follow Him alone. If He is not, then follow Baalim. Then said Elijah unto the people, I even I only I , remain a prophet of the Lord ; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks. And let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood , and put no fire under. And call you on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord.And the God that answered by fire, let him be God. and the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And they took the bullock which was given to them. They dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying , "O Baal, hear us". But here was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to past at noon, that Elijah mocked them. Cry louder .If he is a god, maybe he is daydreaming or relieving himself or he's gone on a journey. Or maybe he is asleep. And you've got to wake him up. And they cried louder .And they cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, teill the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice , nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. the Lord never required His worshippers to honor him in the wicked manners of the idol-worshippers of Baal. The service of the devil are filled with envy, drunkenness, lusts, and corruption. The Lord wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Christ is the way , the truth, and the life. The Holy spirit fills us with life. It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says our Lord God (Zechariah 4:6) Elijah knew that the altar of Baal would remain smokeless. The false prophets could only make noise like many false Christians. Elijah was sure that the Lord was God. Elijah was sure that the Lord would answer his faith by fire. And Elijah said unto the people , Come near unto me And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones , according to the number of the tribes of the sons of jacob , unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Elijah built them together so that the twelve stood as one. This is a symbol of unity of the ideal Israel in the sight of the Lord. The body of Christ is not a visible corporate body. The church , the body of Christ, consists of all faithful believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit, holding up Christ as their head. Elijah wanted the people to be faithful to the Lord. And Elijah made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood,and said, Fill four barrels with water , and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time And they did it the third time. Elijah wanted God's answer of fire to be beyond dispute.Elijah wanted to give the Lord all the glory. Elijah wanted to say, The Lord did it. The Lord is God. Therefore Elijah invited the close scrutiny of the people.Make sure that there was no mistake about the miracle of the Lord. Make sure there is no work of the flesh. Elijah knew it. elijah made sure that the people won't reason away the miracle. That was the purpose that Elijah wanted the altar to be soak .The altar was soak with water three times. Elijah wanted the altar to be soak with water before the fire of the Lord touch it. Elijah wanted it to be clear that the fire came from the Lord. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that elijah the prophet came near , and said, lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done these things at your word. O hear me, O Lord , hear me, that this people may know that you are the Lord God, and that you have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when the people saw it , they fell on their faces. And they said, The Lord . He is the God. The Lord . He the God. And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets. Let not one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. Before the rain of God will fall , Elijah had to bring down the fire of God upon the altar of God. The repaired altar was an emblem of the united people. Once He recognizes the unity of His people, the Lord will answerby fire to express His acceptance of their sacrifice. We are all united in Christ. And God has accepted Christ as the one and only sacrifice. And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain>so Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And he cast himself down upon the earth , and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant,
Go up now, look toward the sea And the servant went up, and look, and said, This is nothing Elijah prayed earnestly. Six times Elijah received a discouraging report. Most people would have stopped at the third or fourth time. And nearly all would have stopped by the fifth time. Not so with Elijah. Elijah had faith in his Lord. Elijah refused to give up. Elijah kept on praying. Elijah refused to be discouraged, even with seeming failure. Not until Elijah had prayed the seventh time was he rewarded by the Lord. God does not answer cold and half-effort prayers.Pray to the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And Elijah said to his servant seventh time, Go again And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold , there arise a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab . Prepare your chariot, and get down , that the rain stop you not.And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. We must be humble before the Lord before He would answer our prayers. Our lives must be free from evil, before we can expect rain of blessings from the Lord.
1 kING 19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain all the prophets of Baal with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do unto me , and more also, if I make not your life one of them tomorrow this time.And when Elijah saw that, he arose and went for his life. And he came to Beerseba, which belong to Judah, and left his servant there. As long as Elijah looked to the Lord for his strength, he was strong. But when he looked at Jezebel's threat, he lost faith and became afraid. elijah was a man of like passion with ourselves. He had the same weakness where we are weak. He was capable of failing where we could fail. Elijah was just as human as we are, But he himself went a day's journey into the widerness , and came and sat don under a juniper tree. And he requested for himself that he might die, and said It is enough . Now O Lord , take my life, for I am not better than my fathers The Lord had left Elijah to himself. Without the miracle powers of the Lord, would Elijah still have faith in the Lord ? The Lord wanted to humble Elijah. The Lord wanted Elijah to trust in Him, and not on His gift of miracle powers. Elijah realized that he was not better than his fathers and the ordinary folks. Elijah had failed because he was afraid. Fear is a sin. Fear means a person does not have faith in the Lord. And as he lay and slept under the juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him,
Arise and eat. And he looked . And behold. there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink , and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you. And he arose , and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. Elijah's failure brought disgrace to Elijah's reputation. His failure struck fear , panic, and discouragement in the heart of his people. Elijah felt so badly that he wanted to die. But the Lord's thought is not as man's thought.The Lord knew all the storms of disappointment and broken hope that were torturing that noble spirit. The Lord did not love him less than hen he stood so bravely against the prophets of Baal. The Lord still loved Elijah. His love healed and restored His servant's soul to its former health and joy. Don't be discourage, if you have failed. You may have failed , as Elijah did, where everyone expected you to stand. You feel ashamed and wanted to hide. You feel forsaken by everyone. Man may forake you , but the Lord has not forsaken you. The Lord still loves you, and wants to restore you to health and joy. There Elijah went into a cave to spent the night. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, What are you doing here ? And Elijah said, I have been jealous for the Lord of hosts ; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown sown your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword. And I,even I only , am left . And they seek my life , to take it away. And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold , the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a small still voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out , and stood in the entering in the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What are you doing here ? At the time , elijah was still too proud to his mistakes.He was too puffed up in himself to see reality and the truth. Twice he told the Lord that he was the only prophet that was left in Israel. Elijah did not give a direct reply. Elijah did not confess his sin. Elijah had left his post where the Lord had placed him. He had been disobedient to God. Elijah would have done well if he had asked the Lord for mercy for his sin. Elijah's excuse for his cowardice and his neglect of duty was not good. The Lord said unto him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you come , anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmebolah shall you anoint to be prophet in your place. And it came to pass, that him that escapes the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay. And him that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel , all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. The Lord works miracles. The Lord knows what He designs us for, even though we do not know ourselves. The Lord knows what trials are before us to do. The Lord will take care of us. Fear not . The grace of God is sufficient. The Lord gave Elijah another chance. The Lord is giving you another chance. Go. Return. Go. Return to your post that the Lord has appointed you to. So Elijah departed from there. He found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he drove them. And Elijah passed him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left trhe oxen , and ran after Elijah , and said, let me , please, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And Elisha took his team of oxen and slew them.He cooked them ,using the yoke as fuel for fire.He gave the meat to the people , and they ate it. Then he went and followed Elijah as his helper. Elijah found Elisha , by the direction of the Lord, not in the school of prophets, but in the field.An honest calling in the world of labor, did not put Elisha out of the way of his heavenly calling. The Lord calls us to live. The Lord wants to give us a life of joy. The Holy Spirit had touched Elisha's heart. Elisha was determined to give his life to God's service. Elisha burned his bridges behind him , sacrificing his oxen and the instruments of the oxen. He burned the yoke and killed the oxen. It would be very difficult for him to go back to farming again. Elisha cheerfully left all to serve the Lord. Jesus said, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's , but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark10:29-30) Elisha left all to serve the Lord , but he received more than he had renounced.
Ahab was coveting Naboth's vineyard. The more the wicked person has , the more he desires.Ahab who possessed a kingdom was heavy in heart because he wanted Naboth's vinyard. Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me that I should give the in heritance of my fathers unto you (Lev 25:28). And Ahab came into his house displeased because of the word of Naboth. And he laid down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would not eat bread. And Jezebel his wife told him to be merry because she will give him the vineyard of Naboth. And she murdered Naboth by having him stoned to death. And Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise . Take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jereelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive , but dead. And it came to pass , when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the viveyard of Naboth to take possession of it. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, Arise.Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. He is is in the viveyard of Naboth, which he has gone to possess.Say unto him,thus says the Lord. Have you killed and also taken possession ? And you shall speak unto him, saying, Thus says the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood, even yours. And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O mine enemy ? Elijah was not his enemy. Elijah was his friend. Jezebel was his real enemy because it was her that made him sinned. And Elijah answered, I have found you , because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold , I will bring evil upon you, and will take awasy your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith you have provaoked me to anger, and made Israel sin. And of Jezabel also spoke the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that died of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dies in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab , who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass , when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his clothes , and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and went softly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite,saying, You see how Ahab humbles himself before me. I will not bring evil in his days; but in his son's day will I bring evil upon his house.ELIJAH AND KING AHAZIAH
Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And king Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria. And he was sick . He sent messengers .And He told them to inquire of Baalzebub the idol of Ekron whether he would recover of thise disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tshbite, Arise. Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. Say to them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from that bed on which you are gone up, but shall surely die. The king did not like what he had heard about his fate. And the king sent a captain with fifty men to get Elijah And he went up to him. And behold Elijah sat on the top of the hill. And he spoke to him. You man of God. The king orders you to come down. Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, if I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven , and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire from heaven , and consumed the captain and his fifty soldiers. Man can not fight against God. Those people that fight against the will of God and God , will be destroyed. Again also the king sent another captain with fifty men to get Elijah . And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed them. Again the king sent a captain with fifty men to get Elijah. The third captain went up, and fell on his knees before Elijah . He besought him, and said to Elijah, O man of God , please , let my life, and the lives of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight. The other soldiers were consumed by the Lord's fire. The third captain was a believer and knew the power of the Lord. He begged for mercy. The angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him. Be not afraid of him. And he arose , and went down with him to the king. And Elijah said to the king, Forasmuch as you have sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub the god of ekron, it is not because there is no God in Israel to inquire His word ? Therefore you shall not come down off that bed on which you are gone up, but will surely die. So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Our Saviour's mission is not to destroy but to save. The fire of the Holy Spirit burns and destroys not souls but sin.A CHARIOT OF FIRE
(2king2) And it came to pass , when the Lord would take Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, now stay here. The Lord has sent me to Bethel. and Elisha said unto him, As the Lord lives , and as your soul lives , I will not leave you So they went to Bethel.And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said to him, Do you know the Lord will take your master from you today ? He said, I know it. Hold your peace. Then elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here. The Lord has sent me to Jericho. And Elisha said,As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And the sons of the prophets that were in Jericho came to Elisha , and said to him, Know you that the Lord will take away your master from you today? And he said, Yea, I know it. Don't talk about it. And Elijah sid to him, Please stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And Elisha said, As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. Elijah gave many chances for Elisha to stay behind, if he wished. Many times when the Lord takes a person from this world , it involves the death of this person. Elisha gave all to the Lord, even his very life. If the Lord wanted his life , Elisha would have gave it to the Lord. Elisha's determination showed the quality of his soul. Elisha dared to persevere with undeviating faith until he was filled with the Spirit of God. And the fifty mn of the sons of the prophets went , and stood to view afar of.And Elisha and Elijah stood by the Jordan River. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together , and smote the waters. And they divided this way and that way, so that the two servants of God went over on dry ground. And it came to pass , when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you And Elisha said, Please ,let a double portion of your spirit be upon me And he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless , if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you. But if not , it shall not be so And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked , that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire , and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father. My father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof> And he saw him no more. and he took hold of his own clothes , and rent them in two pieces. Elisha took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back . And He stood by the bank of Jordan. And Elisha took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters. And when he had smitten the waters, they parted here and there.And Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha. The double portion that Elisha asked for was the heritage (the birthright) of the eldest son and heir. To receive the double portion of spirit, Elisha must have the faith to claim it. God can take ordinary folks and touch them with his glory. When the Lord does touch common things , they become meaningful. The folks that God has touched are filled with life. These folks are even excited about doing ordinary and mundane things. When the Lord touches an ordinary person, this very person shall overflow with life. When you look at the disciples whom the Lord has chosen. They were common and ordinary folks. Look at the New Testament believers. They all had a zest for life. There was aboldness about Peter, Stephen and Paul. They were not puffed up with pride. They were not arrogant. They boasted not of themselves. They boasted only of the Lord. When Stephen preached , the people were cut to the heart. They were moved by the Holy Spirit. When paul witnessed the Lord, the people trembled. The Holy Spirit was working through Paul to win the folks for Christ. These people were so dynamic that when other people saw them, they would say, We want that. The fire of the Holy Spirit burnt in the soul of the believers. It is not by might , nor by power but by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can help you live when the going is rough. The men of God abandon themselves to the Holy Spirit. They are ordinary folks like us. Let the fire of God burn in your soul. The fire of God ws ever burning in the altar of Elijah's soul. The fire never went out . Elijah maintained the glow of God to the very end. God sent the hottest thing in heaven (a chariot of fire) to the hottest man on earth to stop him from cooling down on his way going to heaven. Let the fire of God burn in our soul. When it come to serve the Lord, the fire of God will burn with such mighty power that we are joyful in loving our neighbors as ourselves. The fire will burn in the altar of my soul so that when the holy Spirit challenges me to do something for the Lord, I will not roll over and play dead. The fire of God will burn in me to give the extra energy to love others, even my enemies. God, help us , that we will never cool down. The fire of God burns within the believers. O Lord. Send your fire of glory. Let your fire burn brightly in the darkness of the world. Lord , bless us with the fire of love, the fire of your compassion, the fire of your meekness, the fire of your joy, the fire of your forgiveness and mercy, the fire of your self-control, the fire of your righteousness, the fire of your humbleness, the fire of your tolerance, the fire of your faith, the fire of your hope...
----------------------------------------- Title: ELIJAH A LIVING EPISTLE OF JESUS CHRIST ISBN 13 : 978-1-928153-23-8(HTML) Author: Anthony Ing Publication Year: 2017