Elijah Was A Man Like Us!!

Indeed later on in life he was to do just that.

King Ahaziah, Ahab’s son sent two of his captains - each with their fifty men – to arrest Elijah and bring him to the king for execution (2 Kings 1. 8-12).

Elijah calls down fire from heaven and the captains and their men are consumed by fire

But at this time, when Jezebel threatens him, Elijah isn’t thinking rationally.

I believe he was too tired – and as such was vulnerable

And there are times when we are tired and we need to remember that it is then that we are at our most vulnerable.

No wonder Jesus used to take his disciples to a quiet place to pray –even in the heat of revival (Mk 6:30-31).

And Elijah didn’t have Jesus to advise him.

2. Secondly Elijah took his eyes off God and looked to himself for the answer

It is all too easy when crises come to suddenly look to human ways to deal with them.

Nowhere in the story do we read of Elijah asking God what he should do – he just runs.

Elijah’s reaction to Jerezel’s message was simply that of fear – the Scripture records “Elijah was afraid” (1 Ki 19 v3.)

I feel encouraged – because even great men like Elijah get it WRONG!!

He should have taken it to God in prayer but he didn’t.

He should have stood up to Jezebel but didn’t

3. Thirdly God knew that Elijah actually needed time off

Elijah fled for 40 days from Mt Carmel to Horeb where he finds a cave to hide in

I wonder what Elijah was thinking those 40 days on the run.

I expect he was buzzing with self pity (cf1Ki 19:10 and 14)

I think God used this time to allow Elijah to work his self pity out of his system and to find out who God really was.

It was when Elijah stopped running and reached the cave at Mt Horeb – that God was able to reach him

And when God speaks to him, you can almost hear Elijah’s self pity oozing out

“What are you doing here, Elijah? God asks him.

Elijah replies: I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty, The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars and put your prophets to the sword and I am the only one left.”

And God’s reply is very interesting.

He tells Elijah "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

But God wasn’t in the powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks

Nor was he in the wind nor the earthquake that followed, nor was he in the fire – but he was in the “gentle whisper” (v 12) .

Sometimes God is very gentle with us – as Jesus said a “bruised reed he will not break”

Again God asks him "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

And Elijah, - must have been an Anglican because he repeats him self word perfect.

“I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

Despite all that - God still has work for his trusty old prophet to do. He restores him refreshes him and gives him a fresh mandate.

And then God adds a post script: “And by the way Elijah there are another seven thousand in Israel who have not given in to Baal."