Where is the God of Elijah?
Elisha was called by Elijah from what appears to have been a fairly affluent home 1Ki 19:19. He followed Elijah faithfully and humbly to the last. He had a firsthand view of Elijah’s later miracles and no doubt he heard graphic descriptions of the earlier ones. Now Elijah was gone. There was nobody left to oppose the growth of Baal worship, to fight Ahab and Jezebel, to help and encourage those who wanted to serve God – the sons of the prophets.
As Elisha returned, alone, along the way he had walked with Elijah his eyes rested on the Jordan. There it was as if it mocked him. How could he possibly cross it? It had parted for them to cross at the word of Elijah, but Elijah wasn’t there anymore. How could he fight the battles that lay ahead? He was not Elijah! He carried his mantle or cloak, but that was not enough. He cries out: “Where is the God of Elijah?”
We might well share Elisha’s feelings. We live in an age of idolatry where God’s name is not honoured. According to a recent survey young men would rather go to hospital than come to Church! At best there is widespread indifference and at worst a real hostility to evangelical Christians – Fundamentalists! We even get the – don’t bring religion into Christmas – attitude. Similar dark days have been faced before, but where are the Elijahs who can turn the tide of evil? Where are the Wesleys, Whitfields, Lloyd Jones and other great godly men of yester–year?
We call this the day of small things and that is an apt description. We see little evidence of God’s mighty working in our lives or from our preaching. We expect little blessing and are not surprised when we get it. Where is the God of Elijah?
Where is the God of Elijah?
This question has been drumming in my brain. Why do we not see God at work among us in power? As we stand at the edge of our spiritual Jordan carrying the Mantle of those who have gone before us, as we face problems and challenges which make our knees knock, what can we do? We are weak and often fail; we seem unable to match the faith and vision of the earlier generations. We may have seen Elijah open Jordan, but what will we do when we stand alone at its shore? We are weak and frail. How can we hope to cross over? As we dwell on our weaknesses and problems they seem to grow:
1. When you are discouraged, feel that all is lost;
Say the prize you’re seeking is not worth the cost
Think about your troubles; count them o’er and o’er;
Every time you count them, there will be one more.
2. If there be clear sunshine, think how soon twill rain;
Should it be midsummer, winter comes again;
Every glorious sunset ends in dark, dark night;
Youth gives way to cheerless age; there’s nothing right!
3. If you see a promise fits you to a “T”,
Though you hunger for it, cry, “Tis not for me!”
You must bear your burdens, sink beneath the load,
For your way to Heaven is a dreary road!
4. Count your many problems, name them one by one;
Think that victory never, never will be won;
Cite your many troubles, count them o’er and o’er,
All your disappointments and vexations sore.
Before we all give up and go home in deep depression let’s think about Peter as he walked to the Lord on the water?
Mt 14: 24 the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. … 28 And Peter … said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And he said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink
Peter was so taken up with the wind and waves that he took his eyes off the Lord and started to sink. Are we like that? So taken up with our weakness and problems that we feel that we feel we are helpless and drowning? What is the remedy? If the winds and waves trouble us let us focus on the one who made them and, indeed, the earth and heavens as well. As we meditate upon His greatness and majesty the storm will seem to shrink in size and we will see them in a proper perspective. Let us dwell on Jesus’ great love and power; then like Peter, we will cry out: 30Lord, save me!
We’ll find that the response will be the same 31Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” This is the Lord’s diagnosis of the problem. It is not that there is a problem with our God, but with us and our faith. After all, it wasn’t Elijah who caused Jordan to open, but Elijah’s God! This is where the ‘Sons of the prophets’ went wrong. They wanted to know where Elijah was when Elisha got back – v15. They even sent out search parties to try and find him, although Elisha told them that it was pointless. The trouble was that they were asking the wrong question. It was not “Where is Elijah?” but “Where is the God of Elijah?” We don’t need the great men who have gone before, we need their God!
Where is the God of Elijah?
I wonder what went through Elisha’s mind as he returned to the Jordon. Perhaps he was thinking about his request for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. (This probably refers to the way the first-born son received a double portion of the property of his father – identifying him as the heir. Deut 21:17 Elisha wanted to be recognised Elijah’s spiritual heir, so he requested a double portion of his spirit. Cp 1Ki 19:16) So as he walked along he probably wondered if his request had been granted, as Elijah had promised it would – If you see me when I am taken from you v10.
I doubt that he felt any different, except that he was alone and probably wondering how he could possibly fill Elijah’s size 20 sandals! Perhaps he also felt the added responsibility for the spiritual wellbeing of Israel resting heavily on his shoulders. Paul certainly felt that weight:... besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. – 2 Corinthians 11:28
So, when he came to the Jordan River, blocking his return, he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” 2 Kings 2:14
Was this a cry of despair and dejection? No! Elijah might be gone, but Elijah’s God was still present and just as powerful. He had asked for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah (v9) and now he acted on the basis of the promise – even if he didn’t feel any different.
And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. V14
He acted in faith, believing that God had granted his request and the waters parted. How often do we not benefit from what we have asked for in prayer because we do not take God at His word, trust Him to answer and act in faith as though God had already given it to us? Jesus promised: “whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Mt 21:22
This obviously does not give us carte blanche to ask for anything we fancy. Other passages complete the picture. Our requests must be in accordance with His will.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1John 5
If it were not the case the granting of our petitions would hamper God’s work. The primary reason God answers our prayers is not to make us feel good, but to glorify Himself.
13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]. … 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14
This passage gives us several conditions for answered prayer. We have to ask in Christ’s name. This does not mean adding it as a magic incantation to the end of our prayers, but rather that the prayer is in accordance with Christ’s character and purposes so that He can happily to add His stamp of approval. The other conditions here are love of Christ and obedience. We can’t expect answers if we have no love for the giver and we have no love for the giver if we don’t obey His commands. Disobedience is sin, or iniquity, and If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. Ps 66 18
Another, related condition is persistence. Sometimes we don’t get an answer immediately, but God gives us the faith to persist in prayer – perhaps all our life – without seeing any result. The answer is not no, but not-now.
In Washington, USA, a Sunday school class was disrupted by a boy who wouldn’t behave. He also kept the other children from paying attention. The faithful teacher became discouraged and felt that his efforts were in vain. The mischievous youngster grew to manhood and travelled west, where he lived a wicked life.
Years afterward he returned home. As he walked along the street, he passed a cemetery. Suddenly he noticed that one of the tombstones bore the name of his former Sunday school teacher. Gradually the truths he had been taught by that loving believer flooded his memory and convicted him of sin.
As the Holy Spirit continued to work in his heart, he went over to the grave, knelt in the grass, and accepted the Lord. Later he became a beloved and faithful pastor. Yet the devoted Christian worker had gone to his grave thinking his spiritual endeavours had been fruitless.
Conclusion
How can we summarise these lessons in prayer? Firstly our hearts must be in tune with God’s will when we pray. David put it well in Psalm 37
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
When we delight in Him then all that we ask for will be in accordance with His will, because we want only to please Him and walk with him, then He will happily grant our requests. And, if His answer is not what we had expected – He sees beyond the words to the desires underneath; or if it is no or not-now then we can still trust Him because He loves us and knows what is best – firstly for His glory and, secondly, for our blessing.
Ida M. Clark writes that she was still overwhelmed with grief as she approached the church on the Sunday morning after her mother had died. Just outside the door a 7 year-old boy met her. He stopped, planted his feet solidly on the path in front of her, and with tearful eyes looked up at her. “I prayed for your mother,” he said, “‘but she died.” For a moment the sorrowing woman just wanted to scoop him up in her arms and cry with him, but she could see he was seriously disturbed because he thought his prayers had not been answered. So she quickly and quietly lifted her heart in a silent petition, “O Lord, give me the right answer!” Then she said to the boy very solemnly, “You wanted God to do His best for my mother, didn’t you?” He- nodded slowly. “Son, He answered your prayer. His best for her was to take her home to live with Him.” The lad’s eyes lighted up as he replied, “That’s right, He did. Then off he ran to meet his friends, content that God had taken her to Heaven.
We must also pray with confidence
James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double–minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Elisha did both and his faith was rewarded. Soon it also became obvious to the sons of the prophets that Elijah’s God was with Elisha in power and that he was Elijah’s true successor. They said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. V15
If we learn these lessons then we will not:
• rely on people, even the Elijah’s, for the answer to our problems; nor
• cry out in frustration or hopelessness;
but we will be ready to take up the mantle of those who have gone before us in the faith – not relying on their faith, but on their God. Then people won’t ask “Where is the God of Elijah?” for all will see Him at work in our lives day by day.
1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— 2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil—To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! Isaiah 64
