“Hope to Hold On” 1 Kings 18-19 7/24/3005
I have a glass here on the platform - is it half-full or half-empty? It depends on how you look at it! I remember back when the show “The Six Million Dollar Man” was on, reading an article in the paper. It said a scientist had determined that our bodies are 98% water [or whatever percent] and figured we are worth about $2. Yet, when he thought a little more, thinking about complex amino acids, he refigured our worth at billions of dollars. It all depends on how you look at things.
If you stand on a side of a hill, the answer to whether you end up on the mountain or in the valley depends on where you are looking and where you are going.
We want to talk this morning about depression and victory. Having HOPE to HOLD ON! And it starts with our focus.
Two shoe salesmen went to Africa - after two days one wired back, “This is miserable, the worst market ever, nobody wears shoes - I’m coming home.” The other wired back, “This is great, best opportunity of my life, no one here wears shoes - double my initial order!” How do we look at things.
We want to look today at Elijah, the prophet of God. Turn with me to 1 Kings 19. We have been going through the OT together, looking at how God calls out a people for himself. We saw the nation develop from the patriarchs, a kingdom established, and a kingdom divided. Last week we saw how the kingdom split under Rehoboam, son of Solomon. Jeroboam becomes king in the northern part, called Israel, and Rehoboam remains king in the southern part, called Judah. Jeroboam doesn’t want the Jews going down to Judah to worship at the temple, so he makes 2 idols of cows, and he puts one in Northern Israel and one in Southern Israel, to try to get the Jews not to go to Jerusalem to worship YHWH. He says, “These are your gods, O Israel.” And the people start turning away from worshiping the one true God.
The future kings of Israel continue to be evil, godless men, and so God sends his prophets to call the people to repentance. One of the key prophets was Elijah. 1 Kings 17-19 tells us his story. The name Elijah means “The LORD is my God”, and his ministry is to the northern kingdom of Israel. In a day of tension and apostasy, God needs a prophet who can deal with the highs and lows of ministry. And Elijah faces a lot. Let’s see where we find him in 1 Kings 19. READ 1 K 19:1-5a.
What was Elijah feeling?
2-threatened 3-fear 3-isolation 4-overwhelmed 4-burnout 4-lack of vision
6-failure to see God working 8-miraculous things seem mundane [loss of awe]
In a phrase, Elijah is ready to give up. You’ve been there before. I have too. We sometimes get to the point where we just don’t care anymore. We have no hope left. We have no more energy to fight. We wonder why we are doing what we are doing and if it is really worth it. We want to give up.
If Elijah were an ordinary man, this wouldn’t surprise us much. But Elijah has had a powerful ministry. Quickly reviewing the events of chapters 17 & 18:
I. The thrill of victory - living on the mountain
A. Supernatural Provision - 17:1 - Elijah prophecies it will not rain for 3 years, and in verse 4 God sends him to drink from brook, fed by ravens. Later in vs.14 he is sent to the house of a widow, and is told her flour will not run out.
*When you are living victoriously God provides for your needs in miraculous ways. Elijah has seen this.
B. Supernatural Performance - 17:20-22 - Elijah brings a the widow’s son back from death
When you are living victoriously, God lets you do things you are personally incapable of doing.
C. Supernatural Prestige - 18:7-10 - Elijah is known throughout the north. God gives great renown
D. Supernatural Proclamation - 18:21 - God helps Elijah speak boldly
He stands against all the prophets of Baal and calls fire down from heaven.
E. Supernatural Confidence - 18:27-34 - God gives Elijah confidence to believe that God will send fire, even on a wet, drenched sacrifice.
F. Supernatural Prayer - 18:36 - God answers his prayers in powerful ways
But often in living victoriously, Satan attacks us, and instead of staying on the mountain enjoying the thrill of victory, we fall down and face the agony of defeat.
II. The Agony of Defeat - going down in the valley
What is it that causes us to give up? Elijah has seen the power of God displayed in unbelievable ways, he has personally delivered God’s message, yet he is driven to despair and hopelessness. Why? The issues Elijah deals with are the same ones that we often deal with as well. In 1 Corinthians 10 we are reminded that these stories from the OT are examples for us to follow and to learn from. What do we learn from Elijah?
What causes us to give up?
*Criticism - 19:2 - Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
It makes no sense that Elijah, the prophet who has just called fire down out of heaven would be afraid of the threat of this queen, but he is. Often we do things that make no sense at all. We lose sight of godly perspective because someone says or does something that we focus on and dwell upon.
Elijah has nothing to fear. He is in the center of God’s will, doing what God has called him to do. But instead of focusing on following God, he dwells on the threats of Jezebel. One of the key reasons we get ready to give up and throw in the towel today is the comments and criticisms of others. We live in a very critical society. We send our kids to schools where they are laughed at, picked on, and made fun of all day by the other kids, and then we wonder why they have no sense of self-worth.
Criticism is deadly, and within the body of Christ; instead of criticism, we are called to encouragement. Ephesians 4:29 tells us “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” In SS we saw in 1 Thessalonians 5 and throughout the NT the idea that we are to encourage one another daily. We find it easy to tear others down; but we need to focus on building others up. Elijah is ready to give up because of the critical threats of Jezebel. What else causes us to give up?
*Concerns - concerns can weigh us down. The cares and concerns of everyday life. For Elijah, is was concerns for his own safety. In 19:3 it says, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” Elijah faces a loss of confidence. He had stood up to all 450 prophets of Baal on the mountain, but suddenly concern for his safety is his focus instead of confidence in the protection that God had faithfully given him all along. In the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Mark 4 it says that “the cares of this world” come in and “choke” the seed of the word of God so that it becomes unfruitful. Elijah is ready to give up because he focuses on concern for his own safety.
*Lack of Community - Elijah is ready to give up, because he is alone. 19:3 - “When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there.” Elijah is alone. And the more we live independently of one another, the more we struggle. We talked last week about things that destroy our sake of community. Today, we see that our community is very important for our emotional health. We need each other.
God uses the analogy of the “body” to describe the church. 1 Corinthians 12 gives us this example.
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ . . . Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. . . in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. . . As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” . . . But God has combined the members of the body . . . so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Elijah is ready to give up, because he is alone.
*Living by Comparisons - Elijah is ready to give up because he is comparing himself to others. 19:4 - He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Do you know anyone who compares themselves to others? Whenever we do that, we never end up with a healthy self-image. Either we end up in pride or in despair.
2 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” And we are not wise when we look to others to determine how we are living. Romans 14:4 tells us Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Elijah is comparing himself to his forefathers, and he is discouraged.
*Looking at Circumstances - Elijah has been serving God in a land that for the last 100 years has been going steadily downhill. There has been a lack of worshiping God in the right way. There has been a silencing of those who would speak out for God or follow God. Idol worship has become the standard practice of the day. Baal was the god of nature, the god of the storm. That’s why the drought was a personal attack against Baal’s power. Baal’s wife was Ashtoreth, or Astarte, the goddess of fertility. And so with both Baal worship and the worship of Ashtoreth, there was rampant sexual immorality tied in to their worship.
We live in a day that is also characterized by a sexually-charged society. And sometimes it seems like the church is doing little to change our society. But we are never called to overturn society. Just as Elijah was to faithfully serve God, so are we. But we will see society change as we seek to bring the gospel to individuals.
I have nothing against the Moral Majority, the religious right. I pray for our president daily, and I trust that you do too. But the future of our country does not rest in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices, but in the regeneration and salvation of individuals. Sometimes instead of focusing on the job we have been given to do, we focus on society and our circumstances. When we focus on circumstances, we get discouraged, depressed, and we want to give up. We say, “It’s just not worth it!”
Lack of Calm - (to use a C word) Lack of getting refreshed and re-energized. Elijah doesn’t get the chance to refresh himself. His discouragement and despair comes right on the heels of the emotional high of calling fire down from heaven. What did Jesus do - he would leave his disciples and go off by himself to pray and renew himself. So many times our biggest discouragements come right after our biggest triumphs. Satan seeks to cause us discouragement and to try to get us to give up lest we live in the victory that God desires for us.
*Lack of Sensational - Elijah has lived through the highs and lows of miracles. He has caused a three year drought by his command, he has multiplied food so it doesn’t run out, he calls fire down from heaven, but suddenly as his focus turns to Jezebel, God brings no new miracle.
Sometimes people run after the sensational. They look for something that stands out. And often serving God isn’t sensational or glamorous. It’s easy to go to Promisekeepers or Women of Faith and be surrounded by 20K other christians singing, and we think it doesn’t get any better than this. But when we go back to the day to day grind, we can get discouraged because we don’t feel that same emotional “high.”
All these things were present in Elijah’s life, and it caused him to get down in the valley. This morning, maybe you’re halfway up or down the side of the mountain. Focusing on these wrong things will cause you to drop down into the valley of discouragement and despair. You’ll want to give up. You won’t think it’s worth it to even try to follow God. Why bother! That’s where Elijah was, and maybe that’s where you are today. If you’re not there today, you will be one day, sooner or later.
But the key thing I want us to see today in not why we get down in the valley, but how we get back up on the mountain.
III. Getting back on the Mountain
What does Elijah need? What brings him hope? What will bring US hope?
A. A New Encounter of the Presence of God
Elijah got into problems as he was focused on his circumstances, his criticism, comparing himself to others. The way back up the mountain begins as he sees his God in a new, fresh way. The firsts thing he receives is a
1. A Vision of God’s Power - 1 K 19:11-12
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
In the midst of fears about Jezebel and the armies of Israel and Elijah’s safety, Elijah’s attention is focused on the power of God. Elijah is reminded that all of creation waits to do God’s bidding. Psalms 148 tells us
Praise the LORD from the earth . . . lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds . . . let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
God has everything he needs to accomplish his will. All of creation waits for his command. Sometimes we think that God needs us. The truth is that is is our PRIVILEGE to serve God and be used by Him. God uses many different tools to accomplish his work. God normally does not work through the sensational, but through the ordinary. When God wanted to start the nation of Israel, he sent a baby, Isaac. When God wanted to deliver that nation he sent a baby, Moses. When God wanted to provide salvation, he sent a baby, Jesus. And to accomplish his task in the world today, he uses you and I, imperfect as we are. He could have written the gospel message in the clouds. But he doesn’t. He chooses to use us.
Yet in the wind, earthquake, and fire, Elijah never hears the voice of the Lord. There is great power, but the presence of the Lord comes in the soft, still voice. The gentle whisper.
--Many look for God to do great, exciting things in their lives. They want to see the healings, the dynamic gifts of the spirit, but they forget that God’s great power and blessing is found in the day to day details of tedious obedience. Moses couldn’t look for a burning bush every day. Samuel knew that the visions of God were rare in his day. We are told . . .
Ps. 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Along with the vision of God’s power, Elijah encounters the presence of God in
2. An Understanding of God’s Provision - Look in verse 13 at Elijah’s response to God’s voice.
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “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.” The LORD said to him, . . . I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Elijah thought he was all alone: but God knew differently. God had continually provided for Elijah’s safety, protection, and provision. God had continually been with him. During the three years of drought, God took Elijah to the brook at Cherith and sent him food every day. And lest he focus on the food instead of the provider, God moved him on to Zarephath, a Phoenician city, and had him fed by the poorest of the poor, a widow ready to die of starvation. Yet, when we understand how God provides, we realize that he never “sets us up for life.” Instead, God desires us to look to him daily for the provision of all our needs. The truth is that if we had a big surplus, the temptation would be to deny God. Proverbs 30:8-9 reminds us, give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
In our society of wealth and affluence, it is easy to forget that all that we have is a gift from God. You could say, Michigan isn’t affluence - the economy is HARD - and it is, but compared to 90% of the world, we live as KINGS! The comfort and luxury we enjoy is unbelievable! But let’s always acknowledge it as God’s blessing to us. We have the comforts we do because of his gracious hand.
When Elijah meets the widow, he asks her to fix him a meal. She only has one portion, but she gives it anyways. Elijah tells her, take what you have, and give it to me. And because she does, she never runs out of flour or oil. It’s the same way with God. He says, give me what you have, the first portion, the tithe, and if you will honor me with that, you’ll never run out. Malachi 3:10-12 - Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
We honor God by giving the first portion to him, believing that we can trust him to provide for our needs. Elijah is reminded that God has continually provided for his needs. Elijah says he is the only prophet left, but God has 7,000 faithful followers left. Very likely Elijah’s ministry has impacted the lives of these 7,000, but he had taken his eyes off of God’s provision.
Elijah realizes a renewed encounter of the presence of God, in His power, in His provision, and in
3. A Patience with God’s Plan
Elijah is given a glimpse into God’s plan. Elijah had been looking for the whole nation of Israel to repent and turn from their idolatry after the test on Mt. Carmel. But it would take a generation for the nation to make significant progress. We often want God to work much quicker than his timetable. Elijah has to wait for 3 years of drought before coming to Ahab. When the widow’s son dies, Elijah has to spread himself on top of the son three times. When Elijah is looking for rain, Elijah has to send his servant to look for rain 7 times.
We sometimes think it would be great if God would just do what we want when we want it. But God’s wisdom and plan is far superior to ours. God knew that it would take several people working together to bring about a change in Israel. And he helps Elijah understand that.
Let’s make sure that we never lag behind when God says GO, but neither let us rush ahead when God says WAIT. Let’s always seek to be right in step with God.
What does Elijah need? What brings him hope? What will bring US hope?
A. A New Encounter of the Presence of God - and then
B. A New Vision for the Work of God
God gives a Renewed Call to Elijah. When Elijah says “let me die” God could have taken him up on that request. He could have rejected Elijah and said, “you’re no use to me anymore.” But He didn’t. Psalm 103 reminds us He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. . . as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Instead of rejecting Elijah because he is depressed, God gives a renewed vision
1. God provides direction - God sends Elijah back to do His work - 15 - The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. Often the best thing we can do when we are discouraged is to keep doing what we have been doing. Don’t make drastic changes. God gives a call to Elijah to return to doing his duty. He didn’t need to run away, he simply needed to keep obeying God’s word.
2. God provides a support network - 15-16 - he raises us others to offer support
When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
There are no lone ranger Christians. God gives others to come alongside Elijah in accomplishing the work. Next week we’ll look at Elisha, and the concept of mentoring and discipleship.
3. God provides a promise - 17 - Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
God’s work does not end without us. God doesn’t need us, but he wants to use us and reclaim us from defeat to deliverance. God gives Elijah confidence by promising him that He is at work.
Conclusion: Elijah, James 5 tells us, was a man just like us. He got discouraged, but God renewed his vision and used him once again. In 1 Kings 21:17 - Once again we see Elijah coming before the King bringing God’s message. Have you been a little timid or discouraged, or frustrated with how God has worked in your life? First, admit the truth that God is still as good and great as he always was. He is still as powerful as ever. Renew the presence of God in your life. Let him renew your vision. What is it that God wants to do in and through and for you? Will you be faithful in waiting for and obeying God? If you’re ready to give up, keep holding on! Let’s pray.
