1 Kings 19 - Prophet on his knees
Nina LaCour in a book entitled “Hold Still” wrote these words:
The sun stopped shining for me is all. The whole story is I am sad.
Hold Still is not an easy read and I would not recommend it if you wanted a happy read either. It is about someone coming to terms with their best friends suicide. When I found this quote I thought of Elijah in our passage this morning. For Elijah the sun has stopped shining.
In chapter 18 we met Elijah the brave prophet who confronted the 450 prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Elijah whose faith was strong, who was the helper of Israel and on that mountain top prayed for God’s victory and God’s glory. We met an Elijah who witnessed the mighty hand of God deliver victory against Baall’s false prophets. Buoyed by that we read in verse 46 that he outran the chariot of Ahab back to Jezreel and so begins chapter 19.
Chapter 19 is a stark contrast to chapter 18. In this chapter we encounter Elijah who is full of fear and in despair for his life. He deserts his post and calling. He flees panic stricken in to the wilderness and prays for God to take his life. What has happened to this prophet, this man of God?
Let me suggest to you that Elijah’s experience of chapter 19 is all too familiar to many of us this morning, Maybe this morning you identify more readily with the Elijah in chapter 19 than the Elijah in chapter 18.
Let me also at the beginning of this sermon give you the reasons for Elijah’s despair in chapter 19. He changed his focus. His focus changed from God to circumstances, from faith to sight and from God’s glory to self-pity. The change of focus led to the man we encounter in chapter 19. So let us look a little more closely at chapter 19.
Elijah has arrived ahead of Ahab in Jezreel (18:46). I wonder was he expecting Ahab to give him a heroes welcome. After all the people have declared the Lord as God of and over Israel. Baal has been shown to be a worthless idol and his prophets slaughtered. Surely, now will be the day of the beginning of the spiritual renewal of Israel led by Elijah. That is not going to be the case.
19:1 - Ahab goes in to the palace and note “he told Jezebel all that Elijah had done.” Did you catch that? All that Elijah had done, not all that God had done on Mt Carmel. Quite a revealing comment by aha. Even thought he had witnessed the power of God his heart has not changed and he assigned the slaughter of the prophets to Elijah.
I wonder was Jezebel expecting to hear of a great victor for the 450 prophets of Baal that she had brought with her? Was she all ready to hear the good news of this “troublesome Elijah” humiliated and defeated once and for all? Quite a shock to be told her prophets lie slaughtered in the valley and the people proclaiming the Lord is God. We do not have to wait long to see her reaction - verse 2.
She vents her anger towards Elijah and sends a messenger to him to convey the death threat. Verse 2 shows the illogical thinking that occurs in anger. After all, if you were planning to kill someone why give them forewarning and an opportunity to escape? And escape Elijah did.
Verse 3 he flees for his life. We read that he was afraid and he flees to Beersheba in Judah, 100 miles away. Not the wisest of places as it is ruled by Jehoshaphat whose son had married Ahab’s daughter. Elijah leaves his servant in Beersheba and he travels another day in to the wilderness, not intending to return.
Jezebel’s threat to his life was enough to make the brave prophet of chapter 18 desert his post, flee his calling and go hide in the wilderness. Why? Because he changed his focus from God to his circumstances. Because he changed his focus from walking by faith to walking by sight. Because he changed his focus from the glory of God to self-pity.
Verse 4 - he sits down under a broom or a juniper tree and look at what he says in prayer:
It is too much Lord… I cannot cope anymore
I am the only one left… I am all alone
I am no better than my ancestors… I am no good
Take my life… I would like to end it all.
You know the unspoken complaint in all this is Why have you allowed this to happen to me?
Have you ever thought such a thing of God? Have you ever given voice to Elijah’s prayer? Of course you, you may even be giving voice to right this moment in your head and heart. It is not an uncommon experience and it is especially not an uncommon experience after we have had the Mt Carmel victory experience. It is not uncommon for us to experience a terrible low after a spiritual encounter with God’s power and victory over sin and idolatry.
Verses 5-7 - sleep comes to Elijah. As Shakespeare says in Macbeth of sleep: “sore labour’s bath, balm of hurt minds…chief nourisher of life’s feast.” Elijah falls asleep naturally and is woken supernaturally. He is awoken by the Angel of the Lord and food is provided for him. Then Angel of the Lord comes back a second time and provides sustenance once more and tells him that he needs this food for the journey.
As a little aside - the Angel of the Lord here is an appearance of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, in the Old Testament. the pre-incarnate Christ.
Verses 8-9 Well, God has begun to answer Elijah’s prayer and to move Elijah’s focus away from himself, from his circumstances and his self-pity to the truth of the situation with God.
Nourished by the food Elijah goes on a 40 day journey, and I am sure you remember that 40 is an important number in Scripture. A number full of expectation that if completed something of significance in God’s providential care of men occurs.
Elijah heads to Mt Horeb, where the law of God had been given to the people of God. Basically, back to where it all started and he spends a night in a cave. We read in verse 9 that the Word of the Lord came to him and asks a telling question: “What are you doing here?”
Now is my opportunity Elijah thinks and he gives voice to it all, not once but twice - verses 9-10 and 13-14. Look at what he says:
I have been zealous for the Lord… self-justification.
They have broken the Covenant…indignation at the sin of others
I am the only one left… self-pity
They are trying to kill me… Exaggeration of the problem, it was only Jezebel who had threatened to kill him.
At the heart of all this is resentment. Did you notice these two speeches by Elijah are full of I…I…I…?
Well, the Lord God has not abandoned Elijah in his despair and self-pity. God does not come in anger to Elijah but in gentleness and tenderness and graciously gives him a new revelation of Himself.
Elijah is called upon to witness a remarkable display of God’s power. We are given a brief but graphic description of the wind, the earthquake and the fire. After this display of God’s power Elijah steps out on to the proffered viewing point.
Look at verse 13. When Elijah hears the gentle whisper, the silence, the still small voice he covers his face. It is out of reverence and a right sense of his own unworthiness that he covers his face. Then God, in His grace and mercy, speaks to this deserter. He doesn’t shout at Elijah but whispers to him. God was not in the mighty wind, earthquake or fire but in the soft whisper, the gentle silence and the still small voice that can so easily be missed because we want the mighty wind, the earthquake and the fire. We are so tempted to believe that it is only in such things does God speak and yet the biblical truth and the reality of christian experience is that the revelation of God comes through His word spoken to us - through Scripture, through preaching and teaching and through our christian friends. Please remember that this morning.
This still small voice once again asks Elijah what are you doing here? And as we have already seen Elijah focuses on himself and his despair at the situation. The Lord’s answer in verse 15 is interesting - go back the way you came and God goes on to give Elijah a new commission to anoint Jehu, Nimshi as kings and Elisha as his successor. God realigns his priorities. god calls him once again and gives him guidance as to the way he should now go.
Did you notice there is no stern telling off? There is no telling Elijah to pull himself together and to get up and get on with life. There are none of those statements that we so often hear ringing in our ears when we are despairing, despondent and believe only death is the answer. Not from God’s lips do we hear such but a gentle whisper telling Elijah go back the way you came. Let us start of where you left the path and ended in the Slough of Despond and that is all Elijah can do. He cannot start from where he is because that is not where God had placed him to serve. He has to go back to where he last served God and where he last witnessed the might power of God in action. Go back Elijah and here is what you are to do. Elijah 7000 have not bowed their knees to Baal, you are not alone, you were never alone. You are not going to die because I have a task for you to complete.
You know Elijah never had his prayer to die answered. As we will see in a few weeks time he did not experience death but was taken up in to heaven.
Application
What is there this morning from God in this passage that we need to hear and to take heed of?
Let me begin by quoting Jim Reeves, my dad loved to sing Jim Reeve songs around our home:
How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
And told him your heart's hidden secrets
How long since you prayed how long since you stayed
On your knees till the light shone through
How long has it been since your mind felt at ease
How long since your heart knew no burden
Can you call him your friend how long has it been since you knew that he cared for you
How long has it been since you knelt by your bed and prayed to the Lord up in heaven
How long since you knew that he'd answer you
And would keep you the long night through
How long has it been since you woke with the dawn and felt that the day's worth the living
Can you call him your friend how long has it been since you knew that he cared for you
You see Elijah had changed his focus from God to circumstances. He changed his focus from walking by faith to walking by sight. He changed his focus from God’s glory to self-pity. When he did he deserted his post and calling. He abandoned the path and headed off in to the wilderness and found the Slough of Despond and prayer for death.
Let me suggest to you that this the experience of many of us and it may even be your experience today. Elijah could not live on the past experience of Mt Carmel and neither can you. You cannot live on past experiences or borrowed experiences. We need to be honest before God and admit our focus has changed and our fellowship has changed. We no longer focus on God, on His glory and have ceased to walk by faith. We find ourselves living on capital that is all expended. Trying to conjure up past experiences by chasing ever greater experiences. We have found ourselves amidst a people full of the Mt Carmel experience and we are trying to beg, borrow or steal some of it for ourselves. This morning before God we find our souls dry and a dry stick is no use in the Master’s hand but hear this: God has not abandoned you.
This morning He comes not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. He has not come in the exuberance of our praise or the eloquence of our prayers. He has come in the stillness, the beautiful silence, the still quiet voice that whispers ever so gently in to our souls this morning: what are you doing here? What are you doing here in the Slough of Despond?
He has come to refresh your soul, to reveal Himself to you and to reinstate you. He is calling you back to where you left the path and saying life is not at an end. Despair is not your life’s purpose and you are no longer to live in fear. This morning be still and hear His gentle whisper refreshing your soul, revealing Him to you and reinstating you on the path to the Celestial City.
Zach Williams is an American singer song-writer and once of his songs has these lyrics:
When he told you you're not good enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough
Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
When he told you were troubled
You'll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You'll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
This morning I want you to remember fear is a liar but God comes in gentleness and tenderness to whisper in to your soul:
“I love you; you are mine for all eternity; I am your Saviour, I am your redeemer and you are mine for all eternity. Now get up, go back to where we last met and let us start this journey again from there.”
Refreshed by His revelation of Himself and reinstated by Him let us together get up, go back and do what He has called us to do for His glory and the kingdom of God.
Amen.
