What are you doing here Elijah?
What are you doing here?
It’s a question that many have asked? Why am I here.
But actually, I’m asking what are you doing here?
What’s a person like you doing in a place like this?
1 Kings 16:30-33 - (Evil King Ahab & Jezebel)
30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.
Ahab was more wicked than any king before him
Married Jezebel
Caused Israel to follow Baal worship
History before this chapter:
Elijah said that rain will not fall until he prays it.
He then went to an area where there was a brook and ravens fed him.
Then the brook dried up and God sent him to a widow and he lived there and the flour and oil did not stop until he left and until it rained.
Then Elijah saw Ahab and challenged the prophets of Baal. God won! Prophets died.
Elijah then prayed for rain and ran before the Ahab’s chariot for a long distance (a miracle) all the way to Ahab to see Jezebel.
Joshua 24:14,15 - Choose who you will serve
14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Elijah wanted to turn the people’s hearts back to the Lord. One of the greatest events in the Bible!
With a Spiritual high - next comes the spiritual low?
Awe that will never happen to me!
Have you ever gone through heavy stress and needed to pull back?
Are you different, Do you stand firm?
Sometimes we like to say, “Let the wind blow! We are standing firm on the rock!”
Other times the devil backs us up against a wall and we become fearful and forget that God is our Rock!
Everyone else has failed but I will never fail! (stock market)
My daughter was brave hiding behind my leg until I moved out of the way.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - Take heed lest he fall - temptation common to man
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 KIngs 19:1-4 - Jezebel says she will kill Elijah - Elijah runs for his life
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 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.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, 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.”
1 KIngs 19:5-8 - Angel came to prepare Elijah
5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
265 miles from Israel to Mt Sinai.
1 Kings 19:9-10 - What are you doing here Elijah?
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn 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.”
1 Kings 19:11-14 - Watch this… What are you doing here?
11 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 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?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn 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.”
1 Kings 19:15-18 - Go back anoint kings, and anoint your successor
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 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. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
1 Kings 19:19-21 - annoint Elisha
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
Auto mechanic
God has a plan for your life! Are you in sync with God?
Auto mechanic reaches for a tool he needs and it’s not there. It’s off wandering around.
When He reaches for you, will you be there ready and waiting?
Here am I Lord send me! Isaiah 6
1 John 4:18 - Perfect love drives out fear
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
2 Tim 1:7 - Not given us a spirit of fear
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
What are you doing here?
Do you have stinking thinking? Do you need a check up from the neck up?
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.
"we have found the enemy and he is us".
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Turns out Jezebel didn’t kill Elijah and instead she died just like he said being carried away by dogs.
Do you know Jesus as your Savior?
He cares for you and wants to save you.
Trust in Him and you can be saved! Rom 10:13
Are you discouraged? Cast your cares on Him because He cares for you!
