Running Like Elijah

Running Like Elijah 2021 08 22

1 Kings 18:41 – 46

There are two types of people – those who say the thing can’t be done, and those who ask when it needs to be done.  The first kind sees only problems; the second kind starts working on the problems to make it happen. Elijah was as human as the rest of us, but amazing things happened around him, because he had faith in God and proved it by his actions.

1 Kings 18:41 – 46

There had been no rain in the entire region for more than two years, ever since Elijah showed up at Ahab’s door with the message of judgment from God.  Ahab was a terrible king who openly and seriously disobeyed God, whose wife was a follower of Baal.  She had already had as many of the prophets of God as she could find put to the sword. God had warned Israel what would happen as a result of such disobedience! “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;  And then the LORD’S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.”  Deuteronomy 11:16, 17

I. Drought

  1. We’ve had a drought here in western Canada that has lasted since June. During that time, we’ve had a little rain only twice.  It is the worst forest fire year on record in BC.  But in Israel and the surrounding countries, they went for years with no rain!
    1. It was in the third year without rain that God told Elijah to meet with Ahab, as He was about to send rain (1 Kings 18:1). In Ahab’s presence, Elijah called on Israel to make up their minds whom they would follow, God or Baal.

II. A Contest

  1. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest. Both he and the false prophets would sacrifice a bullock on their altar. They would call on the name of their gods and he would call on the name of the LORD.  Whoever answered by fire would be God.
    1. They called on Baal all day to no avail, but when Elijah called on God, God answered in a mighty way with a consuming fire.
    2. To make it more certain, Elijah had barrels and barrels of water dumped over the sacrifice and altar he had built, so that the trench he built around it was overflowing with water.
      1. The Elijah offered one simple prayer once, to which God answered by fire, and the wood, offering, rocks, water, and even the dust was consumed entirely till nothing was left.

III. Righteous Judgment

  1. As soon as God answered and the people chose to follow God, Elijah called on the people to slay all the prophets of Baal, as commanded by God (Deuteronomy 13, 17).
    1. Elijah knew well the fact that Queen Jezebel, who had already had most of the prophets in Israel killed, would be murderously enraged, but Elijah trusted God.
    2. Elijah knew the risk to his own life by ridding the land of the prophets of Baal, the “Lord of the Flies,” for that’s what Baal means. But he went ahead in obedience to God and got it done.

IV. A Sound of Abundant Rain

  1. Very soon after the slaying of the prophets of Baal, Elijah told Ahab that it was about to rain hard and to hurry up and go home before the rain made the way impassable. Just as he prophesied, so the rain came in great abundance!  Ahab raced home in his chariot… but wait… who was running in FRONT of Ahab and his horses?  Elijah!
    1. The Bible says, 46“And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
    2. Horses and chariots moved much faster than men on foot, yet here was this bony old prophet, half-starved from two years of barley loaves and water, running like the wind ahead of Ahab as he returned to Jezreel!
    3. Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, was waiting in Jezreel and wanted nothing more than to kill Elijah. Yet he didn’t hesitate.  God said “Go,” so go, he did.

 

V. How are You Running?

  1. Are you running like Elijah? Or are you dragging yourself along, doing just enough to get by?  Elijah may not have been that much to look at, but my, could that prophet run!
    1. Elijah had on him the hand of God. This meant he was staying where he was supposed to be, under the hand of God, not over partying with Jezebel’s friends.
    2. Elijah was submitted to God. God says we are to submit to him, THEN resist the devil (James 4:7).  If you go trying to resist the devil on your own, he will wear you right out!
    3. Elijah could run like the wind, even on a diet that you’d have trouble surviving the day on. God did in him what food, water and sleep could never consistently do.  But more than that, God gave him spiritual strength that made it possible for him to boldly face any danger in his path.
  2. Are you running like Elijah? Or are you running like most people run, huffing and puffing and hoping the race will soon be over?  Elijah ran as long as God would have him run because he trusted God and God told him to run.
    1. When you read the whole story, you discover 1.) that Elijah went to meet Ahab who was trying to kill him, 2.) that Elijah killed all the prophets of Ahab’s favorite religion right in front of him, and 3.) that Elijah was running directly toward the most powerful woman of the day who wanted nothing more than to kill him!
      1. The natural man wants to go, “No!… Elijah…! WRONG direction!  Turn around and run the other way!!  Not that way!  That’s going to get you killed!”
      2. But Elijah obeyed God, and in the end, he wasn’t killed, and in fact, he didn’t die, but was taken up to heaven! 2 Kings 2:11
    2. It may have been a funny sight to see that skinny, windburned, rough-dressed prophet with his robes tied up above his bony knees running ahead of the chariots, and some may well have called him a fool then, but better a fool for God than wise in the eyes of the world!
      1. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
      2. 1 Corinthians 3:19 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”
  3. Jesus ran like Elijah. No, we don’t read of Him physically running ahead of horses and chariots like Elijah, but Jesus knew that where He was going was going to lead to His death, yet He willingly obeyed God the Father and went to His death for you and for me.
        1. Because He was willing to submit to having the hand of God on Him, we now have eternal life IN Him.

Conclusion

We need to ask ourselves, “Are we running like Elijah, running straight into all the slings and arrows of our enemy under the hand of God, or are we limping along on human strength and judgment, perhaps getting shot in the back as we run away?”  The Bible says we are to abide in Christ.  1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”  Abide in Christ, submit yourselves to Him and let the hand of God be upon you so that in the end you are found running like Elijah, ahead of evil and on your way to the place God wants you to be.

Unfortunately, a lot of Christians are running away at the moment.  Instead of facing the enemy, their backs are to the enemy, and they risk getting taken out of the race altogether.  This is no time to be trusting our own judgment with all the things going on.  “And that, knowing the time, that now is high time to awake out of our sleep:  for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand:  let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”  Romans 13:11 – 14