Click here to download in pdf format.
Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (23-7-1995 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
The Bible contains varied literature – not just
teaching, laws and doctrine, but also much historical narrative. This is not
just ancient history, or stories for our entertainment and amusement. These
stories show the truth of God in action. We read of men and women of God who
were living personal examples of God’s truth at work in their lives and
circumstances. As we read of them, we obtain teaching, encouragement and rebuke
as much as anywhere else in Scripture.
Nowhere is this more clearly
seen than in the life of Elijah. James says he was just like us (James 5:17).
His nature was like ours, and there is much instruction in his life and
relationship with God, in his triumphs and also in his failures. We are going to
focus on this description we find of him in 1 Kings 17:24 as a “man of God”,
but a bit of historical background is necessary first.
This was one of the darkest
hours in Israel’s sad history. 58 years earlier, the kingdom had been divided
in two. At Solomon’s death, the 10 tribes in the North made up the kingdom of
Israel, and the remainder in the South made up Judah. During those 58 years,
seven different kings had reigned over Israel, and they were all wicked men.
These had been years of idolatry, departure from the Lord, apostasy and murder
(c.f. 1 Kings). Now the current ruler was Ahab, married to the heathen princess
Jezebel. Israel was awash with Baal worship, debased and cruel worship, heathen
priests and shrines. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all kings of
Israel before him (1 Kings 16:33). There was blasphemy and defiance of the
true God, and blatant wickedness reached its zenith. Evil’s triumph was almost
complete. If ever there was a time for God to work in a desperate situation, it
was now.
The Holy Spirit raised up
Elijah. God has never been without His witnesses, even in the darkest times. He
has always raised up testimony for Himself. Before and at the time of the flood
there was Enoch and Noah. During the slavery in Egypt, He raised up Moses. And
throughout the history of the church, even in the darkest times of the Middle
Ages, there was Luther. Even before the great revivals, God raised up His men,
though few in number. He still does so today, in the most unlikely of churches
and places, faithful men are to be found.
So God’s powerful hand raised
up a great witness in the person of Elijah, during the reign of King Ahab. An
old commentator wrote, “The most illustrious prophet Elijah was raised up in
the reign of the most wicked King of Israel.” Elijah is very abruptly
introduced. He makes a sudden and unannounced appearance on the stage. Nothing
is known of his parentage or previous life. All we know is that he was from
Gilead, a wild and rugged land, the home of rough and rugged characters, who
dwelt in rude primitive villages. The people mostly lived by keeping sheep, and
they wore rough clothes, in contrast to the dress of town dwellers and
courtiers.
This made Elijah a very unlikely man from a very unlikely background, but he was God’s man. He is described as “a man of God”. What was his secret? How do we explain him? What made him the man of God he was?
Here we have Elijah’s secret, the reason why he was the
man he was. Certain phrases and words give us clues to an explanation of his
life. The very name Elijah means, “The Lord – Yahweh or Jehovah – is my
God”, or “The Lord is my strength”. And he lived up to his name. He was
not a man of scholarship, or a man of letters, or a man of honour, or a man of
his word. He was even less a man of the world, or a man of evil. He was a man of
God – one of God’s men, a man after God’s own heart. He belonged entirely
to God. He belonged to one person and master.
As the Lord lives, whom I
serve (1 Kings 17:1). To Elijah, God was the one reality in his life, and he
lived in His presence. I have been very jealous (AV), or zealous (NIV,
NKJV), for the Lord God Almighty (1 Kings 19:10). He was outraged because
God’s name had been blasphemed, and as a result, altars had been thrown down
and priests slain. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain….. again he
prayed, and the heavens gave rain (James 5:17). Prayerfulness is seen
constantly in the life of Elijah.
Putting all these things
together, we see that Elijah was a man who belonged to God 100%, who lived in
God’s presence, and was very conscious of His nearness, consumed with desire
for God’s honour, bent on doing God’s will, and who prayed earnestly,
knowing who he was talking to, putting his heart into his prayer and meaning
every word he said.
God can do anything with such a
man. And anything can happen when such a man is about. Elijah was not swayed by
public opinion, and the infidelity and apostasy of others did not shake him. He
was lifted above fear. The frowns and disapproval of men did not terrify him. He
knew God had laid His hands on his life, and had apprehended him. He was
convicted that he had been chosen by God, called by Him, and he was His servant
and messenger. He dwelt in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the
shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). New Testament equivalent: This one
thing I do.. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has
called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13).
These are the people God uses, who make a mark, who make the world sit up and take notice, who make others aware there is a God in all the earth and He is a reality. People who know their God, who are strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32 AV). Are we men and women of God – totally and absolutely? Or are we His only as far as our reputation allows, or family pressure permits, or the good opinion of others consents? We will never be anything for God or achieve anything worthwhile unless we are His absolutely. Full consecration to the Lord is not a phrase we hear often enough in our churches. Is it any wonder the church is often so weak and impotent. We are trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds – and getting nowhere. Therefore the first challenge we get from Elijah’s life is – Are we men and women of God?
God had an enormous task for Elijah. He had to take on,
single-handedly, the power of evil. He had to confront the evil King Ahab and
450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel on his own. He had to challenge the people
to choose whom they would serve. He was to be God’s instrument to overthrow
false religion, apostasy, idolatry, and turn the nation back to God.
But he did not have to launch
into this great task immediately. He had to be prepared. Faith has to be pruned,
educated and matured. So first he was called to go to brook Kerith, and when
that dried up, go on to the widow of Zarephath for fresh experiences. God was
concerned with protection, but also with drawing Eljah aside, teaching him about
Himself, His plans, resources and strength. He learns in these situations to
wait on the Lord and move forward at His command. He is told to go to brook
Kerith (1 Kings 17:2), he did what the Lord had told him (17:5), the word told
him to go to Zarephath (17:8), so he arose and went (17:10), the Word of the
Lord told him to go to King Ahab (18:1), so Elijah went (18:2).
There is a clear lesson for us
here. God has a plan for our lives. Perhaps he intends us to achieve spectacular
things. But we must walk before we run. God takes us forward one step at a time.
He works in our lives, teaching, preparing, showing us more of Himself,
impressing lessons on us, altering situations and circumstances, teaching us
daily dependence on Him. Above all He does these things as we get to know Him in
the quiet place. Nothing can replace this private daily meeting with God in the
life of a man or woman. Too often we are too strong or too full of ourselves and
too confident in ourselves for God to use. We feel we are indispensable. In the
quiet place alone with God we are brought low. Then we learn to abandon our
schemes and plans, and wait for God to reveal His. We lay aside our own puny
strength and lay hold of Him.
Faith grows, vision deepens, and
light on the next stage is given. We learn to trust the Lord and not His gifts.
Trust the blesser and not the blessing. Show me your way (Psalm 25:4), Teach
me to do your will (Psalm 143:10), Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he
will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5,6).
All men and women of God have
seen the importance of knowing God in solitude. They have been to Kerith and
Zarephath before they stand in the public place of Carmel. We learn we cannot
give out till we have taken in. We must prevail with God before we can prevail
with men. Christ had thirty years of seclusion before His ministry. And even
during His ministry He often withdrew to a lonely mountainside. Paul went to
Arabia for solitude, John to Patmos. So down through church history, e.g.
Christmas Evans, who sought the solitude of the hills of Wales.
The Lord still takes us into the
lonely place with Him, to speak some word to us. Perhaps we have been there, and
now we are called to go forward. We may hesitate because some difficulty will be
involved. Yet we must go forward, one step at a time. We will get no more light
till that step has been taken. God says, “Take it, and trust me”. Step
forward and find the rock beneath your feet. Strength is given according to the
moment’s need. Strength will equal your days (Deuteronomy 33:25). In
keeping His commandments there is great reward (Psalm 19:11).
So Elijah, the man of God, the man after God’s own heart, who lived in God’s presence and belonged 100% to God, he knew God in the quiet place. There, God disclosed His will, Elijah’s faith grew, and light on the path was given. We may be tempted to say that Elijah was special, different from us, in a class of his own, an impossible ideal for us to reach. And yet, our final point:
He was subject to like
passions (James 5:17 AV). He was not better, or more heroic, or more godly
in himself than we are. His nature was like ours. There were times when he
drifted from God, even after great spiritual victories, and he could get as
depressed, discouraged and cowardly as the rest of us.
The secret was not in Elijah,
not in his special quality of soul, otherwise there would be no lesson here for
us at all. Life would only mock us. But the truth is that Elijah had strength
which is within reach of the humblest child of God. There was nothing in this
man’s life which may not have a counterpart in ours. His strength came from a
sourced accessible to us.
What does his life teach us? Men and women who are totally God’s, living in His presence, consumed with His glory, desire to do God’s will above all else. They spend time with Him, and count on Him totally, depend on Him utterly. They renounce all dependence on themselves, and their own schemes and plans. They renounce all reliance on their own cleverness and strength and power. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). Be filled with the spirit (Ephesians 5:18). That He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16). Discover that God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
