"The word of the LORD always comes ... "

“The word of the LORD always comes …”

1 Kings 19:1-18

Introduction:

- In times of uncertainty, pain and need, few affirmations are more precious than to be assured that we are not alone, and that someone cares enough to throw us a life line speak words of encouragement to us even when we are too weary to say anything.

Those of us who have felt that we drowning, never forget and thank God for those who welcome us into a safe place and lovingly care for us until we regain our strength and balanced perspective.

It had been a very rough two weeks. I was the pastor of a fragile church in crisis.

Had been called by what remained of a church split.

By God’s grace, we began to see healing. In the midst of the stabilization and beginnings of growth, any attempts at one on one reconcilition failed and old wounds were opens. The reason for the split and the wounds are not relevant to what I want to explain.

A decision was made at a duly called business meeting. That decision pertained to the leaders/Deacons’ recommendation as how we could stability and with the Lord’s help, in time reconciliation.

In that era, this was to be communicated to all church members, but would have speak most to those who had left and had become inactive.

After that business meeting, 2 of the 3 Deacons immediately on vacation. That would not have been a problem, but when Lynne and I were taking the Church Clerk home, she told us that she was afraid to write the letter and asked if the Deacons would write the letter.

Because 2 of the Deacons had left on vacation, the other Deacon did not feel that he/we could sign the other deacons names on the letter that had been drafted.

When the 2 deacons returned from vacation we explained the reason for the delay in mailing the letter. Instead of believing what I have explained, they read into the delay concluding that we had undermined the church and their recommendation, with the result that they resigned immediately.

That happened about 2 weeks after the business meeting. I was devestated. I had not expected those whom I trusted and who I felt trusted me, the other deacon and the church clerk to respond that way.

After this came down on a midweek evening, I wanted to slip away, be alone and allow my wounds to heal. Instead, I fulfilled the commitment that I made to visit a new young whom the Lord had brought to our city and our church.

When they opened their front door, the pain that I had done my best to mask must have been very obvious. Almost before I could say hello, one after the other they invited me with the soothing words, “Pastor, we see that you are in pain. Please come in. We’ll make a cup of tea. We can sit down. We love what we see the Lord doing. we love this church those whom we have met. We love Lynne and you. If there is any way that we can help, we will. We are here to stay.”

I REMEMBER THOSE EVENTS LIKE THEY HAPPENED YESTERDAY.

I WAS SCARRED AND TRAMATIZED. ALTH0UGH THE WOUNDS HEALED, IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED SOMETIMES TRUSTING STRETCHED ME. BY GOD’S MOST OF THE LEADERS WITH WHOM I WAS PRIVILEGED WERE COMMITTED TO COLLABERATIVE DECISION MAKING.

- While secondary details of painful experiences like this might become cloudy over time, the assurances that we are loved and not forgotten; gently cared for; are asked gentle questions and offered helping hands that take us from where we are to where to where we need to be, are usually indelibly imprinted on our hearts and minds

That was the way that it was or should have been with Elijah when the LORD, the word of the LORD encouraged Elijah. The word of the LORD comes in times of:

1. Our greatest needs – 1 Kings 19:1-8.

Sometimes our most pressing needs are physical. There are times when crippling physical or emotion needs deafen our ears and blind our eyes to our greatest needs and the help that is being offered.

During his years of public ministry, Jesus addressed both physical and spiritual needs. He was moved with compassion for those who were weary and hungry physically and spiritually.

Jesus reminded His disciples. “He who has seen me has seen the Father.

Jn 14:9, 8-11. In that portion, Jesus underscored that faith and a relationship with God is both what we believe and what we do.

God had been caring for and providing for Elijah in multiple ways - ravens and widow of Zarephath.

- Fear - 19:3

Messenger and message from Jezebel.

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings Exegetical and Critical

” To have him killed without further ceremony did not seem to her advisable, for the impression which he had made on the people was still too fresh in their minds; but she was determined to have him out of the way as soon as possible, in order at least to prevent all further influence on the people and the king, and so, under cover of a threat of death, she gave him time for flight.

Shattered any hope that Elijah might have had Jezebel’s heart had softened or at the very least pulled for a bit.

Elijah feared for his life. That was natural.

Rather than wait for a clear message from the LORD who had previously clearly directed and cared for him, Elijah ran. We can understand Elijah’s decision that did not make it right.

BTW - “afraid” not in KJV. Instead, we read, “when he saw that (italics) he arose. ...”

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings Exegetical and Critical

Elijah saw clearly how matters stood; he perceived that he could no longer remain here, as he had wished and hoped, and that he could not carry his work of reformation through to the end.

- Afraid, arose; ran for his life; came to Beersheba; left his servant.

Beersheba - 160 km, at least 5 days walk south of Jezreel, where he left his servant and journeyed another day.

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings Exegetical and Critical

Since he did not as on a former occasion (chap, 18:1) receive a divine command to hazard his life, i. e., to remain in spite of the threat, he arose and left the kingdom, as he had done once before

Not commanded to show self to/confront Jezebel as re Ahab - 1 Kings 18:1.

fear, panic, weak.

With the Psalmist we can say,

Psalm 46:1–5 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

BUT, It is no as easy to remember and apply the promise of God’s presence and help. Not fearing is hard especially when we are tired.

- Discouragement.

Fear and discouragment often do hand in hand.

While there are obvious physical reasons for Elijah’s discouragement, his actions and heading off on his own strongly indicate that he is no LONGER rational. What he did made no sense physically and spiritually. That was underscored by his request.

- Asked that he might die.

The Israelites felt that suicide was an afront to God.

Because he saw his situation as hopeless, he asked God to take his life.

We cannot judge Elijah too harshingly. Perhaps some of us will admit that we too , in a time when we saw no way out, prayed for the Lord to take our life.

Before we can turn the corner and praise God, we need to reaffirm our hope in the Lord.

Psalm 42:5 ESV

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

Hoping in God comes from a determination to refocus our attention.

Psalm 42:1–6 ESV

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

- Fatigue

- Laid down under broom tree and slept.

- 40-day journey to Horeb, the mount of God.

Because the journey from near Beersheba required about 20 days, the 40 days and nights obviously have both a literal and symbolic meaning.

Childfren of Israel - 40 years wandering in the wilderness after spiritual failure - Nu 14:26-35.

Discouraged Elijah - 40 days in the desert.

Moses - 40 days on the mount sustained only God as he waited for the next phase of his ministry - Ex 34:28.

Elijah - sustained by God as prepared for God’s direction

Moses - presence of God - Ex 33:12-23. so too Elijah.

Fear, discouragement and fatigue might seem like benign weaknesses of the flesh. Individually they might have caused a spiritual limp. But together, they completely debilitated Elijah.

The account in the word of God is clear. Elijah was so weak, so debilitated that he could not hear the word of the LORD. The LORD sent an angel two times with some nourishment.

Arise and eat.

Arise and eat for the journey is too great for you.

We do well to reflect and learn from the LORD’s gracious care of Elijah.

The LORD cares for those whom He calls and who obey His call.

Fear, discouragement and fatigue are delibiliting and render us unable to hear the word of LORD.

Whether they realize it or not, believers who withdraw cannot and sometimes choose not to hear the word of the LORD. Only when they accept acute spiritual care will they be able to hear the word of the LORD and be restored.

2. Renewal – 1 Kings – 1 Kings 19:9-18

- The word of the LORD came to him forcefully in the cave (1 question/2 commands).

Because verses 9-11 record only the word of the LORD as it came to Elijah it unwise to suggest motives and attitudes on the part of the LORD and Elijah. It seems prudent for us to compare parallel interactions in the Scriptures.

As we consider the word of LORD recorded here, the Scripture record is clear. The LORD spoke to Elijah with a voice that could heard. There was a conversation. God spoke to Elijah in a audible voice. Initially, Elijah was in a cave. Later, although Elijah was commanded to leave the cave and stand on the mountain, the events described from verses 9-13 are viewed by Elijah from the entrance to the cave - v 13.

- “What are you doing here?” – 19:9.

Menken suggested that the LORD’s question demonstrated tender kindness, the kindness shown by Jesus when He spoke to Mary after His resurrection. The same kindness was shown by one of elders who asked the Apostle John what he saw.

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings Exegetical and Critical

this was “a question of tender kindness, to relieve the full, burdened heart of the prophet, that he, to whom the great privilege of being able to complain of his sorrow had so long been denied, might be moved to reveal his desire, to pour out his whole heart before the Lord

John 20:15 ESV

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Revelation 7:13 ESV

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”

Although at first glance it might seem that Elijah is refusing to allow the LORD to renew him and retreating to the cave rather than lying under the broom tree, Elijah is in fact pouring out his heart and asking the LORD to explain what he cannot understand.

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings Exegetical and Critical

The prophet lays the facts, whose weight had fallen upon him with such fearful power, before the Lord, that He might see how they appear, and he leaves the riddle which is therein presented to Him, for Him to explain” (Gerlach)

Like the Apostle Paul did again hundred’s of years later, Elijah appealled to God against Israel. If God has not rejected His why does He not discipline them and a father does his children. And if they are God’s people why do tney

Romans 11:1–2 ESV

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

After a confession that he has been jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, Elijah brought to the LORD four very serious charges against Israel.

- “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts.” - 19:10.

At first glance, Elijah’s affirmation that he is jealous for the LORD might seem a bit proud, but in reality it is a confession of unwavering fidelity and commitment to the LORD. The LORD himself confessed that He is a jealous God and having commanded that we are to have no other Gods before Him, explained there reason. “I am a jealous God.”

Exodus 20:3–6 ESV

“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

- “The people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and .”

-” I, even I only, am left, and THEY SEEK MY LIFE TO TAKE IT AWAY.”

- “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” – 19:11

- “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu, son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in your place. … Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” – 19:15-18.

3. Passing the mantle – 1 Kings 20:19-21.

- Departed from wilderness of Damascus to Abel-meholah and found Elisha.

-Cast his cloak on Elisha who kissed parents; sacrificed oxen/gave to people; followed/assisted Elijah.

In our times of extreme need:

1. The word of the LORD is our greatest need, but sometimes we become too weak or … to listen.

2. Fear, discouragement and fatigue sometimes make it difficult for us hear the word of the LORD and make wise decisions.

3. For effective long-term ministry, the LORD must eventually replace servants who do not hear the word of the LORD, what the LORD is saying and how it applies to serving the LORD.

AWV/Oct 15/23