INTO THE WILDERNESS PT 3

Elijah:The Whisper

1 Kings 19:1–5 NIV

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 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.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 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.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”

Pray/Be Still

The battle of Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 19:1–2 NIV

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 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.”

Elijah was a prophet that God had worked miraculously through. The only problem was that when it came to going against the prophets he stood alone. After the victory, Jezebel the queen of Israel, threaten to have him killed. So Elijah did what he thought was the right thing to do, ran.

1 Kings 19:3–4 NIV

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 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.”

WILDERNESS MOMENTS OFTEN COME AFTER MOUNTAIN TOP MOMENTS

Elijah was afraid and ran because that’s the human instinct. Is it not interesting that he had Just seen God perform a miracle, yet was scared of the woman who was against God?

Sometimes it makes me think that even though we know the power of God, we still doubt that He will take care of what we need.

1 Kings 19:5 (NIV)

Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED A NAP

1 Kings 19:5–6 (NIV)

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 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.

1 Kings 19:7–9 (NIV)

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.” 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. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Horeb is often called Mount Sinai-Little Bible fact

SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO EAT

GOD STRENGTHENS IN THE WILDERNESS

1 Kings 19:9 (NIV)

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:10 NIV

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.”

Sometimes in our wilderness moments we have to be asked this question. We have to be asked in our wilderness moments and seasons, why are we here? If a purpose is not revealed, it will be.

1 Kings 19:11–13 (NIV)

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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

1 Kings 19:13 (NIV)

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

God demonstrated His power to Elijah and spoke to him in the gentle whisper. Many times we feel like God should give us a huge audacious response to show us what he wants. It’s when we are within the silence that we can hear the Father.

GOD IS NOT REVEALED IN THE OBVIOUS, BUT IN THE WHISPERS

1 Kings 19:18 NIV

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS