1 Kings 19:9-18

What Are You Doing Here?

Text: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Introduction

Have you ever found yourself at a place in life where if you asked yourself, “Can I do any good for God where I currently am?” the answer would be no?

There was a time in your life when you had a better focus on God and His blessings in your life. It was a time when you didn’t become lost in the difficulties of life, but rather encouraged by God’s continual love, mercy, grace, provision, and work of preservation.

Illustration: Have you ever watched a movie about someone, read a book someone, or admired someone who seemed to never get side-tracked by doubt, fear, pride, selfish ambition, etc? That person, whether they be a super hero, an elite athlete, an amazing follower of God, they remained strong and seemed to never take steps in the wrong direction. HOWEVER…one day, that all changed! The person who used to walk courageously now seems to be paralyzed by fear. The person who never walked away from a challenge, now hides away in doubt. The person who was always sure of the impact they were making, now is questioning their very existence.

That kind of person is exactly who we find in the Prophet Elijah. Elijah went from being a bold, faithful, active, and obedient servant of God, to someone who was seeking to end his life. Elijah was in great need for a personal revival; renewal!

How would Elijah get back on his feet again? How would Elijah get back to the reality of His purpose? How would Elijah escape the mental trap, “It is pointless to continue on.”

I want us all to take a look into the darkest time in Elijah’s life and understand that ANYONE can reach a spot where all of your spiritual desire seems to be sucked completely out of you. Also, we need to understand that we don’t have to stay in that condition! Your spirit can be renewed!!!

1) Elijah Was Sanctified For God

A. Elijah had made God’s Word a priority

He Confronted idolatry:

Elijah served as God's messenger to confront King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who were leading Israel to worship the pagan god Baal.

He Pronounced judgement on Jezebel

Elijah declared that Jezebel would be eaten by dogs

He Prophesied a drought:

He prophesied that it would not rain in Israel until he said so, leading to a three-and-a-half-year drought.

He Performed miracles

He was miraculously sustained by ravens and a widow's failing oil and meal supply.

He raised a widow's son from the dead.

On Mount Carmel, he called down fire from heaven to consume his altar, proving God's power to the Israelites.

a) Has there been moments of your history where you were following God step for step?

Maybe it was a time when you family prayed together every night before bed.

Maybe it was a time when your marriage was more centered on God’s will than centered on spending time apart chasing your own ambitions.

Maybe it was a time when you had a constant walk with God, but it has now turned into a brief conversation once a week.

1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

B. Elijah had made God’s Commands a priority

When God told him to confront Ahab, that is exactly what he did!

When God told him he would be fed by the ravens, he never doubted God’s compassion!

When God told him to go to a widows house who had nothing to sustain him with. Yet, he would be preserved there during the drought.

When God instructed him to stand alone against the many prophets of Baal and the evil Jezebel, He went with confidence and courage!

2) Elijah Was Surrounded By Distraction

Some distractions are stronger than others.

A. The strength of Elijah’s distraction

a) King Ahab and Jezebel

The narratives of 1–2 Kings portray Jezebel as a woman of great wickedness who persuades her husband and others to oppose Yahweh and commit evil deeds. Her legacy is preserved in 1 Kings 21:25 “25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.”

After marrying Jezebel, Ahab promotes the worship of Baal in Israel (1 Kgs 16:31–33). Two chapters later, the narrative credits Jezebel with killing the prophets of Yahweh, while Obadiah hides 100 of them in a cave (1 Kgs 18:4). Chet Roden, “Jezebel, Wife of Ahab, Daughter of Ethbaal,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Jezebel engineers a scheme to have a guy by the name Naboth stoned to death on false charges just to acquire a vineyard King Ahab wanted.

Jezebel’s impact on Elijah — 1 Kings 19:1–2 “1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.”

b) (v10) The rebellion of God’s people to worship God as they should

He felt like he was the only one who love God.

There was no community to labor with.

There was no encouragers around him.

There were no prayer warriors to prop him up.

There was no one to worship God with.

c) Elijah fled to Judah, left his servant there, and traveled into the wastelands.

He created a loneliness that led to despondency (low spirits from loss of hope and courage).

Elijah exhausted himself and depleted himself.

“Take away my life.”

Again, he was not looking at what God could do for him.

3) Elijah Was Sought Out By God

Verses 5-8

A. God sought him to provide physical refreshment

a) Elijah had not taken the time to care for his physical needs.

He had no mind for his strength, endurance, or health.

When you are physically out of balance, your spiritual well being will be negatively impacted.

b) God knew the strength he needed in order to make the trip to Mount Horeb

God knew that Elijah would run as far as Mount Horeb.

Here is the gracious act of God: He nourished Elijah so he would not collapse on his way of running away from his problem.

God would refresh Elijah’s spiritual decline once he made it to the cave.

B. God sought him to provide spiritual refreshment

a) There would be a distance to travel to reconnect with God the right way

i) Reaching spiritual depletion does not happen over night!

He had traveled nearly 100 miles in the wrong direction.

You have made a lot of decisions, developed certain perspectives, spent a lot of money, spent a lot of time to get to where you are.

ii) Reaching a stable (eventually a thriving) spiritual status would require time and effort.

It would have been a must slower speed getting there.

The distance from the biblical region of Judah to Mount Horeb is approximately 250 to 300 miles, based on the journey of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. This journey took him 40 days and nights to complete, traveling from near Beersheba to Horeb. The terrain is rugged, meaning the actual road distance is longer than the straight-line, or "as the crow flies," distance.

b) There would be a moment of refocus to reconnect with God the right way

a) God leads off by asking, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

In other words, “What brings you so far from home?”

“Are you fleeing from Jezebel?

“Could you not have depended on my power for protection?”

i) You could word the question to say, “What good are you able to do for Me in this cave?”

Q — Is this a great place for a prophet to both lodge and render to God a faithful life? NO!

Q — Was this a good time from a prophet to retreat from God’s purposes? NO!

There were plenty of opportunities to do good back home, but not in the cave of Mount Horeb.

ii) Are you where you should be when it comes to your Biblical duty to God?

If you God calls on you “right now,” would your current life business and patterns make you useful for Him?

b) Elijah responded with reasons why he came to dwell in the cave.

“What good could I possibly do when I am up against thousands?”

“My life is going to end anyway and render a fruitless endeavour. I might as well spend the rest of my days in solitude.”

C. God sought him to provide hope

a) God’s power can be demonstrated and many different ways

b) God’s would supply His power through a “still small voice.”

i) This was far different than what he was used too.

ii) God wanted Elijah to know that He doesn’t always work through something big and noisy.

God was, the Word was, in the still small voice!

iii) While the powerful miracles on Mt. Carmel were awesome, it would take the Word of God to quietly work on the hearts of the people.

iv) Q — What is happening this week? REVIVAL! This is a time when God’s “still small voice” will be working. Will you be here to experience it?

c) God would provide others to carry on the work

i) 7,000 faithful believers yet in the land.

ii) Elisha would be his successor.

iii) Appoint Hazel king of Syria — He will correct the people for their idolatry.

iv) Appoint Jehu king of Israel — He will destroy the house of Ahab

v) All of Elijah’s reasons for isolating himself from being useful for God was now removed.

He would have known this if he had simply talked to God.

Conclusion

Are you in a place where you can do the good God would have you too? If you have fears or uncertainties, cry out to God today and allow His still small voice guide to a place where you can do much good for Him.

Christian

Unbeliever