Sermon Tone Analysis

Elijah and Elisha 8.

[P] Last month we went up to Tauranga for Mum and Dad’s diamond wedding anniversary.

They’ve been together 60 years!

That makes them quite old; and with that, you find that the memory is not quite what it used to be.

You find that they ask you a question, then 5 minutes later they ask you exactly the same thing again – well the same answer that you just gave still applies!

Have you ever repeated yourself?

We all have; and here in our passage today God does.

But it’s not Alzheimer’s!

If you repeat something, you really mean it; you want to emphasize and draw attention to it.

יהוה really wanted the answer.

But you can ask the exact same thing and get the exact same answer, but yet it can be different.

Now, Rhoda and I haven’t been married 60 years, it’s a bit over 16 years.

Now, if I asked Rhoda on the 20th of January, 2001, the question: “Do you love me?”

I am fairly sure she would have answered: “Yes!” Now, 16 years later, if I asked the same question: “Do you love me?”; she would probably answer just the same word: “Yes!”

But there is quite a bit of difference!

The context has changed, quite a bit has happened in the mean-time.

Sixteen years ago, everything was new and fresh, seen through rose-tinted glasses.

Yes, Rhoda loved me; but now, the rose-tint has faded – now Rhoda knows me a bit more, what I’m really like!

She has put up with my grumpiness and idiosyncrasies, lived with my annoying habits, failings and weakness.

Sixteen years ago, she loved me and meant it; now she loves me and means it – and it means a whole lot more!

It was the same with Peter: three times Jesus asked him the same thing: “Do you love Me?” but it hit home a bit more that third time, as Peter recalled his 3 denials.

Let’s read: [P] remember, יהוה had led Elijah back to Mount Horeb [1 Kings 19:9–18 Then he (that is, Elijah) came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of יהוה came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (there’s the question, the word of יהוה) He said, “I have been very zealous for יהוה, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

(there is Elijah’s reply) So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before יהוה.”

And behold, יהוה was passing by!

And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before יהוה; but יהוה was not in the wind.

And after the wind an earthquake, but יהוה was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake a fire, but יהוה was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.

(here was a face to face encounter with the Living God!)

And behold, a voice (the audible voice of יהוה!) came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (there is the question again, exactly the same words.

Perhaps after that dramatic revelation you might expect some special revelation, some further insight.

No, it is exactly the same.)

Then he said, “I have been very zealous for יהוה, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

(there has been wind, earthquake and fire; then the very voice of יהוה Himself, audible – meeting in person with יהוה!

And the answer is exactly the same!

Elijah had not changed his stance either.)

יהוה said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

“It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.

“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, (not everyone would be put to death) all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”]

Now, Elijah continued to minister before Elisha took over from him; Ben-Hadad ruled for some time before Hazael replaced him; after Ahab came Ahaziah and then Jehoram, before Jehu took the throne.

So this implies יהוה is referring to quite some time down the track.

Last time we looked at the matter of “seeking יהוה”.

Elijah earnestly sought God; he met with Him on Sinai, he genuinely discerned His voice.

He was not taken in by the dramatic and impressive show.

He met יהוה face to face! Heard His voice!

What did יהוה say?

There are some who maintain that Elijah, at this point, was depressed, low in faith, back-sliding, away from God, afraid.

Yet Elijah had boldly stood before Ahab who was intent on killing him and confronted whole nation single handed.

Was he depressed?

He had the determination, motivation and will power to go 40 days without food and walk to Sinai.

Was he low in faith?

He called down fire from heaven, prayed for rain.

Was He away from God?

He was fed by angels, twice God aided him on his journey; God spoke with him.

He was close enough to God to know genuine voice and not be taken in by dramatic display.

God holds Elijah as archetypal prophet.

He was one of only two in the Bible who did not die.

He was with Jesus on mount of Transfiguration, will appear to herald Jesus.

This is the prophet above all others (except Jesus and possibly Moses) that has God’s seal of approval.

Here is a man who has pressed into God, not been satisfied with trivial answer, surface level.

He sought God earnestly; and met with Him in person on Mount Horeb.

God repeats His question: [P] “Elijah, why here?”

Elijah wasn’t far from יהוה, he had discerned His voice correctly the first time, he was hearing from God – despite this dramatic personal encounter, יהוה was still saying exactly the same thing.

He doesn’t change.

But it was different.

I recall back along I attended a fellowship where the pastor got cancer.

The whole church was called to a week of prayer and fasting.

At the end of that time I had a personal revelation of the faithfulness of God.

I had never questioned that God was faithful, I knew the doctrine; in a way, nothing had changed in my doctrine or knowledge about God – but now it had hit home in way like never before.

Nothing had changed, but it was utterly different!

Elijah had heard correctly but now it was face to face with יהוה!

When you are before the actual presence of יהוה all is stripped away.

He is truth!

You cannot but speak the truth.

But Elijah gave exactly the same reply.

[1 Kings 19:14 Then he said, “I have been very zealous for יהוה, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”].

Does it seem to you that he doesn’t really seem to answer יהוה’s question?

I would have said something like, “You led men here.

I am here at your command.

That’s why I’m here.”

יהוה leads Elijah there, then asks him why he is there!

But the answer is there: he is there because of his zeal for יהוה.

Like I said last time, it is a good question to ask yourself why you are here.

Are you here because of your zeal for יהוה?! Elijah was here at Mount Horeb, the mountain of God; [P] because he was zealous for יהוה, earnestly seeking Him, following His directions.

He was there to seek what יהוה was going to do now.

Elijah, why are you here and nobody else?

I mean this mountain was where the nation of Israel met God, entered into covenant relationship with Him.

But where was everyone else?

Where was the nation?

Elijah was there by himself alone because: “the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

Elijah sought to turn the wayward idolatrous nation of Israel back to God.

He hadn’t done it by his own power but at God’s command and in God’s power.

The power of God had come down.

God had done everything possible to turn this nation back to Himself, given convincing proof: a 3-year drought, fire from heaven, provision of rain.

But still they were intent on wiping out the last remnant of commitment to יהוה! Inveterate, determined, adamant opposition to God! What more could be done?!

Where to from here?