Conversations in the Cave
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Synopsis
A deep sense of despondency, discouragement and sadness, often linked with a sense of personal powerlessness and a loss of meaning in and enthusiasm for life. Many biblical characters show evidence of such behaviour which originates in a number of different ways.
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”
In chapter 18 Elijah just proved that there was no other gods
Isn't it amazing that
following a major victory is the potential for a major let down
a
Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health and was answering questions from the audience. Someone said, “What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”
Most people thought he would say, “Go see a psychiatrist immediately,” but he didn’t. To their astonishment, Dr. Menninger replied, “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find somebody in need, and help that person.”
To overcome discouragement, “Don’t focus on yourself,” concluded Yates. “Get involved in the lives of other people.”
1: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2: one that threatens
3: an indication of something impending 〈the sky held a threat of rain〉
Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Controlled by Feelings rather than Faith
Controlled by Feelings rather than Faith
Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
1 Kings
Maybe not the News that Elijah was looking for ....
In chapter 18 Elijah just proved that there was no other gods
Isn't it amazing that
following a major victory is the potential for a major let down
Several types of Fear/ He was really motivated by fear
Holy fear: This comes from the believer’s apprehension of the living God. . Holy fear, on the other hand, is God-given, enabling men to reverence God’s authority, obey his commandments and hate and shun all form of evil
Hindering Fear :suffering the effects of apprehension, fear, or terror <too afraid to even cry for help>
afraid adjective
1 suffering the effects of apprehension, fear, or terror <too afraid to even cry for help>
synonyms aghast, anxious, ||ascared, fearful, frightened, scared, scary, terrified; compare
He Retreats = He backs away both mentally and physically
God told Him to go show Himself to Ahab
God told Him to go to the brook and the raven was ghoing to feed him
God tell s him to go to the widows house and the widow was going to feed him.
But Verse 3 says He was afraid and he arose in fear
For three years, Elijah had not made a move without hearing and obeying the Lord’s instructions (17:2–3, 8–9; 18:1), but now he was running ahead of the Lord in order to save his own life. When God’s servants get out of God’s will, they’re liable to do all sorts of foolish things and fail in their strongest points.
Never make a move based off of Intimidation but only from inspiration
Never make a decision based on threats from a man but rather based on your trust in God.
Controlled By Intimidation/ Threats
Controlled By Intimidation/ Threats
Despondency birthed from a
Despondency birthed from a
Merriam-Webster, I. (1996). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate thesaurus. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Douglas, J. D. (1996). Fear. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 365). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Controlled by Failure
Controlled by Failure
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Depression:
A deep sense of despondency, discouragement and sadness, often linked with a sense of personal powerlessness and a loss of meaning in and enthusiasm for life. Many biblical characters show evidence of such behaviour which originates in a number of different ways.
A deep sense of despondency, discouragement and sadness, often linked with a sense of personal powerlessness and a loss of meaning in and enthusiasm for life. Many biblical characters show evidence of such behaviour which originates in a number of different ways.
His Last two prayers were God send fire
And God send the rain
Now Hes praying God kill me
It’s very lonely to be someone else strength when your weak
Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind.
a deep sense of failure, plus lack of faith in the Lord, had brought Elijah into deep depression. But there was also an element of pride involved, and some self-pity, for Elijah was sure that his courageous ministry on Mount Carmel would bring the nation to its knees. Perhaps he was also hoping that Ahab and Jezebel would repent and turn from Baal to Jehovah. His expectations weren’t fulfilled, so he considered himself a failure. But the Lord rarely allows His servants to see all the good they have done, because we walk by faith and not by sight, and Elijah would learn that there were 7,000 people in Israel who had not bowed to Baal and worshiped him. No doubt his own ministry had influenced many of them.
Unrealized Dreams
Unrealized Dreams
We humans make plans,
but the Lord
has the final word.
Share your plans with the Lord,
and you will succeed.
Prov
We make our own plans,
but the Lord decides
where we will go.
And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
judges
Crippled by Exhaustion
Crippled by Exhaustion
And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
1 Kings
Physical Illness or
Physical Illness or
And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.”
And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Compelled by the Escapism
Compelled by the Escapism
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Loneliness The combination of emotional burnout, weariness, hunger
Caves are Dark
Caves are Dark
What are you doing here, hiding in the dark ?
Confronts His Self Pity and Pride
Caves are Dangerous
Caves are Dangerous
He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I’ve always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
Challenges in the Cave
Challenges in the Cave
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
When He went outside of his fears is when God spoke to Him.
He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For 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.”
Come out of the Cave with a Renewed Vision
Come out of the Cave with a Renewed Vision
And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
Complete your Assignment
Complete your Assignment
Return to the place that you left
Return to the place that you left
And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.
And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.
Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health and was answering questions from the audience. Someone said, “What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”
Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health and was answering questions from the audience. Someone said, “What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”
Most people thought he would say, “Go see a psychiatrist immediately,” but he didn’t. To their astonishment, Dr. Menninger replied, “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find somebody in need, and help that person.”
To overcome discouragement, “Don’t focus on yourself,” concluded Yates. “Get involved in the lives of other people.”
Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”
And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.