Elijah in James
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One should not read the book of James without seeing the story of Elijah working in the background. So often pastors seek to moralize James all the while missing the the fact that the story of Elijah is actually inspiring James to write to this very young church warning them not to follow the path of Ahab and Israel, but instead to walk according to the greater Elijah, Jesus Christ.
Elijah Connections in James
Firstfruits of the new covenant
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Elijah was the firstfruits of the new order in Israel. After the Omrin dynasty had devoured faithful Israel, national repentance was no longer on the table. YHWH starts over with a new remnant (covenant on Sinai) led by Elijah. He was a sort of firstfruit of remnant Israel.
Call to receive God’s word
21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
James calls believers to repent and put away sinful habits and receive the implanted word.
Elijah’s call to Israel to repent. This is seen when Elijah call Israel to choose this day whom they will serve (18.21). Elijah describes Israel to YHWH as a people who “have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword...”
Doers and hearers of the Word
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
Be doers of the word, not hearers only thus deceiving yourselves
Elijah is a doer of the word. Elijah’s ministry is one of action. He receives the word of the Lord and acts upon it.
Ahab is deceived, he is the man who looks in the mirror. James presents the Word of God as mirror, and each time Ahab hears from Elijah he is looking into the mirror. There are times where it seems Ahab see clearly and even repents (1 K 18.41-46; 21.25-29) yet, quickly forgets what he see in the mirror and turns back to his wicked ways.
Pure and undefiled religion
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Pure religion is to visit the widows and orphans.
Elijah visits the widow and orphan.
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Faith in action, taking care of the poor
Elijah takes upon himself the provision and care of the starving widow and her son. Elijah, through the power of God, does not send the widow and her son away with a blessing, but rather he provides for them the things needed for the body
A Prophet is a friend of God
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
Elijah is the Prophet par excellence: Prophets are members of God’s council, also considered friends of God
Words of Fire
James 3.1-12
Power of the spoken word, like a fire that sets the whole forest ablaze
Elijah had the word of the Lord, the truth, in his mouth - Sir 48:1 says, “Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.” [1]
Prophetic Rebuke
James 4.4-10
You Adulterous people...(these words seem very Elijahlike)
Elijah’s words to the people before the prophets of Baal showdown
Prayer for the Sick
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James calls the leaders of the church to pray for the sick
Elijah prays over the widow’s son for resurrection. Elijah pleads with YHWH for the boys life
Ahab and Jezebel in James
Ahab and Jezebel in James
The Rich man and fading grass
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Rich man fades like the grass under the scorching heat
The Famine in Israel due to their sin (covenant curses) is severe. To the point where the king himself went out looking for some green grass to feed the animals. Ahab false glory was withering like the grass of the ground. He is the rich man of James 1.10.
Desire gives birth to sin, sin bring death
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Ahab and Jezebel’s desire for false glory and false gods gave birth to sin, and their sin brings death
Anger does not produce righteousness
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God
Ahab and Jezebel are marked by anger
Faith without works
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
Faith without works, can that faith save him?
Ahab claims to have faith in YHWH, yet this spurious faith is not a faith that produces works.
Even the demon believe
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The demonic activity of Baal through his prophets. You might say that the demons were to afraid to fight back against YHWH and his prophet, Elijah
Jezebel and Ahab acceptance of YHWH was lacking because they were ok with YHWH as a god within their pantheon of gods. This is not true belief.
Desire the leads to murder
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Ahab and Jezebel desired the vineyard yet they could not have it. So they murdered.
Asking wrongly
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wrongly (selfishly)
Ahab wanted to plague to end, yet did not know how to ask rightly. Rather he wanted to see his passions realized. (?)
Spacial themes in James