What To Do In Transition
Notes
Transcript
What To Do In Transition
What To Do In Transition
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
The time is about somewhere between 906-870 BC
Solomon died in about 930 BC -
The kingdom was divided under Rehoboam / Jereboam 1 - Northern and southern kingdoms...
Israel - Northern Kingdom 10 Kingdoms
Judah - Southern Kingdom...
Israel is under the leadership of a wicked king… Ahab - the 8th king to follow Solomon… not only was Israel under a wicked king, but a more wicked and evil wife - Jezebel...
The country is under the judgement of God - no rain in the land...
no rain -
water shortages - rivers are low
water shortages - crops do not grow
Food shortage
economic inflation…
Death - depravation
crime
moral decay
no hope
no help
This was a very critical time in Israel and so critical, that Ahab the king, and Obadiah, the governor of the King’s house, were out looking for grass to save the horses and mules from dying...
No mention made about saving the people, but his horses - needed for battle - in protecting from invading armies… were worth saving...
save the horses - don’t worry about the people...
save the whales, but kill the babies… sound familiar?
So these were bad days…
National emergency...
individual suffering...
wealth, health have been diminished
Hope has been deferred
Religious persecution is at an all time high...
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
bread and water - meager survival sustenance
It is in such a case when we come to our text passage this morning...
Elijah was the prophet that had declared that it was not going to rain for a space of 3 years...
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
God’s people during these 3 1/2 years of turmoil had changed...
They had moved from following the Lord, to accepting and embracing:
false gods,
false religion,
ungodly leaders
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
What To Do in Time of Transition...
What To Do in Time of Transition...
Transition, change is hard...
The unknown is hard and breeds fear - the great enemy of faith...
What To Do in Time of Transition...
It was decision time -
Elijah presented them a question - HOW LONG HALT YE....
Recognize your reality
“How long halt ye...
The people were paralyzed
3 1/2 years of turmoil - had paralyzed these people...
fear
of future
of outcome
of the outward
of the unknown
A paralyzed people will succumb to the ungodly advances of the evil
Ahab and Jezebell were emboldened and their cause was expanded when God’s people became paralyzed...
their fear
their uncertainty
their lack of understanding, perception, insight into what was going on caused them to respond in fear...
What To Do in Time of Transition...
Recognize your reality
Recognize your reasoning
“…two opinions...”
Elijah brought the problems to the forefront of everyone’s mind:
idolatry
The problem wasn’t lack of rain
The problem wasn’t scarceness of food
The problem wasn’t the livestock
The problem was not the economy...
The problem was idolatry...
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
What To Do in Time of Transition...
Recognize your reality
Recognize your reasoning
Recognize your response
"…And the people answered him not a word.”
The situation had caused them to be unsure of anything...
Is God still God?
The Concerns are real
The question is real
But their response… nothing...
There comes a point when we have trouble making any decisions...
decisions where we know what to do
decisions where we know what the answer is...
The pressures
The persecution
The problems
The people
The people were unable to give an answer to a question that had the answer in it...
These people were not oblivious to the reality of the Almighty
They were not so far removed from the blessings of God in their lives that they just didn’t know...
They had allowed the situation and circumstances of the current day to cause them to be:
Unsure of God
Fearful to respond…
too convicted of their current life’s decisions and actions to respond...
What To Do in Time of Transition...
Recognize your reality
Recognize your reasoning
Recognize your response
Recognize your resolve
King James Version Chapter 18
Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
After the fearless faith of Elijah they were emboldened
After the exhibition of God’s power they were empowered to act -
no longer paralyzed
no longer silent
no longer faithless
Elijah Rebuilt the altar - 12 stones
Elijah prepared for the sacrifice
Elijah - had 3 rounds of 4 barrels of water… (a scarce commodity to waste)
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Repented -
humility - fell on their faces
Resolved in their own heart - The Lord, He is God
Renewed faith in action...
Removed false prophets
What To Do in Time of Transition...
Recognize your reality
Recognize your reasoning
Recognize your response
Recognize your resolve
Where are we “honestly” in our faith - what is real?
Why are we where we are - what is the real problem
do the situations
circumstances and
scenarios really determine our faith?
What has been my response to the situations, circumstances and scenarios?
silence?
paralyzation?
fear?
faithlessness?
How am I going to respond to these questions?
will I stay the same
will I reaffirm my faith
will I return to my God and my faith?
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Our actions
Our inactions boil down to our world view...
If the Lord be God… follow him
If not…if it’s a false god, government, ruler, self… fill in the blanks… then serve them...
How long halt ye between two opinions...
What to do in Transition