Elijah is Just Like You

Some of you that have had more coffee type conversations with me know that I look forward to being in heaven. I look forward to meeting God face to face, and I also look forward to meeting many of people we are introduced to in the bible.

One of the people I really look forward to meeting is Elijah. I think it will be really cool to talk to him and hear his words and laughter on the prophets of Baal, and his fear of Jezebel and why he ran from her having just shown all Israel the true power of God.

Elijah is introduced to us in 1 Kings 17 as he goes to meet with King Ahab. All the other prophets like Elijah were either dead or in hiding. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a sacrificial dual. There were 450 of them against Elijah.

He asked for two bulls and that the Baal prophets pick one out and make their sacrifice, but do not burn the sacrifice. They had to pray for their god to bring on the fire for the sacrifice. Scripture shows they were there for 12 hours praying and dancing and cutting themselves and nothing happened. Now Elijah took the other bull sacrificed it to the Lord, and put it on an altar he built. Then had the people poor water on it three times until the ground and the trench around the alter were filled with water and drenched. Then he prayed to God, and the fire was so powerful that it not only took the offering… scripture tells us that even the stones were incinerated! Wow! This can be read in 1 Kings 18: 20-40. I encourage you to read it as an amazing show of God’s true power.

Now turn with me to Luke 1: 17

[Luke 1:17 NKJV] 17 "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

John the Baptist was prophesied over by the angel that have just told his father Zachariah that when John is born, he will have great power from God. I am here today to tell you that you too have this same power!

Relationship with God

In James chapter 5 we are told in God’s word that Elijah was like us:

[James 5:17 NKJV] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was in an age that was godless just like we are today too. The kings in Israel during this time did not follow God, and specifically Ahab who was the king at this time was according to scripture the worst of the worst and of all combined kings before him.

[1Kings 16:30 NKJV] 30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who [were] before him.

But see even in the midst of this, Elijah we are told stood by God and was alive and active in his daily walk. Read 1 Kings 17:1

[1Kings 17:1 NKJV] 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "[As] the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

So, Elijah showed he had a relationship with God and no matter how bad things were around him that he would stand by God. He was the only prophet of God alive brave enough to confront Ahab with the word of God. He shows us that to have the power of God active in our lives we need to be active in God.

Is God active and alive in your life? That is a question we all need to ask ourselves. It is a doorway to have the power over the world as Elijah had.

Who do we fear?

See Elijah did not fear the king Ahab. Even though Ahab’s wife Jezebel had killed all the prophets of God. He did not let Jezebel or Ahab intimidate him. He knew that even though these people were powerful and stood before him… His God was more powerful than they were. He had strength in God.

Elijah must have had God fearing parents that raised him. We don’t know a lot about Elijah. We know he was a Tishbite, and not much more. He essentially came out of nowhere. Tishbite is approximately 10 miles North of the Sea of Galilee. And his name means “Jehovah is my strength”.

Elijah’s parents taught him the fear of God. Some of us had parents like that… but not all did. Now we can use excuses here and say my parents did not do that so how can I possibly do what Elijah has done. We all have this ability though… Look at

[1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV] 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

We have this same power of God. It is the Gospel that inspires us and energizes us to teach the love of Jesus Christ just as John the Baptist did… And the best part of this is that we can use this power to influence the circle of friends and family around us each and every day to show the character of Love through the message of the cross!

Elijah did not worry about who Ahab was or who Jezebel was and or what they could do to him. He knew that God was in control and that nothing could be done to him that was not influenced by God. He Stood before God. So, the question is to us… who do we have more reverence for? God or man…?

Prayer Works

So, we see that in 1 Kings 17 with the introduction of Elijah he has come before the King and has a plan that has been given to him by God. How do you think this instruction was given to him? It was through prayer. We first start off in 1 Kings 17 again…. Turn with me there:

[1Ki 17:1 NKJV] 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "[As] the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

Elijah lays down the law. There will be no rain or dew except at my word. His strength before Ahab was in the power of God. See Elijah knew that God had a plan. He knew what the plan was because God had given him instruction and this instruction came through prayer. Turn with me to James 5.

[James 5:17-18 NKJV] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Think of prayer as a transaction. We go to God, and we tell Him the desires of our heart. God in turn desires to answer our prayers and give us direction it the request is aligned with His plan for us. We get in alignment by being in the word of God. I have seen many people healed with the power of prayer, and I am a firm believer of the power through prayer.

My brother is an atheist and last year he called me knowing that as a Pastor I pray and love God. He asked me to pray for his son. This was in spite of his non-belief. It had to be hard for him to do this, but love is that strong. I prayed for him on the phone and shared with our church family. His son was in the hospital and the doctors said he would not walk out as sick as his heart was. His body was failing and they gave him a few days tops at the rate of deterioration of his organs.

I stand here today to tell you that by that Thursday he was completely healed. Praise God. They ended up keeping him a few days more because they just could not believe their eyes and what they all had seen transpire before them. They thought there was something wrong with their equipment. It was nothing short of a miracle. But we all know that is the power of God’s amazing grace and healing power.

Elijah knows this too, and shows us this power by standing before Ahab the king and telling him this is what God’s plan is, and I am the instrument he is using!

Give Up Your Strongholds

Elijah shows us another great characteristic we can all learn from. He trusted God with all his heart. He followed God’s direction. In 1 Kings 17 we see this turn with me there again:

[1Ki 17:2-3, 5, 9 NKJV] 2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ... 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ...

After speaking to Ahab and giving the instructions that God told him too; he then received word from God to get away. Go to Cherith. Verse 5 tells us “So he went and did according to the word of the LORD”. Then again in verses 9-10:

[1Kings 17:9-10 NKJV] 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which [belongs] to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow [was] there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."

Arise and go to Zarephath… verse 10… “So, he arose and went” … See Elijah didn’t resist God. He listened to the instructions and did as God asked him to do.

There were no strongholds with him at this point in his walk with God.

Remember in James he says Elijah was just like us “a nature like ours”. As we learn more about Elijah, we find that there were some points where he failed to be obedient. I love this because it shows again how God shows can use us in our imperfections. That is so amazing about our God. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. All we have to do is be obedient, give up our strongholds in our lives and walk as God has a desire for us to walk. So, what keeps you from walking as God desires you to walk? What are the strongholds that keep you back? Give them to God… You will be amazed at what you see on the other side!

Walk the Walk

Elijah finally shows us in these scriptures that he walked the walk and talked the talk. When he goes to Zarephath he meets the widow as God said he would. This widow was at the gate of the city and was picking up sticks to take home, and cook her and her son’s last meal then die. They had no source of income and no food because of this.

[1Kings 17:13-16 NKJV] 13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go [and] do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring [it] to me; and afterward make [some] for yourself and your son. 14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.' " 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for [many] days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

Elijah again through prayer knew the plan of God would be fulfilled in this woman’s hospitality and that she would be blessed by the presence of God through his actions. The oil and the flour did not run out as Elijah instructed her. This is faith and power through God! Praise God… But this is always a battle field. The woman’s son becomes ill and thought to be dead. Let’s read:

[1Kings 17:17-24 NKJV] 17 Now it happened after these things [that] the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you [are] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in your mouth [is] the truth."

Elijah once again defeats the enemy because he has faith in God, he is reverent to God and God only! He knows that God said He would bless her house and this death could not be a blessing so it was not of God. He prays over the boy… walking the walk and talking the talk, and God heals the boy. NOW the results of his actions are seen to this woman.

, "Now by this I know that you [are] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in your mouth [is] the truth."

Elijah let God work through him and because of this his influence was amazing and he did amazing things because of God in him. See we all have this power. We all have this same ability. But, we need to:

1. Build a relationship of trust in God and God alone

2. Be in God’s presence through prayer and time in His word to hear His plans

3. Prayer is a powerful thing never cease to use it

4. Be obedient to God, and give up the strongholds that keep us from giving him our full 100%.

And remember that even in our flaws God is strong. Let God work and we have to get out of the way and personalize our daily walk with Him.

Let’s pray.