Refocus (When You Feel It's All Been In Vain)

1 Kings 19:9-21

INTRO

We join Elijah, this week, in his darkest time. He is on the run for his life. That’s discouraging. Whenever the government of your country tells you that you are ‘dead’ - no trial, no formal investigation, no due process - but only the promise that within 24 hours you are going to be slaughtered … well then, I think most of us would probably be a little discouraged.

But this is more than even discouragement about a life about to be snatched away. In fact, I would suggest that it would have been a lot easier for Elijah to keep his head up and bravely face death - if he felt he had done his work - accomplished his life’s mission.

The problem for Elijah is that when he runs into the wilderness, 300 plus miles from home … he looks back on a life that didn’t turn out the way he planned. We tend to think of this prophet who stood up to a king, who promised no rain - and that was accomplished. We tend to think of him fed by ravens in the wilderness - kept alive by God’s miraculous provision - mission accomplished there. Then moving to a foreign land and keeping alive a widow and her son … raising the son from death - everything to show that the God of Israel is not just a tribal deity - who has power in his own small corner of the world - the God of the Bible is God in every nation - mission accomplished.

We think of Elijah coming back to Israel - challenging the prophets of the false god, Baal to a showdown on Mount Carmel … 1 man against 450 - plus the king. Hours of waiting while the home team gets home-court advantage and goes first in praying for fire to come from heaven. Then Water-doused sacrifice of your own, raise a simple, brief prayer to heaven - and God ANSWERS! Everthing including the water is swallowed by flame. Then the gathered crowd of people hit the dirt with their faces and praises rising: The LORD, He is God; the LORD He is God! The whole nation - or so it seems, is converted back to true religion and worship. Mission accomplished.

And then - the prayer for rain. Three and a half years of dry, parched earth. Not a drop of rain from the sky … Elijah prayed to start the drought. He prays to end the drought … and this is tough prayer-work. The answer doesn’t come on the first try, or the second … or the fourth, fifth or sixth. But on the SEVENTH pleading prayer, God answers … the rain falls and the land can drink in God’s refreshment. Mission accomplished.

When you look at Elijah’s life and see a series of miraculous manifestations of God’s power - then you think: “This man’s life was a massive success!!”. But wait. The fact that after all of that - Jezebel, Israel’s queen, not only hasn’t budged from her false Baal worship - but more than that - she’s pronounced a death sentence on Elijah …

Put yourself in Elijah’s place. The only thing you have given your life for - is to have your people come back to God. All of those miracles were great. But if, at the end of the day - after all of those miracles, at the end of the day - the country remains stuck in the deadly quicksand of false religion … then Elijah’s whole life has been a complete waste, hasn’t it?! Mission definitely NOT accomplished.

You have been there. I’ve talked to people this very week -

The children are raised … you did your best. Now you see them wandering, lost and suffering and you know you haven’t been perfect - but you did the best you could at the time. Nothing is more important to you than that the people closest to you know the joy of walking in a saved relationship with Jesus Christ. So, as you take stock of your life right now - all of your other accomplishments and accolades … none of it matters. You feel your life to have been a failure.

That’s where Elijah is. Last week we saw that the LORD doesn’t beat up on his broken and weary warrior. He doesn’t wag a disapproving finger at Elijah in his depression.

“Smarten up, Elijah! You’re supposed to be an example for everyone. How is anyone supposed to trust in me and treasure me, when you’re out here, sulking in a cave and asking for your life to be taken away!” “Be Happy - or you’re sinning!” That’s not what God says. A lot of commentators would say that and a lot of us grew up thinking that. But that’s not what God says.

Last week we saw what God does when His child is in the depths of despair: He fed Elijah, He listened to him and He reminded him of His never failing presence. He comforts Elijah right at his point of need. That’s what God does for Elijah - and that’s what He will do for you.

But God doesn’t stop with the embrace. Just like a parent whose child is so discouraged with life - sitting alone in their bedroom, on the floor next to the bed ...“nobody likes me, my teachers don’t like me. I’m failing at school - my life is over.”

Every loving parent will stop, get down on the floor, listen to your child’s heartache … and you’ll give her a hug.

But you don’t stop there. You want to move them forward -

In our text this morning, God turns Elijah’s attention forward - and REFOCUSES his eyes.

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1 THE LORD REMINDS HIS DESPAIRING CHILD THAT HE IS NEVER ALONE, vv. 9-14

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2 THE LORD REFOCUSES HIS WEARY WARRIOR ON THE ‘BIG PICTURE’, vv. 15-18

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3 THE LORD RAISES UP THE SUCCESSOR TO CARRY ON THE WORK, vv. 19-21

The third thin God does for Elijah, is to reveal his successor. Halfway through v. 16, He tells Elijah, “… Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.”

Then, in vv. 19-21, we are introduced to this Elisha. Let’s take a look at these last 3 verses of the chapter. READ

Elijah makes his way back from the Sinai peninsula - back home to Israel. It’s a 300 mile journey. Wehn he gets into Elisha’s hometown of Abel-Meholah, he doesn’t linger at the mall, doesn’t loiter at Starbucks … he heads straight out to a farm on the outskirts of town - the farm belonging to Shaphat.

This is a big operation. Where many of Israel’s farmers are happy if they have one or 2 oxen of their own, to pull the plow and keep them in food … this farmer has 12 YOKE of oxen: 24 beasts of burden, working the soil. With the land newly watered by the rain God gave His people, it’s all hands on deck as far as the farm work goes.

Under the blazing middle-eastern sun, Elijah walks through the field, makes his way purposefully past the first 11 pairs of animals - the the 12th. There, behind the last 2 oxen, yoked together - a young man is minding his own business - dripping with sweat as he focuses on the business at hand - the work of gathering a crop from the soil.

Elijah walks towards him, recognizes THIS young man as the one - but doesn’t stop. In fact, he doesn’t say anything at all - he just takes his outer shirt - squeezes it between his two hands and then tosses it onto the young man’s shoulders.

Now, to you and me - that means nothing. If a guy walks up to you and throws something at you - it usually means he’s looking for a fight. That’s not the case here.

In Elisha’s culture - if someone of importance throws their outer cloak on you - that means they are planning to transfer their authority, their dignity - to you. Elisha understands the symbolism here. It doesn’t surprise him.

What DOES surprise him is that this is HAPPENING. When he got out of bed this morning, Elisha’s plan was to work the family farm. His plan for tomorrow - was to work the family farm. His plan for the day after that and the day after that and so on - was to do the very same thing, until his dad handed it over to him and it was HIS farm.

Now, along comes Elijah and declares by this coat-throw, “You’re taking my place”. Everyone knows Elijah. This is the wild man of the wilderness - who faces down kings and performs miracles … and does a lot of running and seems to always be an outlaw in his own country for standing up for God no matter the consequences.

Elisha had no idea this was coming - to him, this is all so unexpected. So … sudden. Dale Davis: “Suddenness is the wrapping paper in which sovereignty sometimes arrives.”

It may appear that God flies by the seat of His pants in His governing of this world - sometimes His moves seem to come out of nowhere. But this was the plan all the time. God sent Elijah 300 miles to get to this very place to give this very call to his successor.

But what does Elisha think? I mean taking over Elijah’s role would be filled with adventure, that’s for sure - but it’s also going to be filled with danger. It’s not a life of security. Here on the farm - there’s security; there’s money. There’s relative comfort and a future that looks pretty bright.

What’s Elisha going to do?

Well, the text tells us exactly what he’s going to do.

Verse 20 says Elisha ‘ran after Elijah - and said, ‘excuse me sir, I think you dropped something’”. Elisha said, “If this is a game of tag- I’m not playing. I have a farm to work”. No, verse 20 goes on, “… Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”

Elijah seems unimpressed: “Go back again. What have I done to you?”

In other words, ‘If it’s too much for you and you’re looking for an excuse to not follow, don’t come along on my account … why don’t you just go ahead and run back to mom and dad.”

But Elisha isn’t trying to get out of the call. This isn’t a situation like the one in Luke 9:61-62, where someone says to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me FIRST say farewell to those at home.” Jesus responds to that guy by saying, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.” This isn’t that.

Elisha’s not stalling. What’s going on here is that this young man recognizes that following this call will change EVERYTHING for him. And he’s going back to sever his ties to home. He’s not going back to hold on - but to cut himself loose from everything that holds him back.

He loves mom and dad - so he’s facing up to the change that following Elijah is going to make in his relationship with them. He goes home to kiss them goodbye.

AND, he goes home to kiss his security goodbye, as well. Verse 21, Elisha takes the oxen he’s just been plowing with - he sacrifices them to the LORD.

He takes the tools of his trade - his earthly security … he chops them in pieces, offers them up in worship to the LORD he has decided to dedicate himself to, without reservation.

It’s a worship service and a barbecue all at the same time - because Elisha invites all the neighbours for a block party - a farewell feast - and feeds them all they can eat from not one, but two beasts.

Now even if he wanted to - there is no turning back. This is like >>>>>>>>>>>> burning their ships when they get into harbour.

Notice how verse 21 ends the chapter, “Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.”

Then see the young man, packing up nothing more than he can carry with him - gets up and not only leaves behind all the comforts of a steady income … but look what he trades it for - ‘and (he) assisted Elijah’. Elisha trades a business to serve Elijah the prophet. This is quite a young man - the future looks hopeful with Elisha on the team.

Do you see what this has to say to a discouraged Elijah. He thinks he’s the only one still standing in faith. God not only says, “No you are not - I have 7,000 ...” - but then the Sovereign God of the universe goes on to direct him to one

CONCLUSION:

Let’s close by turning over to the New Testament letter to the Romans. Romans 11:1-6, Paul is responding to the deep disappointment of so many Jewish people rejecting Jesus Christ. Do you know where he turns to find comfort? He turns to Elijah.

“I ask then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjami. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life’. But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

I have spoken to you before about Adoniram Judson, the first missionary sent from America – (who happened to become a Baptist on the way to the field). He went to Burma (modern day Myanmar), in 1813, and toiled there in the fields of the Lord, against great hostility and with much suffering in 108 degree heat with cholera, malaria, dysentery, and unknown miseries that would take Judson’s wife, then another wife – and seven of his 13 children as well as colleague after colleague in death. He languished in a vermin infested prison, almost crippled from torture – where at night a bamboo pole was put through his chained feet and hoisted up until only his shoulders and head rested on the ground.

Judson didn’t see a single convert to Christ until he had been there for SEVEN YEARS. Even after the first convert came, the sowing was slow and hard – with very little to show for the effort – until God brought an outpouring of spiritual interest to the land - - EIGHTEEN YEARS after the Judsons arrived in the country.

Adoniram translated the entire Bible into Burmese - - established the Christian church on Burmese soil – and made an imprint on that dark nation that still shines its light today.