An Edifying Look At Elijah, God’s Messenger
Lessons From Elijah – part 1
INTRO: Elijah is one of my favorite characters in the OT. He is direct. No beating about the bush. He is however only human. He was subject to the effects of Satan and the pressures of life. Let’s look at some of his life story today.
Elijah comes on the scene
1
Kings 17:1
1And 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. .
Elijah was a servant of God
Willing to speak for Him
Willing to be unpopular
Getting evil rulers’ attention is not always the means to a comfortable life
We cannot expect people to drop their evil attitude at the drop of the hat
1 Kings 16:29-34 KJV
29And in the thirty and
eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over
Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two
years.
30And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above
all that were before him.
31And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to
walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the
daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and
worshipped him.
32And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he
had built in Samaria.
33And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God
of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
34In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the
foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his
youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by
Joshua the son of Nun.
Extremely evil – 30, 31, 32, 34
Alliance with Zidions – 31
Married Jezebel – 31
Served and worshiped Baal – 31
Built altars for Baal – 32, 33
Allowed disobedience - 34
Esteemed not God – 31 (light thing)
Example of evil for others to follow
1
Kings 17:2-7
2And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the
brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I
have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went
and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and
bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because
there had been no rain in the land.
1
Kings 17:8-16
8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell
there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of
the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he
called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel,
that I may drink.
11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and
said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a
cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and,
behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me
and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast
said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and
after make for thee and for thy son.
14For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall
not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the
LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she,
and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of
oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Not the Ritz
Unorthodox manner (weak things to confound the wise)
God took care of this needy woman too – 15b
1 Kings 17:17-24 KJV
17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the
woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that
there was no breath left in him.
18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man
of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my
son?
19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her
bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his
own bed.
20And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou
also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried
unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come
into him again.
22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child
came into him again, and he revived.
23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber
into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy
son liveth.
24And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art
a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
It “rains” of the just and unjust alike
Prayers of the saints are an agent of…
Change
Relief
Need
Blessing
Elijah’s connection with God was the woman’s connection to God - 24
Our ability to pray can be the best resource others around us have.
So to review…
We need to be willing servants for the Lord
Popular or not, God’s side is the best one to be on
Our words probably will not be the agent of change in people’s lives
People can be evil
Evil living or sin is a gripping way of life
God has a better way of life for us to participate in.
God knows how to take care of us.
God can use us to help others.
Don’t let anything stop your prayers for those you are blessed to be a part of their lives.
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 080208am