ELIJAH THE PROPHET - PART ONE

 

 ELIJAH - MAN OF GOD - 1 KINGS 17 - 19

 

Elijah the Tishbite, an inhabitant of Gilead was a “Man of God”. Elijah means: “My God is Yah”. Tishbite means: Captivity, a captive; adding. You shall lead captive. Gilead means: Perpetual fountain. A heap of testimony; a witness; mass of testimony; strong.

 

My God is Yah who is a perpetual fountain will lead you captive by a strong heap of testimony! What better way to describe Elijah!

 

Elijah is God’s gunslinger. He is one tough hombre. He comes on the scene out of nowhere and tells wicked King Ahab that there will be no dew or rain until I say so (1 Kings17.1). Then immediately the Lord tells him to go to the brook Cherith (Separation). The Lord tells him in advance that there he will drink of the waters of the brook and be fed by the Ravens.

 

We see God taking His prophet to a place of separation. There he will drink from the brook (fountain of water) where he will receive God’s testimony and become strong in the Lord. He is told ahead of time that he will be fed by the Ravens, which according to Torah, are unclean birds because they are scavengers. They will bring him meat and bread that they have scavenged!

 

The Bible does not record Elijah’s thoughts, but he must have been concerned with what God was doing to him. To be fed by unclean birds the meat and bread they scavenged must have been abhorrent to him. Tough guy Elijah said nothing. He obeyed. He sat there for a long time--until the brook dried up. He was separated from all men as he sat, ate his food delivered by unclean birds, and waited on God. This would have been a most difficult task as it was not going according to what Elijah may have thought. Torah. God was putting him in an uncomfortableposition. It was God who put him there so Elijah did what he was told. Just like those ravens Elijah was a tough old bird. I can just see those Ravens preening at him as he ate their hard won food.

 

When the brook dried up God told Elijah to go to Zarephath of Sidon and stay with a widow designated to feed him there. So he went at once. Must have sounded like a good deal after sitting at the brook with the birds for who knows how long.

 

When he gets to town up there in Sidon north of Israel he sees the widow woman gathering wood. How did he know it was her? I think he knew the voice of the Lord after all that time alone at the brook--he knew. He asked her to bring him a piece of bread. The widow replied that she had only enough flour and oil to bake a small cake for “me and my son which we will eat and then die.” She was a tough bird. Elijah knew a lot about tough birds.

 

Elijah says, “Go and do what you said, but bake me a cake first and bring it to me. Then make some for you and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, the jar of flour and jug of oil will not run out until the Lord sends rain upon the ground.” One tough bird to another tough bird. Who does he think he is--bring me a cake first! Elijah’s head turned sideways like a Raven eyes penetrating.

 

She probably shrugged her shoulders and thought, “OK, I’m gonna die anyway so I’ll do what that tough old bird says and maybe it will be OK.” That jar and jug didn’t run out just like Elijah told her.

 

You have to understand. There is a drought, it is very hot, and there is nothing to do but sit around and wait. Then wait some more. Something tells me the conversation between Elijah and the widow wasn’t exactly sparkling. She did recognize she was in the presence of a man of God. She felt the strength and peace of God surrounding her and her son as they sat there. She watched him go off and sit in God’s presence. She felt the presence of God. God is one tough old bird.

 

One day her son became ill and he quietly passed on in the heat. She asks Elijah why he came here and caused her sinfulness to be exposed causing the death of her son. Without missing a beat Elijah tells her to give him the boy and carries him upstairs to the even hotter room he has been staying in.

 

Elijah cries out to the Lord not to let the child die as this woman has enough calamity in her life. He stretches out over the child three times (three days and resurrection) crying out to the Lord to restore life to the dead body. The Lord brings the child back to life, Elijah brings the kid down and says, “See, your son is alive.” Mister cool. Tough bird. Didn’t let on how he begged God to restore the child.

 

The widow replies, “Now I know you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord is in your mouth.” Well, thank you very much Elijah must have thought. Not easy living around birds, peck, peck, peck. Elijah goes back and waits upon the Lord. The word of the Lord is about to come.

 

SUMMARY PART ONE

Elijah has been chosen and separated by God for an important mission. Elijah seems to already be a seasoned prophet of God and a man of few words. He listens and develops his sense of hearing. He sees the wickedness of Ahab (and Jezebel) and calls for drought on their kingdom. Blessing comes from above, Torah comes from above, like dew on the ground or rain from heaven. God is a perpetual fountain. You don’t want to hear? OK, the blessings from above will stop. Drought, dryness, aridness.

 

Elijah is separated by himself to the brook Cherith. There he is put into the uncomfortable eating situation. He must deal with uncleaness. Was God showing Elijah some areas in his life that need to be purified during this period? Oh, yeah, cause God is a tough old bird. He gets dumped on daily and retains His cool. He puts up with insults daily. He puts up with disrespect no real housewife from Miami would ever put up with--daily. One tough old bird. Get over it Elijah we are movin’ on!

 

When the brook dries up Elijah is sent to a Sidonian widow. What is true religion according to James? Caring for widows. God is going to provide for Elijah while he blesses a poor widowed mother. Elijah waits. The widow wonders, “Who is this guy?” Elijah’s self is dying. He’s getting buried as he waits. Then the widow’s only son dies.

 

“This is what I get for having you as my guest?” she says. Dead old bird Elijah says, “Give me the boy” and goes up stairs to his small hot room. Dead old Elijah is going to be resurrected! Hallelujah! He breaths on the boy three times begging God to restore the boy. Repentance, resurrection, revival!

 

The boy is brought down to his widowed mother. God cared for her. She has been transformed. “Now I know I have been in the presence of God and his man!” She will never be the same and God will be glorified in pagan Sidon.

 

Three and a half years of drought, dryness, and aridness are about to become a flood. Elijah has been made ready. God is going to shake Israel and bring down Ahab and his wicked queen Jezebel--a daughter of a Sidonian king and priest. God is one tough bird!

 

NEXT: THE CONFRONTATION ON MOUNT CARMEL