We all want someone to take action on our behalf. To take up our cause. For someone to notice our pain and do something about it. To be cared for.
To not be alone -either in our happiness or in our pain.
We all want someone.
Me too.
The Back Story (1 Kings 19:9-18)
The Lord Appears to Elijah
God spoke to Elijah, with one simple question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah recounted his experience to the Lord. He was telling God about his zeal, what happened to the nation and the prophets and how he was the only one left.
The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain and wait for the Lord to pass by. What happened was a mirror of what happens in heaven. There was a powerful display of the honor due Him. Wind tore the mountains apart and rocks were shattered. There was an earthquake and a fire. (Rev. 4:5, 1 Kings 19:14) And after the fire came a gentle whisper and Elijah went to meet his Maker.
God asks him AGAIN, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah gives the SAME reply again.
This time God gives him instructions. God told him where to go (Desert of Damascus), what to do there (anoint Hazael king over Aram, anoint Jehu king over Israel and anoint Elisha to succeed you as prophet), what will happen (Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu). Then he sent an “FYI” about the 7000 prophets who stayed true to God.
Thoughts
God starts with a question. Knowing that God is all-knowing, the question was not for the benefit of God, trying to gain information or understanding from Elijah. He knew all that. It was because He wanted Elijah to understand his own thoughts.
Elijah’s response response encompassed everything he was thinking about, but it didn’t actually answer the question that God had asked.
God showed him a display of power and Himself. Surely, in the light of understanding, and SEEING who I AM is, Elijah would have had a different answer…
He didn’t.
Don’t be too hard on Elijah. How often (me speaking to me) have we wanted to be in God’s presence to ask Him to intervene in our lives, but He wants to give us a new perspective of who He really is. As He shows us, we say “yeah. yeah, Sure. Can we get back to our rehearsed rant, now ?”
What if we took a step back from our rant…our pain…our goal…our request…our want…us… to focus on God. Would that new revelation of God do tp change the view of our circumstances?
I dunno. Haven’t tried it…
(well, that’s not entirely true – “I’m working on it”, is more accurate)
Have you? What is your perspective, what have you learned?
Perhaps, more importantly, What God-revelation have you still managed to avoid?
How’s that working for you…
Ouch.
Sorry.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I’m preaching to myself here. I’m feeling it!
Elijah was obedient in EVERYTHING up until now. Like… EVERYTHING! Go here – ok! Do this – sure! Meet Ahab who wants to kill you – I’m on it! Confront the demonic forces – Done! Believe me that I’m going to take care of you – A-OK! Elijah has been obedient, to the letter of the law.
But the truth is, he was feeling rather human in that moment. The adrenaline has subsided, the cortisol-wash over his brain had diminished. He was feeling alone, very alone, even in the presence of the Living God. Elijah WASNT alone, God – the one that can fill him up like no one else, was with him. But I think he kinda felt like Adam, who wandered the garden with God but still was yearning for something! Adam was made to be in community, so God made Eve. Elijah, too was made to be in human community.
What’s your community like? Who gets close to your heart? (should they be there?)
God gives Elijah another task. Elijah knows how to obey, so that’s an easy ‘go-to” for him. God explains the process. But then, once Elijah has opened his heart to another obedient action possibility, THEN, God answers his heart – “By the way, I’ve saved 7000 prophets for my purposes. You’re not alone.”
(Oddly enough, if you read further in the story you’ll find that Elijah only does 1/3 commands of God and even the 1 he DID do, was not quite what was asked of him – he threw his cloak on Elisha rather than anointed him, as he was supposed to). For a good commentary on what Elijah was doing/not doing, check this out:
https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/180925-elijah-and-elisha-9
God answered his heart, not the question.
The question was all about Elijah and his feelings of being “done” and discouraged. He failed to see the hope.
God’s answer was all about doing. When GOD calls out a “doing” in someone it creates a deeper purpose. Deeper purposes create hope. Hope releases endorphins which block pain and accelerate healing because it allows room for belief which grows into expectation.
God knew how his prophet worked on the inside, and made a way to connect deeper to create hope. God did not give up on Elijah. God waited for him to be ready to hear what He had to say. (not the other way around).
What belief has been blocked in you?
What healing does God want to extend to you?
Can you really believe that God wants you to EXPECT Him to be your Savior?
Sorry – am I ripping the Band-Aid off a bit fast?
Remember, this is about the goodness of God being exposed in your situation. It’s about God answering your heart. It’s about God showing up the lies that are there, because He arrives in light.
“If He is trustworthy enough to be trusted for your salvation, He can be trusted for everything else.” Rick Warren