Elijah’s Complete Despondency

 Forgetting God, Elijah ran on and on, until he found himself in a dreary wasteland, alone. Bone weary, he sat down to rest under a juniper tree and requested that he might die: “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” His spirit was crushed by bitter disappointment, and he wanted never again to look on a human face. At last, exhausted, he fell asleep.

Times of keen disappointment and discouragement come to everyone—days when it is hard to believe that God is still kind, days when troubles follow us till death seems preferable to life. Then many lose their hold on God and become slaves of doubt and unbelief. At such times, if we could unravel the meaning of God’s leadings, we would see angels seeking to save us from ourselves, working to plant our feet on a firm foundation; and new faith, new life, would spring into being.

In his trouble and darkness faithful Job declared:  “May the day perish on which I was born.”

 “Oh, that I might have my request.”

 “My soul chooses ... death. ... I loathe my life.”  Job 3:3; 6:8; 7:15, 16  But though he was weary of life, Job was not allowed to die. To him was given the message of hope:  “You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.”  Job 11:16, 17, NRSV

From the depths of despair Job rose to the heights of trust in God. Triumphantly he declared:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God.”  Job 19:25, 26

When Job caught a glimpse of his Creator, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. Job 42:6. Then the Lord was able to bless him and make his last years the best of his life.

Despondency is sinful and unreasonable. God is willing to bestow “more abundantly” (Hebrews 6:17) on His servants the strength they need. The enemies of His work may make plans that seem firmly established, but God can overthrow the strongest of these. For the disheartened there is a sure remedy—faith, prayer, work. Are you tempted to give in to worry, dread, or hopelessness? In the darkest days, when things appear at their worst, don’t be afraid. God knows your need. His infinite love and compassion never run out. He will never change the covenant He has made with those who love Him. And He will give His faithful servants the efficiency that their need demands. Paul has testified: “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ ... For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.

Did God forsake Elijah in his ordeal? No! He loved His servant no less when he felt forsaken by God and man. And now a soft touch and pleasant voice awoke him. The pitying face bending over him was not the face of an enemy, but of a friend. God had sent an angel with food. “Arise and eat,” the angel said. “Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water.”

After Elijah had eaten and drunk, he slept again. A second time the angel touched the exhausted man, and said with pitying tenderness, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” In the strength of that food he was able to journey “forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God,” where he found refuge in a cave.

Elijah’s Lack of Faith

 Elijah should not have run. He should have met Jezebel’s threat with an appeal for protection to the One who had commissioned him. He should have told the messenger that the God in whom he trusted would protect him against the queen’s hatred. If he had made God his refuge and strength, he would have been shielded from harm. The Lord would have sent His judgments on Jezebel, and the impression made on king and people would have brought about a great reformation.

Elijah had hoped that after the miracle on Mount Carmel Jezebel would no longer have influence over Ahab and that reform would come quickly to all Israel. All day on Carmel he had gone without food. Yet when he guided the chariot of Ahab to Jezreel, his courage was strong despite the physical strain. But a reaction frequently follows high faith and glorious success. Elijah feared that the reformation begun might not be lasting, and depression seized him. In this time of discouragement, with Jezebel’s threat sounding in his ears and Satan still apparently in control, he lost his hold on God.

Jezebel Threatens Elijah’s Life

 At the gate of Jezreel, Elijah and Ahab separated. The prophet, choosing to remain outside the walls, wrapped himself in his cloak and lay down on the bare earth to sleep. The king soon reached the shelter of his palace and reported to his wife the events of the day. As Ahab told about how the idolatrous prophets had been killed, Jezebel, hardened and unrepentant, became infuriated. She refused to recognize the overruling hand of God and, still defiant, boldly declared that Elijah must die.

That night a messenger awoke the weary prophet and delivered the word of Jezebel: “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”

It would seem that after showing such unfailing courage, and after triumphing so completely over king and priests and people, Elijah could never afterward give way to discouragement or become frightened and timid. But in this dark hour his faith and courage forsook him. Bewildered, he was startled from his sleep. The rain was pouring from the heavens, and darkness was all around. Forgetting that three years before,  when God had directed him to a place of safety, the prophet now ran for his life.

The Prophet Loses Faith and Panics

 This chapter is based on 1 Kings 18:41-46; 19:1-8.

With the prophets of Baal killed, the way was opened for a mighty spiritual reformation. The judgments of Heaven had been executed. The people had confessed their sins and acknowledged the God of their fathers. Now the curse was to be withdrawn and the land refreshed with rain. “Go up, eat and drink,” Elijah said to Ahab, “for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” Then the prophet went to the top of the mountain to pray.

He saw no clouds in the heavens; he heard no thunder. All that day he had revealed his complete confidence in God’s word, and now he knew that Heaven would bestow the blessings predicted. The same God who had sent the drought had promised rain as the reward of rightdoing. In humility, Elijah pleaded with God in behalf of repentant Israel.

Again and again he sent his servant to a point overlooking the Mediterranean, to see whether there was any visible evidence that God had heard his prayer. Each time the servant returned with the word, “There is nothing.” The prophet did not lose faith but continued pleading. Six times the servant returned with the word that there was no sign of rain. Undaunted, Elijah sent him once more. This time the servant returned with the word, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!”

This was enough! In that small cloud, by faith Elijah saw an abundance of rain. He acted in harmony with his faith, sending his servant quickly to Ahab with the message,  “Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.”

Because Elijah was a man of large faith, God could use him. His faith grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persisted in prayer. He did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him but was willing to commit everything on the slightest sign of divine favor. And what he was enabled to do under God, all may do in their own sphere in God’s service. “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.” James 5:17.

Faith such as this is needed today—faith that will lay hold of the  promises of God’s Word, faith that brings strength for coping with the powers of darkness. Through faith God’s children have “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, ... won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Hebrews 11:33, 34, NRSV.

Faith is an essential element of effective prayer. “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. With the persistence of Elijah, we may present our requests to the Father. He has staked the honor of His throne on the fulfillment of His word.

Night was approaching on Mount Carmel as Ahab prepared for the descent. “Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.” As he traveled toward the royal city through the darkness and blinding rain, he was unable to see in front of him. That day Elijah had humiliated him before his subjects and killed his idolatrous priests, but the prophet still acknowledged Ahab as Israel’s king. Now, as an act of homage, Elijah ran before the royal chariot, guiding the king to the city.

There is a lesson in this gracious act shown to a wicked king for all who claim to be servants of God. Some people hesitate to perform humble duties, fearing that they will be doing the work of a servant. Elijah had been dramatically honored by God as fire had flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice; his prayer for rain had been granted. And yet, after God had been pleased to honor his public ministry, he was willing to perform the service of a footman.

The Priests of Baal Unrepentant

 But the priests of Baal refused to repent, even in their defeat and in the presence of divine glory. They would still remain the prophets of Baal. In this they showed themselves ripe for destruction.

To protect repentant Israel from those who taught them to worship Baal, the Lord directed Elijah to destroy these false teachers. The people’s anger had already been aroused, and when Elijah gave the command, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” they were ready to obey. They took them to the brook Kishon, and there, before the close of the day that marked the beginning of decisive reform, the ministers of Baal were killed.

Fire From Heaven Answers Elijah’s Simple Prayer

 No sooner had the prayer of Elijah ended than flames of fire, like flashes of lightning, descended from heaven on the altar, devouring the sacrifice, licking up the water in the trench, and consuming even the stones of the altar. The brilliance of the blaze illuminated the mountain and dazzled the eyes of the multitude. In the valleys below, where many were watching, they could clearly see the fire descend, and all were amazed at the sight.

The people on the mountain threw themselves to the ground. They dared not continue to look on the Heaven-sent fire. Convicted of their duty to acknowledge the God of Elijah as the God of their fathers, they cried out with one voice, “he Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” The cry resounded over the mountain and echoed in the plain below. At last Israel was awakened, undeceived, and repentant. At last the people saw how greatly they had dishonored God. The character of Baal worship stood fully revealed, in contrast with the reasonable service that the true God required. The people recognized God’s justice and mercy in withholding the dew and rain until they had given Him their complete loyalty.

The Prophets of Baal Give Up

 Evening drew on. The prophets of Baal were weary, faint, and confused. One suggested one thing, and another suggested something else, until finally in despair they withdrew from the contest.

All day long the people had witnessed the baffled priests’ wild leaping around the altar, as if they would grasp the burning rays of the sun to serve their purpose. The people had looked with horror on their self-inflicted mutilations and had reflected on the follies of idol worship. Many were tired of the exhibitions of demonism and now waited with deep interest to see what Elijah would do.

At the hour of the evening sacrifice, Elijah invited the people, “Come near to me.” He turned to the broken-down altar where once Israel had worshiped the God of heaven, and he repaired it. To him this heap of ruins was more precious than all the magnificent altars of the heathen world. Choosing “twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, ... he built an altar in the name of the Lord.”

The disappointed, exhausted priests of Baal waited to see what Elijah would do. They hated the prophet for proposing a test that had exposed their gods, yet they feared his power. Almost breathless with expectancy, the people watched. The prophet’s calm manner stood in sharp contrast to the senseless frenzy of Baal’s followers.

When he completed the altar, the prophet made a trench around it. He put the wood in order and prepared the bull, then laid the victim on the altar. “Fill four waterpots with water,” he directed, “‘and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.’ Then he said, ‘Do it a second time,’ and they did it a second time; and he said, ‘Do it a third time,’ and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.”

Reminding the people of their long apostasy, Elijah called on them to humble their hearts and turn to the God of their fathers, that the curse on the land might be removed. Then, bowing reverently before the unseen God, he raised his hands toward heaven and offered a simple prayer. Baal’s priests had screamed and leaped from early morning until late in the afternoon. But as Elijah prayed, no senseless shrieks echoed over Carmel’s height. He prayed simply and fervently, asking God to show His superiority over Baal so that Israel might be led to turn to Him:

“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

A silence, heavy and solemn, rested on all. The priests of Baal trembled with terror, conscious of their guilt.

No One Has the Courage to Stand With Elijah

 The people answered not a word. Not one in that vast assembly dared to reveal loyalty to Jehovah. Deception and blindness had overspread Israel, not all at once but gradually. Each departure from rightdoing, each refusal to repent, had deepened their guilt and driven them further from Heaven. And now, in this crisis, they persisted in refusing to take their stand for God.

The Lord hates indifference in a time of crisis. With inexpressible interest the whole universe is watching the closing scenes of the great controversy between good and evil. What can be more important to the people of God than to be loyal to the God of heaven? All through the ages, God has had moral heroes, and He has them now—those who, like Joseph, Elijah, and Daniel, are not ashamed to identify themselves as His distinct people. His special blessing accompanies men and women of action, those who will not swerve from duty, but who will inquire, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus 32:26, NRSV)—people who will demand that those who choose to identify with the followers of God step forward and reveal their allegiance to the King of kings. Such people yield their will to the law of God. For love of Him they do not count their lives dear to themselves. Loyalty to God is their motto.

While Israel hesitated on Carmel, the voice of Elijah again broke the silence: “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”

Elijah’s proposal was so reasonable that the people answered, “It is well spoken.” The prophets of Baal dared not refuse. Elijah directed them, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many.”

With terror in their guilty hearts, the false priests laid the wood and the victim on their altar. Then they began their unholy rites. Their shrill cries echoed through the forests and the surrounding heights: “O Baal, hear us!” Leaping, writhing, and screaming, with tearing of hair and cutting of flesh, the priests pleaded with their god to help them. Morning passed, noon came, and yet there was no reply to their frantic prayers. The sacrifice remained unconsumed.

As they continued their frenzied  worship, the crafty priests continually tried to find some way to kindle a fire on the altar. But Elijah watched every movement; and the priests, hoping in vain for some opportunity to deceive, continued their senseless ceremonies.

“And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. ... But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.”

Gladly would Satan have helped those who were devoted to his service. Gladly would he have sent lightning to ignite their sacrifice. But Jehovah had set Satan’s limits, and he could not carry one spark to Baal’s altar.

At last, their voices hoarse with shouting, the priests became desperate. With great frenzy they mixed terrible cursings of their sun-god in with their pleading. Elijah continued to watch intently. He knew that if by any means the priests succeeded in lighting their altar fire, he would instantly be torn to pieces.

God Vindicated on Mount Carmel

 This chapter is based on 1 Kings 18:19-40.

Standing before Ahab, Elijah commanded, “Send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Ahab obeyed at once, as if the prophet were monarch and the king his subject. He sent swift messengers with the summons. In every town and village the people prepared to assemble at the appointed time. As they journeyed toward the place, a strange dread filled the hearts of many. Why this summons to gather at Carmel? What new disaster was about to fall?

Mount Carmel had been a place of beauty, its streams fed from never-failing springs and its fertile slopes covered with flowers and flourishing groves. But now its beauty withered under a curse. The altars to Baal and Ashtoreth stood in leafless groves. On the summit of one of the highest ridges was the broken-down altar of Jehovah.

Carmel’s heights were visible from many parts of the kingdom. At the foot of the mountain were vantage points from which people could see much of what took place above. Elijah chose this elevation as the most conspicuous place for God to display His power and vindicate His name.

Early on the morning of the appointed day, the people of Israel gathered near the top of the mountain. Jezebel’s prophets marched in impressive array. In regal pomp the king appeared at the head of the priests, and the idol-worshipers shouted his welcome. But the priests remembered that at the word of the prophet the land of Israel had been destitute of dew and rain for three and a half years. Some fearful crisis was at hand, they felt sure. The gods in whom they had trusted had been unable to prove Elijah a false prophet. The objects of their worship had been strangely indifferent to their frantic cries, their prayers, their revolting ceremonies, and their costly sacrifices.

Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled people of Israel, Elijah stood, the only one who had come to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He was apparently defenseless in the presence of the king, the prophets of Baal, the men of war, and the surrounding  thousands. But around him were angels that excel in strength.

Unashamed, unterrified, the prophet was fully aware of his commission to carry out the divine command. In anxious expectancy the people waited for him to speak. Looking first on the broken-down altar of Jehovah and then on the crowd, Elijah called out in trumpet tones, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

Need of Reform Today

 Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke, for terrible sins have separated the people from God. Unbelief is fashionable. “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14) is the language of thousands. The smooth sermons often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. The people are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s Word.

Many say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why did John the Baptist have to provoke the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking.

This is how those who should be guardians of God’s law have argued, till expediency has taken the place of faithfulness and sin is allowed to go unrebuked. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?

“You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7. Words as plain as these that Nathan spoke to David are seldom heard in pulpits today, seldom seen in the public press. The Lord’s messengers should not complain that their efforts are fruitless until they repent of their desire to please others, which leads them to suppress truth.

It is not from love for their neighbor that ministers smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God’s ministers will speak the word given them, refusing to excuse evil.

If only every minister would show the courage that Elijah showed! Ministers are to “convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2, NRSV. In Christ’s name they are to encourage the obedient and warn the disobedient. Worldly considerations are to have no weight with them. They are to go forward in faith. They are not to speak their own words, but their message is to be, “Thus says the Lord.” God calls for people like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist, people who will bear His message regardless of consequences, people who will speak the truth though it requires the sacrifice of all they have.

God calls for men and women who will do faithful battle against wrong, warring against spiritual wickedness in high places. To such He will speak the words,“Well done, good and faithful servant. ... Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:23.

Brave Prophet, Guilty King

 The king and the prophet stood face to face. In the presence of  Elijah, Ahab seemed weak and powerless. In his first faltering words, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” he unconsciously revealed the inmost feelings of his heart and tried to blame the prophet for the heavy judgments resting on the land.

It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the disasters that come as the result of departing from the way of righteousness. When the mirror of truth is held up before those in Satan’s power, they become offended at receiving reproof. Blinded by sin, they feel that God’s servants have turned against them and are worthy of severest criticism.

Standing in conscious innocence, Elijah made no attempt to excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor did he seek to evade the king’s anger by the good news that the drought was almost over. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he fearlessly declared to the king that it was his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that had brought this terrible disaster. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah boldly asserted, “but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.”

The People Are Finally Ready for Reformation

 At last “the word of the Lord came to Elijah ..., saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” In obedience to the command, Elijah set out on his journey.

About this time Ahab suggested to Obadiah, who was in charge of his household, that they search for springs and brooks in the hope of finding pasture for their starving flocks. Deeply concerned over the outlook for his household, the king decided to unite personally with his servant in a search for some favored spots where pasture might still exist. “Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.” “As Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, ‘Is that you, my lord Elijah?’”

During the apostasy of Israel, Obadiah had remained faithful. The king had been unable to turn him from his allegiance to the living God. Now Elijah honored him with a commission: “Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

Terrified, Obadiah exclaimed, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?” This was to invite certain death! “As the Lord your God lives,” he explained to the prophet, “there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here”’! And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me.”

With a solemn oath Elijah promised Obadiah that the errand would not be in vain. “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.” With this assurance, “Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him.”

In astonishment mixed with terror the king listened to Obadiah deliver the message from the man he feared and hated, and for whom he had searched untiringly. Could it be possible that the prophet was about to pronounce another woe against Israel? The king’s heart was filled with dread. He remembered the withered arm of Jeroboam. Ahab could not avoid obeying the summons, neither did he dare lift up his hand against the messenger of God. With a bodyguard of soldiers, the trembling monarch went to meet the prophet.

Three Years of Drought

 Through the long years of famine, Elijah prayed earnestly and waited patiently while the hand of the Lord lay heavily on the stricken land. As he saw suffering and need on every side, his heart filled with sorrow, and he longed to bring about a reformation quickly. But God was working out His plan, and His servant was to pray on and await the time for action.

The apostasy in Ahab’s day resulted from many years of evildoing. Step by step Israel had been departing from the right way, and at last  the great majority had yielded themselves to the powers of darkness.

About a century had passed since Israel, under King David, had united in hymns of praise to the Most High in recognition that they depended entirely on Him for daily mercies. Then they had sung:

O God of our salvation, ...

You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it. ...

You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance.  Psalm 65:5, 8, 9, 11

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,And vegetation for the service of man,That He may bring forth food from the earth,And wine that makes glad the heart of man.O Lord, how manifold are Your works!In wisdom You have made them all.The earth is full of Your possessions.  Psalm 104:14, 15, 24

The land to which the Lord had brought Israel was flowing with milk and honey, a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. “The land which you go to possess,” He had told them, “is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares.”

The promise of abundance of rain had been given on condition of obedience: “If you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain.”

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest ... He [the Lord] shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14, 16, 17.

“If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes,” “your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 23, 24.

These commands were plain, yet as the centuries passed, apostasy threatened to sweep aside every barrier of divine grace. Now the prediction of Elijah was meeting terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was hunted. Many rulers had  given their oath of honor that the strange prophet could not be found in their lands. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah and spared no effort to bring him within reach of their power. And still there was no rain.