"Arise and go to Zarepheth, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there." (1 Kings 17:9)
If there was anything that described Elijah, it was his zeal for the Lord and his hatred of Baal worship. Everything he stood for was against idolatry. I wonder if in his mind, as we human beings are disposed to do, he had built a strong bias against Phoenicia.
If we check where Zarephath was on a map we will find it right between the two principal cities of Phoenicia, Tyre and Sidon. Truly, this was the homeland of Jezebel and her father Ethbaal. It was the origin and center of Baal worship.
Perhaps Elijah wondered, "How can God keep me in the middle of the idolatry I am to fight?" It was tantamount today of a Jew being told to go and live beside a nuclear plant in the nation of Iran. It was similar to a British citizen in the time of Hitler being ordered to live in Berlin, Germany. One could describe it as being an American living in Russia during the Cold War.
"Are you sure, Lord, you want me to live there?
From the standpoint of tactical warfare alone it may have been wise. Who would expect to look for Elijah in Jezebel’s back yard?
Whatever the reasons for God’s next instructions, Elijah didn’t have much choice. Living in Cherith was becoming impossible. His water was drying up and thirst alone may have driven him to obey. He had no choice again but to believe God and take that next step.
Many Christians have been faced with similar dilemmas. Leading from the Lord can surprise us and take us to places that we initially have no desire to go. The prophet Jonah exemplified such a stance when God called him to preach to an evil city called Nineveh. His prejudice sent him in the opposite direction to Joppa (Jonah 1:3). God dealt with Jonah and the entire city repented.
Whatever Elijah may have felt inwardly, he does not show it on the outside. His attitude is that of obedience. He goes, even if it is into the homeland of Jezebel.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Drying of the Stream
"And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land." (1 Kings 17:7)
Because there had been no rain, the brook which had supplied Elijah’s water became dry. Undoubtedly, Elijah had watched it daily. He knew it was going down and he was forced to trust God in an increased measure for the next step in his life. Did the prayers that he had offered to God for the rain to stop haunt him now? It is hard to be in a difficult situation because one has received the answer to their prayer.
Elijah has another test before him. He’s lasted 6-8 months alone. A man can live without many things but he cannot live without water. What does he do? I think that if the temptation to move before God’s time ever arose, it came when the stream dried up. Did he think of following the wadi down to the Jordan River? The Jordan would be the last place to go dry. Perhaps his mind was filled with thoughts of disobedience. Did he ever think of moving from Cherith to nearby Syria and escaping the prophetic life?
Elijah doesn’t move. His last instructions were to go to Cherith and until he hears from the Lord, he is not moving. It is good that he doesn’t. Ahab & Jezebel are angry. They’ve got a price on his head, and disobeying may have been the last thing he ever did. Does he know that? Like most of us walking by faith, he doesn’t know until after the fact. He can’t move to the Jordan or go into Syria now. He’s in too deep. He has to trust God.
A valuable principle that my mother taught me is this—"When you don’t know what do don’t do anything." Don’t abandon your previous leading until the new clearly comes. Elijah practices this and "then the word of the Lord came to him." (1 Kings 17:8).
May we all learn this treasured truth. Moving before God’s time can be detrimental, even deadly. When the brook dries up and pressure arises, wait until God tells you to move.
Because there had been no rain, the brook which had supplied Elijah’s water became dry. Undoubtedly, Elijah had watched it daily. He knew it was going down and he was forced to trust God in an increased measure for the next step in his life. Did the prayers that he had offered to God for the rain to stop haunt him now? It is hard to be in a difficult situation because one has received the answer to their prayer.
Elijah has another test before him. He’s lasted 6-8 months alone. A man can live without many things but he cannot live without water. What does he do? I think that if the temptation to move before God’s time ever arose, it came when the stream dried up. Did he think of following the wadi down to the Jordan River? The Jordan would be the last place to go dry. Perhaps his mind was filled with thoughts of disobedience. Did he ever think of moving from Cherith to nearby Syria and escaping the prophetic life?
Elijah doesn’t move. His last instructions were to go to Cherith and until he hears from the Lord, he is not moving. It is good that he doesn’t. Ahab & Jezebel are angry. They’ve got a price on his head, and disobeying may have been the last thing he ever did. Does he know that? Like most of us walking by faith, he doesn’t know until after the fact. He can’t move to the Jordan or go into Syria now. He’s in too deep. He has to trust God.
A valuable principle that my mother taught me is this—"When you don’t know what do don’t do anything." Don’t abandon your previous leading until the new clearly comes. Elijah practices this and "then the word of the Lord came to him." (1 Kings 17:8).
May we all learn this treasured truth. Moving before God’s time can be detrimental, even deadly. When the brook dries up and pressure arises, wait until God tells you to move.
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