"Many shall be purified, made white, and refined" (Daniel 12:10)
The name Zarephath means "refinement, fuse metal, smelting-place, crucible." While certainly that definition referred to the actual historical activity associated with the town, it also reflects a new phase of Elijah’s life. Elijah still has much to learn in God’s school. He will face greater trials and be forced to trust God in new ways. He will see miracles but only after facing the impossible.
Having passed his first examination at Cherith, he will now graduate to another level at Zarephath.
God’s work in Elijah’s life is a mirror to show us how God will operate in ours. The Apostle Peter described the process in the New Testament--"that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7).
The refining fires of God spare no Christian. God compares Himself to a master gold worker. He heats the metal. He hammers it. He molds it. He scrapes off all of the impurities. He has a purpose in mind. He will make a beautiful article of the gold, ultimately of us. Historically, the ancient Eastern goldsmith was said to have fired the ore until he could see his own face reflected in the liquid. Even so, God keeps us in the furnace until He can see the face of His Son Jesus Christ shining in us.
This He does not once but many times. Even when we hope it will stop, He applies the heat again. Despite the pain we feel, He knows what particular trial will shape us into His image.
Using a more modern illustration, Warren Wiersbe said, "When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. If we rebel He may have to reset the clock; but if we submit, He will not permit us to suffer one minute too long. The important thing is that we learn the lesson He wants to teach us and that we bring glory to Him alone."1
Elijah was purified by God’s testing. Will we also surrender to that process?
1. Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2. Wheaton: Victor, 1989, p. 393.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Changing Times
"Arise, go to Zarepheth," (1 Kings 17:9).
The name Zarepheth means "refinement, fuse metal, smelting-place, crucible." Some 60-80 years before Elijah’s time King Solomon brought a man from Tyre named Hiram who was a bronze worker. He "was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work." (1 Kings 7:13). The ships of Hiram brought gold from the African country of Ophir (1 Kings 10:11). "The weight of that gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents." (1 Kings 10:14). That was 25 tons of gold yearly.
History records that Zarepheth was noted as a producer of fine glassware, made from the same sand which was found near Sidon. It was also a producer of the same famous dyes that other parts of Phoenicia produced. The Bible does not specifically say that Zarepheth was one of those supply cities but one can make a reasonable guess that it was.
Times have changed. Instead of a golden reign by a wealthy and wise king, Israel had turned sour towards God. The country had divided into two kingdoms. The northern part of that kingdom had not honored God in its short history and would not until Assyria finally destroyed it and took its residents into captivity.
Hiram’s descendants had been murdered by Ethbaal. There was still a relationship between Phoenicia and Israel but it was not a godly one. Ahab was married to Jezebel and evil prevailed. It was into this time, context, and these circumstances that Elijah had been born. It is in this time that he lives and serves the Lord God of Israel.
We, too, are born into a time period in which we must minister. The old memories often are forgotten as history defines us and shapes our uncertain affairs. As Elijah was equipped for a certain time frame, we today are also called to live our days with God’s particular anointing upon us. As we live in a specific era, we also have a distinct calling for that era.
The promise that God will care for us resounds throughout all history—"As your days, so shall your strength be." (Deut. 33:25). Our days may be wicked. Our generation may be rebellious but God fits us with strength to deal with it. Let us prepare ourselves to minister in our age. We may then find as Queen Esther did "who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:12).
The name Zarepheth means "refinement, fuse metal, smelting-place, crucible." Some 60-80 years before Elijah’s time King Solomon brought a man from Tyre named Hiram who was a bronze worker. He "was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work." (1 Kings 7:13). The ships of Hiram brought gold from the African country of Ophir (1 Kings 10:11). "The weight of that gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents." (1 Kings 10:14). That was 25 tons of gold yearly.
History records that Zarepheth was noted as a producer of fine glassware, made from the same sand which was found near Sidon. It was also a producer of the same famous dyes that other parts of Phoenicia produced. The Bible does not specifically say that Zarepheth was one of those supply cities but one can make a reasonable guess that it was.
Times have changed. Instead of a golden reign by a wealthy and wise king, Israel had turned sour towards God. The country had divided into two kingdoms. The northern part of that kingdom had not honored God in its short history and would not until Assyria finally destroyed it and took its residents into captivity.
Hiram’s descendants had been murdered by Ethbaal. There was still a relationship between Phoenicia and Israel but it was not a godly one. Ahab was married to Jezebel and evil prevailed. It was into this time, context, and these circumstances that Elijah had been born. It is in this time that he lives and serves the Lord God of Israel.
We, too, are born into a time period in which we must minister. The old memories often are forgotten as history defines us and shapes our uncertain affairs. As Elijah was equipped for a certain time frame, we today are also called to live our days with God’s particular anointing upon us. As we live in a specific era, we also have a distinct calling for that era.
The promise that God will care for us resounds throughout all history—"As your days, so shall your strength be." (Deut. 33:25). Our days may be wicked. Our generation may be rebellious but God fits us with strength to deal with it. Let us prepare ourselves to minister in our age. We may then find as Queen Esther did "who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:12).
Friday, March 30, 2012
Moving to Jezebel's Homeland
"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.
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.
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.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Temptations in a Wadi
The Bible makes clear that Elijah "was a man with a nature like ours." (James 5:17). Being human, he felt all the temptations that we would. Having been directed to this wadi, what might he have thought when he lived there? Let us imagine the trials that he faced daily.
Did boredom afflict Elijah? After he established a cave to sleep in and set up his meager household what did he do with his time? Most commentators guess that he was probably there for as long as the rainy season would have lasted—about 6-8 months. Did he walk up and down that ravine watching for changes in the wildlife? How did he conduct himself?
Was loneliness a struggle for him? When one disobeys prison rules, the punishment is solitary confinement. Many prisoners are broken by this treatment. Elijah was not shattered but kept sane, whole, and growing. Silence is a discipline that many today would find extremely hard, especially with the distractions they have been raised with. Here in the deep silence of Cherith, Elijah develops an unbroken sense of God’s presence and sensitivity to His leading.
Did Elijah wonder if his provisions would stop? God had said of Israel that He humbled them, allowed them to hunger, and then fed them with manna so that they would learn that they did not live by bread alone, by every word that came from His mouth. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Each day, Elijah learned this same lesson as the ravens brought him his food.
Was Elijah ever tempted to complain about his provisions? Israel despised God’s manna and asked for meat. God granted their request but judged them for it. Elijah did not complain about the meals, even though they were only bread and meat. The supplies were "enough", but not luxurious. He learned to be thankful for what God did provide and was not angry with Him for what He didn’t. We also must learn to be thankful where God has placed us.
Elijah passes all the God-given tests in the wadi. Boredom, loneliness, looking to God, and not complaining were some of those things that he must have faced. These temptations come to us all at various times of life. Will we also be faithful?
Did boredom afflict Elijah? After he established a cave to sleep in and set up his meager household what did he do with his time? Most commentators guess that he was probably there for as long as the rainy season would have lasted—about 6-8 months. Did he walk up and down that ravine watching for changes in the wildlife? How did he conduct himself?
Was loneliness a struggle for him? When one disobeys prison rules, the punishment is solitary confinement. Many prisoners are broken by this treatment. Elijah was not shattered but kept sane, whole, and growing. Silence is a discipline that many today would find extremely hard, especially with the distractions they have been raised with. Here in the deep silence of Cherith, Elijah develops an unbroken sense of God’s presence and sensitivity to His leading.
Did Elijah wonder if his provisions would stop? God had said of Israel that He humbled them, allowed them to hunger, and then fed them with manna so that they would learn that they did not live by bread alone, by every word that came from His mouth. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Each day, Elijah learned this same lesson as the ravens brought him his food.
Was Elijah ever tempted to complain about his provisions? Israel despised God’s manna and asked for meat. God granted their request but judged them for it. Elijah did not complain about the meals, even though they were only bread and meat. The supplies were "enough", but not luxurious. He learned to be thankful for what God did provide and was not angry with Him for what He didn’t. We also must learn to be thankful where God has placed us.
Elijah passes all the God-given tests in the wadi. Boredom, loneliness, looking to God, and not complaining were some of those things that he must have faced. These temptations come to us all at various times of life. Will we also be faithful?
Friday, November 25, 2011
Consider the Ravens
"I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" (1 Kings 17: 4).
"The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." (1 Kings 17:6)
What did Elijah do to feed himself before He confronted Ahab? He left that behind to trust God for his provisions. Being from the harsh region of Gilead, what did he think when God said "I’m going to use ravens to provide for you?" Did he know the ways of birds and animals? Did he know that the raven naturally neglects its young and that for the ravens to bring him food may have been very much against their nature? Job 38:41 asks the question "who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?"
God speaks about supplying food for ravens two other times in the Bible. "He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry." (Psalm 147:9). Jesus said to His disciples "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?" (Luke 12:24).
Jesus’ reasoning is simple. If God cares for the ravens, how much more will He care for human beings? When God told Elijah that the ravens would provide for him, He was merely extending His care for the ravens one step further than usual to include a man. He used those birds themselves to provide for His prophet.
We are often concerned about our lives. We may worry about our daily needs. Although we have seen God’s provision in our past, a new day with different direction brings a fresh test of faith. Will God provide in this unique circumstance?
As we turn to Jesus’ words and Elijah’s example, God’s encouragement is given again to us. Each move we make comes with the promise that wherever we go, God has gone before us and "commanded the ravens to feed us there." When doubts come, return to the words of Jesus who challenged us simply to "consider the ravens."
"The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." (1 Kings 17:6)
What did Elijah do to feed himself before He confronted Ahab? He left that behind to trust God for his provisions. Being from the harsh region of Gilead, what did he think when God said "I’m going to use ravens to provide for you?" Did he know the ways of birds and animals? Did he know that the raven naturally neglects its young and that for the ravens to bring him food may have been very much against their nature? Job 38:41 asks the question "who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?"
God speaks about supplying food for ravens two other times in the Bible. "He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry." (Psalm 147:9). Jesus said to His disciples "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?" (Luke 12:24).
Jesus’ reasoning is simple. If God cares for the ravens, how much more will He care for human beings? When God told Elijah that the ravens would provide for him, He was merely extending His care for the ravens one step further than usual to include a man. He used those birds themselves to provide for His prophet.
We are often concerned about our lives. We may worry about our daily needs. Although we have seen God’s provision in our past, a new day with different direction brings a fresh test of faith. Will God provide in this unique circumstance?
As we turn to Jesus’ words and Elijah’s example, God’s encouragement is given again to us. Each move we make comes with the promise that wherever we go, God has gone before us and "commanded the ravens to feed us there." When doubts come, return to the words of Jesus who challenged us simply to "consider the ravens."
Monday, September 12, 2011
Elijah's Obedience
"So he went, and did according to the word of the Lord." (I Kings 17:5).
Elijah obeyed. He did what God told him to do. This observance of God’s word was part of the fiber of his life. It has always been so with all great men and women of God.
Joshua was to lead Israel into the first battle for the land God had promised. Instead of a traditional military attack that made sense to the natural mind, God gave an unusual command to him—‘You shall march around the city, all you men of war: you shall go around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram’s horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets." (Joshua 6:3).
God promised that the walls around the city of Jericho would fall flat. Joshua and his army obeyed and it happened just as God had promised. To use the language applied to Elijah, Joshua "went and did according to the word of the Lord."
King Saul was one who did not obey God fully. God commanded him to "attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."(1 Samuel 15:3). This command was given because God was punishing that nation for ambushing Israel when they came out of Egypt. (1 Samuel 15:2).
Saul did not follow fully but "spared the king and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good." (1 Samuel 15:9). The prophet Samuel came with a message that the kingdom would be taken away from this king. He demanded of Saul "Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord?" (1 Samuel 15:10).
Unlike Elijah and Joshua, Saul did not "do according to the word of the Lord."
Do we have the same mind as Elijah and Joshua? When God speaks to us will we respond as they did? Has God given a command to us? What will we do with what we have clearly heard from Him?
Elijah "went and did according to the word of the Lord." We must offer the same obedience. In all our ways, we are to go and do.
Elijah obeyed. He did what God told him to do. This observance of God’s word was part of the fiber of his life. It has always been so with all great men and women of God.
Joshua was to lead Israel into the first battle for the land God had promised. Instead of a traditional military attack that made sense to the natural mind, God gave an unusual command to him—‘You shall march around the city, all you men of war: you shall go around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram’s horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets." (Joshua 6:3).
God promised that the walls around the city of Jericho would fall flat. Joshua and his army obeyed and it happened just as God had promised. To use the language applied to Elijah, Joshua "went and did according to the word of the Lord."
King Saul was one who did not obey God fully. God commanded him to "attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."(1 Samuel 15:3). This command was given because God was punishing that nation for ambushing Israel when they came out of Egypt. (1 Samuel 15:2).
Saul did not follow fully but "spared the king and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good." (1 Samuel 15:9). The prophet Samuel came with a message that the kingdom would be taken away from this king. He demanded of Saul "Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord?" (1 Samuel 15:10).
Unlike Elijah and Joshua, Saul did not "do according to the word of the Lord."
Do we have the same mind as Elijah and Joshua? When God speaks to us will we respond as they did? Has God given a command to us? What will we do with what we have clearly heard from Him?
Elijah "went and did according to the word of the Lord." We must offer the same obedience. In all our ways, we are to go and do.
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