Before Whom I Stand

"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand." (1 Kings 17:1).

Elijah and his successor Elisha used this oath. It was spoken during times when they encountered evil influence. Each time courage was necessary and compromise could be possible. They reached back to their Lord’s commission, invoking the name of their invisible Master and their loyalty to Him.

"Before whom I stand" was the assertion of a slave declaring his allegiance and servitude to his master. When the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon she referred to his servants as those "who stand before you and hear your wisdom." (1 Kings 10:8). God’s Old Testament priests were "to stand before the Lord to minister to Him." (Deut. 10:8). They were the ones who "shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood." (Ezek. 44:15).

Elijah uses the expression while beginning his public ministry. Delivering his unpopular pronouncement of God’s judgment to Ahab, he declared this allegiance--"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years, except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1).

Returning to Israel from Zarephath he meets with Obadiah, the king’s fearful servant. Elijah assures Obadiah that he will meet Ahab. "As the Lord God of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." (I Kings 18:15).

Kings from Israel, Syria and Judah came to Elisha to inquire about a battle. Elisha wanted no part of it and replies as such. "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you." (2 Kings 3:14).

Naaman, a commander of the army from Syria came to seek healing from the prophet Elisha. Offered a reward for the healing he received, Elisha responds, "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing." (2 Kings 5:16).

Retreating for his life and discouraged after the threat of Jezebel, Elijah receives a new dictate from the Lord. God returns him to his calling through similar words, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." (1 Kings 19:11). There "standing before the Lord" Elijah receives a fresh vision of God and a new assignment to serve Him.

We are called slaves or servants throughout Scripture. We serve our Master just as these two prophets did. When we face opposition throughout our lives, we must return to our living God and reaffirm the same conviction of God being the one "before whom I stand." There we will find our strength and vision to walk faithfully as they did.