THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ELIJAH
PHILIPPIANS 4:19; 1 KINGS 19:1-18; 1 KINGS 17-19
INTRO. – One of the strongest men to ever serve God, the prophet Elijah, was gripped by a spirit of discouragement and despair.
Transition - Through the Holy Spirit and the author’s pen we are able to hear:
I. Elijah’s Thoughts (1 Kings 19:3-4)
A. Remember that Elijah had just confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, proving that the LORD is the only true and living God.
B. Upon hearing the report that Baal and Asherah had been defeated, Jezebel became furious and immediately sent out a messenger to Elijah, threatening his life (1 Kings 19:2).
C. Just as Jezebel had hoped, Elijah fled for his life (1 Kings 19:3-4a). When he had gone as far south as Beersheba, he left his servant there, not wishing to jeopardize his life any further. In addition, Elijah almost certainly wished to be alone, as the following verses indicate. Elijah traveled another day into the desert and eventually sat down under a broom tree. Growing to a height of about ten feet, the broom tree provided some shade for him.
D. Sitting and resting under the branches of a juniper tree, Elijah began to pray (1 Kings 19:4b).
1. He told the LORD he had reached the end. He had had enough. He asked the LORD to just let him die. Why would Elijah pray that way? I believe that there are three reasons:
a. Exhaustion
1. Illustration - Someone wrote that exhaustion is: The feeling that if I had to do it all over again, I’d be too tired.
2. Elijah was physically and mentally exhausted, and he was disappointed and discouraged at the king’s and the people’s hard hearts. He felt as though he had failed in his ministry, that he had achieved no more than his ancestors had, which was almost nothing. Consequently, the LORD may as well take him, for his life was of no more value on earth.
b. Loneliness
1. He said in verse 10, “…I only am left…”
2. Illustration - During a program on the Library of Congress, Dr. Daniel Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, brought out a little blue box from a small closet that once held the library’s rarities. The label on the box read: Contents of the President’s Pockets on the Night of April 14, 1865. Since that was the fateful night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, every viewer’s attention was seized. Boorstin then proceeded to remove the items in the small container and display them on camera. There were five things in the box:
* A handkerchief, embroidered “A. Lincoln.”
* A country boy’s penknife.
* A spectacles case repaired with string.
* A purse containing a $5 bill (Confederate money).
* Some old and worn newspaper clippings.
Dr. Boorstin explained that, “The clippings were concerned with the great deeds of Abraham Lincoln. And one of them actually reports a speech by John Bright which says that Abraham Lincoln is ‘one of the greatest men of all times’.”
History has proven that British statesman John Bright was right in his assessment of Lincoln, but in 1865 millions shared quite a contrary opinion.
The President’s critics were fierce and many. His was a lonely agony that reflected the suffering and turmoil of his country ripped to shreds by hatred and a cruel, costly war. There is something touchingly pathetic in the mental picture of this great leader seeking solace and self-assurance from a few old newspaper clippings as he
reads them under the flickering flame of a candle all alone in the Oval Office. -- Charles Swindoll, The Quest For Character, Multnomah, p. 62-63.
c. Discouragement
1. He was completely drained of physical strength. Mentally he was exhausted. He was drained spiritually at the moment coming off the victory of Mt. Carmel. He was running for his life. His circumstances were not the best at the moment.
2. Application - One of the hardest feelings for a person to deal with is discouragement. Whether the discouragement is real, imagined, or exaggerated, in our eyes alone or in the eyes of many, it is a crushing blow to a person’s sense of worth. The sense of having failed can lead someone to despair, discouragement, and cause one to sink into depression, even to contemplate and carry out suicide. But like Elijah, if we will turn to the LORD in our time of need, God will hear our cry and meet our need.
D. Transition - Through the Holy Spirit and the author’s pen we are able to see:
II. God’s Provision (1 Kings 19:5-18)
A. Elijah had experienced both victory and defeat as God’s prophet. But when his life and his task were too heavy to bear, it was to the LORD that he turned. And the LORD met Elijah where he was and took care of his every need. Just as the LORD met Elijah and provided for his need during his crisis, so the LORD will meet us and provide for us. If we will pray as Elijah did, the LORD will meet our need. He will provide for us in our moments of exhaustion, loneliness, and discouragement
1. Illustration - George Muller (1805-1898) built many orphanages at Ashley Down, England. Without a personal salary, he relied only on God to supply the money and food needed to support the hundreds of homeless children he befriended in the name of Christ. A man of radiant faith, he kept a motto on his desk for many years that brought comfort, strength, and uplifting confidence to his heart. It read, “It matters to Him about you.”
Muller believed that those words captured the meaning of 1 Peter 5:7 which says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” and he rested his claim for divine help on that truth. He testified at the end of his life that the Lord had never failed to supply all his needs. - Source Unknown
2. Illustration - POEM
There is an eye that never sleeps, beneath the wing of night;
There is an ear that never shuts, when sinks the beams of light;
There is an arm that never tires, when human strength gives way;
There is a love that never fails, when earthly loves decay.
-- Author unknown
3. Illustration - When you have no one left but God, then you become aware that God is enough. - Maude Royden
B. God met Elijah where he was and ministered to him in three areas:
1. God ministered to Elijah’s physical need (vs. 5-8).
a. Elijah prayed that God would just simply let him die. But notice that God did not answer his prayer. Aren’t you glad that God does not always answer your prayer?
b. Utterly exhausted, Elijah could pray no more; thus he lay down and fell asleep (1 Kings 19:5). Some time later, an angel awakened him, commanding him to get up and eat. The angel had apparently provided a cake of bread that had been baked over hot coals. In addition, there was a jar of water to quench his thirst. Even after eating, Elijah was still utterly exhausted. So he again lay down and fell asleep (1 Kings 19:6). A short time later, the angel awoke him a second time and fed him (1 Kings 19:7). Strengthened by the additional food, Elijah set out and traveled some forty days and nights to Mt. Horeb.
2. God ministered to Elijah’s spiritual need (vs. 9-13).
a. After arriving at Mt. Sinai, Elijah went into a cave and spent the night. What then happened is a strong encouragement to the heart of any believer who is experiencing discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. Scripture graphically describes Elijah’s experience.
b. From this passage we discover that God revealed himself to Elijah in a way that he had not revealed himself before.
1. It was either while he was sleeping or right after he awoke, Elijah was confronted by the LORD with a very specific question: What was he doing there at Mt. Sinai (1 Kings 19:9-10)?
a. Note how Elijah felt all-alone, as though he were the only person in the nation who was serving God. He felt defenseless, helpless against the threat of Queen Jezebel. His discouragement was blinding him to the truth of God’s presence and His power to deliver His people from the hands of all enemies.
2. Not responding to Elijah’s complaint, the LORD invited Elijah to come out of the cave and stand in His presence (1 Kings 19:11-12b). Once outside, three spectacular events rapidly occurred. Read verse 11-12b.
a. Some time after the spectacular events a new experience that Elijah had with the Lord, there was the quiet, gentle whisper of God’s voice (1 Kings 19:12c-13).
b. During the whisper, Elijah was gripped with shame and humbled himself before the LORD. Broken, he pulled his cloak over his face. And the question came again from the Lord and this time Elijah’s response is a little different. Read verse 12c-13.
2. Slowly but surely, Elijah was learning the great lesson that God reveals Himself in the greatest way by speaking to the heart of man.
3. God confirmed His call on Elijah’s prophetic ministry.
a. He was discouraged and was feeling as though he had no purpose in life. God accomplished this in four ways:
1. He renewed his call (vs. 15a),
2. He gave him a new mission (vs. 15b-16),
3. He assured him that others would finish what he had started (vs. 17),
4. He told him that he was not alone in his desire to serve the Lord (vs. 18).
Conclusion
Illustration - During the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, German pastor Paul Gerhardt and his family were forced to flee from their home. One night as they stayed in a small village inn, homeless and afraid, his wife broke down and cried openly in despair. To comfort her, Gerhardt reminded her of Scripture promises about God’s provision and keeping. Then, going out to the garden to be alone, he too broke down and wept. He felt he had come to his darkest hour. Soon afterward, Gerhardt felt the burden lifted and sensed anew the Lord’s presence. Taking his pen, he wrote a hymn that has brought comfort to many:
Give to the winds thy fears
Hope, and be undismayed
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears
God shall lift up thy head.
Through waves and clouds and storms He gently clears the way. Wait thou His time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day.
It is often in our darkest times that God makes His presence known most clearly. He uses our sufferings and troubles to show us that He is our only source of strength. And when we see this truth, like Pastor Gerhardt, we receive new hope. Are you facing a great trial? Take heart. Put yourself in God’s hands. Wait for His timing. He will give you a “song in the night.” - Our Daily Bread, May 7, 1992.
