TO BE OR NOT TO BE! WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?
1 Kings 19
The LORD Speaks to Elijah
But the LORD said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 15 Then the LORD told him, “Go back the way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve seven thousand others in Israel who have never bowed to Baal or kissed him!”
1. The life of Elijah. Who was this man?
Eight major miracles.
a. No rain. (1Kings 17:1) Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God whom I worship and serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I give the word!”
b. Fed by ravens. (1Kings 17:6) 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook
c. Supply of flour and oil for the widow and her son.
(1Kings 17:13-16) 13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and cook that ‘last meal,’ but bake me a little loaf of bread first. Afterward there will still be enough food for you and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!”
15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days. 16 For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.
d. Brought the son back to life when he died. (1Kings 17:21-24)
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he came back to life! 23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive!” he said.24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you.”
d. Fire from heaven for his sacrifice and the killing of the Baal prophets. (1Kings 18:30-40) 30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the LORD’s altar. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” After they had done this, 34 he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even overflowed the trench.36 At the customary time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the ditch! 39 And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”
40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.
e. Rain again. (1Kings 18:44-45) Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’ ”
45 And sure enough, the sky was soon black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
f. Out running the chariot. (1Kings 18:46) 46 Now the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.
g. Bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water.
(1Kings 19-6) 6 He looked around and saw some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
2. I am the only one.
Despondency sets in
(1Kings 19-10)
14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
3. God’s response.
Despondency causes harshness which can cost you your mantle
Wind Storm
Earthquake
Fire
Gentle whisper (See Elijah I do not need to be harsh to speak)
15 Then the LORD told him, “Go back the way you came, and travel tothe wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve seven thousand others in Israel who have never bowed to Baal or kissed him!”
God could not trust Elijah with His people any longer
Elijah prophesied some battle victories and then spoke a word of rebuke to king Ahab who ruled Samaria. He killed Naboth to get his field. (1Kings 21:17) 17 But the LORD said to Elijah, who was from Tishbe, 18 “Go down to meet King Ahab, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel, taking possession of it. 19 Give him this message: ‘This is what the LORD says: Isn’t killing Naboth bad enough? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood outside the city just as they licked the blood of Naboth!’ ”
But Ahab repented.
(1Kings 21:27) 27 When Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and went about in deep mourning.28 Then another message from the LORD came to Elijah, who was from Tishbe: 29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime.
The next King of Samaria king, Ahaziah, fell and hurt himself.
He asked the god of Ekron whether he would recover.
Through Elijah God sent a message to the King telling him that God was not pleased and that he would not get well but die.
He demanded to see Elijah sent two sets of 50 men to fetch Elijah. Each time Elijah called down fire from heaven which consumed them. The third captain of fifty men fell down on his knees and begged Elijah not to do it.
The Lord spoke and told Elijah to refrain and to go see the King.
(2Kings 1:15-17) 15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah,
“Don’t be afraid. Go with him.” So Elijah got up and went to the king.
16 And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will get well? Is there no God in Israel? Now, since you have done this, you will never leave the bed on which you are lying, but you will surely die.”
17 So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.
This is where God decided Elijah needed to come home.
(2Kings 2:6) 11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between them, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
Lets look at another scenario.
4. Moses Who was He?
More humble than any other person on earth.
Numbers 12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the LORD heard them. 3 Now Moses was more humble than any other person on earth. 4 So immediately the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” And the three of them went out. 5 Then the LORD descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. 6 And the LORD said to them, “Now listen to me! Even with prophets, I the LORD communicate by visions and dreams. 7 But that is not how I communicate with my servant Moses. He is entrusted with my entire house. 8 I speak to him face to face, directly and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is. Should you not be afraid to criticize him?”9 The LORD was furious with them, and he departed. 10 As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, Miriam suddenly became white as snow with leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened, 11 he cried out to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.”13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Heal her, O God, I beg you!”14 And the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she have been defiled for seven days? Banish her from the camp for seven days, and after that she may return.”
5. Our response
Criticism and Judgment vs. Humility and mercy.
a. Criticism
Criticizing alcoholics, cultures, sinners,
other denominations, other religions.
The label you give disqualifies people.
b. Humble.
Pushing others down to impress and show how
good we are.
Pride makes it difficult to reach
out and love.
Changing your language style as if
other cultures are babies.
Seeing poorer people as the only opportunity
and easy targets.
Being paternalistic. (usurping individual
responsibility)
Not allowing for mistakes by others. There by
not giving them a chance to prove themselves.
c. The Lord’s Presence
Makes the difference in all the above. There
is an expectation of miracles and an
understanding that without God we cannot
succeed.
d. When the Presence departs sin enters.
That is why God dealt with the Kings so
severely.
Moses always ran for the presence of God to
deal with issues. He knew his own
inadequacies.
e. Leprosy
Leprosy is a symbol of sin.
It starts small and takes over the whole body.
Leprosy was cleansed and not healed. That is
why they were sent to wash in the water.
Matthew 10:8 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses
The most important part of your body to look
after was your eyes. If your eyes were
affected you could not clean your wounds,
infection would set in and death.
6. Intercession not judgment.
Genesis 18 The LORD Stated. 18 “For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised.” 20 So the LORD told Abraham, “I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked. 21 I am going down to see whether or not these reports are true. Then I will know.” 22 The two other men went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham for a while. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike? 24 Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city—will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26 And the LORD replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five?” And the LORD said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five.” 29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?” And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.” 30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty are found?” And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it if there are thirty.” 31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the LORD said, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please do not get angry; I will speak but once more! Suppose only ten are found there?” And the LORD said, “Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it.”33 The LORD went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent.
7. Enough is not enough.
24 Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life—people, plants, and animals alike.
Moses response was to beg God to heal Miriam
Abraham plead for Sodom, but I believe if he asked God to spare the City for one righteous God would have done it.
God did spare the world for one, “JESUS” who is now our intercessor.
Intercession never stops
7. To be.
1 Timothy
2 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7 And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.
2Corinthians 2:1-5
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn’t use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s message. 2 For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. 5 I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.
We need to be;
a. People of prayer.
b. People of mercy.
c. People of salvation.
d. People pleasing God.
e. People carrying the truth of God
f. People of power.
You are a child of God saved because of His mercy and grace, freely you have received freely give
These kinds of people will see the world transformed. This is to be !!
Amen.
