WHAT DOEST THOU HERE
TEXT: I Kings 19:1-18
Reading through I Kings, I find that Elijah was a great man of God. He had just went up against wicked King Ahab.
And Ahab’s wife did not make the job any easier. Wicked Jezebel ruled at his side as she pleased. She was from another county, which meant Ahab was out of God’s will when he married her.
But he was out of God’s will before he ever married.
According to the scripture, He did evil in the sight of God above all that ruled before him.
But Elijah Had given them a challenge that they could not refuse. God verses Baal. Then Elijah told Ahab about the rain.
Vs. 1 tells us that Ahab went home and toll all that had just happened.
Vs. 3 Then tells us.
I. What Caused God’s man to fail?
Elijah failed just at the very point where we would have expected him to take an
unflinching stand.
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" I Cor. 10:12.
A. His Physical Strength And Nervous Energy Were Completely Overtaxed.
Elijah had gone through a very traumatic experience when he stood before that altar!
Think about...
1. The tremendous strain which he had undergone.
a. The long hours of excitement.
b. The intensity of his prayers.
2. How He had let discouragement set in.
a. No time to rest - he was physically exhausted.
b. Depression had set in.
Let me suggest that there was a cause for the way he acted - He Was....
* Overworked
* Overwrought
* Overworried
I don’t think that Elijah would of ever ran away from Jezebel if he had not been so exhausted.
B. He was keenly sensitive to his lonely position.
Self-pity moved in! He had worked so hard, but all he had received in return was hatred.
So he decided to protect himself instead of doing the work of God.
1. Elijah felt sorry for himself, he thought that he was the only one left.
2. Elijah forgot that God was with him.
He was discouraged and alone. When you are very discouraged, you should never spend a lot of time alone. It only breeds more depression and self-pity.
C. He looked away from God to circumstances.
Elijah was walking by sight, not by faith Instead of trusting God to take care of him, Elijah looked at the circumstances.
1. He lost sight of God.
2. He lost his direction, he forgot whose ministry it was.
3. He was defeated in his mind.
D. He Requested for himself that he might die. vs.4
Just when you think you are finished that’s when God starts. He has not died Yet!
II. Why did God restore His man? Because:
A. God’s love for his own.
1. God’s love in its consistency.
2. God’s love manifested in special tenderness because of special sin.
3. God’s love in its unwearied care.
4. God’s love anticipating the coming need.
B. Of the variety of God’s Instruments.
I am talking about the types of people that God uses.
Those who say God "HERE AM I"
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. (KJV)
Gen 31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. (KJV)
Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
1 Sam 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. (KJV)
And on and on it goes
C. No one can entirely escape from God’s personal dealings.
Take Jonah for Example, Zacchaeus
D. God never overlooks one of his own.
Psalm 37:40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Daniel 6:23b So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
III. What was God’s Response To Elijah
A. He refreshed him. (1KI. 19:5-7)
First of all....God sent an Angel to touch him Vs 5 Second blessing Vs7
Notice,
God did not send a messenger to thrash him, or to rebuke him
God knew that he was tired and weary.
He knows our frailties. A Touch For The Weary
1. A Touch Of Intervention (v. 5)
2. A Touch Of Inspiration (v. 5, 6)
3. A Touch Of Instruction (v. 6-8)
a. A prepared candidate - until now, he was going in his way
b. A precious command - arise; eat; journey
Second of all...While Elijah slept under a juniper tree, the Lord sent an angel to prepare a meal for the prophet.
When the angel awakened Elijah, he found a cake and a jar of water waiting for him.
Having slept and eaten twice, Elijah was physically refreshed and renewed. This enabled him to have a more positive outlook on life.
B. He reminded him. (1Ki. 19:9-10)
After Elijah had been refreshed, God sent him to Mount Horeb.
On the mountain, the Lord appeared to the prophet. He asked Elijah what he was doing there, and the prophet complained that he was the only person left who was following Him.
God then reminded Elijah of His great power and rebuked him for his lack of faith.
God told him., "Trust Me and My plan. Go back where you belong and start preaching My message." "And, remember, you are not alone. I have 7000 people in Israel who are still true to Me."
C. He recommissioned him.
1. He sent the prophet back to the battlefield.
2. God made Elijah walk that 300-mile trip from Mount Horeb back to Beersheba and then to Jezreel.
3. Elijah had wandered away from God’s chosen path for him.
4. So he had to retrace his steps in order to get back to where the Lord wanted him.
Conclusion
God still had some very special things in store for Elijah. If He had allowed him to die Elijah would have missed God’s wonderful plan for his life. The Lord had planned that Elijah would never die. Instead, a chariot of fire appeared, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (cf 2Kings 2:11).
Throughout history, Elijah has been remembered as one of God’s greatest prophets. If God had answered Elijah’s prayer, he would have died a defeated man. But instead, the Lord looked ahead and told Elijah, "Don’t give up! I have something even better planned for you. Trust Me, and I will give you glory and honor."
Even when we appear to be praying within the Lord’s will, God often does not answer our prayers in the way that we would want Him to because He has something even better in mind for us.
