Elijah – although he doesn’t have a Bible book named after him, he is a major prophet in the Old Testament. He is known for some of the most memorable miracles in the Bible. At Elijah’s word, kings trembled, the rains stopped, a jug of oil never ran dry, a boy was raised from the dead, fire fell from the sky, revival broke out, and hundreds of idolatrous prophets of Baal were executed. In 1 Kings 18, we see Elijah doing what Elijah does best, being a troublemaker…except he’s only labelled as a troublemaker because he just won’t cooperate. He won’t go along with the idolatrous statutes of king Ahab and his wife Jezebel. They had set up worship of the pagan gods Baal and Asherah in Israel disregarding the first commandment.
Elijah has been called by God and when you are following Adonai, you’ll be seen as a troublemaker. Your very existence will disturb the peace. You don’t go looking for trouble, rather trouble just seems to find you. Does this strike a nerve in you PG? You keep to yourself, live your life according to the Word of God, are faithful to Him, yet you find yourself being persecuted. That place of persecution is where God wants you to not wane hot or cold – rather He wants you to declare your loyalty. If you believe He is God, serve God!
A couple of things to note about Elijah’s antics in 1 Kings 18. He is on his way to king Ahab to tell him that the drought that has been afflicting the land is coming to an end.
He goes bearing good news and he is met with distaste. King Ahab comes out to meet Elijah. Elijah proposes a showdown – Adonai against the prophets of Baal and Asherah. God didn’t tell Elijah to stage this confrontation – he was just supposed to tell Ahab that rain is coming. Despite Elijah’s almost flippant manner, God shows up – not for Elijah’s sake, but to show that He is God. God will display Himself to the nonbeliever, not to prove Himself to them, but to prove Himself to His people. In His appearance on Mount Carmel, He is telling His people to not waver between two things. The prophets of Baal screamed, wailed, and cut themselves for hours without their god showing up. Yet when Elijah erects his own altar to Adonai and drenches it with water, and calls on Adonai, He shows up in an instant and consumes the altar and everything around it. Such is the might of God that He displays for His people leading them to declare that “Adonai, He is God!”
There is no mistake about which god answered Elijah – he calls him by name “Adonai, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel…” Elijah the troublemaker didn’t waver in his belief. He was ready for a showdown for his faith. He stood up in front of an army of hundreds of prophets and emerged triumphant because he served a living God.
Today I want to encourage you PG, to not back down from a showdown. Don’t be afraid of it! Adonai will display Himself. Be a troublemaker!
Comments