10/18/2015 The Word Of God Departs Again Pastor Josh Sheldon

Well our text for the preaching this morning is what was just read to you from 1 Kings chapter 19

verses 1 -18.

And if you're visiting with us you're sort of in the middle of a series that we started a few

weeks back on Elijah and Elisha.

Lord willing in a few weeks we will get to Elisha.

We've been working our way through the record we have of Elijah beginning at

verse 1 of 1 Kings 17.

So you're sort of in the middle of it with us.

I welcome you to this scripture and the message this morning.

It doesn't depend too much on what came before so I think you'll be

able to follow along with us.

It's a bit of a stand alone message though it is about the same prophet we've been looking at all this time.

And what we have before us in 1 Kings 19 is this wonderful picture of

the working of our sovereign God.

In 1 Kings 19 it confronts us with the violence with which the gospel

and the gospel heralds is met and the extent that enemies of the gospel

will go in order to squash God's word.

And in that we're also confronted just as much with the grace of God that will not

allow His word to fall down uselessly to the ground but it returns to Him and it

accomplishes the purposes for which it is sent.

For the moment though in 1 Kings 19 after this great confrontation that

Baal's prophets had with Elijah.

You remember where Elijah stood against the 450 and their ministrations

to their false God were useless to the point of being ridiculous.

And Elijah then stood and made that one simple prayer and the fire fell from heaven and consumed not just

the sacrifice but the wood that the sacrifice was upon and not just that but also the water

that Elijah had the people douse it all with and not only that but the 12

stones that Elijah had set up as part of the altar and not only that

but the dust and the people cried out the Lord he is God the

Lord he is God and prophet and king stayed on the mountaintop and as the prophet prayed

for an end of the drought the king ate in peace and for this short moment this Camelot

period if you will prophet and priest are again fused together if only

for that moment and then as you just heard

when Ahab returns home Elijah sees his wife

he tells her all that Elijah had done and she immediately

sends a death threat against Elijah and

it appears for the moment with Elijah running

and a new threat against his life that Baal has recovered from this

loss.

Seems like the gospel if you will has met with defeat.

That God's word is not going to take hold in Israel

well one of my goals in the message this morning is to defend

the prophet Elijah it seems to me that he is

often maligned here in this chapter by commentators and by preachers.

I'm not going to try and convince you I'm right though in all integrity I think I'm right in what I'm going to

preach this morning I'm going to try and show you through scripture just what

the scripture itself presents about this prophet and as we go through this remember that

Elijah is the greatest of the prophets.

Now is that my assessment?

It is.

Why do I have this assessment?

Because that's what Jesus Christ said quite clearly he said of all the sons of

men there's been none greater than John the Baptist who came in the spirit of

Elijah and the disciples had to understand in Jesus discourse with them

that when he was talking about John the Baptist or the Elijah coming that's what he meant was John the Baptist.

I'm afraid when we misunderstand the scriptures as I think chapter 19 of

1st Kings is often misunderstood that we're bound to misapply it.

We're not going to take away the right lessons.

And that's what happens here I think far too often which we'll explain as we go

the very people who with one voice had cried out just shortly before the incident that was just

read to you by Jesus they cried out the Lord he is God.

They're now trying to kill the prophet who had incited their joyous confession.

They're trying to kill the very one who brought that about.

And they're acting here just like the people centuries

later who called out Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and then crucified

the very Lord who came in the Lord's name.

How quickly they turned the king.

The one I'm talking about Ahab the king who had seen the works of God with his own eyes.

He was there on karma when all this happened he heard with his own ears

Elijah's prayer for the rain to return.

And he goes and tells Jezebel what happened.

Where's the emphasis of course is on the killing of the false prophets not on the fire falling from heaven and taking up

the entire sacrifice not on God God by his grace showing

himself in a way that brought repentance.

And this great confession from the people the emphasis is on oh and by the way

he killed your pet prophets.

So she Jezebel this wicked queen the one whose name comes up in the book of Revelation as this

model of immorality and wickedness she does

what enemies to the gospel always do when confronted with God's grace.

Their answer is the same always it is death.

She will have Elijah killed.

And there's no apparent objection from Ahab her husband.

She puts out this death warrant against him.

So given the state of affairs Elijah surmises that his part in the campaign against Baal is over.

That's his frame of mind.

It's over.

The campaign is done this battle is ended.

He's failed.

And it's now time to take the matter out of human hands entirely and to depend on God's direct

intervention.

And so he flees south and he's running for his life.

And right here is where I start to take some exception to what the commentators say.

He's running for his life.

Why is he going south.

Why is he running for his life.

I'm gonna give you the quick reason and hopefully we'll support this as we go through this message and support it from the scripture.

He's running for his life because his life is not Jezebel's to take his life is not

simply be handed over to her.

He's going to Horeb.

He's going to the mountain of God.

In verses one and two of what was just read to you.

I want to read these again.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done.

Also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying so let the gods do to me and more.

Also if I do not make your life as one of them by tomorrow at about this time.

So the emphasis as I said is on the execution of these prophets.

You know he couldn't just tell her that he stood back and watched as as her favored prophets were

massacred even though it's exactly what he did.

And he reminds me here of some of the mighty excuses that we have in the Bible.

Though he doesn't give an excuse explicitly.

But he reminds me anyway of Aaron when Moses comes down from Sinai and says what are you

doing with this calf.

And do you remember what Aaron says.

He says well I took the jewelry and I put it in this cauldron and applied some heat and out came this calf.

Sorry Moses it just sort of happened.

Or Saul after his battle with the Amalekites.

And Samuel comes to him and says why didn't you do what the Lord sent you to do.

And he says I did.

We killed everybody.

He says no.

I hear the bleeding of the sheep says oh well to make a long story short.

The men made me do it.

The men didn't want to kill him.

I tried really hard but just great excuses

he told her.

Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah had done.

What Elijah had done.

All the things Elijah did on Mount Carmel.

Was it Elijah who blocked Baal from answering his prophets.

When they begged him to answer.

Hear us O Baal.

Yet no one answered.

Not a word came.

Was it Elijah who blocked them from doing that.

Was it Elijah who sent fire from heaven.

It came down.

It didn't come up from Elijah.

It came down from heaven.

Was it Elijah who consumed everything as I described a moment ago.

No.

Of course not.

Of course not.

But sin searches for blame not responsibility.

The woman you gave me the people who are supposed to be following me out came this calf.

You know these people.

They're set on evil.

Ahab says.

Look what the prophet that God sent did.

Look what he did.

So Jezebel's death culture if you will shines forth immediately.

She threatens Elijah's life.

In fact she makes the solemn oath before the gods that she will do it or have it done.

Now an important detail here is that she sent a messenger.

She sent a messenger to tell him if all she wanted was him dead.

That she ought to have sent an assassin or some soldiers and just killed him.

We'll learn in chapter 21 in this incident with Naboth when Ahab wants the vineyard and Naboth

won't give it up and Jezebel just has him killed.

She's capable of this.

She has the the operators in the area to do it.

But she sends a messenger and tells him what she's going to do.

There's some who think it might have been superstition that slowed her down and kept her from doing it right away.

But the threat itself tells why she didn't do that.

The threat itself tells us what she had in mind.

She said she'd make his life as one of theirs one of the prophets.

Her prophets died publicly.

And so would Elijah.

Her prophets died by the hands of the people and so would he.

You see she wants more than just a dead prophet.

She wants revenge.

She wants to make an example of him to show him to show the people that her God reigns that her will

reigns in the land.

And so she's going to do to him as close to what happened to her prophets as she possibly can.

So when he saw that verse 3 he saw that he arose and ran for his life and went to Beersheba which belongs to Judah

and left his servant there.

Now here we begin to have some controversy some differences of opinion in how to interpret this and how

to take it.

And depending on how you understand this and the way you understand it the way you interpret it it's going to make a

huge difference in how you apply it.

What lessons do we take from this.

The ESV the English Standard Version the NET Bible both say he feared.

I think one of them says he feared greatly.

Now there's some textual variation that might support the original word having been feared.

But there's also reasonable evidence that it's just as we have in our new King James he saw when he saw that

he ran for his life.

The two words in Hebrew sound very similar.

They're only off by a letter.

I don't want to go into a lecture on textual criticism but I'm satisfied that he saw is correct

and aside from the technical reasons for it and we don't want to go into it textual criticism is as

dry but important a subject as there can be.

But aside from that it just doesn't fit his character in scripture

to say he was afraid and he ran out of terror

scared if you will.

In order to have him being timorous and afraid we need to make the case that the prophet who stood before the

powerful and murderous king that's chapter 17 verse 1 the same who returned to that

king immediately at God's command without any answers back to God like

Ananias when he was told to go to Saul at the time he said Lord this man is murderous.

This man is going to kill me.

Obadiah who Elijah just met in the chapter before who said Elijah you

can't send me to Ahab he will kill me.

No such answer or retort to God.

Elijah just goes back to the king.

Now this king knowing that he was directly responsible through his prayers for the drought that

was ruining his land he goes directly to him.

This prophet Elijah who boldly ordered Baal's prophet's execution with Ahab sitting right there

in chapter 21 after Naboth's murder this

prophet goes right back to Ahab and pronounces God's judgment against him

in the very city where Jezebel still is.

With all this evidence with all this scripture I would suggest to you

that anyone who holds that Elijah ran from Jezebel because he was scared of her.

The burden of proof is on you.

I would suggest that the scripture simply does not support it.

This prophet was not afraid of death.

Certainly not afraid of Jezebel.

And I think your burden of proof.

If you take otherwise it's pretty difficult.

Read chapter 17 and 18.

Then read chapter 20 and 21.

Read in the gospels what Jesus Christ says about Elijah.

And then go back and read chapter 19 in 1 Kings.

Let's continue with the scripture with the text of it.

When he saw this he ran for his life.

It means he perceived something.

He understood the implications in verses 10 and 14.

You heard read to you that he said to God that they wanted to take his life.

They a plural he's speaking there of the nation itself.

I've been very zealous for the Lord God of Israel Israel the nation.

And now they that nation want to take my life.

He saw that they had turned very quickly against God after just before saying

the Lord he is God.

Now they want to kill his prophet again as I said just like the one the ones who saw Jesus come into

Jerusalem his triumphal entry blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Now let's kill him.

Now he didn't fear.

He saw he correctly analyzed he assessed the situation.

And the second thing I want to notice here is where it says he ran for his life.

And again it's easy to see him running scared if we just take it on the surface.

If we don't look at the rest of the scripture it's as though he had totally lost his faith for a moment.

And he's depending on his feet rather than God.

Depending on his feet rather than God.

This prophet who was fed by ravens at the book Cherith.

This prophet who by faith went back across the territory where he was now an enemy and

by faith found the widow.

This prophet who by faith found the widow and then declared God's statement

that the flour and the oil would not run out and by faith every day went and

was fed by it.

Who by faith went back to Israel and all of a sudden he's depending on the flesh.

If we take this wrong all of a sudden his whole character is changed.

But then in chapter 20 and 21 it's all recovered.

He ran for his life.

I suggest something different here.

I suggest to you that his life I said this a moment ago was not Jezebel's for the taking.

Elijah alone was God's prophet.

He said I alone am left.

The hundred prophets hidden by Obadiah.

They're nowhere in the picture.

It's only Elijah.

Those hundred prophets are securely hidden in caves and in any case they're

most likely members of a school of prophets.

They were more like disciples of a prophet than actual prophets.

And I'm not trying to say they're apprentice of prophets and learning to become that.

That's not what we're saying.

But when we get to 2 Kings and we get to Elisha we're going to find that he was the head of a

school of prophets.

Not every one of them was a prophet in the sense of a prophet sent by God and speaking his words

but disciples of a prophet.

John the Baptist had his own disciples who followed him in exactly the same way.

You see Elijah was truly the only prophet in Israel and his life was not

to be surrendered lightly.

We'll come back to this.

The third thing I want to notice is that where Elijah goes the word of God goes.

Where Elijah goes the word of God goes with him.

All the commentators agree that when he went to the Brook Cherith and then to Zarephath that this removal of the

word of God was judgment on the nation of Israel.

The famine that they're experiencing of food because of the lack of rain

was not nearly so severe a famine as was the famine of the word of God then removed from

them.

It was judgment on that nation.

But too often we hear it said preached.

Elijah was terrified.

I suggest to you that that's not right.

He was not scared at all.

He ran for his life because his life was precious.

He ran for his life because it was not Jezebel's to take.

He ran for his life.

He left Israel because God was again judging that nation by taking his word from them.

I want to stay on this point just a bit longer because too many wrong applications are made from a wrong view here.

Elijah's flight from Jezebel is a theme that's recapitulated over and over in scripture we see it again and

again.

Exodus chapter 2 when Moses finds that Pharaoh wanted to kill him what does he do?

He flees to Midian Paul when he's still called Saul.

In Acts chapter 9 verse 25 he's let down out of the city in a basket so he could flee from the

Jews who were plotting to kill him.

Then there's Jesus himself.

In Matthew chapter 12 verses 14 and 15 we read then the Pharisees went out and plotted against

him how they might destroy him.

But when Jesus knew it he withdrew from there.

All of these took themselves out of danger.

The only one of the ones I just read to you who hadn't yet received his commissioning from God.

When he did so was Moses.

But then again even in Moses case how are we to understand it?

Well the New Testament is the key to the old.

We're talking about that a little bit after Sunday school.

A few of the men and I we don't hold the New Testament to be interpreted

by the old.

It's quite the other way around which is what Jesus said.

You understand the old because we have the new.

The new is the key to the old.

So with that in mind in Acts chapter 7 verse 25 what does Stephen say of Moses?

He supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand.

He's speaking of the incident where Moses killed the Egyptian and when Pharaoh found out about it he tried to

kill him and therefore Moses fled.

When Moses killed that Egyptian he supposed that his brethren would understand that God would have them deliver

them by his hand.

You see these men didn't give up their lives easily.

Moses, Paul, Saul, Jesus.

It would be almost impossible to think of Paul as being afraid.

Yet down the wall he went most.

Especially if this is true of our Lord Jesus Christ who never for a moment was subject to the

will of men.

Now we have to look at this and say if Elijah was a coward if Elijah was afraid

then so were these men which they distinctly were not.

Now let's press on.

Elijah goes south.

He goes away from Ahab and Jezebel and the borders they control.

And after a day's journey he stops and he camps out under a broom tree and there he prays to God it is enough

now Lord take my life for I am no better than my fathers.

And again there's some very sharp differences here in how this prayer is to be understood.

And we need to take care because if we misconstrue what's behind this prayer we come up with what I think are some

nutty applications and they truly can be nutty.

I listened to one man's sermon on this passage a man that I know pretty well and in his introduction he promised

not to apply psychoanalytical terms to the text or those kind of ideas to the text.

And then he proceeded to explain how Elijah was so discouraged and depressed that he was nearly suicidal.

One commentary with no less a scholar than Tremper Longman as the general editor

has this as a chapter heading for 1 Kings 19.

I'm sorry if I'm turning this into a bit of a lecture I'm a little impassioned about defending Elijah here.

This commentary says in this famous chapter we see Elijah go from the high point of winning at Mount

Carmel to the low point of post -traumatic depression

that after promising not to apply 20th century psychological terms to this ancient

event and we understand it this way

we make what comes next the meeting with God at Horeb which is the climax of the chapter.

We make it almost incomprehensible when we impose modern

psychology which is a soft science if ever there was one we come up with applications like this.

You may like Elijah have just had a mountaintop experience with God.

So when you've had victory over sin or a great victory in seeing someone converted who you've been

ministering to for a long time beware it's a dangerous time because you're about to

collapse into the valley where you'll find the slew of despond or something like this.

I'm not being in the least bit sarcastic we do have spiritual highs

and we can fall into spiritual lows or valleys if you wish to call them that.

And God does have pity on us when we're in that situation and God will

lift us up by his spirit.

That's the teaching of for example Psalm 42

Hebrews 14 -16 Psalm 73 all would teach

that it's true that when we fall into that despondency

when we feel that depression and we know how easily it can come after we've been on that mountaintop

if you will.

These are truths.

And we can take that application that that's the time to be weary the time to be most on our knees

before God.

Especially if we do fall into that valley.

Those are scriptural truths but they're not in 1st Kings 19.

They don't come from the prophet Elijah

the angel of the Lord.

Is that the pre -incarnate Jesus the angel of the Lord.

He doesn't seem to have any such opinion of Elijah like that.

In fact the miraculous strengthening that he's given and the reference to the journey as the journey

all indicate that he was on exactly the route that God had in mind for him.

Now again if you take it to mean that Elijah was going the wrong way he's at the

wrong place at the wrong time.

You have to prove from chapter 17 of this book chapter 18

chapter 21 22 and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ that this

prophet who followed God and followed God and followed God at all risk at all hazard

all of a sudden didn't.

The burden of proof is on those people who would hold that.

How do we take his prayer.

It is enough Lord take my life.

For I am no better than my father's.

How do we understand that if we get that wrong then we're going to get wrong.

The meeting with God at Horeb which is Mount Sinai.

We need to understand his prayer here in its own context.

And we need to reconcile our conclusions with all the rest of scripture especially about this prophet Elijah.

Look with me at verse 4.

Look at verse 4.

There he says it is enough.

Not I can't take anymore.

That's not what he's saying.

Rather he's saying I've run the course I've finished the race I've done what you sent me to do.

This compares very favorably with 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verses 6 and 7.

Paul says.

For I'm already being poured out as a drink offering.

And the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith.

Elijah says I'm no better than my father's.

I have run the course that you gave me.

I finished the face Lord.

I fought the good fight.

And I like my father's meeting the prophets coming who came before me.

We couldn't do it.

They couldn't bring Israel to repentance.

They could not by preaching your word to them bring Israel back to you.

I couldn't do it.

My purpose is over.

We're done.

He said I'm no better than my father's.

Is this the exaggerated humility of a depressed man.

Is that what's happening here.

The meaning is simply that he like those who came before him couldn't do it.

They just couldn't get the job done.

There are faithful men.

There are brave men.

They preach God's word accurately to a stubborn obstinate unfaithful

people.

And he says now Lord take my life.

Did he just want to die.

Was he so depressed.

They saw no alternative.

Is he joining men like Ahitopel or Judas.

No.

I say no.

Elijah was in many ways the greatest of the prophets.

It was his spirit that was passed to Elisha and then to the Baptist.

It was he who stood with Moses at the transfiguration.

Talking to Jesus about his soon coming departure.

The actual word is exodus that he was to accomplish in so many

ways.

Elijah typified our Lord's incarnate ministry.

His prayer I think was a preview of sorts to our Lord Jesus Christ's final words.

When the Lord said it is finished it is finished.

And then what he gave up his spirit Father into your hands.

I commend my spirit.

And he breathed his last.

Elijah's prayer doesn't stand at the same level as Christ's

prayer.

But I think it's a precursor to it.

When Jesus' work was finished.

Know this.

When Jesus Christ said it is finished and he gave up his spirit all that was needed for the redemption of

humans was done.

He had satisfied God's justice.

He had taken in himself all of God's wrath for our sins.

He had made faith meaningful because if your faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ

if you have acknowledged yourself a sinner in danger of hell

fire and Jesus Christ as the only answer for our sin.

And fled to the cross of Christ which is the only place where sins are answered.

The only satisfaction God has is there in him in

Christ.

When he said it is finished it is finished.

It was finished.

Nothing to be added.

Elijah's work as we'll see wasn't finished.

He was incorrect.

Jesus wasn't incorrect.

Elijah was he was just wrong.

He wasn't depressed he wasn't despondent.

He wasn't even discouraged.

But he was in a sense giving up his spirit to God.

He thought it was time for God to stop working through him through men and to bring down his final

judgment.

So if his purpose is done it's like father take me now.

What happens?

How does God respond?

He gives two meals these meals of cakes and water.

And then Elijah finishes the journey.

Remember it's the journey to Horeb a mountain of God 40 days.

He goes on the strength of those two meals.

God strengthened him for a purpose.

Elijah was going on the journey a known destination.

He wasn't making up.

He wasn't making it up as he went.

Oh the illusion here is pretty obvious isn't it.

When he goes to Horeb Moses was on Sinai which is the very spot that Elijah arrives at.

And Moses was there for 40 days and 40 nights receiving the law.

Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights while he was being tempted by Satan.

And here Elijah goes for 40 days on the strength of a couple of meals because he's going where God

had intended him to go because he's on the right path.

He's on the right road going to the right place.

And there at Horeb Mount Sinai the mountain of God there

Elijah will get his answer to take my life.

It will not be a rebuke that he receives nor will he be recommissioned.

Elijah had not ceased to be the prophet in Israel.

He's going to receive new marching orders.

Yes he will receive a new mission or a new aspect of his mission.

But his status as God's spokesman is and always was intact.

Now the question and answer in verses 9 and 10 are repeated in verses 13 and 14.

What are you doing here Elijah.

So he said I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.

For the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword.

I alone am left and they seek to take my life.

Well that's verses 9 and 10.

Verses 13 and 14 repeated word for word and in between those two the first question what are

you doing here.

And verse 13 what are you doing here.

Between those two God reveals himself.

And after this revelation he sends Elijah back to the battle.

I want to look at this revelation of God of himself and Elijah's new mission.

I want to look at this part in between.

And then we'll look at the question and answer.

Elijah is in a cave.

There's good reason there's not final irrefutable evidence of this but I'm in line

with some of the good mainstream commentators in believing that this cave is the very cleft where

Moses was when God's glory passed by him.

It's that cleft of the rock that we sing of in the great hymn of the faith which name I can't think of off the top of my head

thank you rock of ages cleft for me good reason to believe

he was in that same spot and as he did for Moses he reveals himself here

to Elijah first in three dramatic even violent expressions then in the famous

still small voice.

And if we look at the drama and the profound nature of this revelation of God

to him I think it puts the lie to all these other things that I've been arguing against from the beginning of this

message about Elijah being in the wrong place going the wrong way and he was scared of Jezebel and all these things

as if he got under that broom tree and God said okay what will I do with this prophet?

Got it off to Sinai he goes it was always the intent and the way God

deals with him here says very strongly more than implies it that he's

right where he should have been as he always was throughout his ministry.

And our understanding of all this and the applications we make to it

are all in the question and how we take it.

What are you doing here?

It's far too often taken as a rebuke as though God is saying Elijah you shouldn't be here at all.

What are you thinking?

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

Like a frustrated parent that doesn't work at all.

The journey was a definite route the destination was known and if any course correction was needed

the angel of the Lord is that the pre -incarnate Christ?

Would he not have said stop now go northeast southwest something like that?

No he strengthens him to finish the journey.

Thank you.

Remember that the God of Elijah is the same God who sent the vision to Peter and an angel to

Cornelius.

He's the same God who transported Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch.

He's the same God who denied Paul entrance to Bithynia but sent him specifically to Macedonia.

He's the same God who told Paul to remain brave because he had many people in Corinth.

He's the same God whose spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for his temptation.

We don't have it explicitly in the text but there's many things in the text that are implicit that

are implied that we hold to very strongly.

The importance of membership in a church is implied everywhere in the scripture that we don't have a single verse

sentence that we can point to.

But so is God's triune eternal existence as Father Son Holy Spirit.

And we say that's the doctrine of the Trinity.

And yet nowhere can you find a verse that uses that word.

Things implied can be very strong and absolutely true.

The angel didn't revamp Elijah's route or rebuke him because his destination was definite and known.

Because he got when he got there he met with God because of all these things were on safe ground.

We say Elijah was then as always right where God wanted him to be.

Now this is 1st Corinthians 12.

Now here's an application we can make from this when we understand it this way.

Are you a hand an eye a foot maybe a toenail

maybe the ears.

In this place it says that God placed each member

exactly as he pleased.

Now there's an application we can take from it.

Elijah was where he should have been and God met with him there

you just as much could be and should be and should understand that you actually are exactly where

God would have you to be because he placed each member to do their part

specially gifted to the benefit of all and to the glory of Christ.

Right here exactly as he pleased.

What are you doing here Elijah?

The prophets are often described as God's prosecuting attorneys.

Zechariah 4 .10 says.

For who has despised the day of small things.

For these seven rejoiced to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

They are the eyes of the Lord which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.

The plumb line is the judgment of the word of God.

The prophets are his eyes reporting back what they see and how it compares to that plumb line to

his word in Isaiah and elsewhere when God calls the coastlands to come and defend

themselves.

The scene is a courtroom scene.

And the one who brings the evidence and the charges is the prophet the prosecuting attorney.

What are you doing here?

The judge.

God.

The judge is telling the prosecutor to state his case to set before him the charges and the evidence against

the accused.

Now with that in mind look at verses 11

through 13 with me where the proceedings commence.

This revelation of God.

What are you doing here Elijah?

I've been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts.

Then he said go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Sort of all rise for the honorable judge John Doe.

This court is now in session.

So everyone stands up quietly respectfully in awe as the one who's going to decide the

case after hearing the evidence objectively fairly according to

right rules of justice.

But the one who holds the fate of the accused in his hand all

rise.

The wind tears into the mountains.

2 Samuel 22 11.

God rode upon a cherub and flew and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

And then an earthquake rocks the earth.

Isaiah 29 6.

You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise with storm and tempest and the

flame of devouring fire and then a cleansing fire.

Psalm 11 6.

Upon the wicked he will rain.

Coals fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.

But God was not in those.

Those were the heralds.

Those are the ones who are saying hear ye hear ye.

This court is now in session.

Everyone rise for the honorable.

He's not in those.

He's in the still small voice often translated as

whisper or gentle breath.

This is what brought Elijah out of his cave.

The gentle breath is what brought that mantle over his face.

The same way God's hand had to cover Moses eyes so he couldn't see him in his full unvarnished

glory.

God the judge will operate by the breath of his mouth just like creation where the spirit or

the breath of God hovered over the waters in broad order.

And this is the way scripture itself is formed is breathed out by him.

He will.

God will.

The judge of all the earth will after the evidence is presented breathe out his

decision.

What are you doing here.

I trust you're with me now on this.

What are you doing here Elijah.

He's saying what charges do you bring.

The judge is ready to hear they are.

I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant torn down your

altars and killed your prophets with the sword.

I alone am left and they seek to take my life.

So first his credentials.

I've been very zealous for the Lord of hosts.

Zealous is repeated in the Hebrew sort of I have been zealously zealous or something like that.

His passions have been bent in one direction which is the honor of Yahweh the Lord of hosts.

He's saying I'm a licensed credential attorney.

I have proper standing to appear before this court.

And then the indictment.

First the children of Israel are the defendants.

They're the ones who were accused.

And here are their crimes.

Tearing down God's altars which they replaced with altars to false gods.

They violated your commandment worshiping other gods and taking your name lightly.

Second they've killed your prophets.

Jezebel slaughtered them in droves while Ahab watched.

Think of Doeg who at Saul's command slaughtered 85 priests or prophets at Nob.

Years later Zechariah would be murdered between the temple and the altar with unrelenting fury.

The seed of the serpent has sought to destroy the seed of the woman and the prophets

that would declare his coming.

Those are the charges.

I alone am left.

He said as we said before that's true.

The hundred who will be saved they're not in the picture.

He's the one that's the indictment.

We started this series with a review going all the way back to 1st Kings 13 which is when King Jeroboam initiated the

idolatry in Israel.

An idolatry they never abandoned.

And more immediately was Carmel and the aftermath.

God showed himself to Israel who claimed him as their own once again.

And then right after the drought is lifted they join Jezebel seeking Elijah's life.

He only is left.

So the judges heard the charges.

He's reviewed the evidence.

He said what are you doing here.

I'm here to accuse the children of Israel.

I'm here for you judge to hear the charges against them and I'll present the evidence.

The verdict of course is guilty.

Do you see that Elijah far from suffering post -traumatic stress disorder.

He's vigorously prosecuting his case.

And he won the verdict.

That's what's happening here.

And God gives the verdict.

He's agreed with his prosecuting attorney the indictment and then the charges the evidence against it.

God said yes they're guilty for the sake of time.

I'm not going to read all the verses that were read to you already but simply put God will judge the house of

Omri which is Ahab's house the one that brought Israel into this most miserable condition.

He will do it by Heziel a pagan the king of Syria who will destroy Ahab's house.

He will do by Yehu who will become a king of Israel and would see to Jezebel and stamp out remaining

Baal worshippers.

And he will do it through Elisha Elijah's soon coming successor who would finish the task

and Elijah's final role his new marching orders not recommissioned as a prophet.

His continuation of his prophecy will be to anoint these men to these offices.

And this is appropriate as he is the sole bearer of the word that God has just whispered.

So what are we going to make of all this.

What are we going to make of all this.

Did you really just hear that it's not okay to be discouraged.

Did I just preach that.

Nothing but unbounded joy welded to unflinching courage is acceptable to God.

No that's not what I want to leave you with.

I just mentioned a couple of psalms that would tell you.

Yes.

God knows we get discouraged.

He knows we get depressed.

He knows we become despondent.

He knows that after spiritual highs just because of our emotional makeup we have the

risk of falling very low and read Psalm 42 Psalm 73.

Precious truths.

Encouraging truths that God does not treat us except according to

our weaknesses.

And he knows our weaknesses.

We have that great high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.

Precious encouraging truths that pick us up again when we're down in that low spot.

Spiritually that's just not what 1st Kings 19 is about.

Elijah's life was a picture of Jesus.

He was in the wilderness as was Jesus.

He needed strengthening as did Jesus.

He was ministered to by angels as was Jesus.

He was sent back into the fray as was Jesus.

His prayer for God to take his life was a precursor to the Savior's final prayer saying it is finished.

Elijah thought his work was done.

He thought he had done all that God had sent him to do not being sinful not being depressed.

He wasn't scared of men or a woman.

What answers all this for us.

I've left myself only enough time to mention it.

We won't take it apart.

What answers.

It all is what was read to you from Romans.

Yet I have reserved that answers everything.

Elijah's success or failure was never the issue.

Our success or failure as we see it is not the issue because

God who works in you and through you to accomplish his purposes as he did through

Elijah.

Elijah was ministering to exactly those God intended.

Do you believe in a sovereign God.

Do you really believe in a sovereign God.

I would suggest if you do then first Kings 19 Elijah was

following that sovereign God as he had before as he did after he hadn't changed.

He was right where God intended him to be ministering to those God had reserved to hear the word.

Just as us.

Just as you in your homes at your workplaces here at church when you meet with brothers and sisters in your

neighborhood when you meet with your unsaved friends and neighbors.

None of it outside of God's intention and will our Carmel might be

at the office or in the neighborhood.

We might like Paul stand on the Areopagus and bring the word to the intellectual elite where Luke says many

believe but not all.

Just a few.

There's a remnant saved by grace just as always.

God has predestined some who will hear his word when they see his works.

Those who will cry out with their heart soul mind and strength.

The Lord he is God.

The Lord he is God.

But the success of it is not yours or mine.

We prayed before we came out here and began this service that God would bring salvation today.

Not as Ahab told Jezebel.

Look what Elijah did.

No.

Look what God did.

Look what God does.

That one will cry out the Lord he is God to say that Jesus Christ is the son of the living

God to his glory.

Elijah thought he was all done.

He was just wrong.

His work was not done.

And neither is ours.

Not until the Lord calls us home.

And until he does so by faith in Jesus Christ by the strength of his spirit.

We like Elijah have yet more to do.

Amen.

Gracious father.

We thank you for the day that you've given us for your word father.

That teaches us.

Not just what happened to the prophet though.

We thank you for that.

But father.

He points us ahead to the Lord Jesus Christ and his final work his accumulation and

his accomplishment of not just Elijah's work but all the prophets.

And for faith you've given us in him in Jesus for placing us in him.

We thank you again father for giving us faith to believe.

We do give you thanks this day.

We pray father that your blessing continue to be upon us in Jesus name amen.