Title: What in the world is going on here?
Text: 1 Kings 19:1-18
Link to the Sermon:
The Story Pt. 15
If you are like me when you read this text you want to ask the same question of Elijah that God asked..."Elijah what in the world are you doing here?" He has had an extremely God empowered ministry up to this point:
- He has just spent 3.5 years praying that it wouldn't rain in Israel and it didn't
- God provided food via ravens and a stream of water
- God provided food via a jar that never ran out of flour and a jar that never ran out of oil
- He prays and God resurrects a child
- He calls fire down from heaven and the ox, altar, water and earth around the altar is consumed
- He executes 450 prophets of Baal
- He prays and it rains
- He runs with super human strength to be a chariot to Jezreel
God has used Elijah mightily and yet what do we find him doing? Running from Queen Jezebel? He has thrown in the towel. In his mind this is it. What in the world is going on here? It is at this point that I want to grab him by the shirt and say "Suck it in...what are you doing here?" But when I start analyzing my own life I come up short as I realize that from time to time I have fallen into the same trap as Elijah did. When I start to think God should be responding in a certain way to a world gone bad and He doesn't, I start to focus inward on me. When I focus inward I quickly loose sight of God and despair isn't too far away. Which leads to the main point:
- If we properly understand God's sovereignty we will find comfort
I. The first step in understanding God's sovereignty is to realize that we can rely on God's gracious provision. (Verses 1-8)
I believe that Elijah thought that when God showed up mightily by consuming the alter and all on it and he kills the false prophets that revival would break out. Baal was the god of storms therefore he should have been able to provide rain and he couldn't. Baal should have been able to provide fire from heaven (lightening) and didn't. The people cry out "The Lord is God, the Lord is God" and it is at this point that when Elijah goes to Jezreel I believe he expected one of two things to happen:
- Jezebel and Ahab confess Yahweh is Lord and lead the nation in revival
- If they force them to confess and if not they overthrow them and revival breaks out
But instead he receives a death threat...clearly God is not working the way he expects. If we are honest God is not exactly responding the way we would expect either. I do not know about you, but I want Him to send Elijah back to the front lines and finish this job. Instead God feeds Elijah and strengthens him for a 40 day trip.
Here we see God's gracious provision. If we understand that God graciously provides for us we will start to see His sovereign hand at work. If we see His sovereign hand at work in our lives we will be comforted.
How do you respond to times of trial? Do you rely on money? Self? Others? Or do you rely on God's gracious provision? Do you take comfort from God's sovereignty? How do you respond when doesn't work the way you want Him too? What if God wants to change/shape you rather than your circumstances?
II. The next step to understanding God's sovereignty is to rest in God's gracious character. (Verses 9-14)
Finally we get to the question that we have been waiting for God to ask, but Elijah does not answer it or does he? It is at this point we need to note where Elijah is. Mt. Horeb is also referred to in Scripture as Mt. Sinai. Elijah has come to the mountain where God grace his people the Law and they entered into the covenant agreement after He brought them out of Egypt. In effect Elijah is saying "remember that covenant thing???? Well I and only I am left. I have been trying very hard to remind them of this and who they are, but the rest have broken it so let me die and you can kill the rest of them. I know that I have seen some major fireworks, but I want the grand finale. Push the button and get it over with..."
Don't you want God to say "Oh ya thanks for reminding me...I'll get on that right away." But that isn't how He responds is it? Elijah wanted another mighty act of God. He wanted an earth shattering event or at least an Israel shattering event, but instead God gives Elijah a lesson in His character. Elijah wanted the grand finale and wind, earthquake and fire would have been just fine, but God came to him in a gentle breeze. Elijah needed to realize God's gracious character. Elijah focused in on one aspect of God and forgot His gracious character...lest we think Elijah is alone check out Luke 9:51-56 or Mark 10:32-45...
How are we doing? What is our picture of God...is it skewed? Are we like Elijah? Do we understand His gracious character? If we are honest the Cross was the last thing anyone expected, in fact it is the last thing we expected?
If we are to find comfort in God's sovereignty we must have a realization of God's gracious character.
III. If we are relying on God's gracious provision and if we realize God's gracious character we will take step three and respond to God's gracious plan. (Verses 15-18)
Here God reveals that His gracious character is not out of line with His holiness. Judgment will come, but it will come in His sovereign timing. God refocused Elijah, reminds him that he hasn't left him alone and that the covenant has not been broken, b/c God had a remnant of 7,000+1 intact. Elijah wasn't the last righteous person and now that he was outside of Israel, God could let the fire fly rather the covenant was still in place...
Self examination is good and we need to ask ourselves:
- Are we relying on God's gracious provision?
- Do we rest in God's gracious character?
- Are we responding to God's gracious plan?
Many of us think that "If I just could produce enough faith I could control my situation." This implies that we are sovereign and God isn't...No, if we are to find any comfort in this world we must properly understand God's sovereignty.
