Elijah: God's One-Man Army

L E A R N I N G F R O M T H E L E A D E R S Old Testament Portraits of Life ELIJAH GOD’S ONE-MAN ARMY

Text: 1 Kings 16:29—22:40 without doubt one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, a man of unfailing faithful- For some time now I have heard the remark ness, untiring obedience, and unflinching ad- “The world has not yet seen what God can do herence to the duty that God had given him. through one person totally dedicated to Him.” Due to the antagonistic environment into Well, it has and it has not. Of course, there is which God sent him, he did not give long dis- a sense in which this statement is true; for no courses on the beauty and power of love or on human being, regardless of how consecrated, the value of positive thinking; rather, he demon- could ever exhaust the mighty power of the strated miraculously the authority of truth. He Almighty God. However, in another sense, we did not bring a new revelation, but he defended could say that the affirmation is not true at all. a revelation that had already been given. He was Every once in a while, a faithful soul will come not a teacher, but a reformer—not a local evan- along to show us what God can do through a gelist, but an itinerant preacher. solitary person who chooses to walk faithfully His life, his walk with God, was so impres- with God regardless of the cost, the commit- sive that God granted him the privilege of skip- ment, or the criticism. Enoch (Genesis 5:22), ping death and took him home in a limousine of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10), Elijah (2 Kings 2:12), fire, to be with Him. Truly, he came like a clap of and Paul (Acts 26:16–18) are a few examples thunder, swept across Israel like a fire, and who stand out like snow-capped mountains swirled home in a whirlwind. against a level landscape in the Word of God. He was the Lord’s one-man army at a crucial One of these spiritual dynamos, Elijah, must juncture in Israel’s history. Wicked Ahab and be discussed as we continue to learn from the evil Jezebel had brought almost all of Israel over leaders of Israel. He comes into the pages of the to the worship of Baal. The nation was on its Scriptures “in a tempest,” as someone has said, spiritual death bed. Not only had Israel been and leaves “in a whirlwind.” With the sudden- seriously affected by the paralysis of idolatry, ness of a thunderbolt, he crashed into the midst but the deadly disease was rapidly spreading to of Ahab’s court, denouncing idolatry and pre- Judah. Godly men were scarce. Trying to find a dicting a drought. faithful worshiper of Jehovah was like trying to He is represented in the Scriptures as “a man find a small diamond in a muddy field. The with a nature like ours” (James 5:17); yet, he was future of Israel depended upon someone’s com-

1 ing on the scene and making a difference—some religion of Jehovah and Baal worship. The faith- extraordinary person who could be a strong, fulness of the people of the Northern Kingdom spiritual wall to stand against the rising tides of to the law God had revealed to them was the big wickedness. Israel desperately needed a man issue. James E. Smith wrote of this epoch in who could stand fast for the truth when no one Israel’s history: else would. God chose Elijah to be that man, and Elijah, in humble obedience, accepted His deci- The age demanded a messenger; the messenger must have credentials; the credentials could sion. only be miraculous. Only mighty miracles such God’s method of bringing His people back to as were performed by Elijah and Elisha could Him has always been to use men—not ordinary have been sufficient to counteract the influence of Jezebel and her eight hundred fifty priests men, but holy men. Such men walk by rigid and prophets. The greatest prophet is reserved discipline and scorn the values that the world for the worst age.3 prizes. The pure fellowship they share with God makes them a spiritual breath of fresh air that Elijah was God’s man who threw himself blows away the putrid odors of the garbage into a crisis. Were it not for him, the cause of God dumps of sin and paganism scattered across the might have been lost in Israel. land. Since Elijah was one of God’s greatest men, Elijah was a Tishbite, having been born per- we want to ask, “What kind of heart did he haps at Tishbeh in Galilee; but he lived in Gilead have?” We cannot really see a man until we can (1 Kings 17:1). He wore a garment of skin or of see his heart. Great men obviously have great coarse camel-hair, which he draped over his spirits. They are made from the inside out, not sun-kissed shoulders and tied about his loins from the outside in. Greatness always grows out with a leather girdle (1 Kings 19:13; 2 Kings 1:8). of devout thinking, not out of bulging muscles. He was a man of strength and courage, a man True might comes from strength of the heart, not who was rugged, stern, independent, and aloof. from athletic prowess. Since he had no attachments which would local- The eight episodes recorded about Elijah ize him, we find him swiftly moving over great show us an x-ray of his spiritual heart. By look- distances, suddenly appearing and suddenly ing at these incidents, we can gain insight into disappearing. His prophetic ministry was within what makes a man into a one-man army of God. the twenty-one years of 918–897 B.C. The unique era in which Elijah lived required HEART QUALITY: CHARACTER not only a messenger, but also miracles.1 The The starting place in appraising Elijah’s heart supernatural events which occurred during the has to be His oneness with God, his spirituality. ministry of Elijah belong to the second of the He had true character, the kind that springs from four miraculous periods2 of redemptive history. a right relationship with God. He lived up to his This series of miracles was necessitated by the name, Elijah, which meant “My God is Jehovah.” life-and-death struggle going on between the In other words, he was Jehovah’s servant. This truth about Elijah comes out in his 1Eleven miracles were associated with Elijah’s life: prayer life and in his daily walk with God. He (1) the prevention of rain (1 Kings 17:1); (2) the supply of knew God, talked to God, and lived with God. food by ravens (1 Kings 17:6); (3) the multiplication of meal and oil (1 Kings 17:14); (4) the raising from death of the son Though bereft of physical companionship at of a Zidonite (1 Kings 17:22); (5) the fire from heaven which times, he was never without heavenly fellow- consumed the sacrifice on Carmel (1 Kings 18:38); (6) the ship. He did not just talk about God, but he talked opening of the heavens in rain (1 Kings 18:45); (7) the cake and water provided for Elijah by an angel (1 Kings 19:5); to God. He did not just think about God, but he (8) the fire from heaven which consumed fifty men (2 Kings made his way through this world in stride with 1:10); (9) fire which consumed another fifty men (2 Kings the greatest of friends, the God of heaven. 1:12); (10) the dividing of the waters of the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:8); (11) the translation of Elijah to heaven by a Ahab, under the influence of his wife, Jezebel, whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). had become entrenched in the worship of the 2Those four periods are (1) the Hebrews’ coming out of Egyptian bondage through the series of plagues, (2) the time of Elijah and Elisha, (3) the life of our Lord, and (4) the 3James E. Smith, I & II Kings, Bible Study Textbook beginning of the church as recorded in Acts. Series (Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1975), 356.

2 Tyrian god Baal. At this crucial time, Elijah ap- Above all, Elijah teaches us that there is no peared before him and predicted a drought as a substitute for spirituality. One can be as straight penalty for his rejection of Jehovah (17:1). Be- as a gun barrel doctrinally but as empty as a gun cause of the famine that came, Elijah retired first barrel spiritually. Can you think of anything to the brook Cherith, where he was providen- more pathetic than a man trying to preach to tially fed by ravens (17:6). When the brook be- others when he himself does not know God, does came dry, he was instructed to go to Zarephath, not walk with God? True, God sometimes leads on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of others to Christ in spite of the preacher, but that Tyre (17:9). He was told to go to a widow who is an exception, not the rule. A spiritual resolve would provide his sustenance. When the widow that should be as firm with us as the plan of hesitated to part with water and bread because salvation is that I must “take heed” unto myself of the famine conditions, he urged her to believe before I try to “tend to” the spiritual needs of and trust in God. others (1 Timothy 4:16). The wife of Batsell Barrett Baxter said that he Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make always arose at 5:00 each morning, went into his me a little bread cake from it first, and bring it study, and prayed about his work for the day. He out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says the had three jobs: He was the head of the Bible Lord God of Israel, “The bowl of flour shall not Department at David Lipscomb University, pul- be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, pit preacher at the Hillsboro church of Christ, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth” (17:13, 14). and the principal speaker for the “Herald of Truth” TV and radio programs. The brother- The widow, guided by Elijah, trusted God hood considered him one of the finest preachers and shared her water and her last cake with him. of the twentieth century. What made him so God saw to it that her jar of meal and cruse of oil effective? Was it just ability? He had that, all did not fail until the famine was ended (17:15, 16; right. He could talk about a postage stamp with Luke 4:24–26). Throughout these special events such sincerity and pathos that an audience would in Elijah’s ministry, one cannot help but be struck almost be moved to tears. He could say “Meso- by the prophet’s intimacy with God. potamia” in such a way that you would want to When her son died, the widow concluded shout, “Hallelujah!” However, those who knew that the death had occurred because of some sin brother Baxter knew that his strength lay not in she had committed (17:18). Elijah gently carried his natural and acquired abilities, but in the the boy into the upper chamber and engaged in reality that he was a man of God. an active prayer, praying with trusting faith for During the last part of Marshall Keeble’s life, God to raise him up. God allows us, through the Willie Cato traveled with this great gospel image of the Scriptures, to watch Elijah pray for preacher. Brother Keeble was instrumental in the life of the son. What a dramatic scene it is! leading as many as forty thousand people to God listened to Elijah and restored the boy to Christ during his lifetime. Brother Cato said that life. when they stayed in a motel on their overnight trips, brother Keeble would always insist that And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the they kneel beside their beds for prayer before life of the child returned to him and he revived. they retired for the night. He further said that And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper room into the house and when brother Keeble got up during the night, gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, before he climbed back into bed he would al- your son is alive.” Then the woman said to ways kneel and pray again. “Regardless of the Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is number of times he got up, he never got back truth” (17:22–24). into bed without kneeling beside his bed and praying,” brother Cato said. From this miraculous event, the woman could Godly men pray at different times and in see, as all of us can, two truths about Elijah: the different places, but they all have one thing in authentic character of Elijah’s life and the divine common: They pray regularly and faithfully. nature of the words that Elijah spoke. They find their strength in God. “They do not

3 believe in prayer, but they believe in God,” as A few years ago Ben Berry led the churches in Charles Hodge has reminded us. They do not Searcy, Arkansas, to drive pornography out of believe in devotionals; they believe in devotion our city. Many people joined together to accom- to God. As co-laborers with God, they walk and plish the task, but it all started with the convic- work with God. tion of one man who dared to do something about the filth on the newsstands in our conve- HEART QUALITY: CONVICTION nience stores. He stood before the congregations Another heart quality that is seen in Elijah is and described it, told what it was doing to conviction. He was not a human question mark, people’s minds, and outlined what we could do wondering continually about what he believed. about ridding our city of the rubbish. The rest of Rather, he was an exclamation point. He was us agreed with him when he confronted us with shaken by what he believed; he was stirred the challenge to do something about it, but why enough by what he believed to do something did we not lead the way? You know the answer: about it. Look at the resolute conviction of Elijah conviction! Ben was convicted, and we were not. as he spoke to King Ahab: “As the Lord, the God I am glad that he led us to become concerned of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there about it to the point of dealing with it. shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except To handle the scourge of Baalism in Israel, by my word” (17:1). God had to have a man who believed that the Remember, Ahab was the king; he had the worship of idols could not be tolerated by any power of life and death over Elijah! When we are honest Israelite. His conviction would have to be sent to talk to friends about Jesus, we shake and so strong that he would stand before others, tremble. Maybe we secretly hope that they are even the king, with nothing in his favor but the not at home. What would it be like to be asked to power of God. He would not be able to effect a rebuke a king, especially one with a wife like change with money, human talent, charisma, or Jezebel? To say the least, a steel heart held strong secular education. The revolution would have to by the truth of God would be required. come about through the demonstrated truth of Later in his ministry, Elijah wrote a docu- God and nothing else. When God placed this ment in which he addressed Jehoram of Judah, mantle of responsibility on Elijah and said, “Go who had been a coregent with Jehoshaphat. In show them,” Elijah had the conviction to do it. this document, he threatened Jehoram with divine judgment, not only for sins committed HEART QUALITY: COURAGE during the lifetime of Jehoshaphat, but for mur- Still another characteristic of Elijah’s heart ders which he committed after Jehoshaphat’s is courage. An outgrowth of conviction, courage death. receives its depth and strength from one’s well- spring of conviction. Why be courageous about Then a letter came to him from Elijah the some cause if you are not convicted regarding it? prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord God of If courage does not spring from conviction, it is your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father a wild, reckless zeal which has no mission. Elijah and the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have had both courage and a mission. His courage walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and had underlying it a deep-seated belief in Jeho- have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of vah God and the necessity to turn Israel back to Ahab played the harlot, and you have also the worship of Jehovah. 1 killed your brothers, your own family, who After the 3 /2 -year drought (1 Kings 18:1; were better than you, behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, Luke 4:25; James 5:17), Elijah was directed by and all your possessions with a great calamity; God to go to Ahab. The scene at Mount Carmel and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of followed—the contest, the battle between God your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day’” (2 Chronicles and Baal. All day the priests of Baal endeavored 21:12–15). to secure evidence of Baal’s divinity by their frenzied dances and rituals, but they failed mis- Once again, think of the conviction needed to erably. They succeeded in soliciting only the write such a letter. people’s pity and rejection, not their faith.

4 Elijah then gathered the people around an and sent him back to duty. He told Elijah to ancient altar of God. Probably, this altar had anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king been erected by pious Israelites of the North of Israel, and Elisha to be his partner to assist him because the defection of the ten tribes pre- in ridding the land of idolatrous wickedness vented them from worshiping at Jerusalem. (19:15–18). Someone had torn it down. Elijah repaired it, Elijah left and immediately found Elisha. taking twelve stones for the purpose, thus si- Casting his mantle upon him, Elijah called him lently testifying that the division of the twelve to the work and entrusted to him the further tribes into two kingdoms was not in accordance execution of the commission that God had given with the divine will of God (18:31). To eliminate him (19:19–21). To take over Elijah’s task would every possibility of fraud, he had the people require courage. drench the sacrifice and the altar with water. Elijah had demonstrated courage by meeting After he made all his preparations, he cried out King Ahab at Naboth’s vineyard to announce to God in prayer. Fire fell and consumed the Jehovah’s coming vengeance for Jezebel’s judi- sacrifice, also destroying the altar. Jehovah had cial murder of Naboth and his sons (21:20–24). confirmed His existence, His reality, and His The weak-hearted could not apply for such a power. Baal’s prophets, proven to be imposters, task. A stouthearted, spiritual man-of-steel, were taken down to the brook Kishon, at the foot Elijah had stepped out, looked Ahab in the eye, of the mountain, and slain at Elijah’s bidding and pronounced God’s judgment sentence— (18:1–40; Deuteronomy 17:2–5). perhaps without so much as a quiver in his voice. The people had acknowledged Jehovah and obeyed Jehovah’s prophet, and the token of God’s In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs shall lick up your blood, . . . response was seen in the gathering clouds of I will bring evil upon you, . . . and will cut off rain. Elijah, in order to honor the king as the from Ahab every male, both bond and free in ruler of the realm, girded up his loins and ran Israel; . . . And of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel in with great strength before the chariot of Ahab to the district of Jezreel” (21:19–23). the gate of Jezreel (18:41–46). Do you not admire the courage of Elijah? The announcement Elijah made was not merely Imagine the way he calmly went about repairing a warning; it was the real thing. Three years the altar, preparing the sacrifice, and praying for later, the death of Ahab at the battle of Ramoth- the fire to fall. That is courage. It is the right kind gilead began the fulfillment of the judgment of courage—dedicated, spiritual courage. Elijah which Elijah had uttered against the royal house did not demonstrate senseless courage, but cour- (22:1–38). age born of belief in the living God. Who could Yes, Elijah was unusually courageous. No have stood on that mountain and resisted the one reading these narratives could fail to see evidence supplied by the occasion and the bold- the gallantry of his heart. With the exception of ness of the prophet? Those who did must have his discouragement under the juniper tree, he had hearts made of granite! waged his war against Baalism as a towering Furious at the destruction of her prophets, man of strength, fearless and undaunted. Jezebel vowed to kill Elijah, who had fled to Before someone stands up to preach, the Mount Horeb. There, like Moses, he was di- brethren sometimes pray, “Dear God, may our vinely sustained for forty days and nights (Exo- brother preach Your gospel without fear or dus 24:18; 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 18; 1 Kings favor, standing behind the cross of Jesus.” I 19:8). During this time we see Elijah at his worst. wonder who first used those words “without He sat down under a broom tree and asked God fear or favor.” Whoever it was, he had the right to take his life. Overwhelmed by discourage- idea. A true gospel preacher cannot cater to any ment and disappointment, he believed he had one group; he must preach boldly to all, giving done all that he could but had still failed. He was the people a “thus says the Lord.” A preacher “at the end of his rope.” God gently rebuked him without courage is like a man without a back- for his depression (19:9), gave him a preview of bone! what the rest of his ministry would be like (19:13),

5 CONCLUSION that this prophecy was fulfilled in John the Bap- By now we should be convinced that God tist, who was like the Tishbite in humble dress uses men of character, conviction, and courage. and appearance (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6), in fi- E. M. Bounds wrote that God is not looking for delity and in work (Matthew 11:11–14; 17:10–13; better methods; He is looking for better men. Mark 9:11–13; Luke 1:17). When God wanted to change the spiritual land- As our Lord was transfigured before Peter, scape, He did not bring in a host of angels, but He James, and John, He was seen in a state of glory, gave a commission to one man. He was not just walking and talking with Moses and Elijah (Mat- an ordinary man; he was Elijah—a rugged, spiri- thew 17:3, 4). Surely, Elijah’s appearance in this tual soldier who walked with God when the elite group of three on this special occasion says masses were falling down before Baal. He was something about the grandeur of the life of the one who would not be intimidated by power, prophet. God never singles out a man for service pain, or popularity, but who would be God’s and honor without good reason. man of valor when the hearts of others were Before we leave our consideration of Elijah, failing because of fear. Elijah did not accomplish let us mark in our minds the truth that there is no everything that needed to be done, but God did shortcut to greatness and real usefulness. Elijah use him to change the life of the nation. He was was the “chariot of Israel, and the horsemen for a time God’s one-man army. Old Testament thereof” because of his intimate walk with God. scholars agree that God used Elijah to bring a If Elijah has inspired us to want to make a differ- new day of spirituality to ancient Israel. ence in this world, remember that we will not Do not miss the quality of man Elijah was. make that difference by rushing out to the mar- Hardly any prophet between Moses and John ketplace and screaming for change. We may the Baptist would equal him. He obtained the have to do just that before the battle is over, but honor, bestowed before only on Enoch (Genesis our first move is for each of us to retire to the 5:24), of being translated to heaven without dy- innermost castles of his heart and renovate it, for ing. A chariot and horses of fire appeared to him God can only do what He needs to do through a when he had traveled east of the Jordan River person with the right kind of heart. ■ with his attendant Elisha. God took Elijah up in a whirlwind to heaven, parting the prophets Lesson To Be Learned: until their spirits would be together again in For God to bring about paradise (2 Kings 2:1–12). the right kind of change The last two verses of the Old Testament in the world, He must predicted that God would send Elijah before the have the right kind coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord of change-agent. (Malachi 4:5, 6). The New Testament explains