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Elijah's Restoration Volume 14 CHURCH of GOD 7th DAY - AUSTRALIA SEPTEMBER 2008 Elijah’s Restoration Elijah was greatly used of God choked or stifled or seriously hurt. hypocrisy in the church, but soon on behalf of Israel to defeat the Many a person‟s guard end up in a spiritual sense lying false prophets of Baal. Elijah consequently goes up at the down, sleeping, throwing their served the people of God in slightest hint of a spiritual Bibles in the bin or even wanting many mighty and spectacular encounter. There are people who to die because enough‟s enough. ways. The power of God was have not dealt with their fears and Now who‟s a hypocrite? uniquely demonstrated through- who would rather risk their eternal out his life. However, like many relationship with God than God’s tender hand Christians today, who have ex- overcome their fears. Such fears, perienced the highs and lows of however, need to be faced head Thankfully God does not leave serving God, Elijah also experi- on, or restoration will not occur. us alone in our confusion. His re- enced a great low and found sponse is still touching and ten- himself in need of restoration. It Where did Elijah run to? Verse 4 der. He is an understanding and is my prayer that Elijah‟s story says he ran into the wilderness. It compassionate God. While Elijah in 1 Kings 19 will help any wasn‟t „out of the frying pan into slept under the tree suddenly an Christian who finds themselves the fire‟, but rather out of the angel touched him and provided out in the „wilderness‟. frying pan into a barren, empty him with cake and water (v5). place. Initially there is a great God‟s first restorative act how- Elijah running emptiness when we run from a ever did not move Elijah. He just group of believers we have been ate and drank and lay down Queen Jezebel sought to make strongly attached to, or from again. The fearful, disconnected Elijah‟s life scarce. He ran from overzealous and fanatical parents and wounded are not easily re- her, but not only her. He ran or spouses, or from God Himself. stored and often resent the initial from God‟s call to serve His Our hopes and dreams for this life restorative attempts, barely re- people - Israel. Elijah was fully and the next may at first seem sponding before sinking again. aware of the terrible sins of his much dimmer or even shattered. people and he felt that there But thank God that He doesn‟t give were not many Godly people What Elijah did after he fearfully up on us. The angel of the Lord came back a second time, and left, if any. Many Christians ran for his life into the wilderness touched him, and said, “Arise and likewise run from their call to shows the irrationality that fear serve the body of Christ and eat, because the journey is too great and disconnection produces in us. for you” (v7). God gave Elijah a this crooked generation. He lay down under a tree and second touch because He loved him prayed that he might die. He ran and had great plans and purposes for Why did he run? Fear caused him from Jezebel because he did not him. The God who will never leave to run for his life. Fear causes us to want to die, but now he wants to do all kinds of irrational things. die? Fear certainly causes A magazine dedicated to Some of us because of bad reli- confusion and contradiction. Some uplifting and transforming gious experiences have felt the peoples lives through the run, in a sense, for their lives from need to run so as to avoid being uncompromised word of God. Page 2 THE EDIFIER or forsake us also has great went into a cave. invested so much in the church and purposes for us to fulfill. He tells us their faith in the first place. that we are a chosen generation, a In a cave Secondly, Elijah‟s „I have been royal priesthood, a holy nation, His very zealous‟ is very telling own special people that we may God, however, had a very pertinent because he no longer was. He was declare His praises. question for Elijah. “What are you more zealous for his own well- doing here, Elijah”, he said? being and saving his own life. Spiritual wanderings Perhaps the Lord was really querying why he was hiding out in Elijah also responds to God‟s The second touch greatly a cave like a monk, hiding his light seemingly strange question by strengthened Elijah, as v8 says that under a bushel or regressing to be a saying in v 10, “the children of he arose and ate and drank and went cave man. Now you might be Israel have forsaken your on the strength of that food forty forgiven for thinking that this is a covenant”. I suppose God could days and forty nights as far as rather strange question of Elijah have bluntly responded, „so what! Horeb, the mountain of God. I from God when He was the one - does that also give you the right wonder why he was heading for who gave Elijah the food and drink to refuse to do what I have set such a holy place as Mt Horeb, that strengthened him for forty before you to do‟? Can you just where God appeared to Moses in a days and forty nights, and when imagine God giving Elijah the old burning bush and where Moses Elijah is at this most holy and cliché – „if someone jumped over a received the ten commandments. spiritual place. cliff would you follow after him‟? This is only speculation, but it is a God does not abandon people speculation that serves a purpose, because they are sinning, but because some readers might relate rather He stretches out His hand of to it. Had he now decided to go on grace, just as we all need to do. his own independent spiritual journey? And don‟t we feel a lot of Finally, Elijah responds to God‟s strength when God lifts us off the probing question by giving the floor; and don‟t we get excited further excuse “I alone am left and about our new spiritual path that we they seek to take my life”. Elijah alone are going to walk because felt all alone as a prophet of God who else is there who is really true? and maybe he even believed there We have a lot more zeal and energy were few, if any, righteous men for it than anything else we have and women in the whole of Israel. ever done because we feel like it is I have met people like Elijah who God‟s revelation to us. Initially we feel that there is no church they feel set free. can go to because there‟s none just quite right, or at least none in their Forty days and forty nights is an Elijah firstly responds by saying, “I area. Nevertheless, God‟s call to awfully long time to go without have been very zealous for the serve the people of God and to do food and drink. Elijah was greatly Lord God of Hosts”. The good, „especially‟ to the household renewed, but as we will see in a expression „I have been‟ is very of faith, remains (Galatians 6:10). moment, he was not yet restored, as telling for two reasons. Firstly, if Probably Elijah‟s greatest excuse he was not walking the path God you know anything about Elijah‟s for being in his holy cave was that wanted him to walk. Sometimes we life before he started running, you his life was threatened. But God may feel renewed too and will know that there is no doubt does not even accept this one. He experience greater strength, and self that he was indeed exceptionally has the keys of life and death and control than ever before, but there is zealous for the Lord. Most people Jesus Himself said “he who loves just one major problem - we are who have been hurt badly by his life will lose it and he now in a cave, a holy cave. When religious experiences would Elijah reached the spiritual pinnacle probably not have been hurt so Continued on page six of Mt Horeb, according to v9, he badly if they had not zealously Page 3 THE EDIFIER such as doing administrative work but have everlasting life” (John in the charity‟s back office, 3:16). But even regarding the washing dishes in the kitchen or perishing, whom we seek to save wiping down tables. While this as part of our duty owed to Christ, indirect form of assistance can be God says “For I have no pleasure THE POOR ARE TO overlooked, and is sometimes not in the death of one sinner” (Eze appreciated, it nonetheless is 18:32). In fact, he does not HELP THE RICH essential in meeting the hungry‟s withhold his favour or concern needs. “If the foot should say from the ungodly in meeting their because I am not a hand, I am not basic needs in the hope they will Richard Todd of the body, is it therefore not of come to know him. “The sun will the body?” (1 Cor 12:15). not fail to continue to shine and Starting with the idea that the He makes the rain fall on the poor should help the poor, this Whilst indirect help is never „centre unrighteous as well as the article quickly expanded its focus stage‟ do not lose heart in righteous”.
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