The Holy One calls to me this morning. His voice over-rules the challenges the darkness has made to my first thoughts of the day. "Don't run away from impossible things".
My constant companion and ever present Counselor knows the giants I face in this land of exile. He has taken me back to the account of Elijah and the great contest with Jezebel's Priests of Baal in I Kings 18.
Ahab was King over Israel and scripture tells us that he, "did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him". Of all the evil King Ahab committed, it was stated that he married Jezebel, the daughter of the Sidonians to seal an unholy alliance. With Jezebel as his queen, Ahab built a temple for Baal and an altar and an asherol pole for the worship of her foreign, pagan gods. Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets and replacing the "Holy Men" with her priests of Baal.
Looking back at history, the strategy of evil against the truth has always been to silence the voices that are sent to bring conviction. Under Jezebel's influence, the hearts of the people of Israel turned away from the One True God and forbidden idolatry ensued.
Elijah had gone into seclusion for a season. His previous "word" to Ahab on instruction from the Lord was that the land and the people would be chastised by a drought. Elijah declared, "There will be neither dew nor rain for the next few years except at my word".
Chapter 18 of I Kings, begins with the Lord's directive to Elijah: He was to go present himself to King Ahab and the Lord would send rain on the land.
Being a servant of the Almighty can be a very tough assignment in and among the world of evil doers. Many lessons in courage can be gleaned from the lives of the Spiritual giants we read about in Biblical history. I marvel at the faith of Elijah. Can end times for us be that much different than what Elijah was facing so long ago?
The whole land was in a drought and that means it was also suffering a famine. Times were very tough. People were dying. People were looking for relief from any where. Baal worship was one of those places the people turned to for hope. "Baal" was after all a "pagan" god of rain and crops and livestock. The fact is that polytheism was a common practice in the Old Testament days. (The Golden Calf ring a bell?) Interesting that the first commandment given to the people was, "You shall have no other gods before Me" suggesting that "other gods" had been part of the nation's life.
The prophets of the one True God, were hiding in fear of Jezebel's murderous agenda. But Elijah. whose presence and voice was despised by Ahab and Jezebel was called out of his seclusion and sent back to the people as the representative of the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Elijah was sent to represent the One True God and yet again turn the hearts of the people back to Him.
God was prepared to end the drought but not without a dramatic display of His power and authority. Elijah's commission was to set up a contest between the pagan gods of Jezebel and the One True God of all Creation. Israel had been chosen out of all the nations on earth to represent Him to the world and here they were in idolatrous compromise serving up worship to pagan deities.
When God says "Enough", He means it!
Elijah had Ahab call together the people and the Priests of Baal and put forth a challenge for all the people to hear. He called for a sacrifice to be chosen and placed on an altar. The priests would place their sacrifice on their altar and Elijah would place his sacrifice on the altar of the Lord God of Israel. Normally the altar would be set on fire by the priests, but today Elijah called them to challenge the power of their god and have Baal set fire to the altar if he truly was a god. He would do the same. Elijah said to the priests and the people, "The God who answers by fire, He is God".
Elijah also challenged the people in his address saying, "How long will you waver between 2 opinions. If the Lord is God follow Him. If Baal is god, follow him. The point being they must choose one or the other and end this duality of worship. This referenced them back to the commandments Moses brought down from the mountain which forbid such duality and idolatry.
This exhortation by Elijah is just like the one given by Joshua after bringing God's people into the Promised Land generations before. In Joshua 24:14, he said to the people, "Now serve the Lord with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord is undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve....but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord."
Following and worshipping God is always our choice. At this moment the prophet was fearless. He set up this contest and challenged the pagan priests and their gods to show up. And, as for Elijah, as if asking God to send fire from Heaven wasn't bold enough, he poured water on the altar to quench any possibility that human "magic" could torch the sacrifice.
How awesome would it be if we were more like Elijah, willing to set up a contest where the Lord can make manifest His great power and Presence.
Elijah's simple prayer, in contrast to the crazy ritual of the pagan priests, reflected his loyalty and humility:
"Let it be known today that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant and have done these all things at your command. Answer me, Oh Lord, answer me so that these people will know that you are God and that you are turning their hearts back again."
In case you don't know the rest of the story, God answered in a big way. Fire came down from Heaven, torched the sacrifice, the altar and licked up the water that had been poured all over it. The people responded with, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord He is God!" Not only were the Priests of Baal humiliated, they were killed for their part in leading the Children of Israel astray.
The drought ended as the people returned to their first love, the God of Israel was Glorified, and we were given a picture and a precedent of a supernatural answer to prayer.
When the Holy One tells me, "Don't be afraid of impossible things", I understand He wants me to face my circumstances with the faith and confidence that Elijah modelled. When Elijah called the people to make a choice, it was not between two equal but opposing "gods". There came with the choice a dramatic and undeniable display of God's Sovereignty and powerful Presence.
We are told in Heb 13:8 that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He was the source of Elijah's fire and He will be the source of ours.
With this incredible reminder that God is willing to show His hand beyond the limit of our human imagination, may we all be filled with the faith like Elijah who not only laid out the challenge but also poured water on the altar he was asking God to light.
Matt 20:17, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith of/like a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, " move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you".
The display of His Holy Fire turned the hearts of the people back to their first love. As for me, after today, I will look for my courage in Him and in the spirit like unto Elijah's, not be afraid of impossible things.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
My constant companion and ever present Counselor knows the giants I face in this land of exile. He has taken me back to the account of Elijah and the great contest with Jezebel's Priests of Baal in I Kings 18.
Ahab was King over Israel and scripture tells us that he, "did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him". Of all the evil King Ahab committed, it was stated that he married Jezebel, the daughter of the Sidonians to seal an unholy alliance. With Jezebel as his queen, Ahab built a temple for Baal and an altar and an asherol pole for the worship of her foreign, pagan gods. Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets and replacing the "Holy Men" with her priests of Baal.
Looking back at history, the strategy of evil against the truth has always been to silence the voices that are sent to bring conviction. Under Jezebel's influence, the hearts of the people of Israel turned away from the One True God and forbidden idolatry ensued.
Elijah had gone into seclusion for a season. His previous "word" to Ahab on instruction from the Lord was that the land and the people would be chastised by a drought. Elijah declared, "There will be neither dew nor rain for the next few years except at my word".
Chapter 18 of I Kings, begins with the Lord's directive to Elijah: He was to go present himself to King Ahab and the Lord would send rain on the land.
Being a servant of the Almighty can be a very tough assignment in and among the world of evil doers. Many lessons in courage can be gleaned from the lives of the Spiritual giants we read about in Biblical history. I marvel at the faith of Elijah. Can end times for us be that much different than what Elijah was facing so long ago?
The whole land was in a drought and that means it was also suffering a famine. Times were very tough. People were dying. People were looking for relief from any where. Baal worship was one of those places the people turned to for hope. "Baal" was after all a "pagan" god of rain and crops and livestock. The fact is that polytheism was a common practice in the Old Testament days. (The Golden Calf ring a bell?) Interesting that the first commandment given to the people was, "You shall have no other gods before Me" suggesting that "other gods" had been part of the nation's life.
The prophets of the one True God, were hiding in fear of Jezebel's murderous agenda. But Elijah. whose presence and voice was despised by Ahab and Jezebel was called out of his seclusion and sent back to the people as the representative of the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Elijah was sent to represent the One True God and yet again turn the hearts of the people back to Him.
God was prepared to end the drought but not without a dramatic display of His power and authority. Elijah's commission was to set up a contest between the pagan gods of Jezebel and the One True God of all Creation. Israel had been chosen out of all the nations on earth to represent Him to the world and here they were in idolatrous compromise serving up worship to pagan deities.
When God says "Enough", He means it!
Elijah had Ahab call together the people and the Priests of Baal and put forth a challenge for all the people to hear. He called for a sacrifice to be chosen and placed on an altar. The priests would place their sacrifice on their altar and Elijah would place his sacrifice on the altar of the Lord God of Israel. Normally the altar would be set on fire by the priests, but today Elijah called them to challenge the power of their god and have Baal set fire to the altar if he truly was a god. He would do the same. Elijah said to the priests and the people, "The God who answers by fire, He is God".
Elijah also challenged the people in his address saying, "How long will you waver between 2 opinions. If the Lord is God follow Him. If Baal is god, follow him. The point being they must choose one or the other and end this duality of worship. This referenced them back to the commandments Moses brought down from the mountain which forbid such duality and idolatry.
This exhortation by Elijah is just like the one given by Joshua after bringing God's people into the Promised Land generations before. In Joshua 24:14, he said to the people, "Now serve the Lord with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord is undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve....but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord."
Following and worshipping God is always our choice. At this moment the prophet was fearless. He set up this contest and challenged the pagan priests and their gods to show up. And, as for Elijah, as if asking God to send fire from Heaven wasn't bold enough, he poured water on the altar to quench any possibility that human "magic" could torch the sacrifice.
How awesome would it be if we were more like Elijah, willing to set up a contest where the Lord can make manifest His great power and Presence.
Elijah's simple prayer, in contrast to the crazy ritual of the pagan priests, reflected his loyalty and humility:
"Let it be known today that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant and have done these all things at your command. Answer me, Oh Lord, answer me so that these people will know that you are God and that you are turning their hearts back again."
In case you don't know the rest of the story, God answered in a big way. Fire came down from Heaven, torched the sacrifice, the altar and licked up the water that had been poured all over it. The people responded with, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord He is God!" Not only were the Priests of Baal humiliated, they were killed for their part in leading the Children of Israel astray.
The drought ended as the people returned to their first love, the God of Israel was Glorified, and we were given a picture and a precedent of a supernatural answer to prayer.
When the Holy One tells me, "Don't be afraid of impossible things", I understand He wants me to face my circumstances with the faith and confidence that Elijah modelled. When Elijah called the people to make a choice, it was not between two equal but opposing "gods". There came with the choice a dramatic and undeniable display of God's Sovereignty and powerful Presence.
We are told in Heb 13:8 that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He was the source of Elijah's fire and He will be the source of ours.
With this incredible reminder that God is willing to show His hand beyond the limit of our human imagination, may we all be filled with the faith like Elijah who not only laid out the challenge but also poured water on the altar he was asking God to light.
Matt 20:17, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith of/like a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, " move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you".
The display of His Holy Fire turned the hearts of the people back to their first love. As for me, after today, I will look for my courage in Him and in the spirit like unto Elijah's, not be afraid of impossible things.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
No comments:
Post a Comment