1 Kings 18:1-39:
Elijah on
Series: “Elijah”
Foundations ABF
September 11, 2005
INTRODUCTION:
Have different ‘characters’ read dialogue in this
chapter. Need the following characters:
God
Elijah
Obadiah
Ahab
“The People” – everyone in class
Elijah’s servant
(I will narrate)
NOTE: To understand the context of this story – the battle between “Yahweh” and “Baal,” we need to say ‘Yahweh’ wherever we read the letters ‘LORD.’
“After a long time” – I guess!
“So Elijah went” – again, understated. Can you imagine how badly Elijah didn’t want to go?
“devout believer in the Lord… had hidden a hundred prophets”
- Interesting that Obadiah is described in Bible as “devout believer” even though he’s working for the enemy!
- Any of you feel at times like you’re working for the enemy?
o Dan – CJ!
o B&W or B.F.
o UL
o School administrator…
- Perhaps God has you there for a reason. He expects you to support ‘the prophets.’
- How did Obadiah support God’s people? How can you?
NOTE: Elijah was on
“most wanted” posters all over
“As surely as the Lord Almighty lives” Elijah said.
- Lord Almighty = Yhwh Tsaba = Lord of Hosts = Lord Sabaoth
- See Precepts Site for good explanation
o Martin Luther used this phrase…
o
Did
we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the
same,
And He must win the battle.
NOTE: Elijah trusted God’s promise. If God said it, it will happen.
“troubler of
- Bold “spin” on Ahab’s part!
- According to Swindoll, word for “troubler” was sometimes used for snake. Ahab is likely choosing word that had double meaning on purpose. You slimeball.
- You’re standing before the king. How would you have responded?
o I’m very sorry that things have been so difficult for you.
o With all due respect, sir…
o Well, it was really God… I can’t take the blame…
Note Elijah’s response:
“you’re the problem!”
- Takes courage to place blame where it belongs.
- Have you ever taken blame for something you didn’t do, or out of fear refused to confront someone who wronged you or someone else?
o Work – boss blames you or coworker… to keep peace you say “I’m sorry.”
o Abused as child or by spouse – treated unfairly. Never face up to abuser.
o NOTE: Forgiveness is not refusing to place blame. Appropriate forgiveness only happens when blame is appropriately placed and then you refuse to retaliate, or you give the person a second chance. Otherwise it’s just cowardice.
o NOTE: Some people go other extreme and refuse to take blame for their own mistakes, have no problem pointing finger and judging… But many of us who are “peacekeepers” never place blame where it belongs.
- Elijah had no problem with placing blame where it belonged. And he did it the right way.
o Clearly put blame on the people who deserved it: Ahab and his father’s family.
o Described exactly what they had done wrong.
“who eat at Jezebel’s table”
- Notice how entrenched the prophets of Baal and Asherah are. They’re living in the palace, eating at the queen’s table.
-
When choosing a leader, consider who his friends
are. “A man is known by the company he
keeps.” If he’s got the ‘prophets of
“summon all
-
We don’t know how long this took. We always picture this unfolding all at once
on the same day, but I imagine this took place over several days – probably
weeks. There was a designated day to
assemble, and the notice was sent out to all
- Picture the atmosphere.
o Buzz
o Party
o Vendors! T-shirts!
o Children?
VERSE 21 – KEY VERSE OF THIS STORY, A PIVOTAL POINT OF O.T.
Notice the two (related) mistakes the people made:
o Think about how many areas today we have “two opinions.”
§ Origin of man: Evolution v. creation
§ Marriage: Homosexuality OK v. homosexuality a sin
§ Family: Dads aren’t necessary v. wives submit to husbands
§ Church: Church is unnecessary, irrelevant v. don’t forsake assembly
§ Jesus: Jesus was good man, not the only way v. Jesus is only way
§ Prayer in schools: Kids shouldn’t bring religion into classroom v. kids ought to have freedom to pray
§ Embryonic stem cell research: Good for science v. killing of embryos
§ Nature of man: Man is basically good v. man is basically evil
§ Others?
o Why do you think they wavered between the two opinions?
§ Afraid of king
§ Peer pressure
§ Intellectual pride – “neither is really God”
§ Enjoyed the freedom / titillated by the temptations of Baal worship
§ Hesitation / missed the moment
ILLUS: Can’t tell you how many times I’ve hesitated, missed the opportunity to be a hero by deciding quickly and acting. Maybe they just hesitated.
ILLUS: Church’s silence over last 100 years in
o Bible in classroom
o Prayer in school
o Abortion
o Homosexuality
o Definition of marriage
QUOTE: Martin Niemoller
First they came for the communists,
and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
(SIDE NOTE: When we were in
TWO LESSONS FOR US:
ILLUS: David Reagan’s speech –
We’re tempted to stay silent, waver between two opinions, give ground, give ground, give ground. We must instead say, “The Lord – he is God! The Lord – he is God!”
QUOTE: Divided allegiance = open idolatry.
QUOTE: Joshua – “choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Let me give you some advice that will help you in everyday decisions, but more importantly will help in those rare occasions when you must make a quick, sometimes life changing decision with very little notice:
When the moment of decision comes…
1) Determine what is right. Not what is popular, what you can pull off, what will help your reputation, what will make you more money, what will keep you out of trouble or what will make you feel good. Decide what is right.
2) Go boldly in that direction.
ILLUS/EXAMPLE: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people in my office or on the phone ask for help in making decisions and I first ask, “What is right? What would God want you to do?” They will inevitably say, “Well, I’m afraid that…; I’m afraid if I do that, then my husband will be mad; I might lose my job. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stand it. I’m afraid, afraid, afraid….”
SCRIPT: The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Decide what is right and go boldly in that direction. Anything less is equal to open idolatry.
“What you say is good.”
Why do you think they said it was a good idea?
- Maybe they believed neither side would win but it would be a fun party
- Maybe Baal had been given some (Satanic) powers and people were truly deceived
- Perhaps people had followed Baal so long they were starting to believe he was real.
QUOTE: “There is nothing so absurd that it cannot be believed as truth if repeated often enough.”
Elijah’s taunts:
- “deep in thought” = siyach (seeyak) = talking (KJV) = “meditation” often “prayer” in OT
- “busy” = siyg (seeg) – notice the play on words. Means literally “a withdraw into a private place.” Once-used word in OT – much debate… Some evidence suggests the word was used for “indisposed.”
o “Stepped into the celestial men’s room.” (TLB – sitting on the toilet)
o Could also mean “gone hunting.”
QUOTE from Alfred Edersheim:
Now commenced a scene which baffles description. Ancient writers have left us accounts of the great Baal-festivals, and they closely agree with the narrative of the Bible, only furnishing further details. First rose a comparatively moderate, though already wild, cry to Baal; followed by a dance around the altar, beginning with a swinging motion to and fro.*
* In the
original the word, as before noted, is the same as that rendered
"halt" (in verse 21). The expression, no doubt, refers to the
pantomimic dances around the altar.
The
howl then became louder and louder, and the dance more frantic. They whirled
round and round, ran wildly through each other's ranks, always keeping up a
circular motion, the head low bent, so that their long disheveled hair swept the
ground. Ordinarily the madness now became infectious, and the onlookers joined
in the frenzied dance. But Elijah knew how to prevent this. It was noon - and
for hours they had kept up their wild rites. With cutting taunts and bitter
irony Elijah now reminded them that, since Baal was Elohim, the fault it must
lie with them. He might be otherwise engaged, and they must cry louder. Stung
to madness, they became more frantic than before, and what we know as the
second and third acts in these feasts ensued. The wild howl passed into
piercing demoniacal yells. In their madness the priests bit their arms and cut
themselves with the two-edged swords which they carried and with lances.*
* This is
the correct rendering of verse 28, and not "knives and lancets," as
in the Authorized Version.
As
blood began to flow the frenzy reached its highest pitch, when first one, then
others, commenced to "prophesy," moaned and groaned, then burst into
rhapsodic cries, accusing themselves, or speaking to Baal, or uttering incoherent
broken sentences. All the while they beat themselves with heavy scourges,
loaded or armed with sharp points, and cut themselves with swords and lances -
sometimes even mutilated themselves - since the blood of the priests was
supposed to be specially propitiatory with Baal.
INSERT FROM CLASS PARTICIPATION:
If you were in class, there was discussion regarding self-mutilation in
the pagan rituals. The following verses
were referenced: Lev 19:28 and Deut
14:1.
Note simple prayer of this righteous man.
SCRIPTURE: (James 5:17-18) Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. {18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
He also prayed that fire would come down from heaven. And see what happened:
“Yahweh – He is God!” they finally cried.
- But too late.
-
QUOTE: David
Reagan pointed to this very story on Wednesday night as the turning point in
CONCLUSION:
When will that moment be for us? There are decisive moments in everyone’s life, when you must choose between two gods….
And there will be a decisive moment in the history of