Let the Bible Speak

Elijah was persecuted for proclaiming that God is the only true God. All who are saved by grace will be persecuted for identifying with Jesus Christ.

Elijah felt he was the only believer who was standing for the Lord. However, the Lord encouraged him with the news that there were 7,000 others in the land who also followed Jehovah as the true and living God.

The prophet Elijah felt defeated because it seemed Jezebel’s anger intensified. Elijah felt his ministry was of no value. However, God calls his people to faithfulness.

Elijah once had a zeal for the name of the Lord and lived to honour him. But he allowed Jezebel’s cruel words to play on his mind, and he became discouraged.

The Lord challenged Elijah as to why he was dwelling in a cave when he had been called to service. Elijah allowed distractions and discouragements as the reason to remain in the cave instead of going forward for God.

From the victory and blessing of Mt Carmal to the valley of despair as Jezreel, Elijah’s situation had changed. His life was now in danger as Jezebel demanded his life, as the worship to Baal was exposed as false worship. Elijah for a moment focus more on Jezebel’s plan, instead of the KING of Kings power. Likewise, believer, our situation will change at some point, we must keep our mind focused upon the Lord and His great power to give help, comfort and victory when that change takes place.

Queen Jezebel demanded Elijah’s life as a result of the events at Mt Carmal. Though Baal was exposed as a false god, man’s invention, Jezebel out of rage demanded Elijah pay with his life. Elijah became distressed because he took his sight of the Lord and feared Jezebel’s wicked plans. Therefore, believer we to can become distressed and anxious when we think of the fear of man instead of fear and power of God.

Elijah ran to Jezreel with the hope that the victory on Mt Carmel where God revealed Himself to be the only true and living God and exposing Baal as a false god, Elijah thought Abah and Jezebel would repent from sin, but instead their hearts seemed more harder than ever, and they demanded Elijah’s life. Elijah was discouraged. Likewise believer we can become discouraged because we don’t see the results in people lives that we thought would be there when hearing the gospel, but remain faithful.

The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah for service because he was a spirit filled believer. Every born again believer must be filled with the Holy Spirit to service God and be a blessing to others.

As a man of prayer the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah. The hand of the Lord upon Elijah symbolised the power of God resting on his life for service. The believer who spends time in prayer will know the hand of God upon their live and the believer who knows the hand of God on life is the result of praying.

When the prophet Elijah prayed according to the word of God concerning the coming rain, the rain didn’t come immediately. God always answers prayer, but He does in His own appointed time. Elijah persisted in that he sent his servant seven times to see if there was rain and it was the seventh time the rain came upon the land.

When the prophet Elijah prayed, he did do specifically. He had a word from God and he prayed concerning that word. We are taught in the Bible to pray with preciseness, be direct to see answers to our prayers.

The prophet Elijah in prayer to God cast himself down, meaning in demonstrated humility in prayer. He recognised he was praying to the true and living Saviour.

Once the fire had fallen upon the sacrifice at Mount Carmal and Elijah heard a sound of abundance of rain, Elijah then went further up into the Mountain to get alone with God to seek Him in prayer. He came apart to spend time alone with God. Believer we also must take time apart and spend time alone with God in prayer.

When Elijah went to pray he didn’t ask Ahab to join him in prayer because Ahab followed a false religion whereas Elijah followed the Lord. We are reminded in Scripture there is no fellowship between true and error. They who worship must do so in truth not in compromise.