1 Kings 19:1-18
Kingdom, Come • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
One Thing I’ve Learned from Studying in Kings…
Is that it is Full of OT Imagery
So Much of What You Read in Kings…
Is Israel’s History Repeating Itself
I’m Excited to Share this Lesson with You
It is Full of Some Incredible OT Imagery…
That Brings Such Beauty to the Story
1 Kings 19:1-18
1 Kings 19:1-18
The Focus of the Book is on the Prophet Elijah Right Now
He Just Witnessed…
God Defeat Baal on Mount Carmel
He Brought Down Lightning from Heaven…
And Proved to All of Israel that He is the One True God
Upon Seeing this, the People of Israel…
Bowed Down in Worship/Acknowledgement of the One True God
Then Elijah Prayed for Rain to End the 3.5 Years Drought…
And God Sent a Mighty Rainstorm
Elijah is on Top of the World Right Now
It Seems Like Everything is Finally Working Out
But that Doesn’t Last Very Long
In this Broken/Fallen World…
Nothing Good Ever Lasts Forever
Elijah is about to Find Himself in the Darkest Moment of His Life
But, as is God’s Very Nature…
Even While Elijah is in the Darkest Pit…
God Never Leaves Him Nor Forsakes Him
And God’s Going to Show Him…
That Even When Things Seem at Their Worst…
And God is Nowhere to Be Seen…
He’s Still There
Quietly Working in the Background
1 Kings 19:1–2 (NASB95)
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
Jezebel has Just Heard the News…
Of All that Happened on Mount Carmel
Everything was Going Good…
Until Ahab had to Open His Big Mouth to His Wife
And Now She’s Vowing to Kill Elijah Within the Next 24 Hours
Elijah Went Straight from Mountain-Top to Valley Real Quick
1 Kings 19:3–6 (CSB)
3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, 4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Elijah Fled from Jezebel at Jezreel to Beer-Sheba…
Which is Over 120 Miles Away
Beer-Sheba was at the Southern Tip of the Southern Kingdom of Judah
Then He Walked Another Day’s Journey into the Wilderness
When He Got There, He Sat Down Under a Desert Bush…
And Cried Out for God to Let Him Die
But Instead of Letting Him Die…
God Sends an Angel to Provide Him with Food & Water
Here’s Where Things Get Really Interesting
We’re about to Be Flooded…
With Imagery from Israelite History
The 1st Time Beersheba is Mentioned in the Scriptures…
Is When a Mother & Her Son…
Are Sent into the Wilderness of Beersheba
When They Ran Out of Water…
The Mother Laid Her Son Under a Desert Bush to Die
Then the Son Began to Cry Out…
And God Heard His Cries
Then God Sends an Angel…
To Provide Them with Water
The Woman’s Name was Hagar…
And Her Son’s Name was Ishmael
This was the Darkest Moment of Their Lives
But God Did Not Leave/Forsake Them in Their Hopelessness
This is Also the Darkest Moment of Elijah’s Life
He has Completely Lost Hope
He Believes that His Prophetic Work…
Has Been for Nothing
If Ever There was an Event that could’ve Turned Israel Around…
The Mount Carmel Showdown would’ve Been it
But, Nothing Seems to have Changed
He’s Still on the Run from the King & Queen
All Hope, as He can See it, is Lost
So He’s Giving Up
But God is Not Leaving/Forsaking Him in His Hopelessness
1 Kings 19:7 (NASB95)
7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
God Tells Elijah to Eat Some More
Why?
Because He’s Got a Big Journey Ahead of Him
But Where is He Going?
1 Kings 19:8 (CSB)
8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Where was He Going on this Journey?
He was Travelling 250 Miles South to Mount Horeb
This Mountain has Another Name that We’re More Familiar with:
Mount Sinai
This is the Part of the Movie…
Where the Hero has Exhausted Every Effort…
To Defeat the Bad Guy
But They Can’t Seem to Win
So, in Their Hopelessness…
The Hero Goes Back to a Place of Great Significance to Them
And What They Experience There…
Gives Them the Strength/Power…
To Return & Defeat the Bad Guy
Elijah is Going Back to Where it All Started
The Place Where Israel Went from Freed Slaves…
To a Nation of People…
The Place Where God Became Their King…
And Gave Them the Law They were to Live By
The Place Where Moses Fasted for 40 Days & 40 Nights…
Which is Exactly What Elijah Did to Get There
The Place Where Moses Entered God’s Holy Presence…
Which is Exactly What Elijah is about to Do
1 Kings 19:9–12 (CSB)
9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.”
11 Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.
While Staying in a Cave at Mount Sinai…
God Asks Elijah:
“Why have You Come Here?”
His Answer is:
“I’ve Done Everything You’ve Asked…”
“But it’s No Good!”
“Israel has Abandoned Their Covenant with You… ”
“They’ve Stopped Worshiping & Sacrificing to You… ”
“And They’ve Murdered Your Prophets”
“And Now, I’m All that’s Left”
“What You Started on this Mountain All Those Years Ago…”
“Has Failed!”
Elijah is Exaggerating Quite a Bit
We Know that Obadiah, One of Ahab’s Servants…
Rescued & Provided for 100 of God’s Prophets
Also, Many of the People Turned Back to God…
After the Showdown on Mount Carmel
It’s Easy to Wallow in Self-Pity, isn’t it?
God Tells Elijah to Stand on the Mountain While He Passes By
Then a Strong Wind Begins to Blow, Breaking the Rocks to Pieces
Then Comes a Mighty Earthquake
Then a Flaming Fire
These are All Things that are Associated…
With God’s Almighty Presence
But God isn’t in Any of Those Great & Powerful Things
Then Elijah Hears a Soft Whisper
1 Kings 19:13–18 (CSB)
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”
15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
When Elijah Hears this Soft Whisper…
He Covers His Face (Protection from Seeing the Glory of God)…
And Goes to the Opening of the Cave to Enter God’s Presence
God Asks Him Again:
“Why have You Come Here?”
FYI - If God Ever Asks You Something a 2nd Time…
After You Already Answered Him Once…
It Might Be Because…
He’s Wanting You to Rethink Your Answer
Elijah Didn’t Rethink His Answer
He Gave the Exact Same Answer Again
“I’m Here Because the People have Abandoned You…”
“And I’m All that’s Left!”
At First Glance…
God’s Response Seems Random & Out of Place:
“Go Back Up North & Anoint:”
“Hazael as King Over Aram (Syria)”
“Jehu has King Over Israel”
“Elisha as the New Prophet to Replace You”
If You’re Like Me, You’ve Heard this Story Your Entire Life…
And have Never had a Clue What was Going on
Let’s Make Sense of this Mount Sinai Visit
After God Asked Elijah Why He had Come There…
He Showed Elijah Supernatural Indicators…
Of His Great & Powerful Presence
But Instead of Being in the Great & Powerful Things…
God was in a Soft Whisper
Here’s What God was Trying to Reveal to Elijah:
“Just Because it Doesn’t Seem Like I’m Doing Anything…”
“Doesn’t Mean I’m Not”
“I’ve Not Given Up on My People Just Yet”
“And Judgment is Still Coming Upon the Wicked”
“But it’s Not Coming in the Way You Might Think/Wish”
“I’m Not Going to Bring Judgment Upon the Wicked…”
“With a Great Showing of Divine Power (Wind, Earthquake, Fire)”
“I’m Going to Do it Through a Gentle, Soft Whisper”
“I Want You to Anoint New Political & Religious Leaders…”
“Who will Be My Instruments of Judgment Upon the Wicked”
“Just Because I’m Not Doing Something Spectacular…”
“Doesn’t Mean I’m Doing Nothing”
“I Don’t Always Work in Wind, Earthquakes, and Fire”
“Many Times I Work in Gentle, Soft, Unassuming Whispers”
“Quietly Working Behind the Scenes…”
“To Bring about My Will”
“Elijah, I Want You to Prepare the Way…”
“For the Instruments of My Judgment”
“Hazael to Bring My Judgment Upon Israel from Without”
“Jehu to Bring My Judgment Upon Israel from Within”
“And Elisha to Pronounce My Judgment to the People…”
“In Order to Point Them Back to God”
And to Add in There for Good Measure…
God Tells Him:
“And Don’t Feel like You’re All Alone”
“You’re Far from Alone”
“I’ve Still Got 7,000 (Symbolic Number of Completeness)…”
“In Israel Who are Loyal to Me”
There’s Always a Remnant…
Of Those Who are Faithful/Loyal to God
Application
Application
I Want to Offer 4 Encouraging Truths…
That can Be Gained Taken from this Passage:
If You’re Still Alive, You Still Have a Purpose
Elijah Begged for God to Let Him Die
But God Said “No”
And He Sent Elijah on His Next Mission for the Kingdom
If You’re Still Here, God Still has a Purpose for You
Don’t Give Up
There’s Still More You have to Offer for the Kingdom
You’re Efforts are Not in Vain
Elijah Felt that His Prophetic Ministry was a Waste
His Efforts Didn’t Accomplish What He’d Hoped They would
But God’s Will Never Fails
His Plans Always Succeed
If You’re Doing God’s Will…
Great Things will Come of it…
Even if it Seems Like You’re Accomplishing Very Little
Even if You Never Live to See the Results
Keep Obeying/Serving
God will Accomplish Great Things
We Serve the God of Whispers
Elijah Didn’t Recognize that God was Working in Whispers
His Plans to Rid His People of Wickedness & Idolatry…
Was Still On-Going
He’s Always in Control, Even When it Doesn’t Seem Like it
He May Not Be Doing Something Fantastic…
But You can Count on the Fact that He’s Doing Something
He’s Always Working in the World…
For the Benefit of His Faithful Children
But Most of the Time its in the Form of a Whisper…
Not Gusts of Wind, Earthquakes, or Blazing Fires
You’re Not Alone
Elijah had Come to Believe that…
He was God’s Only Faithful Servant Left
There’s Hardly a More Hopeless Feeling Than Being Alone
And When You’re Hopeless…
You Give Up
That’s Why God Created Us to Be Together
His Children are Not to Live Individualistic Lives
We are Meant to Live in Community
God Wants Us to Be Together as Much as Possible
This Gives Us Courage, Hope, and Zeal to Endure