Photo by Eradio Valverde of Elijah the Prophet, Israel 2018
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. (1 Kings 19:1-15a NRSV)
Happy Day of the Camel, dear Friend! As we pray this day, please pray for the family of Rosaline S. Neuse, mother of Edith Lucas, who died on the 17th. Her funeral will be on the 22nd in Seguin at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Pray for their comfort during their grief. Prayers for Bill Keck who may soon be coming home from his hospital stay in Houston. From what we understand he is recovering well, thanks to God. Why do we pray? Because God answers prayer! Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.
Nellie and I were blessed to walk on the ground where a bloody but decisive battle took place between God and God's prophet and the 400 prophets of Baal. The photo above was taken by me and it is a statue of Elijah the Prophet of God. In his hand he holds a sword, and you can probably guess that he had to use it after the showdown in Mt. Carmel. It was a showdown long in coming. Israel's "king" had married a woman of another false faith. If you don't know her story, you've certainly heard her name, Jezebel. She was able to convince her husband to convert to her way of thinking. "Happy wife, happy life" is the saying, but in reality it meant the king's downfall, as well as the downfall of Israel. I should add that the queen had ordered the death of all of God's prophets, including Elijah, but he was protected by God and was not present when the massacre of 400 prophets occurred. To have 400 Baal prophets killed was payback. You really should read the entire showdown and how Elijah humiliated those 400 and their god. Now, this is the aftermath and Elijah gets word that the queen is very angry and wanting Elijah dead. So, like any self-respecting man, he flees for his life.
Here's one way this story can be understood. Elijah was called by God to serve Him and His people. Let's say he was named pastor of First Church Jerusalem. The chair of the official board has married a woman from a rival church, and she hates the pastor of her husband's church. Her loyalty has stayed with Rival Church. The two churches had a softball tournament and First Church humiliated Rival Church's team. The Mercy Rule was called in the third inning. The queen was outraged. She vows to write to the bishop and have Pastor Elijah removed even before annual conference. Elijah tries to hide somewhere away from the phone and the desktop where he's sure messages have been left and emails sent. He's not in the mood to read any of them, much less respond to them. Pastor Elijah is ready to quit. He tells God that he'd rather go home than put up with the pressures of this church and the ruling family. HIs prayer is simple, "I'm tired and I've had enough, Lord. Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." He lays down and sleeps under a tree and awakens to an angel telling him to "Get up and eat, for the journey he's going to take is too difficult." Elijah eats and drinks and lays down again. A second time the angel of the Lord tells him the same thing again. He eats and drinks, and in the strength of that nourishment he sets off for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. And in the setting of where God made Himself real to Moses, Pastor Elijah is looking to find answers about his future. It was the Lord who met him there and asked him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Elijah answers with the truth; "Lord, I've done all I could. I preached Your word, held the appropriate meetings, had stewardship drives and campaigns, all while watching your people in that church mock my ministry and Your Name, Lord. Our team beat the heck out of Rival Church's softball team, and now they don't only want me to move, they want me dead! So, just take me home now Lord." God said, "Go stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." He does and a great wind passes by with strength enough to slit the mountains and breaking of the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake came and did its damage, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a fire came, but the Lord was not in the fire. Then there was the sound of sheer silence. It was the silence that made Elijah wrap his head in his mantle and he went outside and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then the Lord spoke. The same question as before. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" And again, Pastor Elijah replies, "I've done my best, and all they want is my head." And God says simply, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus." God spoke a word of life. Elijah's desire to be taken home to Heaven was not granted at this time. God knew Elijah had done his best and served God faithfully. He stood boldly against the evil of the prophets of Baal and against the evil queen and her equally evil husband, the king. Their stories had their ending well written and one can read those in the chapters that follow this one. We already know that God never loses, and though our adventure may get rough, God never abandons us and will see us through all that is before us.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless the life of the dear reader. Whatever it is they may be facing, help them overcome and become the people you have called them to be. May our faithfulness be fruitfulness in our obedience to You. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be bold for God today!
Blessings of love,
Eradio Valverde
