|
|
WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE BEING VOTED OFF... 1 KINGS 19:1-18 STORY: IN 1982 LARRY WALTERS A MAN WHO WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT HIS RECENT RETIREMENT AFTER 25 YEARS OF TRUCK DRIVING - SAT IN HIS LAWN CHAIR IN HIS BACKYARD IN A SUBURB OF LOS ANGELES …. THE REPORTERS ASKED THREE PROFOUND QUESTIONS · #1 – WE’RE YOU SCARED? · #2 – ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT AGAIN? · #3 – WHY DID YOU DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? UNFORTUNATELY– THE DESPAIR AND MEANINGLESSNESS GOT THE BEST OF LARRY WALTERS – HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN 1993 WITH GREAT VICTORY – CAME THE AGONY OF DEFEAT THE PROPHET ELIJAH EXPERIENCED THE SAME TYPE OF SITUATION – READ PASSAGE ELIJAH WAS A HEBREW PROPHET, WHO LIVED IN THE NINTH CENTURY BEFORE THE BIRTH OF JESUS. HE BECAME A LEGEND IN ISRAEL, SO MUCH THAT 900 YEARS LATER, PEOPLE WERE STILL TALKING ABOUT HIM WHEN JESUS CAME ON THE SCENE. ELIJAH WILL RETURN TO ANNOUNCE THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, THEY SAID. SOME PEOPLE EVEN THOUGHT THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS ELIJAH COME BACK TO LIFE. AS THIS MORNINGS PASSAGE SO CLEARLY POINTS OUT, THERE CAME A TIME IN THE LIFE OF THIS GREAT PROPHET WHEN HE WANTED TO TOSS IN THE TOWEL AND QUIT. GOD, I=VE HAD ENOUGH - HE SAYS. I JUST AS SOON BE DEAD! HOW DID ELIJAH GET TO THAT POINT OF DESPAIR? HOW DID HE BECOME SO DISCOURAGED? AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT - HOW DID HE RISE ABOVE IT? LET=S START WITH A BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION. ELIJAH CAME ON THE SCENE DURING THE REIGN OF KING AHAB - ONE OF THE MOST DESPICABLE KINGS THERE HAD EVER BEEN. 1 KINGS 16:30 SAYS, AAHAB DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD MORE THAN ALL THE KINGS WHO WERE BEFORE HIM.@ AHAB WAS MARRIED TO JEZEBEL, DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF SIDON, THE ANCIENT LOCATION LOCATED ON THE SHORE OF THE MEDITERANEAN JUST TO THE NORTH OF ISRAEL. JEZEBEL WAS INTO WORSHIPPING THE GODS OF BAAL, THE LOCAL FERTILITY GODS OF THE LAND OF CANAAN. ALTHOUGH AHAB WAS A SUCCESSFUL MILITARY AND POLITICAL LEADER, HE DEFERRED TO HIS WIFE IN THE MATTERS OF RELIGION, ALLOWING HET TO PROMOTE THE WORSHIP OF THE BAALS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL. WITH THIS RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL WAR AS A BACKGROUND, THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN AHAB AND ELIJAH THE PROPHET WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN.... IN ONE CORNER IS AHAB, CORRUPT, POWERFUL, AN AFFLUENT LEADER WHO ACQUIRED HIS WEALTH IN LESS THAN HONOURABLE WAYS. IN THE OTHER CORNER IS ELIJAH, CHAMPION OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE, AND THE PREMIER PROPHET OF YAHWEH, THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL. ELIJAH CONFRONTS AHAB AND JEZEBEL AND CLAIMS THAT A SEVERE DROUGHT IS GOD=S WAY OF PUNISHING THE KING AND QUEEN FOR THEIR EVIL WAYS. NOT LONG AFTER ELIJAH CHALLENGES THE PROPHETS OF BAAL TO A CONTEST ON MOUNT CARMEL TO DECIDE ONCE AND FOR ALL WHO IS THE REAL GOD IN ISRAEL - THE LORD OR BAAL.
|
