ELIJAH: The Summary (15-20)
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
Lesson 15: The
Vulnerability of Victory (Read 1 Kings 19)
First Kings Chapter
19 stands
in stark contrast to the preceding two chapters. It deals with the same
man, but
the difference is like night and day. The contrasts are noteworthy
because they
show us just how vulnerable we all are and how careful we need to be.
The
humanness of the heroes of the Bible can be tremendously instructive
and
encouraging to the heart. While we should know better, we tend to think
them as
possessing something special that we do not have access to. We think of
them as
though they were a different breed, almost god-like, with special
attributes we
can't have. Or perhaps we are plagued with another idea. We look at
these
heroes of the faith or listen to many Bible teachers today with their
promises
of deliverance. Then we think about our own struggles and failures and
wonder
if there is not something terribly wrong with us. We have adopted the
idea that
we should have somehow reached the point that we do not struggle. The
MYTH says
Christians who are truly spiritual never get down. But that kind of
theology
does not fit with the Word of God. We can experience God's victory by
faith
(cf. 1 John 5:4-5). But none of us will do that without difficulty and
discipline. We can grow in Christ and we can become more experienced
and
consistent in trusting the Lord, but none of us will ever reach
perfection at
resting in the Lord in this life.
Elijah, remember, was a man of like passions with us (James
The evil one is well aware of our vulnerability. So where does Satan
want to
attack us? He attacks in the area of our need to depend on God. Every
person is
only an earthen vessel, a man or woman of like passions with feet of
clay. We
are not super spiritual athletes who now sit enthroned over the world,
the
flesh, and the devil. But there is a special reason for this. In 2
Corinthians
4, Paul says, "that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God
and not of ourselves." The reason is that we might not glory in people,
but in God.
We are to be examples for the flock and our
families.
Scripture is clear on this. Being a model for others is one of the
great
challenges of leadership. As God's servants, we should all desire to be
a clear
vessel though which people may see Christ; not a stained glass window
that
draws attention to itself. By the same token may we not become a dirty
window,
but one that is clean allowing people to see beyond us to Christ and
the truth
of the Word (1 Cor. 2:1-5). Our temptations, our trials, our
frustrations and
failures are common to all men (1 Cor.
In First Kings 19
we see
Elijah fearful, running scared, exhausted, depressed, and wanting to
die.
Something really shattered his focus and his faith. Have you ever been
there,
in the gloom of despair and defeat when all your expectations exploded
in your
face? Like Elijah, Christians can be around the Word, hear it taught,
and even
experience the work of God in our lives and still grow lukewarm or
callused.
When we get our eyes on PEOPLE and what they have done or said, we fail
to see
God at work. When our eyes are on people all we see are the conditions.
When
this happens, we are unable to respond with the right kind of action -
with
ministry, endurance, and faith.
Our focus (how we
see a
situation) can empower and encourage us, or neutralize and turn us into
whimpering complainers or discouraged discontents. When people focus on
people,
one of two things happen: (1) Either they brag about the person they
admire,
which may bring temptation to that person and encourage others to glory
in man,
or (2) they attack and criticize bringing persecution and heartache.
When God
is not the focus, we lose.
We should never
walk by sight
- as things appear to us. We are to walk by faith in the sovereign
control and
providence of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:7). This means we are to stay focused
on the
Lord and seek to look beyond the problems through the eyes of faith.
Therefore,
by faith, we are to continue to do the things God has called us to do.
We
should never run ahead of the Lord with our own escape and defense
strategies
through which we seek to change, manipulate, or control the situation.
Life is full of
disappointments and if we are not extremely careful, our expectations
will
derail us as they become demands of our heart - demanding that things
work out
the way we think they should. The potential of a fall is always only
one-step
away (1 Cor.
Though we are
soldiers in
God's army, the battle is the Lord's (1 Sam.
Keeping our focus
on the Lord
and our minds relating to God in the midst of a fallen and evil world
that
says, "happiness, security, significance, i.e., your needs, is found in
the details of life," is not easy. Thus, depression is a major problem
in
this country. Just like the rest of us, Elijah experienced the problem
of
depression - that mental and emotional condition marked by feelings of
discouragement, worthlessness, dejection, guilt, apprehension, and
failure.
Circumstances, possessions, or position does not cause depression, but
rather
it is caused by the way one handles life.
Depression is
universal. It
is no respecter of persons. No profession is exempt from it. It has
nothing to
do with one's IQ. If anything, people with higher IQs are more
susceptible. Age
is not a defense against it. It attacks the young and old alike.
Depression
ranges from mild mood swings (which we all face) to deep psychosis. It
may of
course have physical causes. Such things as drugs, low blood sugar,
glandular
disorders, allergies, brain tumors, and chemical imbalances may also
cause it.
The most common causes, however, is in the area of the spiritual,
mental, and
emotional.
We tend to become
depressed
when our expectations are not met. Thinking wrongly about ourselves can
also be
a terrible downer. In other words, seeking happiness, security, and
significance from our success or performance rather than from the Lord
is a big
cause of discouragement or depression. Sometimes we have a strong
desire for
things (covetousness). When those things don't meet our needs (and they
won't)
depression sets in. Rejection by others can cause depression.
However,
in Christ we have acceptance. As God's children, we belong to the
family of God
and we have the capacity He gives us to live the Christian life.
When our bodies are
tired, we
can't think and respond to pressure as well as we normally can. In
Elijah's exhausted
state, he prayed, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life." Instead,
the Lord lovingly and graciously sent an angel to feed and nourish him.
There
is a principle here: proper rest, diet, and exercise are essential to
coping
with depression.
First Kings 19 is
the most
instructive and, in many ways, the most encouraging chapter in Elijah’s
life
because we can all so easily identify with the prophet and his failure.
Just
when the Lord needed him the most, this divinely trained prophet proved
to be a
notable failure and ended up running away from his post in a terribly
depressed
condition. When faced with the threat of Jezebel and the obvious fact
there
would be no immediate revival in the land, he suddenly became fearful
and
discouraged. He then deserted his post and ran for his life.
But the Lord wasn't through with Elijah, and neither does failure mean
defeat
or an end to our ministry. This is one of the encouraging elements of
this
chapter - how the Lord worked to restore the prophet. God remembers
that we are
frail. He knows our frame that we are but dust (Ps. 103:14). He is
mindful that
we possess material bodies that must be cared for, often, before the
spiritual
part can function properly. The Savior never leaves us no matter how
far we
drift away. He is personally involved in seeking to restore us. Though
the
means may be completely lacking to us and all may appear lost and
without hope,
there is never an end to the degree of God's love and care, nor to the
capacity
and power at God's disposal to supply any need at any time.
Elijah’s restoration is another indication of the grace of God, that
even when
we are out of fellowship, with our hearts devising our own way, the
Lord still
works on behalf of His children's needs to lead them back to Himself.
This also
is an illustration of how we are so prone to prolong our trek in the
wilderness
in the pursuit of our own solutions to our pain and misery rather than
quickly
turn to the Lord. We do this because we tend to believe so strongly in
our
solutions. Because of our pride or our sensitive egos we just do not
like to
admit we are wrong and pursuing a wrong course.
God's primary
vehicle for
changing people and bringing reformation and revival is not the
miraculous, the
sensational, and spectacular like
Remember,
depression that is
not caused by physical problems, is one of our methods of escape. It is
a human
strategy for dealing with pain and disappointment. The irony is we seem
to be
more willing to depend on it as a solution than we are to trust the
Lord. No
one of us is in this fight alone. God is with us and we should be with
each
other as family and fellow servants. God is using us all, even in our
weaknesses and trials. Our job is to trust God and sow the seed (Luke
Lesson 18: The Mantle (Read 1 Kings 19:19-21)
When we fall, God
is always
at work to restore and renew our lives. Graciously He works to put us
either on
track or back on track to make us fruitful (cf. John 15:1-2). Like
Elijah, we
too can easily find ourselves down, lonely, and discouraged, but the
Lord is
the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3) and He has committed Himself to our
renewal
and restoration. What a loving and gracious Lord!
After his renewal
by the Lord
on
Elisha
acted on his faith by following God's call. He was willing to be
uprooted from
his quiet, peaceful, and rural life with its financial security to
follow the
Lord. Obviously he knew what his nation needed was the Word of the
Lord. Like
the sons of Issachar, he understood the times and knew what he must do
(1
Chron.
The life of a prophet was not a life of luxury. The mantle (Heb.
addereth) was
his official garment. This mantle automatically marked a man as a
prophet, a
spokesman of God. It was also a symbol of sacrifice and commitment. The
mantle
represented a man's gift, the call of God, and the purpose for which
God had
called him. Throwing it over the shoulders of Elisha was a symbolic act
denoting his summons to the office of prophet.
As
believers in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:1), we are God's representatives and
called to
ministry according to the ability God gives us (1 Pet.
Elisha
was accountable to God for what he did, not to Elijah. Elijah would
become
Elisha's spiritual leader and mentor, but Elisha understood that
ultimately, he
was accountable to God, not to a man. As the servants of God, we must
ever
remember that we are ultimately accountable to the Lord for what we do
with our
lives. One of the goals of leadership, as with parenthood, is to help
people
learn to become accountable to God (Heb.
Life and service to the Lord are like a cross-country race, not a
hundred-yard dash! One of the greatest needs in the Christian life as
fathers
or mothers, as husbands or wives, or as servants in any area is
endurance with
the commitment. Jesus said in Mark 10:43-45, "But whoever wishes to
become
great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first
shall be
slave of all. For even the Son man did not come to be served, but to
serve." Without total surrender, we cannot be His disciples; we simply
will not be able to make the sacrificial decisions that following Him
will
require.
Lesson 19: The Translation – 1 (Read 2 Kings
2:1-8)
In 2 Kings 2 we are
given a
glimpse of the mighty works of God through Elijah and Elisha. This in
itself
teaches us again about the might and power of our God. It also
demonstrates a
God who is loving and gracious and who cares for us as His people. Our
God is
both transcendent and immanent. By transcendent we mean that God is
exalted
above and is distinct from the universe. God is the source of all the
immense
power of the universe. He pervades, sustains, and controls the
universe. There
is no law, power, or fate that transcends Him since He alone is the
absolute
sovereign. By immanent we mean God is very much involved with our lives
and our
being. God often uses the personalities and lives of others to work in
our own
lives in various ways. We need to recognize this and respond in faith
to what
He is doing.
Elisha was a man
eager to
learn and experience more of knowing the Lord. He was loyal, loving,
and
devoted to God's calling. This means God's priorities and goals
directed and
controlled his life. God has called you and me to serve and minister to
others.
This means a willingness to go the extra mile. How we need loyal
Christians who
are not just looking out for themselves and what they can get out of
the
church. We need servants who are genuinely concerned for others and
determined
to find ways to serve (cf. Phil. 2:3-5).
Elisha was called
to the work
of a prophet. He was not ruled by other desires that could turn him off
course
and make him unavailable to God and others. He was determined that
nothing was
going to keep him from being the man God wanted. God calls Christians
to be
models of Christlikeness. Our profession needs to be backed up with
authentic
Christian living to demonstrate the life-changing power of the gospel
and to
give people confidence in the message of Jesus Christ. People are
watching to
see evidence of the blessing of God's work in our lives. Only God can
see our
hearts. People must be able to see our works, the fruit of the Spirit,
and hear
our words as we let our light shine. Then our life will have an impact
on
believers and non-believers alike (1 Tim.
God is not working
directly by
miracles as we have seen Him perform in the life of Elisha.
Nevertheless, He is
still working providentially in a multitude of ways - through His Word,
through
people, and through circumstances of trials and blessings. Today we
have the
completed canon of Scripture, the Holy Bible. It is God's final
revelation that
records the mighty historical acts of God from creation through the
early
church and anticipates His acts in these last days.
Lesson 20: The Translation – 2 (Read 2 Kings
2:9-11)
Second Kings 2:1-11
is the
story of the translation of Elijah. This brings to a close his ministry
on
earth. Elijah's translation and the events that surrounded it became a
means of
testing for Elisha whom God had called to step into the shoes of the
older
prophet. So also God works providentially in our lives through the
events and
lives of others.
In verses 1-6,
there was a
test of Elisha's commitment. This test showed that he had a teachable
spirit
and a commitment to God's calling to the very last. Then, in verses
7-8, Elisha
learned a lesson in the miracle of the parting of the waters of the
None of us are
indispensable
to God. God always has someone else, or some other way to accomplish
His
purposes, or He may have a different purpose or purposes. Our need is
to rest
in God's will and then carefully consider our responsibility in view of
the
removal of that one on whom we have been depending. We should seek to
be a
blessing to others as long as we are here. Always we must recognize
that we are
only instruments of God's grace, but it is God who is the indispensable
and
ultimate cause (cf. 1 Cor. 3:5-10).
We are never ready
to lose a
loved one, a good friend or teacher. There is always more to say more
to teach
and learn; more times we would like to enjoy together. But God, who
alone is
the indispensable one, suddenly breaks into our lives and takes our
friend or
loved one home to be with Him or moves them somewhere else. This is the
way the
Lord works; it's the way life is. Life must go on. We must pick up the
baton
and keep moving toward the goal. Often it is a new goal God has set
before us.
One man has defined
courage
as "the willingness to sacrifice for a better day." Our ability to
live godly, to serve God rather than self, to forgive and love others,
and find
real peace and stability is directly proportionate to the degree that
the
glories of heaven grip our souls and become the motive and anchor of
our lives
Until the refrain in the old hymn, "this world is not my home, I'm just
a
passing through" becomes real to us, we will not be truly free from
those
forces that dominate us and keep us from being more available to God
and able
to love and serve people.
We need to discern
the right
time to teach, confront, challenge, or even to encourage. The wise man
teaches
that there is "A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time
to
be silent, and a time to speak" (Ecc. 3:7). A great time to challenge
Christians to action is when they have just witnessed the blessing of
God and
are encouraged by the Lord through His Word or through what He has been
doing
in their lives.
Our desires and
requests show
the condition of our hearts. It shows just how ready we are for
ministry,
responsibility, and sacrifice. It shows if our treasure is primarily
here on
earth or in heaven. This in turn shows where our hearts are, which will
in turn
determine our priorities and pursuits and willingness to make the
necessary
sacrifices to fulfill God's will. If we are trying to use things to
make this
world our heavenly home and our basic source of satisfaction instead of
the
Lord, it will never work.
We do not 'belong'
to this
world. We are temporary residents only. Our real home is not
immediately
available, but we refuse to settle permanently anywhere else. We are
'pilgrims
and strangers.' Deep within us, however, is a longing for our true
home. It is
this longing that characterizes the people of God. We do not belong to
this
world because we do belong somewhere else. HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE!
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