Who Controls the Rain?
Trusting God to provide.
CONTEXT:
Elijah was a prophet to Isreal during a very difficult time in the Nations history. 870 BC.
They were doing evil against God by erecting idols and worshipping other Gods.
And then there was Ahab!!!!!
1 Kings 16:30
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
1 Kings 16:33
And Ahab made an Asherah (wooden poles, images, or trees associated with pagan worship). Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Baal Worship practices:
“Child sacrifice, Sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and Pantheism (reverence of creation over the Creator)
WHY!
The Israelites were doing this because they thought Ba’al controlled the rain so they were worshipping him in order to prosper.
ELIJAH:
1 Kings 17:1
17 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
God then told Elijah to flee and hide, and it appears he endures three tests:
1 Kings 17:2-3
2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
1. God commanded the ravens to bring him bread and meat.
2. Then the widow provides who is about to starve to death.
1 Kings 17:12
12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
3. Then The widows son dies but Elijah brings her back by laying on him 3 times
1 Kings 12:17-24
Stretched 3 times, cried have you also brought tragedy on her, God revived him.
God take Elijah through all this to show the Israelites through Elijah that God is faithful and will provide for all of our needs even past death.
1 Kings 18:21
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal (is god), then follow him.”
1 Kings 18:37-40
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering the wood the stones the dust, and licked up the water
They saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
It shows us that God is unwilling to let his people look to any other source for provision.
He is our provider and in him we have everything we need.
THE FAITHFUL ONE
PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF:
1 Kings 18:40
And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
1 Kings 18:41-46
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
How do you think Ahab and Jezebel responded?
1 Kings 19:1-2
1 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 more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”
1 Kings 19:3
Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. (120 miles 6 days journey)
1 Kings 19:4
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
19:11
Then God tells Elijah to go to the opening of the cave and:
A strong wing comes by that rips the mountain, but he wasn’t in the wind.
Then an Earthquake, but he wasn’t in the earthquake.
Then a fire but he wasn’t in the fire.
Then in a whisper God says; Elijah what are you doing here?
1 Kings 19:14
“I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
The God says return to the wilderness of Damascus.
God gives Eliah new instructions:
He must now return to the very north of Syria-Palestine and anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.
1 Kings 19:16-18
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Because God know Elijah can’t bear the sins of Isreal… He falls short just like every king, prophet and judge that came before him.
BUT THERE IS ONE!!!!
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
There is one hero in this story. There is one most loving most merciful most kind most faithful.
And that is Jesus!!!!!!
The bible is what’s called an epic narrative that tells the story of ONE MAN!
An epic is a lengthy narrative typically about the extraordinary deeds of an extraordinary character who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants.
Epic, long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
So when we read the scriptures we should have 1 prominent question.
“What does this say about Jesus.”
“What does this reveal about Jesus.”
“What does this teach about Jesus.”
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