2022-05-27
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit directs me to write about the joy and peace that Elijah’s example brings us. Please read 1K 18: 24-45 before continuing. King Ahab met with Elijah on Mt. Carmel. After calling Elijah a “troubler of Israel,” Ahab (in response to Elijah’s direction) summoned the 450 prophets of Baal and his wife, Asherah, whom Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, worshipped. Baal was the deity Ahab followed too. Then, Elijah told the prophets of Baal to prepare a bull and invite Baal to come. As much as they called to Baal, Baal and Asherah didn’t come. Ahab had called people from all over Israel to come as well. The prophets of Baal cut the bull to be sacrificed into pieces and placed them on the altar wood without igniting them. Elijah encouraged them to keep calling for their deities. But still Baal didn’t come. They danced around the altar. “Shout louder,” Elijah told them. Eventually, these false prophets began slashing each other, but none of the pieces were ignited in fire.
Then Elijah made the same offering on the altar calling to God and establishing 12 stones in a pile for the 12 tribes of Israel. Elijah took the other bull and cut it into pieces, placing on the wood on the altar. He didn’t set it on fire, but instead called to the Lord God, telling the people, He answers with fire. Elijah commented to the prophets of Baal, “Surely your gods are asleep,” but there was still no response. The altar to the Lord that Elijah counted on had been destroyed, so Elijah repaired it first. He said, “Your name shall be Israel.” After repairing the altar, he dug a trench around it, poured 4 jugs of water, and poured it on the offering and the wood. The water poured down the altar filling the trench. “Answer me, Lord,” he said, “so the people will turn their hearts back to You.” Then fire came down from the Lord, burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil. It licked up the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they cried, “The Lord is God!”
Elijah commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and Asherah, to bring them down to the Kidron Valley, where they were slaughtered. The Baal-worshipers were then told to eat and drink, and there was the sound of a heavy rain. Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel again, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. (This was an act of acknowledging the covenant read about in GN 15: 17). Seven times, Elijah commanded his servant to look toward the sea. Six times, the servant reporting nothing, but on the 7th, he reported a cloud small as a man’s hand was coming up from the sea. Elijah then told his servant to go and tell Ahab to go in his chariot down by the sea before the rain stops you. Meanwhile, the sky grew back, the wind picked up, and heavy rain began to fall. Ahab went to Jezreel and God’s power came on Elijah. Elijah ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel.
I find it interesting that Jezreel was the destination God chose for them to leave this clear example of the reality that our God is One and the Lord of the universe [DT 6: 4-5]. Jezreel is where the battle of Armageddon will eventually be fought. It’s a valley that stretches from the base of the mountain where the Tel Magiddo is. That was Israel’s garbage dump. Although Megiddo has been extensively chronicled in extra-biblical sources, it is only mentioned 12 times in the OT and once, indirectly, as Armageddon in the NT (REV 16:16). Most Christians know the book of Revelation prophesies an end-times battle that will be fought at a place called Armageddon (REV 16:16), and many know that Armageddon is, in fact, a corruption of the Greek word, Ἁρμαγεδών (Harmagedon) or “the hill of Megiddo.”
PRAYER: O Lord, Your power goes beyond that of any human and is what we call “supernatural.” We have seen Your power to create in the jagged mountains, meadows strewn with wild flowers, oceans with animals specialized to live in them, deserts and all living things on earth. Your power to bring about mankind and to carry out Your plan of salvation are unmatched in any other realm. You have created us with the ability to reproduce and to each have his own unique personalities. Our skill sets are created for Your purposes. No other Person in the universe could write and teach us with the love, joy-producing, and wisdom of Your words in the Scriptures [2 TIM 3: 16-17].. You know the future You have for us, one that will not bring disaster, but is designed to bring us closer to You [JER 29: 11-13]. We bow our heads before You in utter reverence and awe. You are a God, Who wants us to have inner peace and joy. You are always present with us and we acknowledge the love we have for You and what You teach us. So, we dedicate this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, in acknowledgement of Your omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence for our eternal wellbeing. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about how and when God finally revealed Himself to His faithful prophet, Elijah. He was no favorite of Ahab and Jezebel, and they caused a fear for his life from that, which had some revealing consequences. We all wish that we would hear God’s voice clearly and see Him. And yes, that will come in our future, as long as we remain faithful to Him. However, God does talk with us, sometime in answer to prayer, sometimes in messages given by several unconnected friends, and sometimes in a whisper heard by those who listen for it. Yet another way is by saying nothing at all when we beseech Him to speak to us, in those times when we are willing to ask ourselves, “What lesson does God have in this for me?” His love for a faithfully obedient person is eternal. There are so many ways that our loving God blesses us and gives us joy. If we look for them, we will find them. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn Johnson,
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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