Make Ready A People For the Lord

Make Ready A People For the Lord

Make Ready A People For the Lord, Elijah a man of earnest prayer, stood before the Lord and received according to the “word of the Lord.” He knew the Lord by His unusual miracles. During a 3 years drought, prophesied by Elijah, the Lord send ravens at Brook Cherith to feed and give him drink. In Zarephath, the Lord fed Elijah and a widow from a handful of flour turned into a cake, which sustained them during the 3 year drought, and the Lord, raised the window’s son from the dead by answering Elijah’s prayer.  Jesus says: Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

In Samaria, Elijah challenged the people of Israel to choose between Baal or God. In prayer, before all Israel and the prophets of Baal, Elijah reminded the people of their covenant with God and then asked God to demonstrate His power by sending fire from heaven to consume his burnt offering to renew their relationship. The Lord God demonstrated His sovereignty above all gods, by sending fire from heaven in His Jealousy to consume the burnt offering.  It is written, “And the God that answers by fire, let Him be God.”John says, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

In Brook Kishon, Elijah executed the 450 Baal prophets at according to the law. After the triumphant displayed of the Lord power, Elijah told king Ahab in faith to go eat and drink for there was sound of abundant rain. At mount Carmel, Elijah went up to the top of mountain to pray. He sent his servant to confirm the rain and after 7 watches the servant came back and told him “there was a cloud, as small as a man’s hand rising out of the sea. “ In faith, Elijah told his servant to tell king Ahab to prepare his chariot, and the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was heavy rain, Ahab rode away. The drought ended according to the word of the Lord.  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Romans 10:17

The hand of the Lord came upon Elijah and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.  In Jezreel, Ahab told Jezebel all Elijah had done and how he executed all the prophets with the sword. In rage, Jezebel threaten to do unto Elijah as he had done to her prophets “ so let the gods do to me and more also, If I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time”

1 King 19-9-10

There he went into a cave and spent the night.And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

Elijah a prophet anointed with fire, upon hearing Jezebel threat, ran for his life in fear and trepidation from Jezreel (Northern Kingdom of Israel) to Beersheba (Southern Kingdom of Judah), instead of standing in the presence of the Lord to get the “word of the Lord” to know the next steps to take.He left his servant in Judah, took a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat under a broom tree. In despondency, of the truth that God got rid of 450 Baal prophets, torn down Baal altar and gave rain to stop a 3-year drought, king Ahab, Jezebel and Israel did not yield to the call of repentance as he anticipated but continued in their apostasy and corruption, this weary him.“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

In frustration and forgetfulness, Elijah, a man through whom the Lord raised the dead, prayed He might die and said, “it is enough! Now take my life, for I am not better than my father! But the Lord did not give him to the enemy- the last enemy to be destroyed is death, rather the Lord send an angel to offer help to the heir of salvation.  An angel of the Lord ministered and fed Elijah cake baked on coals instead of bread of tears, and water instead of drink of tears and told him to arise and eat not once but twice because the journey was too great.

In 40 days, Elijah went in the strength of the food he ate in the wilderness to Horeb, the mountain of God.  Similar to Moses experienced on Mount Horeb for 40 days and 40 nights where the Lord gave Moses the 10 commandments to teach Israel. Parallel to what happened on Mount transfiguration, the glory of Christ was revealed to his disciples along with Moses, and Elijah met the Lord Jesus Christ -He did not come to abolished the law and prophet but fulfilled it. Matthew 5:17

On Mount Horeb, a place where God met men, is also the same place where Peter, James ,John, Moses and Elijah heard the voice of God testified of Jesus saying: “this is my son in whom I am well please.” They saw God in the face of Jesus-“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”. When the disciples and Jesus were coming down from the Mount Horeb, Jesus told his disciples Elijah had come to restore all things through John the baptist who came in the spirit of Elijah,but Israel did not recognized him and in like manner Israel will not recognized him. (Matthew 17:1-11)

"And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

1 KINGS 19:11-14

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

Make Ready A People For the Lord, the Man of God was commanded to go and stand on the mountain before the Lord-for an unforgettable event. Behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the 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 an earthquake a fire and after a fire a still small voice.  The Lord was not in the familiar signs but in a still small voice. (2 Samuel 22:8, 1 king 18:38,24,45)

   Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.

When Elijah heard the small voice; he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, the voice came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah?  The Man of God responded by saying “I have been zealous for the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altar and killed your prophet with the sword. I am alone and left and they seek to take my life.” The God of grace with compassion asked Elijah, the Tishbite of Gilead, a Man of God, the same question twice “what are you doing here, Elijah?” which implied (i)Why have you left your assignment-in Israel, (ii) Why are you at a different mountain, in spite of being at the mountain of God- Horeb (iii) Who is watching over your flock, not knowing it’s the Holy Spirit who appointed him to keep watch over the flock and he did not also seek the face of the Lord to receive a “word of the Lord”. (Acts 20:28)

In a place of desolation, our righteous father’s still small voice echoed his son’s name “Elijah” not with an intent to chasten him, rather to graciously consoled, correct and strengthened him in quietness. Jesus said: Come to me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. May we like Elijah, in moment of desperation or desolation run to the Lord in spite of being in or out of the will, according to His loving-kindness.

Jesus says :My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

In the mouth of a cave at night, an unforgettable night, the “word of the Lord” came to Elijah and said to him “What are you doing here, Elijah?  Elijah in self-righteousness with fluctuating emotions said “I have been zealous for the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altar and killed your prophet with the sword. I am alone and left and they seek to take my life, not knowing it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts the hearts of sin, judgment and righteousness and the onus was on Elijah to proclaim and obey the “word of the Lord” as he did previously in Brook Cherith, Zarepath, Mount Carmel, etc. and leave the results to the Lord.

1 Kings 19-15-18

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Make Ready A People For the Lord, the Lord increased Elijah anointing from a prophet who proclaimed His words to a king and a people to a prophet who anointed kings and a prophet to rule peoples, respectively, Hazael king over Aram, Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat a prophet with delegated authorities.

Hazel whose name means ” God has seen ” was an official of king Ben-hadad who later became king, a pagan king who God use to chasten Israel for their unfaithfulness toward Him.(2 King 8:7-14)

Jehu, whose name means “Yah Is He ” the grandson of Asa, king of Judah, commander Ahab’s army, king of Israel. Jehu, the avenger, later became king of Israel, and he obliterated Ahab’s dynasty and ended Baal worship in Israel according to what was right in the eyes and mind of God.(2 Kings 10:1-36).

Elisha whose name means “God is my salvation” son of Shaphat, a farmer by trade, call to be a prophet through the tutelage of Elijah, forsook his trade to follow Elijah to be his servant. He saw Elijah taken to heaven in a chariot of fire, and received double portion of Elijah‘s anointing from the Lord.

Jesus says: And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

The God of Israel who work wonders performed numerous miracles through Elisha to bring salvation to men, some of which are :healing spring of water in Jericho, to restoring the dead to life in the town shunem, filling lot of jars from a widow’s small olive oil to pay her debt, to purifying a pot stew of gourds to be eatable and feeding one hundred men with twenty loaves of barley with left overs. This is parallel to Jesus feeding the multitude of four or five thousand to the glory of God. The Lord worked through the lives of king Hazel, Jehu and prophet Elisha to eradicate Baal worship and Ahab dynasty to turn the hearts of Israel faithfully toward Him.

Jesus says: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Do you believe this?

Pause &Think

How did Elijah grow in his faith and how does the Lord speak to you?

What’s a miracle and do you believe in miracle, why or why not?

Compare Elijah faith and fear approach to the Lord

What can you learn from Elijah’s prayers- faith and fear mode.

Who leads men to repentance and salvation?

What is the significance of mount Horeb?

How did God demonstrate His love to Elijah?