STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT MINISTRY

Bristol Road 15th September 2004

ELIJAH – MAN OF ACTION

“Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others,
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Matthew 16 v 14

Over the next few studies we shall be looking at examples of Old

Testament Ministry. We use the text in Matthew as a linking phrase.

ELIJAH is always seen as the epitome of the prophet’s ministry. He

steps out of the shadows at God’s instruction and appears on the
political and religious scene to challenge the apostasy of his time.
Elijah is the archetypal MAN OF ACTION and his life and ministry
provides a rich seam of Biblical material from which to learn about
aspects of the spiritual life and the life of ministry. (On an earlier
occasion we visited Elijah in a series entitled “How to cope with
Elijah”.)

This evening I want you to find him under the broom tree – deeply
depressed – a he runs from Jezebel, not long after his greatest moment
on Carmel.

Elijah is a lesson to us in the stresses and strains of ministry as well as

it’s style. He teaches us that the servant of God who takes the
prophet’s mantle will often be a person of great swings of mood and
disposition. We should not reject someone out of hand for the role of
pastor simply because he reveals similar tendencies to becoming
depressed or troubled – we should seek to understand that, as with
Paul in different circumstances of physical frailty, so with many men
whom God uses there are inherent weaknesses; but God uses them
none the less.

Remember what James says: “Elijah was a man just like us…”

Elijah had gone down in the history of the Jewish people as the
Prophet. None in the time of Jesus’ ministry had ever known him – and
probably only a few knew the detail of his story – but there was a
general sense of greatness about the man – so much so that, as the
years passed, he became a template for a Man of God – a minister of
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the divine word. Elijah’s iconic position is underlined by his

appearance at Christ’s transfiguration alongside Moses.

Elijah’s ministry can be set out in six episodes:

1. He appears to denounce Ahab and declare a drought 1Ki

17
2. He meets Obadiah and challenges Baal worship on Carmel 1Ki
18
3. He runs to Horeb to avoid Jezebel 1Ki
19
4. He confronts Ahab about Naboth’s vineyard 1Ki
21
5. He confronts Ahaziah about Baalzebub 2Ki 1
6. He is dramatically taken up to heaven 2Ki 2

A quick reminder of those stories shows us the kind of ministry that

Elijah exercised – an uncompromising series of declarations about
Jehovah in the face of widespread apostasy and the evils of Ahab.

Looking a little closer we see more of the man himself – and it is those
aspects of the man Elijah that I want to present to you this evening.
We can link them together by a theme that quite remarkably ties in to
our word on Sunday evening last concerning the SMALL THINGS in the
sign of the feeding of the crowd in John’s gospel.

Here they are:-

1Ki 17 v12 only a handful of flour

1Ki 18 v44 a cloud as small as a man’s hand

1Ki 19 v46 I am no better than my ancestors

1Ki 19 v12 after the fire came a gentle whisper

I want you to picture the man Elijah – not as he stands triumphant on

Carmel – or appears menacingly before Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard –
but cowering under the scant shade of the broom tree in deep despair.

I imagine him looking back over what he has achieved and how he is
now reduced to retreating in the face of Jezebel.
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The answer of God in each situation reminds us that it is the Lord who
transforms the unlikely and the small – who provides for His servant in
small pieces, provoking a faith that can recognise God in small signs of
His activity, who rebukes the self-centred and contracted prophet – but
also ministers again to his physical needs and speaks to him – not in
the dramatic and violent – but in the still small voice.

This then is a study of God using small things to prepare, inspire,

restore and rebuke His servant.

He is the Lord God of Cherith

Zarephath
Carmel
The wilderness
and
The sacred mountain of Horeb

There is another remarkable link with the story in John – the word
ENOUGH!

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in
Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s
journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it
and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.
“Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay
down under the tree and fell asleep.

What he needed to be
reminded of was that the
Lord was ENOUGH for all of
his needs.

The movements of Elijah

which are neatly
summarised on this map
draw us into the pattern of
the narrative.

We see Elijah moving – in

the face of the drought
from Samaria to Cherith
and on to Zarephath.
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From Zarephath to Carmel via Samaria.

From Carmel to Beersheba

From Beersheba to Sinai and then to Damascus.

I. THE SMALLNESS OF THE PROVISION FOR HIS NEEDS THAT WAS

ENOUGH

II. THE TINY CLOUD - SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF ANSWERED PRAYER

III. THE SMALLNESS OF THE PROPHET HIMSELF – IN GOD’S HANDS

IV. THE SMALL VOICE THAT PUTS HIM BACK ON TRACK

These are the means by which God moulds the MAN OF ACTION.

1. Small provision that was enough Chap 17

AT KERITH
2
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward
and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from
the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”
5
So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine,
east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him
bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the
evening, and he drank from the brook.

AT ZAREPHATH
12
“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any
bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I
am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself
and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

One of the striking features of Elijah’s early ministry is his loneliness.

Later we see evidence of a school of prophets – and later still he has
the companionship of Elisha. Whilst his was not an entirely unshared
ministry it was very much a lone ministry. Like John the Baptist who
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followed directly in his prophetic “line of succession” – he is a voice

crying in the wilderness.

That solitary ministry will take its toll later. At the beginning he is
learning an ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCE UPON GOD.

We can only imagine what kind of life he had at Kerith – and with what
mixed feelings he may have accepted the feeding by ravens.
I believe it is instructive that we are told of these formative influences
in his ministry – for in other respects he comes from nowhere.

In this remarkable provision of the prophet’s needs there is a balance

between GOD’S WORDS TO ELIJAH and HIS WORDS SPOKEN BY ELIJAH:
2
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward
and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from
the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”
8
Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of
Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to
supply you with food.”

And ….
14
For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will
not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD
gives rain on the land.’ ”
15
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food
every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of
flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with
the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

Notice that – for it is crucial to any ministry

God speaks to Elijah – the formula is distinctive “the word of the Lord
came to Elijah…”

God speaks through Elijah – again a distinctive formula “This is what

the Lord, God of Israel says: …” (“Thus says the Lord”)

Notice too that you must not lose sight of the CENTRAL THEME OF THE
PROPHET
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17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD,
the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in
the next few years except at my word.”
Words full of authority – and a direct challenge to the prevailing
idolatry. That challenge to Baal worship is at the heart of his ministry –
it is his dominant theme – and it brings him into direct conflict with
Ahab and to a greater extent with Jezebel. As a result of that conflict –
the faithful discharge of his prophetic role – Elijah runs away and faces
depression.

There can be no doubt – from personal experience as well as the lives

of the prophets that there is much stress associated with the ministry.
This stress has it roots in the essential components of this ministry.

To counter this tendency God gives the prophet two remarkable gifts –
the access to His word and all its authority, and the access to His
miraculous provision for his daily needs – and for the needs of others.

We see this provision in the SMALL THINGS OF GOD PROVIDING AT

KERITH AND ZAREPHATH.

From minute meals provided by ravens to the handful of flour and little
oil in a jug – it is not accidental that these miracles of PROVISION from
tiny beginnings are so common in scripture. It is a vital principle of
God’s ways with us.

Our little with His ENOUGH is sufficient.

In the next phase we see the same principle worked out in the realm of
PRAYER:

2. A tiny cloud – evidence of answered prayer 18 v

44
41
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of
a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed
to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face
between his knees.
43
“Go and look towards the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up
and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
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44
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a
man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down
before the rain stops you.’ ”
45
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy
rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD
came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran
ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Observe two kinds of faith operating in this narrative.

Doubtless emboldened by the dramatic evidence of Jehovah’s power

on Carmel, Elijah issues a general statement about the drought:
41
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of
a heavy rain.”

I do not know how Elijah knew that this time prayer on his part was
needed, but it was.

Under a blazing blue sky with not one single cloud he issues the
statement that rain is on the way. Ahab goes to celebrate.

but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and
put his face between his knees.

As James tells us so forcefully – Elijah was a man like us – BUT HE

PRAYED and the rain stopped – and HE PRAYED AGAIN and the rain
returned.

The Old Testament leader is clearly a man of the Word and a man of
prayer.

Faith that is linked to prayer – intercessory prayer – has to be like a

grain of mustard seed. A LITTLE FAITH.

The narrative is so graphic – seven times (I can hear Mendelssohn’s

score) his servant goes to look. Why didn’t Elijah go himself? He is
praying – and nothing will stop his praying again until the evidence is
there.

But what tiny evidence. No vast hurricane cloud forming over the
Mediterranean! Just a little puff of a cloud …

But THAT IS ENOUGH FOR ELIJAH ON CARMEL

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(Whether it would be enough in the desert south of Beersheba is

another thing!)

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down
before the rain stops you.’ ”

And two things followed – the rain came! And Elijah was empowered to
run!

(I sometimes think that Elijah and I would have shared a similar desire
to get out of the rain!)
So in the realm of the PRAYING PROPHET there is scope for small things
– small clouds to sufficiently indicate that God is keeping His word.

Elijah needs to be seen not only in charge of the events on Carmel – as

the representative of Jehovah – but giving the weather-forecast too – in
charge of rain – a responsibility before hand linked in the minds of the
people only with Baal.

But the running prophet will soon be running for a different reason –
and entirely in his own strength.

3. The small prophet - little me! Ch 19 v 46

19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had
killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to
Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by
this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba
in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s
journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it
and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said.
“Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay
down under the tree and fell asleep.

I am tempted to linger over this story – but I will resist that temptation.
Elijah – action man – a man just like us! Elijah stressed, running,
exhausted, altogether down!
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For all his experience of divine provision – for all his experience of the
ravens and the widow’s oil and flour – and the fire on Carmel – and the
triumphant run in the rain to Jezreel – for all of that ELIJAH IS AFRAID.

Jezebel’s reputation is well earned. Elijah does not run from Ahab – he
outruns him – but in Jezebel all the fears and horrors of the ENEMY are
focussed. One word from her and he turns tail.

Because we know the end of the story at its beginning we may miss
the profound TRANSFORMATION OF FAILURE that it represents.

In addition you should notice how SELF-CENTRED the story is. There
are frequent references to Elijah’s life:

Jezebel threatens to take it 2

Elijah runs for his life 3
Elijah wants to give it up 4
He speaks about it twice 10,14

There can be little doubt but that the Elijah of our narrative is so weak and filled with
despair because he has suddenly cut himself off from the fountain of his strength, the God
of Israel, who is also the God of heaven and earth. All that he can remember that is
positive is his own prophetic authority and authenticity: “I have been furiously zealous
for Yahweh, God of Hosts.” Any prophet who sees things going badly in his ministry and
as a result wants to abandon it and perhaps surrender his very life must assuredly have
forgotten from whom his real strength comes.1

Elijah has cut himself off from his God – and from other believers.

His twice repeated chorus of selfish suffering

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The
Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken 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.”

demonstrates this.

He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might
die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better
than my ancestors.”

1
DeVries, S. J. (1998). Vol. 12: Word Biblical Commentary : 1 Kings
(electronic ed.). Logos Library System; Word Biblical Commentary.
Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
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POOR ME! POOR LITTLE ME! ONLY ME! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!

And having reached that point God intervenes and, after two doses of
sleep and a touch and a meal provided by angels – Elijah is ready to
make a longer journey to Horeb.

We should not be surprised that God’s ACTION MAN gets down and
depressed – he is, as James so pointedly reminds us – just like us.

I get the impression that as the scripture has Elijah repeating his
refrain – he had spent some time rehearsing it.
The focus of his life has changed dramatically. He no longer sees the
horizon and the little cloud. He has forgotten the faithful like Obadiah
and the hundred he sheltered. He is looking inward and finding himself
SMALL and weak.

Such skewed perspectives need the ministry of God and His angel.

We should be prepared for weakness in the Lord’s servants. They are

men like us. Sometimes it will all get too much for them and they will
seem to think that God has changed, that those others who are faithful
don’t count. That is very hard. I wonder what Obadiah would have
made of Elijah’s lament?

And so we come to the final SMALL THING in this view of the ministry
of Elijah.

4. The small voice - as God puts him back on track.

And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here,
Elijah?”
10
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The
Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken 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.”
11
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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not
in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah
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heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at
the mouth of the cave.

Perhaps best of all the phrase which is literally “a brief sound of

silence” is rendered in the AV

A STILL SMALL VOICE

You may find it instructive to compare this narrative with that in John
where Peter is restored.

A question

The refrain

A demonstration of God’s power but not His presence

A STILL SMALL VOICE

13 When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his
great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet
voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” THE
MESSAGE

Elijah hadn’t been listening. When first challenged in v9 he simply

repeated his rehearsed statement.

That is not listening.

In answer to God’s simple direct question “What are you doing here,
Elijah”
The Man of Action had simply repeated his mantra of self centred
failure and doubt.

So God gets his attention by a most profound parable of loud and soft,
harsh and gentle, turbulent and direct.

The repeated phrase “but the Lord was not…” is telling.

It is remarkable because we often assume that God is always present

in a dramatic and forceful way.

The repeated question is crucial. “What are you doing here Elijah?”
He must answer that question honestly – but he fails to do so.
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Confronted with the awesome sound of silence – he wraps his prophet

cloak around him and gave the same reply.

I don’t know what he should have said – I only know he did not say it.
He had become altogether settled in that view of things which sees
only his own zeal, his own persecution, and his conviction that he is the
only one.

There is only one way forward – and that is back!

And only one solution – the appointment of a successor.

Elijah must know that he is not the only one left.

So ACTION MAN hears the voice of God:

He hears as an individual the instructions for his own provision.

He hears the voice of God commission him to declare the drought.

He hears the sound of rain when none is evident – because his faith is
fuelled by prayer and by the acts of God on Carmel.

But when he has run in the face of Jezebel – and survived the
exhaustion and deep confusion of Beersheba – he is given the strength
to get to Sinai.

Did the man of action really hear what God was saying to him there?
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