These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the Word of the Lord

And these are the days of Your servant, Moses

Righteousness being restored

And though these are days of great trials, Of famine and darkness and sword

Still we are the voice in the desert crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

(Composer Robin Mark 1995)

Imagine living in the days of Elijah where civil war between God’s chosen was the constant theme with the kings of both Israel and Judah making the choice to “do evil in the sight of the Lord” or to trust and obey God.  Those who suffered most were the people caught in the crossfire, who lived without, poor and needy, with no way to make a living because of the fallout of war. Their daily lives were lived precariously “on alert,” not knowing who to believe and trust.  Who will tell us the truth?, Was their heartcry.

Even now, I am reminded of the war going on now between Russia and Ukraine as well as the war in Israel today.  This is not a political thought; only of the sadness over moms, dad, and children just trying to survive it all and maintain a living. At times, we might think God does not see what is going on, hear the cries for help, or simply does not care but realize this is exactly what the Enemy of God wants us to think. God has not given up His supreme authority over all He has created. God is always at work among a people He has bestowed free will to choose Him or the Enemy.

And these are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh

And these are the days of Your servant, David

Rebuilding a temple of praise

And these are the days of the harvest, The fields are as white in the world

And we are the laborers in Your vineyard, Declaring the Word of the Lord

In the days of Elijah, warring, arrogant kings have decided to worship idols. They will sacrifice all they have, even their own children, to Baal’s statue and to other godless idols of the day.  The spoils of war by the kings and commanders are squandered on evil, detestable practices in dark places while the common people go hungry.  But God has a plan—THE PLAN—Jesus who is the Way, Truth, and Life!  The plan was in place since Adam and Eve, the first to fall from their pure relationship with God.  Jesus is on His way.

Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun, at the trumpet call

Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!

Keep this in mind as we read of “kings and kingdoms who will all pass away.” Focus in to magnify the works of God through His prophets who are sent to herald the coming of Christ who will redeem a repentant people!  Miracles will happen to and through His prophets who boldly and relentlessly speak for God! 

1 Kings 17

Elijah Announces a Great Drought

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.”

Elijah Fed by Ravens

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 directed the ravens to supply you with food 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.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

⁷ Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” ¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”                 

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 olive 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.”

¹³ Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 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 sends 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.

¹⁷ Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. ¹⁸ She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹ “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” ²¹ Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

²² The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. ²³ Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW WILL WE RESPOND?

Elijah was the first of many important prophets God sent to warn Israel and Judah as the two kingdoms fell away from God. Israel especially needed these prophets because of an evil king and unfaithful priests.  But there was remnant of faithful people, (there’s always a few), who still believe in the Living God who hears them.  The poor widow was one of them. The widow demonstrated her faith by feeding the prophet with her last meal. Not only, we noticed that she gave Elijah a place, an upper room, to stay!  Her devotion would later lead to her son being restored to life!  After all, they had enough to eat!  Yes, there’s no one like Jehovah!

It was the same in the days when Jesus walked the earth, many were tired, poor, oppressed by government and religious rule makers and breakers. They, too probably were wondering if God was hearing their cries for help. God heard before their prayers were fully formed and had an answer for whoever believed.  God sent His Son to come and to seek the lost, tell them the Truth, redeem, and save all who would believe in Him. Their answer would be the same as the widow’s, “now, I know…” To all who believed, God gave the gift of eternal Life with Him! All repentant sins gone forever!  That same Jesus sets us free when we bring all we are and all we have to Him for forgiveness and healing of all that is broken within us. 

Surrender.  Pray in faith believing that His will be done will always be His best for us.  There’s no one like Jehovah God!

If you are still asking, but does God really care…read this story again!  We serve the God who designed the universe and set our world in motion. But those hands that created all, even us in His own image, knows us by name, also bends down to wipe away the tears of the widow. And those hands will wipe away our tears as well.  Tears come to me now, remembering how God healed my broken heart, removed my sins, turning my mess into a Message to proclaim His glorious works!  He works continuously to shape me in ways to be used to help others who are searching for Truth!  There’s no one like Jehovah!

Jesus Christ is not only bore our sins he still bears our sorrows.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” our Savior proclaims!  (Matthew 5:4) He still wipes away the tears of all who are hurting. So, run to God, who calls us Friend, who sticks closer than a brother. Allow His gift of His Holy Spirit living in us to guide us to all that is truth!

In our “days of Elijah” of seeking Truth; we discover that the most important relationship we will ever have and must cling to is with Jesus Christ who is Truth. It is Jesus who demonstrated the love God has for us by dying for us, even before we repented. He is the One, the Only One, who gives us full access to the throne of God. His sacrifice was for the redemption of all the sins of the world! He took our place so that our debt of sin could be paid in full. It is not God’s desire to leave anyone left behind…to all who believe the gift of eternal life is given.  There’s no god like Jehovah, indeed!  Soon He’s coming back to claim His own!

“Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun, at the trumpet call

Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!”

“He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Come, Lord Jesus, Come…Now and forever, You are Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords! Thank you, Father God. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

In Jesus Name, Yes, and Amen