1 Kings 19:11-14 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And 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; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantel and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, & killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.
In reading 1 Kings 18-19 we see a perspective of faith in a
man who thought he stood alone against the false prophets of Jezebel. In truth
a lesson seen
from 1 Kings 19:1-2:
"The spirit of Elijah brings restoration where evil has temporarily spread
division and great strife." Elijah met with the false prophets and revealed
his confidence in God by demonstrating the rebuilding of the altar to God in 1
Kings 18:23-40! Each of us must have an altar before God.
There was going to be a showdown between Israel’s god Baal
under Jezebel and the God of Elijah . Taking place on Mount Carmel, sanctuaries
had been built to pagan weather deities. They faltered between two opinions:
either follow Baal or follow God Who is LORD. And the people remained silent; It was the prophets of Baal that
spent 6 hours crying out to their god with no response. That false Baal must
have had a tug on some of their hearts. I wonder why they were hesitant to see
the real God of Israel!
We find in 1 Kings
18:26-29 that Elijah stepped out in faith and obedience to the Lord. In spite of the extreme circumstances, God never
failed to provide what was needed to Elijah in the unusual and the most
miraculous ways! And it was Elijah who prayed for the rain to return and it
did! It proved Baal impotent to provide anything. Elijah challenged and defeated
450 prophets of Baal and confronted king Ahab, but it was one threat from
Jezebel that sent Elijah on a run to the southernmost point of the city in the
southern kingdom of Judah. Elijah became despondent. The king Ahab had no good
ties to his own wife. It was she who ruled the kingdom with her wicked ways and
thoughts in Baal worship.
Where is our heart? What opinion do we hold there? Is it of
God or is it of another false god who leads us?
When first saved we have a love for our Lord! But we can be
in danger of losing our first love when we delight more in someone else than we
do Jesus. Does our soul long for fellowship with Him and Him alone? Are our
thoughts during leisure moments have no sound or look like Him? Do those
leisure things have the look of the world and human destruction? How about how
we view the commands of God as restrictions on our life and our fun time? Do we
inwardly strive for the acclaim of man rather than God?
Inheritance is that Place in Jesus….it is a kingdom: Matthew
26:62-64 NKJV and the high priest arose and said to Him, “do You answer
nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent.
And the high priest answer and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living
God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It
is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Jesus answered nothing to those who testified against Him;
but He did tell them of His place seated at the right hand of the Power and He
would be coming on the clouds of heaven. Again He was asked the same question
about those who testify against Him: Matthew 27:11-14 Now Jesus stood before
the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the king of the
Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused
by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. 13 Then Pilate said to
him, “do You not hear how many things
they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the
governor marveled greatly.
Mark 15:3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things,
but He answered nothing. 4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer
nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus answered
nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
Luke 23:8-9 NKJV 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was
exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had
heard many things about Him, & he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9
then he questioned Him with many words, but he answered him nothing.
It was Silence that filled Jesus’ mouth
when words came to question Him by many words to accuse Him. But He answered
readily to those who asked Him of His heritage and that which was in and with
the Father!
The Lord was silent before His accusers. But He spoke from
the Cross: Luke 23:39-43 Then one of the
criminals who was hanged blasphemed Him, saying “If you are the Christ, save
Yourself and us. 40 But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, “Do you not
even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation.” 41 And we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done
nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “ Lord, remember me when You come
into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “assuredly, I say to you, today
you will be with Me in Paradise.
Answers reveal where we reside. Jesus spoke of His home and
of His Father with whom He would be with soon. Silence fell at the Cross, the
Savior revealed. Silence for the sin took His life, and the ground shook and
darkness filled the afternoon sky. Truth He was and is the Son of God. But of
that day of His crucifixion it was those with the chief priests and others that
had now asked:“Where now is your God?”
The Father’s will for
our sake when Jesus was crucified: Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed
principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over
them in it.
We are not alone. Our prayer time, that devotion set aside
should be a conversation of God and our place by His side. It is a time of
love, and that opportunity to ask those personal things He seems to already
know about us!
It was extravagant
Devotion when Mary used her hair , her covering to bless the Lord. She
expressed love, a shared oneness of who He was, Her master & teacher and where He was headed. He had called her
brother Lazarus out of the Tomb in John 11:1-44, and He was going back to the
Father!
Judas poured
out his own oil of greed and hostility---in Judas was a heart greed for money
and not for the one next to him. But Mary poured the anointed oil over Jesus’
feet, the fragrance of life and beauty..
Mary communicated her love for the Lord that would always be spoken
about when the Gospel is given.
Between
Judas and Mary, where are we found? I will let you be the judge of your own
heart?
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
No Negative Thoughts or Feelings
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