Thoughts on Elijah

A couple of summers ago it was a very intense time for me. So many things were up in the air and I didn't see any resolution to any of them, except in my very limited vision of what God could do. In my reading through the Bible I was in 1 Kings and the story of Elijah really caught my attention. As I continued reading, my thoughts focused on what Elijah might have been thinking and going through with God. I certainly was going through things with God. So, I began writing what the thoughts of Elijah might have been.

Now I understand that Elijah might have never had these thoughts. But you know he was human just like you and me and these just might have been going through his mind. It certainly helped me to see God's work in people when we really don't have a clue as to what He is doing and yet we are absolutely, directly the recipient of His workings.

Please read on and maybe God will speak to you where you are right now.

(What are written in italics are direct quotes from The Message passages in 1 Kings 16-18. My thoughts are indicated by RLO. What might have been Elijah's and the Widow's are indicated by ELIJAH and WIDOW.)

RLO: Father, I am overwhelmed and overjoyed this morning. I awoke very early and started to think about the impending end of the money I had set aside to live on. My emotions and fear began to follow. But Your Spirit spoke to me and reminded me "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid." And I wasn't. The feelings of anxiety and fear left. I got up and started my reading in Your Word. I read 1 Kings 16-18. You spoke to me so greatly through this passage. It was about Elijah and his life at the beginning of his ministry with You. I'm going to try and tell here what You said to me.

We don't know what Elijah's life was like before he came on the scene in the Bible. But the environment and society in which he lived was horrible. Ahab, who was king at the time, was exceedingly evil and all of the population of Israel was affected in some way. So I can assume Elijah was really struggling trying to stay obedient to God and he knew of Ahab's ways and the kind of person he really was. In addition Ahab was greatly influenced by his wife Jezebel, who was also extremely evil and powerful. The Bible says:

"Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before God than anyone yet--a new champion in evil!...It was under Ahab's rule that Hiel of Bethel...ritually sacrificed his first-born son...and his youngest son...That is exactly what Joshua son of Nun said would happen."

It was in this kind of environment and conditions in which Elijah lived. Life must have been very difficult and the world was against all that Elijah believed in. Going on the Bible says:

"And then this happened: Elijah the Tishbite...confronted Ahab; "As surely as God lives..."

God had had enough. So he sent Elijah to confront Ahab. I wonder what Elijah thought. "You want me to do what?" And then again, maybe he didn't wonder this. Maybe Elijah was desperate for God and just did it. Whichever way it was, the effect it had on Ahab was not pretty.

"God then told Elijah, "Get out of here, and fast...hide out...you can drink fresh water from the brook; I've ordered the ravens to feed you. Elijah obeyed God's orders."

Now I don't know how Elijah felt or what he thought, but what came to my mind was that he might have felt something like this:

ELIJAH: "OK, life was not perfect and goodness knows I'm not perfect, but all of a sudden my life has turned upside down. Not only are You asking me God to give up everything and do something completely crazy, like tell this evil king bad news, even when everyone around me would say I'm nuts, but I have to give up my home, all I've ever known, my family, and now I'm on the run for my life. Fear? I think I have something to be afraid of! Questions? Yeah! I have lots of questions. You'll take care of me? Come on! Be fed by ravens? But, I'm going to trust You with everything! I'll do as You say." Then the Bible goes on to say:

"And sure enough, ravens brought him his meals, both breakfast and supper, and he drank from the brook."

ELIJAH: "OK, so You did that Father. I see. But I still don't know why me, or why I'm doing this. So what? I do know that because of what You told me to tell Ahab I'm going to suffer greatly. Why do I deserve this? I've been faithful to You against all kinds of odds, persecutions, bad situations, powerful influences, why?" Then Father, Your Word says:

"Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought. Then God spoke to him: Get up and go...and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you."

ELIJAH: "Oh great, I'm sitting here in this wilderness alone, by a brook being fed by ravens. While it might not be ideal, I at least have food and water. But I see little by little each day the water starting to dry up and I start worrying. What's going to happen when it's gone? How long are the ravens going to keep this up? I've been out here a long time. Where are You God? What's going to happen to me? I did what You said and now look. I'm lonely. The water's drying up and I'm going to die, for what? Nothing has really changed. The world is still evil. But I hear You. You told me to get up and go. Won't that be dangerous? Ahab is still trying to kill me. That hasn't changed. Maybe if I stay here, I can outlast the drought. Why can't You use Your power to just keep the water flowing for me, even during the drought. You can do that! Why do I have to go? And You say You've spoken to a widow to feed me? What if it turns out just like this, good for a while, but then I'm in trouble again. How do I know You talked to a widow? Who is she anyway? How will I find her? I'm putting my life into this unknown person. She doesn't know me. At least I know what I have here. You've done what You said, but even with that, now the water's drying up." But the Bible says:

"So he got up and went."

RLO: I guess I have to trust and obey just like that. Elijah did. What he did was against what might be considered realistic, pragmatic or conventional wisdom. So when he got to his destination, I think Elijah would have expected this widow to be wealthy enough and be hospitable to welcome him, because God had already given her the word. But no, that's not what happened at all. The Bible says that when Elijah asked for a little jug of water because he was thirsty and something to eat, her response was:

"I swear, as surely as God lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit...you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die."

ELIJAH: "What? I thought You said "I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow to feed you." Do I have the wrong widow? I've got to take control and look for the one You talked to. Why couldn't You have told me which widow it was? You could have been a little more specific in Your directions on how to find her. Now what do I do? I'm hungry, thirsty and really, really tired. This is ridiculous. Why can't You make things easier? This not worth it. Where is all this going? Why am I doing this? And after leaving a place where I was safe. You protected me. I had water and food. I trusted You and traveled all this way. Now I have nothing. You let me down and I don't know where to turn except for me to start making my own decisions."

RLO: But Elijah didn't think like that. Instead it didn't matter if this widow was the "right one." He depended on God's power instead. It wasn't the situation or the way Elijah thought God would work things out. No, but he trusted God and went on. Elijah said to the widow:

"Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here...This is the word of the God of Israel: "The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.""

RLO: Elijah didn't ask for a huge meal. He was obviously hungry. But he just asked for a little bit. God provided. But Elijah also showed his love and compassion for the widow and the son, when he could so easily thought only of himself, his predicament, thwarted expectations, disappointment and fear of the future. He still didn't know what God was doing with him, where he was going and why. He just knew and obeyed one-step-at-a-time and each step wasn't always pretty.

The story goes on in the Bible, but the emphasis now shifts to the widow. So she did what Elijah told her to do. For some reason she trusted him (and God) and does what is not the "smart" thing to do. She takes from the almost nothing she has, that her son's life and her life depends on. After this she knew there is no more. She already knows that starvation is imminent and this little flour and oil she has and even the little bit of firewood left will prolong life just a little while longer, and that "little while" is very precious to her. But in spite of all this and her fear, the Bible says:

"She went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked."

RLO: That Father, is amazing to me. It's one thing to endure the hardships and potential ruin when it's only just you. But when one's decisions have potential dire impact on those you love, that is scary and amazing. There is a point at which those who are dependent on you weighs so heavy you think you can't make the decision. It's an awesome responsibility. But this poor, poor widow did it, trusted and knew that her decision about this crazy, unlikely promise would happen. The Bible says:

"And it turned out as he said--daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty. God's promise fulfilled to the letter...exactly as Elijah had delivered it."

WIDOW: "Hallelujah! I was right to trust God. I'm now set. No matter what goes on around me, no matter how long this drought lasts, I'm going to be faithful to God and I will be fine. I'm telling everyone what God did for me and how he blessed me. All is well and God is pleased with my decision."

RLO: But wait. That's not what happened at all. The Bible says:

"Later on the woman's son became sick. The sickness took a turn for the worse and he stopped breathing."

WIDOW: "How could You God? I wish You had just let us die when I expected it. Why did You build me up? Put me on the joyful road of answered prayers? Bless me? Put my fears behind me? I gave You all the credit and glory. I was set, trusting You and being a great witness for You. And now You take my son away! I knew I couldn't trust You! Life is awful and always will be. I can't take any more."

RLO: The Bible says:

"The woman said to Elijah, "Why did you even show up here in the first place--a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing my son?"

Elijah then immediately turned to God. He also questioned what God was doing. His faith was in crisis. He didn't understand at all! The Bible says:

"Then he prayed. "Oh, God, my God, why have you brought this terrible thing on this widow who has opened her home to me? Why have you killed her son?"

I think about my own son and him almost dying.Why oh God did You do this? Why did You take him right to the jaws of death physically? Why did You potentially kill my dreams and expectations for him? Why? The Bible continues:

"Three times he [Elijah] stretched himself out full length on the boy, praying with all his might, "God, my God, put breath back into this boy's body!" God listened to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body--he was alive!"

You did this for me too Father. My son is alive! Why? I don't have all the answers. But I can see how my family has changed. Oh what pain and disappointment we had to go through and still do. But it is clear You are at work. It is overwhelming for me to be aware of all the intricacies and repercussions in so many lives, with mine maybe experiencing the most powerful and evident change, and it isn't over yet. The Bible then says about the widowed mother:

"The woman said to Elijah, "I see it all now...when God speaks it is a true Word!"

So why did this happen Father? We can only see backward. We can't see forward. We only know the now! And between what You've done in the past, and knowing only the now, we trust You and rely on You for our future. Who knows? Only You. Elijah's doubts, questions, faith crisis, why? Well maybe You were preparing him for going up against Ahab and the Baal prophets. He saw the power You have, bringing the dead to life. He could rely on that. But he didn't know that at that time. Feeding him by ravens was great. But it would take more than that to convince him to trust You to overcome the prophets of Baal and to do something completely stupid in burning up the offering and alter with water poured over it. It took seeing You raise the dead through him.

There's one more event that pertains so much to me. We move into the story of Ahab and Obadiah. After the events of Elijah and the widow, the Bible says:

"A long time passed. Then God's word came to Elijah."

What happened during that "long time"? We don't know. But somehow I think that Elijah needed time to take all this in and deepen in his relationship to You God. This event, raising of the dead boy through Elijah, had been so very powerful, and You got Elijah's attention. But only You God knew what was facing him in the future. You knew how You wanted to use Elijah and there was a lot more to teach him, to grow and deepen him, so You took the time You needed with him. No hurry. You're in control. Elijah may have thought it was wasted time and impatient. He may have thought: "Man, I'm ready to go now! I just saw God raise the dead, better than anything else I've seen so far, and he did it through me! I'm ready to go. God I'm ready! I'm pumped! Let's go do whatever You want." But God wasn't ready--he pulled back and spent time with Elijah privately. Elijah may have really been frustrated and disappointed, but God was in control and knew best.

After a long time had passed, the Bible says:

"Then God's word came to Elijah. "Go and present yourself to Ahab"...Elijah set out to present himself to Ahab."

Only now was Elijah ready for the next assignment. He had to overcome fear, doubt and most importantly himself!

Then the story shifts to Elijah's servant. After Elijah humiliated and demoralized the prophets of Baal, the Bible says he [Elijah] climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel. There he:

"...bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees."

He was spent physically, emotionally and spiritually. The drought was going to end. The prophets of Baal had been destroyed. Elijah was struck down before God. And he prayed fervently. He told his young servant:

"On your feet now! Look toward the sea."

But the servant reported back that he saw nothing. Elijah told him to keep looking. And then the young servant saw something. Elijah was still praying. The Bible says:

"And sure enough, "Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than some one's hand rising out of the sea."

How like You Father. To be a whisper, after all of the huge demonstrations of Your power. How like You in Your answers to our prayers, just a small cloud out in the distance. No big response. Can I see it? Do I trust it? Just out of reach, but its there! Then the Bible says Elijah told the young servant:

"Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab. Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you!"

Elijah trusted. He knew. This horrible, huge drought that covered thousands of miles was over. He trusted. He knew this small cloud off in the distance was his answer from God. He knew that even though the cloud was small, it would grow into a huge water producing, drenching rain. He believed it so much that he knew it would prohibit travel and he wanted Ahab to know even before it started raining. Oh God, how unlike me. I'd want to wait and see if it were the real thing and truly an answer to my prayer before I trusted and surely before I would tell anyone. But not Elijah. He believed and he trusted You completely before it actually started raining huge buckets of water that "would develop" from this small cloud off in the distance. The Bible says:

"Things happened fast. The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain..."

The Bible also says:

"God strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab's chariot until he reached Jezreel."

Even with all Elijah had done and he was physically, emotionally and maybe spiritually spent, You still gave Elijah the strength to run in front of the horses. Oh Father my God! How wonderful You are.