Good day my brothers and sister, i bring you the important lessons we could learn from the story of Elijah the prophet of God. Elijah was so close to God that God used him at a very unstable and difficult moment in Israel, during the reign of king Ahab and queen Jezebel.
Nothing was known about Elijah's background or about his family, but all i could tell you from Elijah's background is that he was from Tishben in Gilead. Elijah ministry marked the beginning of the end of Baal worship in Israel. Elijah life was filled with turmoil, at some point he was bold and decisive, and at other times, fearful and tentative.
We first met Elijah in the bible, who name means "my God is the Lord" in
(1 kings 17: 1):
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] 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.”
When he suddenly challenges Ahab, the evil king who ruled the Northern kingdom from 874 BC. He prophesied a drought upon the land as consequences of Ahab evil, warned by God almighty. when it was time for the drought that Elijah has prophesied to the king, Elijah went to hide at a place called the brook of cherith, where ravens made sure he was fed, as the drought and the famine in the land became worst.
While Elijah was there, he met a window in a neighboring country, and true her obedience to Elijah, God provided food for her and her son and Elijah, enough to carry them through out the drought and famine. Miraculously her barrel of flour and jar of oil, never run out.
You see how the widow was obedient to Elijah even not knowing him and his mission, the food she had was to be for her and her soon for the little time it could last, but because she was obedient to Elijah, God's prophet, without any single doubt, her jar or oil and barrel of milk, never ran dry.
You could remember the cause of the problems man is facing here on earth in the first place, is the sin of Disobedient. God gave Adam and Eve, an instruction to follow, to make them enjoy their life here on earth without any worries or troubles, but they decide to disobey God and now mankind is still suffering from that punishment after thousands of years ago.
Same also is the act of simple obedient shown by the widow who happens to be seeing Elijah for the first time and was cheerful enough to share her little food she was having left for she and her son to eat and die as long as the food could carry them. But God changed their story and provided for them through her act of obedient and cheerfulness.
We should always learn to be obedient especially when it is as regards to doing the right thing, Cause we never know what the outcome may be. We should also understand that God is always watching and knows our heart even before we think about it and make any plans.
The next moment we see Elijah as a central character is when he had a face-off with the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel. (1 kings 18: 17-40). The prophets of Baal compared their god with the God of Elijah and a contest was carried out. A table of sacrifice was made by the prophets of Baal and they were to call on their god to consume it with fire, while everyone watched. after the setting of the table of sacrifice, they started calling on their god to consume the sacrifice, but i guess their god was on vacation or was sleeping. They prayed for hours and nothing happened.
It was time for Elijah to make his own table. while Elijah table was set and ready, Elijah knelt down, raised his hands towards heaven and payed. God sent down fire to consume the sacrifice and even dried up and the water that was poured on the sacrifice. Then Elijah ordered for the prophets of Baal to be killed, all of them. After the victory rain fell again and there was water in the land.
(1 Kings 18:41-46):
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, la little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of pJezreel.
God had promised to be with us in the face of troubles and in the face of trials. this is an example of God fighting for his people and bringing glory unto his name. He made sure that people understands that he is not a God of words, bu a God of action likewise. And Elijah asking the prophet to be killed showed a great lesson at the period that no one should compare their little idol to the God of heavens. the lord of lords.
While Elijah had his victory towards the prophet of Baal, at that point in time he heard that the Queen Jezebel was after his life and he was scared, he ran away and went to hide. Because he heard that the queen was looking for him to kill him with about hundreds of soldiers. Elijah was depressed and went to hide, he removed his eyes from God and face the details during that moment. That was God asked him to stand on a mountain, while he passed. there was earthquake, fire and wind, but God was not in anyone of them. God told him not to be scared of man but of him who could possess such powers. Elijah got back his eyes on God and came out of hiding.
Elijah happened to be one of the 2 people that did not die and was taken into heaven with body and soul. He was taken into heaven in a chariot of fire, in a whirlwind, during that moment he left Elisha, his second in command his cloth, as it was what Elisha requested for, to be able to possess the powers of God through Elijah clothe.
We saw how even Elijah was depressed and scared of dying, even a prophet of God, but as soon as he got his mind back to God things began to work for him again like never before.
During your moment of trials, never take your eyes of God for one minute, cause he will never forsake you or leave you. He has promised to be with us and he always keeps his promise. hold unto God in times of :
God will always be with us and see us through all our endeavors. This we pray through Christ our lord. Amen.
