Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. People stubbornly cling to their self-made gods be it humanism, materialism, power, or whatever. The name Elijah comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, and stems from a Hebrew expression signifying Jehovah is my God. The biblical Elijah was a prophet known for upholding the worship of God and doing miracles in Gods name. 15So the king called out the young soldiers who were under the district commanders, 232 in all. Have they become demands God must meet for our happiness and security? The Bible story of Elijah is found in the Old Testament, in the first book of Kings chapters 17 and 18. We become blind to the work of God. In such a state, what do we do? After those events, Ahab tried to get a neighbor, Naboth, to sell him a vineyard to use as a vegetable garden. In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two. But he refused, 36(K)so he said to him, Because you have disobeyed the Lord's command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me. And as soon as he left, a lion came along and killed him. Elijah had expended a great deal of energy--both physical and spiritual. Paul Meier says: I have had millionaire businessmen come into my office and tell me they have big houses, yachts, condominiums in Colorado, nice children, a beautiful mistress, an unsuspecting wife, secure corporate positions--and suicidal tendencies.30. 40At his death his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king. 44Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now go and take possession of the vineyard which he refused to sell to you. 16At once Ahab went to the vineyard to take possession of it. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Why Should We Confess Sin if It Is Already Forgiven? It also suggests we are seeking our security and happiness in good times rather than in the Sovereign Lord. According to one estimate about 20 million persons in America between the ages of eighteen and 74 are currently depressed. Elijah was a bold, direct-to-the-point prophet of God. 4:4). Elijah's purpose was to warn Israel to return to the one true God and turn away from idolatry. Go on and prepare your meal. We read Now Ahab told Jezebel all . reath of the Spirit Ministries - Barbie Breathitt, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). It is worth noting that Enoch is commended in Hebrews 11:5 for his great faith. Ahab repented and God decided to hold off the family lines destruction for a generation. Yahweh was proven to be the true God, the people had worshipped the Lord as the true God, and the Baal prophets had been put to death. endures all things. Please note, believing and hoping is sandwiched between bearing and enduring. Why send a messenger to warn him so he would have time to flee? Of course, he was not alone because the Lord was there, but he felt totally alone, helpless, fearful, hurt, a failure, and he wasnt thinking with the viewpoint of the Word. 21Near King Ahab's palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. 14Who will lead the attack? Ahab asked. When people focus on people, one of two things happen: (a) either they brag about the person they admire, which may bring temptation to that person and encourage others to glory in man, or (b) they attack and criticize bringing persecution and heartache. 27Tell them to throw him in prison and to put him on bread and water until I return safely., 28If you return safely, Micaiah exclaimed, then the Lord has not spoken through me! And he added, Listen, everyone, to what I have said!. Hannah said in the first episode of Season 1 that she thought she. Elijah is first introduced in 1 Kings 17 as the prophet who predicted a three-year drought in the land. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. Note the declaration of the text. The Bible doesnt explicitly give any reason why Elijah was taken directly into heaven, any more than it gives for whyEnoch was taken up to heaven. . The Hebrew text has the descriptive imperfect of past continuous action from the verb nagad, to be conspicuous, apparent, and then, to expound, declare, make clearly known. Undoubtedly Ahab declared in detail the events of the day, point by point. Amazing Facts - Doug Batchelor, Vision of Elijah 46He got rid of all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan altars who were still left from the days of his father Asa. Yes, I have, Elijah answered. 12After the earthquake there was a firebut the Lord was not in the fire. Second Kings 2:11 relates the translation of Elijah, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Enoch is described as a man who "walked with God for 300 years" ( Genesis 5:22-23 ). Doing nothing only reinforces the depression. But it's not clear if that means he dies a spectacular death in the chariot or lives and goes to heaven. 29 Frank B. Minirth and Paul D. Meier, Happiness Is A Choice, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 1978, p. 20. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant . In a miraculous event, God heard Elijah and answered his prayers, and brought the boy back to life. 26Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash. The problem was not that he arose and ran, or went down to the desert to hide. . in Hebrews 12:2 is the Greek aphorao from apo, from, and horao, to see followed by the preposition eis, unto. The basic meaning is to look away from and unto Jesus.. Yet, depression is a major problem in this country. You have devoted yourself completely to doing what is wrong in the Lord's sight. 2He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, King Benhadad demands that 3you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children.. 2 Kings 2. 3:7f; Mark 6:52; 8:17-18; Rev. It touches the poor and the rich, the weak and the mighty, the educated and the uneducated. 13:1-2; Rom. It's always something bad!, 19(O)Micaiah went on: Now listen to what the Lord says! By the same token, never use activity to narcotize the pain. Note how the Lord handles Elijahs depression: (1) Before He dealt with Elijahs spiritual condition, He rejuvenated Elijah physically with rest and nourishment. I am the only one leftand they are trying to kill me!. All rights reserved. He was ignoring Gods independent sovereignty and the doctrine of the remnant. The, But Elisha answered, I swear by my loyalty to the living, Let me receive the share of your power that will make me your successor,. After running almost the length of a marathon, this great prophet entered the city of Jezreel just in time to hear wicked Queen Jezebels murderous threats. But in chapter 19, we find Elijah fearful, running scared, exhausted, depressed, and wanting to die. The challenge is to offer sacrifices to their respective deities and see which starts a fire to prove their divinity. He recognized him, bowed low before him, and asked, Is it really you, sir?, 8Yes, I'm Elijah, he answered. But Elisha answered, I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you. So they went on to Bethel. . He first appears in 1 Kings 17:1 and is described as a Tishbite in Gilead, a region of Israel referenced earlier in places like Genesis 31:2122 and Judges 10:4. He had failed. God then sent down a fire that completely engulfed the sacrament in flames and the people of Israel rejoiced with a newfound faith in God. A lack of sleep, improper diet, vitamin deficiency, exhaustion are among the more simple causes. Mighty defender of Israel! He said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood. They did so, 34and he said, Do it againand they did. Motivated by his hurt pride, his anger and resentment against Elijah blinded him to the work of God and the revelation of the event. Were told nothing more, not even who his parents were. He reacted rather than responding to God. God was troubled with what the people were experiencing and he . Let us go and look for your master. Quick references to Elijah appear in 2 Kings 3:11, 2 Kings 9:36, 2 Kings 10:10, and 2 Kings 10:17. The Lord will give you victory., 16But Ahab replied, When you speak to me in the name of the Lord, tell the truth! Second, the Lord tells Elijah to hide in a town called Zarephath on the Mediterranean coast between Tyre and Sidon. He is a god! 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." The Lord will give you victory., 7But Jehoshaphat asked, Isn't there another prophet through whom we can consult the Lord?, 8Ahab answered, There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. The story continues as Elijah confronts the evil king, Ahab, about being the cause of problems for the people of Israel. 25You will find out when you go into some back room to hide, Micaiah replied. 27The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. All rights reserved. Some principles we can glean from this negative focus and response of the prophet: (1) We should never walk by sight--as things appear to us. 3:1; Gal. answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.. Worst failures: Fearing Jezebel, Elijah flees into the desert and asks the Lord to take his life. 12:3f). To top the event off, Elijah had all the priests of Baal killed. Elijah never has anything good to say about wicked tyrants. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. There a poor widow will feed him from a miraculous supply of grain and oil. 38The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass. His first appearance is telling King Ahab of Israel that because he has turned Israel to false gods, a drought will cover the land. God had let him down, and no one would stand with him in the fight. Its living according to sight, not faith. 36At the hour of the afternoon sacrifice the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove now that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant and have done all this at your command. Note the Go, return on your way . 13:5-6). We will study this in more detail later. With Abraham as our father of faith, we can glean four things about the kind of faith God wants us to have: (3) Therefore, by faith, we are to continue to do the things God has called us to do like pray, trust, work, serve, go to a doctor or get counsel, etc. 3But an angel of the Lord commanded Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, to go and meet the messengers of King Ahaziah and ask them, Why are you going to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Remember that I have been a devout worshiper of the Lord ever since I was a boy. 10By the living Lord, your God, I swear that the king has made a search for you in every country in the world. Yet James 5:17 says that Elijah was as human as we are.. When we focus on our expectations and make the results we want the source of our happiness, security, or significance, we end up in the Elijah syndrome--fearful, ready to run away, and engulfed in feelings of failure and depression or fear and frustration. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young and old alike. When Benhadad arrived, Ahab invited him to get in the chariot with him. The fact that God honored Elijah in spite of his doubts reminds us that in the end, God will decide our legacies. Why do we choose it? In this chapter, Elijah becomes a classic illustration of a depressed person. 4The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.. 51In the seventeenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for two years. (5) God provided Elijah with a companion. Sometime later, the widow's son became ill and passed away. Turning Point - Dr. David Jeremiah, Elijah 2The time came for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. 19:7-9; 93:5; Rom. It hits everyone because, ultimately, it is not caused by circumstances, possessions, or position, but rather by the way one handles life. In the Book of Kings, Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a fiery chariot. As detailed in the next section, Elijah went through a period of discouragement after things didnt go quite as he expected following this big success. Finally, at the Jordon, Elijah made the water part, and the two men walked across. Its about time someone commissioned a new epic about one of the Old Testaments other truly great heroes. . How like human nature. How Can Christians Know if They're Trapped in Culture Wars? Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. After many hours of the pagan priests trying to get a response from Baal, Elijah built his altar. King Ahabs response took glory away from Yahweh, focused attention on the instrument, and fanned the flames of jealousy, revenge, and hatred. The consequences, which we will cover next, are in stark contrast to chapters 17 and 18. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me. The drought ended seven years later with a dramatic showdown between Elijah and 850 pagan priests. believes all things, hopes all things. The same is true for faith according to Heb. 977/978 A.D. ( Mystic Falls, Age 23-24/1049+) Turned By Esther in Autumn 1001 (Through The Immortality Spell) Status Deceased Occupation Title (s) Species Witch (Untapped/Originally) Original Vampire Spirit (Formerly) Gender Male Family information Family Members Supernatural information Significant sires Tristan de Martel (1002) Aya Al-Rashid 42The prophet then said to the king, This is the word of the Lord: Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.. I saw Him prove to be the true God. After seven years of drought, Elijah had King Ahab bring the 450 priests of Baal and 400 priests of Asherah to Mount Carmel. There are three primary theories on the identity of the two witnesses in Revelation: (1) Moses and Elijah, (2) Enoch and Elijah, and (3) two unknown believers whom God calls to be His witnesses in the end times. 2 Kings 2 New International Version Elijah Taken Up to Heaven 2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. My father! Elijah fled into the desert prayed for his death. The juniper was a broom tree that grew from 10 to 12 feet high and provided some shelter, but not much. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. If anything, people with higher IQs are more susceptible. He commanded him to find Elisha. Fire on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). But something really shattered Elijahs focus and his faith. 11And as she was going to get it, he called out, And please bring me some bread, too., 12She answered, By the living Lord your God I swear that I don't have any bread. Bring along the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah who are supported by Queen Jezebel., 20So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal to meet at Mount Carmel. I'm wounded! he cried out to his chariot driver. Then Elijah began to pray: O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today, that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have. Perhaps it was also because she was afraid of the people who had helped kill the Baal priests and were now on Elijahs side. Unable to hurt the Lord, Jezebel did what Satan and people always do. 14The two other officers and their men were killed by fire from heaven; but please be merciful to me!, 15The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, Go down with him, and don't be afraid. So Elijah went with the officer to the king 16and said to him, This is what the Lord says: Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekronas if there were no god in Israel to consultyou will not get well; you will die!. Ultimately, Elijah reached Mount Horeb, and God spoke to him, giving him new tasks and generally making it clear that he wasnt finished with Elijah yet. 37Then this same prophet went to another man and said, Hit me! This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him. Despite the many powerful moments in Elijahs life, he also had times of doubt and struggle, making him one of the more complex Old Testament figures. Yes, we typically think of Elijah as an old man, but that may or may not have been the case. Would you say the bamboo tree grows in six weeks or in five years? She reacts with vengeance and threatens Elijahs life. Who Was Elijah & Why Is His Bible Story Still Important Today? 4:1-11). . The prophet Elijah ranks right up there with Moses as one of the most dramatic prophets of the Lord. 14For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before the day that I, the Lord, send rain.. was wearing with; or was a hairy man and wore. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price., 3I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors, Naboth replied. One ancient translation Let us go and look; Hebrew You go and look. As already mentioned, he was expecting something different--something more positive. What is going to happen according to end times prophecy. Wanting everything to go our way is not only unrealistic, it is self-centered. The widow trusts in Elijah and their food lasted until it rained again. Elijah had been residing out in the desert where there was a river with drinking water and God had sent ravens to bring him food. of course, many, many more are depressed but never receive help. 28The Lord said to the prophet Elijah, 29Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? What Does the Bible Say about Visiting Graves? all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets . 12They proclaimed a day of fasting, called the people together, and gave Naboth the place of honor. . (3) God spoke to him personally in verses 9, 12, 13, and 15. 7After a while the brook dried up because of the lack of rain. Elijahs actions were not the actions of faith or fellowship, but desperation and the results demonstrate this in the verses that follow. . You will find him in Naboth's vineyard, about to take possession of it. But 1 Corinthians 13:7 also says, love bears all things, . Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. Just like the rest of us, he experienced the problem of depression--that mental and emotional condition marked by feelings of discouragement, worthlessness, dejection, guilt, apprehension, and failure. 34By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. We must count the costs of depression. 9 and 13). God had 7,000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal. 18He ordered, Take them alive, no matter whether they are coming to fight or to ask for peace.. We lose our perspective. In the next scene, we find Elijah discouraged, depressed, hiding, and failing to minister to his people. You have devoted yourself completely to doing what is wrong in the. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad.. The final season of "The Originals" is about to start, but fans are still wondering if Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) and Hayley Marshall (Phoebe Tonkin) can still end up together in season 5. Elijah (900 BCE-849 BCE) appears in the Judaic/Christian religious texts as well as in the Quran of Islam as a prophet and messenger of God. 10The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. Why won't you eat?, 6He answered, Because of what Naboth said to me. The results are in His hands, not ours. It is easy to get lost in the fog, the dense clouds that sometimes envelop us. In response, Ahaziah sent 50 troops to collect Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to kill them. In Romans 4:16, Abraham is called the father of faith. of 17Some time later the widow's son got sick; he got worse and worse, and finally he died. . Bianca Jurez Olthoff, The Return of Elijah For forty years they wandered in the wilderness (Num. 5Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children. We try to fly by the seat of our pants rather than by our biblical instrument panel. Shame and guilt will launch an all-out attack on our confidence if we allow doubtful, worrisome, and anxious thoughts to spin into a destructive tornado. Its quite a dramatic story well worth reading or reading again. Depression occurs two times more often in females, than males, and it occurs three times more often in higher socio-economic groups. 4Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own, Ahab answered. Are we trying to meet our needs and wants by our own solutions according to our own timing rather than by Gods? . Salem Media Group. 13:33 and Heb. Claims to fame: Elijah is one of the greatest prophets and miracle-workers in the Hebrew scriptures. 39When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God!. First Corinthians 13:7 says love . 33Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. 4Tell the king that the Lord says, You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!. In August of 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and on August 29th, 2002 he went home to be with the Lord. It was that he did so without Gods direction and without God as his primary shelter. 31 Tim LaHaye, How to Win Over Depression, p. 49. Spiritual stability is one of the blessings of our salvation in Christ. 13Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. (1) Disappointment, or failing to rest his expectations on the Lord. Its what we would expect, but not so with Elijah. 4:19). 43The king went back home to Samaria, worried and depressed.
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