On my journey with my kids through Scripture and looking at God's Agents of SMASH, this week we came upon Elijah in 1 Kings 17-19. I am constantly amazed (and encouraged) of how each time God's people had been led astray by a false God, that He would send an Agent of Smash to redeem His people back to himself. I am also amazed at how each Agent was not some amazing, Hercules of a man (or woman) but rather just a person that God had called and they willing followed and obeyed. It gives me hope for our world for when He sends his next agent of SMASH!
Elijah's story is set in a time that a king had risen up whose heart was set against God. He and his wife had rid the land of the prophets who spoke truth and replaced them with prophets to the false god Baal. Ahab and Jezebel had been doing everything to kill Elijah himself, and out of fear for his life, Elijah went and hid himself. He had witnessed God do amazing things, but just like any human, he feared death, especially death at the hands of these evil people. So he had pronounced that it would not rain until God told him it would, and then he ran and hid.
In this time, he ended up at a widows house who had a son (chapter 17). He asked her for food and she informed him she only had enough for one meal left for her and her son and then she was planning on dying. Elijah told her to cook it all, but to first feed him and if she obeyed, her flour and oil would not run out until it rained again! This was her test, and according to the story, she passed in flying colors. From that day on Elijah lived with her and they ate from that same jar of flour and oil. Until her son died! This part of the story shows us another test of Elijah as he prayed for life to renter the boy's body. It did not happen the first or second time. But Elijah did not I've up in his prayer and on the third time asking God to revive the boy, he breathed again. Lesson: do not quit praying if you do not receive the answer immediately.
After this Elijah was sent by the Spirit of God back to Ahab to call out the prophets of Baal to do a test and see who the one and only God was! (Chapter 18). Wow, what a scene. As he called out the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Asherah to a challenge to see whose God would send down fire to consume an offering. PLEASE, read this story yourself! It is amazing.
In the end, of course God proves only He is God and as a result, Elijah told the people to capture the false prophets of Baal and put them to death by sword that day. He called the people to serve ONLY God and to abandon their evil worship of Baal. God used Elijah to redeem his people again and purify His people from their sin. But it again took an agent of SMASH who obeyed God and did something radical to call attention back to God. It was not an action of his own choosing, but rather an obedience to what God told him to do.
Immediately following this, Elijah told Ahab to go eat and drink and prepare for rain. At this point it had been three years since it had rained in the land. Elijah went to the top of a mountain and prayed for the rain to come. 6 times he sent his servant to check the horizon for a rain cloud and 6 times he returned saying there was nothing. It was the seventh time when his servant said "there is a cloud on the horizon the size of a mans hand." That is when Elijah told Ahab he better get home because a rain cam e up quickly. Ahab rode his horse and chariot, but we are told "the Spirit of God cam upon Elijah" and he girded up his clothes and ran ahead of the chariot (on his feet) into the city! Another cool story, but pronounced with the fact that Elijah did not stop praying after 6 times of negative words, but rather continued to pray and waited expectantly upon God to answer.
Elijah's story is full of exciting times, and times where he despaired of life all together. Immediately following this he went somewhere and asked God to simply take his life because "he was the only prophet left who loved God!" he was depressed and God had to rise this man back out of the miry clay. Elijah was just a man, and anything mighty that was done through him, or any Agent of SMASH was done because the "Spirit of the LORD" came upon them. Please take the time and read the rest of Elijah's story, it is full of the glory of God and His ways!
Until next time, SMASH on!!!
Your Brother,
Ray Carman
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