WHEN ELIJAH JUST WASN'T HIMSELF

MF Blume
April 13, 2003


Exodus 19:16-19  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.  (17)  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  (18)  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.  (19)  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

1 Kings 19:1-3  And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.  (2)  Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.  (3)  And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

1 Kings 19:8-16  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.  (9)  And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?  (10)  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.  (11)  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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)  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?  (14)  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.  (15)  And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:  (16)  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.


When Moses was given Law for Israel atop Mount Sinai, in Horeb, the scene showed lightning, thunder, earthquakes and thick clouds.
  • Elijah saw the same scenes when he fled to Horeb, the same mountain range.
  • As Moses was there forty days and nights, Elijah fled there for forty days and nights and hid in a cave.
  • While in the cave God spoke to him and told him to stand on the mount outside the cave.
The reason he fled to Horeb from jezebel was because God would most likely be seen there in the fury and might as in the days when Moses was given law.
  • Elijah wanted wrathful vengeance meted out upon Israel who chased him out of the land.
And God appeared to Elijah on that mountain, but not in the exact manner Elijah expected.

In the cave, God spoke to Elijah in a vision, telling him to leave the cave and stand outside on the mount.
  • And Elijah experienced the wind, quaking, and fire.
  • It was all there as it was in Moses' day on that same mountain!
  • BUT GOD WAS NOT IN ANY OF THAT!
God had been in wind many other times.

Nahum 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Job 38:1  Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

He was also in the quakes.

Psalm 68:8  The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Exodus 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

And his angels are like flaming fire.

Psalm 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

The Jews believe that these sorts of winds are actually angels of the wind.
  • They also teach that there were angels of commotion in the quakes at Sinai, and angels of fire.
  • So these angels were present with God on Sinai when Moses received the Law.
  • They represent the fury of God's wrath and the terribleness of His power.
  • God's law demanded obedience at the pain of His wrath in the Old Testament Law, so these powers were manifested in Law's giving.
  • God can show Himself in these things if He so chooses.
  • But God surprised Elijah.
God was not in any of those things that day with Elijah, although Elijah was shown what he expected to see.
  • But God's angels went before God, Himself.
  • But God was not in that chariot this time.
  • He came following behind.
  • And what God was in was a still small voice.
  • The Hebrew implies the voice was almost musical and soft and gentle.
  • "The sound of still softness."
Elijah sensed God was not in the former sensational manners.
  • But there was something in that still small voice that caught his spirit and and he knew God was in that!
  • There was God!
When Elijah heard that voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and stepped out of the cave.
  • God, Himself was there now, in a more personal manner, although He spoke to Elijah in more of a vision in the cave.
  • And Elijah was to stand before His presence, much like Moses did, too!
Then Elijah reiterated the self-pity with which he spoke to God in the cave.
  • God ignored those words and told him to anoint other men, including Elisha, who would take his place as prophet.
  • Elisha was responsible to take out Ahab, for he would not run as did Elijah.
Elijah's name means "GOD IS GOD".
  • He lived forth his name in days gone by.
  • He proved God really was God.
  • He called fire down from heaven and showed all Israel on Mount Carmel that Baal was not god at all, for only Israel's God cast fired down from the sky at Elijah's request, while the prophets of Baal failed miserably in having Baal do it.
But Elijah lost his namesake in a sense.
  • He began acting out of order.
  • God was supposed to be God.
  • But Elijah began taking things into his own hands.
  • He felt God should strike when he wanted God to strike.
  • He whined about his self-pitiful state of being chased by Jezebel after proving God was God.
  • And demanded God lash out in fury of the law's wrath, as demonstrated that day atop Mt Horeb.
  • He pitied himself as though he were the only good pro-phet left alive in the world, in hopes of instigating God to judge Israel viciously.
  • It was time for God to reinstate the Law for Israel, and put a fear of God into the nation as God did in Moses' day.
  • And perhaps Elijah felt he should be the new Moses!
  • But God chose not to do that.
Before he ran to the mountain, Elijah had given up his ministry in fear.
  • He asked God to kill him.
  • Rid him of the trouble of life.
  • An angel was sent to give him food and preserve his life, instead of slaying him, and sent him on his journey.
  • Instead of heeding Elijah's pitiful words to slay him, as though to be instigated to avenge Elijah, God simply told him to go out and stand before God on the mountain.
  • And God was in a still small voice.
Elijah was not himself.
  • God is God?
  • It looks like Elijah was calling the shots.
  • He lost perspective of doing God's will.
In Luke 9, we read of the same similar theme that had to do with Elijah's ordeal -- SELF.

Jesus once rebuked James and John for their harsh desire to see fire fall and slay the Samaritans who refused to see them.
  • These people did not heed James and John's words to ready themselves for Jesus' ministry.
  • But Jesus told them He did not come to destroy.
  • He came to seek and save the lost.
Luke 9:51-56  And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,  (52)  And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.  (53)  And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.  (54)  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?  (55)  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  (56)  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

God was telling Elijah, in effect, to not take things so personally.
  • Sometimes we get all fired up and seek wrath on people, when God is more "mature" than that!
  • He is bigger than that!
But even when God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice, Elijah was undaunted.
  • God was trying to tell him, there is bigger fish to fry.
  • More serious things to deal with.
When Jesus rebuked James and John, He told them that they were actually upset at being personally insulted.
  • They were not truly seeking God's desires when they ask for fire to come down on the Samaritans.
  • Jesus said they did not even realize they were actually being vengeful.
  • They convinced themselves they were being considerate of God's desire, but Jesus said they did not even know their own spirits and how selfish they really were.
  • We can convince ourselves that we have pure motives when we actually do not at all!
  • That's a fearful thing to think about.
  • But it happens!
  • They did not even know their own spirits!
Jesus then tells them to be like Him.

Luke 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Who comes to destroy?

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus came to give Life!


Elijah means God is God.
  • He was to prove to all that God was God.
  • But even he took things too personally.
  • Self began to adulterate his ministry.
  • He felt his ministry was over.
  • But God decides that, not us.
Its so easy for Christians to get personally hurt when sinners do not respond to their witness.
  • Our hearts can be so deceptive that we actually convince ourselves that we seek God's will in wanting them judged, when we do not really care about God's will at all.
  • Its more our selves that we are concerned about.
  • "They rejected US!"
James and John thought about how Elijah called fire down on the enemies of God!

"Aha! That is what we will do, since they rejected us!"

We then read some more interesting words, following HIs words to James and John that show us various reactions to Jesus being God -- God is God.

Luke 9:57  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Some people are so quick to follow Jesus when they have not even been called.
  • Jesus wants us all saved, but He never called this man to go wherever He would go in ministry.
  • SELF was this man's motive.
  • So Jesus deterred him by telling him...
Luke 9:58  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

There is sacrifice to do what the man asked.


Another was called by Jesus, next.

Luke 9:59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

The opposite!
  • But this man hesitated as though other things were more important.
  • SELF was the problem here as well.
  • But in a different way.
Luke 9:60  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Another man was dealt with next.

Luke 9:61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

This man said he'd go.
  • But this man takes us back to Elijah and Elisha, since he requested to return to his home, as Elisha was given permission to do by Elijah.
  • He wanted to bid adieu to his family.
  • However...
Luke 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Obviously Jesus knew that this would not be good for THIS man to do, although Elijah allowed Elisha to bid his folks farewell.
he knew the man would see his family and home, and get too attached and desire to not follow the Lord at all.
SELF.

All these issues deal with SELF.

Back at the incident with James' and John's experience with the Samaritans....
  • Jesus could have influenced all of Samaria if He had given in to them and not looked to be obviously going to Jerusalem, which would cause the prejudiced Samaritans, who despised the Jews, to show disregard for Jesus.
Luke 9:52-53  And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.  (53)  And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

But Jesus does not give in to our SELF and it's selfish desires.

It is supposed to be NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE, LORD.

And then note what is said after this series of events.

Luke 10:1-2  After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.  (2)  Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.


"The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few"

Why is the harvest lacking labourers?
  • Too much SELF-concern in so many people.
  • Self is too much of a problem with people, and many believers.
  • This self regard that is put above regard for God's will hinders God from using us.
Paul was so self-less that he said...

1 Corinthians 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

He would not even judge himself!
  • So he did not care if people judged him erringly.
  • Most of us would jump up and down and scream until the person knew what we were REALLY LIKE, after the person accused us and attacked our self.
  • We're too concerned about SELF.
  • But when we let SELF go, we will not care what people think, so long as God knows what we are like.
  • But SELF interest makes us want to make sure everyone knows we are not as bad as they think.
God's kingdom is not the way Elijah thought.
  • He was only concerned about SELF.
  • But his name meant GOD IS GOD.
  • He was acting quite out of character compared to his namesake.
We're supposed to be CHRISTIANS. -- CHRIST-LIKE.
  • And Christ said, "Not my will, but thine be done, Father."
  • Let's pray and believe God that we not act out of character, as Elijah did.... WHEN ELIJAH JUST WASN'T HIMSELF!



SERMONS