Elijah
“Demands - but Rewards”
The story of Elijah.
Having declared the Word of God which struck at the very heart of Baal worship – “there will be no rain”; given that Baal is the weather/nature god – Elijah leaves Israel.
God withdraws His Word and His prophet.
Thing is – this is not abandonment.
It is actually God pursing His people.
I suppose we could say He is trying to rouse their jealousy.
Where does He send Elijah?
To Zarephath in Sidon. This is the heartland of Baal worship. This is the area governed by Jezebel’s father.
Jezebel who swayed her husband King Ahab (king of Israel) and led Israel into worship of Baal.
It is an extraordinary place to find God’s Word and His prophet. Right in Baal’s territory; right in Baal’s face.
This is God pursing His people.
And this moment in this story centres on a vulnerable starving woman.
But the whole incident is instructive and revelatory concerning God and His grace.
It demonstrates what God’s people are missing out on.
It is showing the way and compassion of God right in enemy territory. It places God and His love in stark relief.
Yet at first glance it seems anything but.
How is this so? How does this work?
The miraculous provision for Elijah literally dries up (1 Kgs 17:7) and so he is sent to the Widow of Zarephath.
And the Word of the Lord to her is to give His prophet the last of what she has by way of food.
“Give me water and give me bread” says Elijah.
She points out that this was her last meal before her and her son die through starvation.
The last of it.
Ever so quietly- ever so quietly – there are some you would read that passage and say to themselves “Isn’t that just like God! Taking the little and last that I have!”
A thought, an experience, a pain that maybe many share but few talk about or admit to.
It seems wrong to think this. But – to be honest – as far as they can work out, it is life as they know it.
God demanding.
God insisting that I give the last I have and am to His cause.
As one commentator puts it - this is the first lesson; the demands of the covenant.
But the next lesson follows soon – the rewards of the covenant.
God’s miraculous provision for the widow and Elijah.
God having provided for His prophet by the birds of the air which in one sense seems easy for God; but provision by a dying widow?
That is something else again!!
That is miraculous!!
And so this picture is one of the covenant with the Lord God Almighty at work.
The demands and rewards of relationship with God.
In a pagan and foreign land at that!
The wonder of love and power of God.
But then – just when things are looking good – they get worse.
Only this time even Elijah joins with the widow’s anguish and bewilderment at God.
Her son dies.
What else can go wrong? What else does God demand?
The woman reverts to a pagan view of a capricious god – it is punishment and judgement of her sin.
Elijah joins in with very direct language – “God – why have You killed her son?”
How much more does He require?
Why?
But the Covenant God answers the prayer and the first recorded resurrection in the Bible occurs.
And the woman declares a new found and deepened faith.
All this in the heart of Baal territory; the dance of the Covenant God and humanity.
Compassion, faithfulness, power.
All this while the people of God perish and starve from a lack of the Word of God in their midst.
If nothing else – it is an exercise and demonstration to the people of God what their heritage and inheritance is; what their response and responsibility to God ought to be.
But isn’t because they are besotted with Baal.
And so Jesus draws on this story to announce His ministry (Luke 4). Uses it as an object lesson to the people of His day that just as the power and message of God was at work in unexpected and “unholy” areas; such is His message and ministry.
That the people He came to rejected Him and His message – He would take it to people and places who would rouse the jealousy of those who ought to know better.
He would take it to regions that are unexpected – and in fact offensive. So much so that when Jesus made the comparison they tried to kill Him.
Of what God can do in places and in times of life where people think God has no place being there.
If in the story of Jesus there was a “Widow of Zarephath” moment it is in John 4.
The woman at the well.
The fact that she was a Samaritan was too much for His disciples and for the Jews in any case.
But there you have the same dance taking place.
Like Elijah – Jesus’ first words are for a drink.
“Demanding”.
Requiring something of someone who is out on their feet. Who is at the end of themselves.
And so the dance/conversation begins.
All centred around “why?”
“Why are You a Jew – asking me a Samaritan woman for a drink?”
But here in the middle of the day – in this desolate and desperate scene – is a wonderful grace-filled, redemptive, compassionate moment as the God of Covenant talks with an unlikely person.
All full view (if you will) of the people of God.
This woman – like the one Elijah dealt with – begins to experience not only the demands of the covenant; but the rewards.
She gives water – He offers living water.
The water of life.
Miraculous provision of a never-ending supply of sustenance.
Just like the flour and oil in Elijah’s day.
Miraculous provision. Life.
And this dance is the context by which the woman – like the widow – comes into a greater understanding and appreciation of God and His Word.
The widow says “Now I know you a man of God and that Word of the Lord in your mouth is truth”; the woman at the well gently enquires about the Messiah and eventually the entire town attest that Jesus is indeed the Promised One!
And like in the time of Elijah – this place, this desert like place is the place of God.
A place of life.
Jesus called it a ripe harvest field.
In the heart of Baal country if you will.
But where in this story is there a death of a son?
It comes.
A Son does die and resurrection takes place again.
The message, the lesson is again about the covenant.
1 Kings 17 was a foreshadow of things to come.
Here in the Gospels we see it fully.
Having experienced the demands of the covenant – the reward of the covenant is the revelation of the resurrection power of God. Of Christ.
Paul wrote about this very thing in 2 Cor 1:8-11.
They suffered terribly (demands of the covenant) but looked to the rewards of the covenant insofar as that even though they despaired of life itself – they entrusted themselves to the God Who raises the death.
The story of Elijah and the Widow; of Jesus and the woman at the well – are stories for us to learn the contours and rhythms of what it is like to be in covenant with God.
In concert with Him.
Where are you right now?
Do you feel like God is asking too much of you?
That He is extracting the last of your energy? Faith? The last of your resources?
That is asking too much?
That the demands are too much?
To feel like you are in the region of Baal.
Out of reach of God?
Think again.
And how about those of us who are in the “country of God.” Do we find this hard to take?
Is our jealousy being aroused? Are we being offended at the suggestion, the gall of what is happening?
Maybe.
Maybe it is because we have forgotten the responsibility of being in covenant with God.
Maybe our offence and outrage is a good thing. It is a sign of life that we are not living the life of God.
It is a good thing.
Maybe it is revealing to us that on Mt Carmel we are standing on the wrong side.
Presented By: Rev G New