When Ministry Fails

1 Kings 19:1-18

Elijah made some misjudgments that God graciously and gently corrects, all the time also revealing His own character and manner.

1 ? 3

Ahab of course missed the point. It was to show who was God (Yahweh). Ahab blamed Elijah probably because to say that Baal didn?t show up but Yahweh did would have caused problems for Ahab with Jezebel.

Jezebel puts a ?get out of town? order on Elijah. Why not just arrest and kill him? Because what she really wants is to discredit Yahweh and Elijah. To have him run reasserts who is in control. Without a leader, many of these new converts would fall back in Baal worship.

This isn?t just an idle threat. Jezebel was a very powerful force in Israel and, under her daughter Athaliah, in Judah.

Elijah stood up against Baal and 450 of his prophets, but he is not afraid until he faces one woman. In Elijah?s case it was not the public battle but the individual interaction that got him scared.

When Elijah was on the attack, with a mission from God, he was all brave. But when someone is attacking him, he is afraid. Do you ever experience that? When we control the interaction we are much more comfortable than when someone else threatens us.

God had to comfort the Apostle Paul on more than one occasion when he feared attack (Acts 23:11, 18:9-10 ? this one is similar to God?s message to Elijah)

Elijah goes about 90 miles south. Jezebel could have reached him there as well so he dismisses his servant (no use jeopardizing his life too) and goes into the desert.

4 ? 8

The way Elijah reacts is like ?I didn?t turn all Israel so I?m a failure.? The results are not our concern, only obeying what God told us to do. When we begin to take responsibility for the results we will always feel like we?ve failed because we really don?t know what God has in mind to do.

Is this extreme? Yes it is. It shows that Elijah has too much of himself wrapped up in this. The mark of someone who really trusts God is when we say ?I will move on no matter what happens.?

Watch what happens. God doesn?t strike him or even rebuke him but provides comfort and nourishment for the downtrodden prophet. Notice too who it is that is serving him ? the Angel of the Lord, whom I believe to be the pre-incarnate Christ. Have you noticed the similarities with another situation that occurs hundreds of years later? After the resurrection, Peter decides to go away and go back to fishing. Jesus prepares food on the fire and gently restores Peter saying ?go and do what I?ve called you to do, despite how much of a failure you might feel.? (John 21).

Elijah then goes back to where God first appeared to Israel on Mt Sinai.

9

This Hebrew here is actually ?the? cave. It could be the same cave that Moses hid in when God revealed himself in Exodus 33:21-23. This sheds a whole new light on what happens next.

What is God?s word to him: ?What are you doing here?? It could be taken several ways such as ?why are you here when I had you on a mission?? or ?Are you feeling sorry for yourself?? Elijah doesn?t yet realize that God is trying to help him realize what?s going on in his own heart so he self justifies.

10

It?s almost like Elijah is saying ?I?ve done all this great stuff for you and look where I?ve ended up!? Do we ever take that attitude with God? We faithfully serve him even when nobody else does it as well and when things don?t work out we get mad at God. This borders on earning favor from God by our good behavior. We don?t deserve anything, it all comes from God?s grace, not our merit.

It reminds me of what God told Paul when he suffered from a demonic tormentor. 2 Corinthians 12:9 \"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.\"

God doesn?t react of deal with Elijah?s self pity, he just tells Elijah that he is about to reveal himself.

11 ? 12

The real revelation of God doesn?t come in miracle power but in His Word. Though God had demonstrated his power several times through Elijah, the real power of God comes from hearing and obeying what God says. This could also mean that God was changing the way Elijah was to operate and how God would deal with him, not so much in the realm of the miraculous but in gentler, less obvious ways.

13 ? 14

God asks Elijah the same question ? and Elijah still hasn?t gotten it, he answers with the exact same thing as before.

15 ? 18

God tells Elijah to go back where he had left off and run away. Is that not what God does with us as well? We get scared and run away from serving God and he just says ?when you?re ready we?ll pick up where we left off.?

I used to think this was some sort of punishment, like God was taking Elijah?s prophetic ministry away because of his unfaithfulness, but I don?t think that?s the case, but he is revealing to Elijah that he is not the only one serving God and that his service is but a part of an overall and continuing plan on God?s part.

Elijah is to deal with international affairs in anointing Hazael, national affairs by anointing Jehu, and spiritual affairs by passing the mantle of the prophetic office on to the next generation: Elisha.

19 ? 21

Elijah?s casualness in his contact with Elisha shows that he has now gotten it ? the calling comes not from Elisha, but God. Elisha has a feast to say good bye to his family by burning the implements of his old life.

Elijah thought God worked only through the spectacular

Elijah thought when God was at work there was always complete victory in human terms

Elijah got caught up in his personal involvement in the miraculous so his pride was hurt

Elijah confused his actions with God?s?it wasn?t Elijah who did anything!

Elijah trusted God?s power for the big things but not in the small

Elijah felt sorry for himself

How did God reveal his character to Elijah?

Encouragement

Provision

Self Revelation

Gentleness

Service

What does God tell Elijah?

Don?t get caught up in the ?high? of ministry like a drug

The mission is too hard for you (to do alone)

It is not about you

It is not about the show

It is about My word

Keep going no matter what

You are not alone (7,000)

You are a link in a chain (Elisha)