Radio Antioch

A saying, attributed to Daniel Webster at the Old Man of the Mountain trail in New Hampshire.

This teaching is an excerpt from our Radio Antioch Podcast Episode 4.

In our last post, we left Elijah in the desert after he fled from Jezebel, who had sworn to kill him. He knew that he had to get away, and run to God for his deliverance. Elijah used his last strength to journey alone out into the desert, where he cried out to God. Picking up in 1 Kings 19:5-9a :

Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” [6] He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. [7] The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” [8] So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. [9a] There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Elijah had left his servant behind, and traveled into the desert alone. He was heading for the Mountain of God at Horeb, which was about 200 miles away, or a 10 to 14 day journey. But he got only one day toward his goal before his strength failed him and he despaired. The Lord in his mercy sent an angel with food and encouragement. Elijah began the journey, even though he only had the strength for one day. But the Lord met him at his point of weakness. The Lord knows when the journey is too much for you. And He wants to strengthen you.

Elijah now begins a supernatural journey that took 40 days instead of 10. Time to reflect, time to slow down and let God speak, time to prepare for new revelation and anointing. And the Lord met him at Horeb in Kings 19:9b-13:

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [10]  He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites  have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.“

This is how we sometimes feel. It seems like we are the only one doing the right thing, the only one standing for God, and in our weakness we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes the evil in this world just seems too much to stand. The Lord gently reminds Elijah who is in charge:

[11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the   earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The Lord shows Elijah His incredible power, there should be no doubt that God is in control: First wind so powerful that rocks were shattered on the mountains, then an earthquake, and lastly a fire. But in each of these demonstrations of awesome power, Elijah knew that the Lord wanted to speak to him intimately, When he heard the gentle whisper, he was ready for God to speak to him. Pulling his tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) over his head, the prophet prepares to talk with God.

I love the Lord’s response in verses 15 through 18: “Go and anoint Hazael king over Aram and Jehu  king over Israel, and anoint Elisha to succeed you as prophet. [17] Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. And you are not alone: I have reserved seven thousand in Israel–all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal “

So the Lord gently tells Elijah- Don’t worry about the kings and the government. I am raising up these men to handle that problem. (Look up the name here- Hazael means “God is Seeing”, as in God is seeing what is going on and will use the man Hazael to deal with it.) And don’t feel so alone. I will now give you the privilege of training the next generation of leader, in Elisha. Not only will your ministry continue, but because you have been faithful, I will let you train one who will be a companion, and who will become even greater than you. And you are not alone, I have called for myself seven thousand more in Israel who are faithful to me, and my hand and guidance is upon their lives as well. So don’t feel so alone. I have many servants, and they labor along side of you. Be encouraged, be faithful, and know that I have it all under control.

Another thought: In coming face to face with his own weakness in fleeing from Jezebel, Elijah could not get a “swelled head” over the incredible victory over the prophets of Baal. It is easy when God uses a ministry mightily for the ministers and the people following them to become self-important, and lose sight of the fact that they are only part of huge work that God is doing in His kingdom. Here the Lord brings Elijah back into line, reminding him that he is but one of many whom the Lord has reserved for His service.

And so Elijah was protected from Jezebel, and was given a whole new direction in his ministry. The Lord takes something very bad, and makes it a transforming moment in the life of Elijah. If he had not made the start of the journey into the desert, he would have missed an incredible and intimate encounter with God. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Reach out to God, even if it is with your last strength. The Lord can meet you, sustain you, and can even transform a very tough time into a life-changing encounter.

Photo Credit

A woman in Timbuktu, Mali baking bread

This teaching is an excerpt from our Radio Antioch Podcast Episode 4.

1 Kings 19:1-4     Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.  So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”   Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,  while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Let’s take a moment to set the scene. In first Kings chapter 18, Elijah had just met 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah in a public confrontation. Each had built an Altar, calling on their God to answer with fire from heaven. Nothing happened at the Alter of Baal, but fire fell from heaven on the Lord’s altar. Elijah then destroyed the prophets of the false gods. This was an incredible demonstration of the presence and power of God. And yet immediately after this he is running for his life from one woman!

At first look, this seem inconsistent with the powerful man seen only hours before. There are likely several reasons for this:

Elijah had been specifically commanded by God to reveal himself to Ahab, and the Lord had told him that the drought that had crippled Israel for years was to be lifted. The ensuing confrontation, cleansing of the land and rain was all part of what the Lord gave Elijah to do. In acting under direct orders from God, Elijah was confident and full of faith.

I also believe that in this instance Elijah had a special gift of faith to accomplish this. In First Corinthians 12:9 one of the gifts of the Spirit is the gift of supernatural faith. I understand this gift to be an impartation of the Holy Spirit that goes beyond the level of faith that an individual may walk in daily. So I believe that Elijah, when confronting the prophets of Baal, was not only carrying out God’s plan, but had been given supernatural faith to accomplish the task.

But after that incredible spiritual high point, Elijah is alone, probably exhausted, and the supernatural faith has left. It is then that the enemy comes to attack. How many of you have had a spiritual “backlash” where it seem like everything goes wrong, as if the devil comes against you right after a spiritual high point? I certainly have. Elijah is vulnerable, and he knows it.

First, he gets as far away from Jezebel as possible! (In his despair, he said he was ready to die, but he didn’t really mean it. If Elijah really wanted to die, all he had to do is stay home and wait for the servants of Jezebel to come for him!) First he goes to Beersheeba. Somewhere along the way, he realizes that to survive he needs to run under God’s covering. Leaving his servant behind, Elijah heads out into the dessert. In his fear and exhaustion, his own natural strength carries him one day. He collapses under a tree and begins to pour out his heart to God.

1 Kings 19:5-8

Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”  So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

In the time of his great distress, Elijah reached out to God. Up until this point we don’t know where Elijah is going, only that he is heading into the dessert. He went as far as he could to meet God. He got nowhere near his eventual destination before his strength gave out. But the Lord honored his effort. The Lord knows how far away we go from him. If you need to run back to God, just head out to meet him. The Lord will honor your effort and meet you at your point of need.

I love the picture shown here. God sends an angel  with food. But not just any food! Fresh, hot bread baked right there on hot coals! There’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking! Now, God could have sent the angel with any kind of food. But to have the prophet awaken to the smell of fresh bread, right there on the coals, lets him know that the Lord cares for him, will comfort him in his need and will sustain him. Elijah awakens a second time to have the angel tell him that the journey is too much for him, but that he will be strengthened by eating again. Thus fortified,  Elijah heads into the desert.

Are you weary? Reach out to the Lord with the strength that you have. He will answer you. Is the journey too much for you? He knows where you are going. Run to the Lord and He will sustain you along the way.

Next Time- Into the Desert

Photo by Dave Lantner, used with permission.

Episode Four of Radio Antioch is a sermon by David Cranfill entitled Going to the Mountain
Throughout the Scripture, God has met with His children, often in remote places. Some were running under the covering of God, others responding to the call of God, in times of trial and in times of new beginnings. Even today we must make time to “Go to the Mountain” with God, to be refreshed, renewed, sometimes corrected, always affirmed, but above all to enjoy a sweet time of fellowship.

0:00    Intro
0:32    Taking Time for God
6:07    The Gift of Faith
12:22    The Journey Into the Desert
18:24    On the Mountain
28:17     A word from the Lord
32:18    Come Away with Me
34:44    New Beginnings
36:28    Those Who Seek His Presence
38:49    Credits

Listen Now! RA-004-Going-To-The-Mountain.mp3

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