So this morning I was talking about Elijah to my daughter in law who dropped in after I got the car to Buzz's Autobody.
I'd been talking with 2 other friends recently about Elijah and the need for rest earlier, and today again Elijah pops up. I seem to be on an Elijah roll lately- because Elijah was like us.
He got tired.
So tired he prayed for God to take his life.
This isn't the ordinary tired after a long day, this is bone weary exhaustion to the point of tears and desiring death kind of exhaustion. The kind of exhaustion that comes with a measure of deep depression.
Elijah's ministry is divided into 3 parts. Great service to God followed by a break where he is utterly exhausted, and running from Jezebel in fear and terror for his life, feeling utterly alone. More great service to God followed by a Rapture, being caught up to God's presence alive. And as Malachi points out, he will come again
The transition after his first phase of ministry is marked by this extreme exhaustion. (and it's also broken into 3 parts; sleeping and meals for 2 nights under the broom bush in the wilderness near Beersheba where the Angel of the Lord ministers to him, and then a 40 day and night journey (on the strength of the food and water that the Angel of the Lord gave him) to Mt Horeb and another night in the cave there before an encounter with God)
Mt Horeb, the Mountain of the Lord where Moses met the Burning Bush and heard directly from God, the great I AM. It is also called Sinai- same place where Moses got the 10 Commandments.
Then Phase 2 starts where Elijah brings Elisha into ministry as his successor and Phase 2 ends with Elijah being Raptured up.
Phase 3 is yet to come, as Elijah is prophesied to return before the great and terrible day of the Lord- Malachi 4:5
James 5:17 says Elijah was a man with a nature like ours
Elijah phase 1: Lots of mighty works of God. Elijah is used in a mighty way. Like Peter stepping out on the water -full of faith. Eyes on God.
Then the famous showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. In 1Kings 18.
Elijah sees God act in a mighty way, he slaughters the false prophets of Baal, then by God's strength out runs Ahab, both of them ending up in Jezreel, about 17 miles from Mt Carmel where Ahab tells Jezebel what happened and she sends word to Elijah that she's going to kill him.
Elijah's exhaustion: 1 Kings 19 One word from Jezebal and Elijah is running for his life, in another direction.
Like Peter, the eyes are on the circumstances, the message from Jezebel that hits Elijah as he recovers from the big battle on Mt Carmel with the false prophets of Baal.
I've noticed the enemy usually attacks us when we are exhausted. Or hungry, or thirsty, or lacking sleep.
It doesn't matter how much we see God move in mighty ways, we are still human, we get exhausted, we need rest, we need to eat and drink and sleep. Sometimes our eyes are on the threat, and off God momentarily (like Peter) and we start to sink.
But even in that exhaustion we are not forgotten by God.
God is still moving in our lives even if all we are doing is eating, drinking and sleeping.
Even if we aren't "useful" to God as we sometimes think of it. We aren't "on the shelf" we are being given what we need for the next part of the journey.
God isn't done with us till He calls us home in victory.
It's ok to take time away to rest. To be alone with God. To sleep, take care of nutrition, exercise, water intake. To be apart from ministry - Jesus didn't minister 24-7. He took time away to rest, to pray and even fell asleep in the middle of a boat in a storm. It's ok to be human.
In fact the key to all this is keeping the eyes on the Lord in the middle of the storm, let the Word of God dwell in us richly, let it roll over us in our fatigue, - set an audio version of the Bible running when you lie down for a nap or when you are alone and quiet. Even if we fall asleep with the Bible still running, it's going into our hearts and minds. It won't return void without doing that which the Lord sends it to do.
Start and end the day with the Word of God even if it's just a verse, just an audio version. Listen to it while you are alone doing housework or other chores. Let it flow over you and restore you.
From Jezreel in the northern kingdom of Ahab, he ran to Beersheba and left his servant there, and ran further into the wilderness another days journey. Just Jezreel to Beersheba is 100 miles, and then a day's journey beyond that. Beersheba was in the southern kingdom of Judah, well out of reach of Ahab or Jezebel's messengers but he went further.
And there he ends up. 1 Kings 19:4-9
He came to a broom bush, 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.”
5 Then he lay down under the bush 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 some 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.
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Angel of the Lord refers to a pre incarnate appearance of Jesus. In v 7 this is The Angel of the Lord (Jesus) as in v 5, providing food and water and not once but twice. By then Elijah has the strength to go 40 days and 40 nights till he reaches Horeb, the Mountain of God, Sinai, where Moses first met God in the Burning Bush, and where Moses went up to receive the 10 Commandments.
I think Elijah is linked to Moses not just here but at the Mt of Transfiguration, and Elijah stands for the Prophets, Moses stands for the Law. I think they will both return for Elijah's third phase of ministry when he comes back as one of the 2 witnesses. But that's just me thinking out loud.
Notice he has to stop and rest again in that cave on Mt Horeb.
That cave seems like a quiet place of safety. There's been a lot of times when I'm so incredibly tired, sometimes grief, sometimes the fatigue that goes along with whatever it is that I have medically, that I just curl up and sleep after tears, after the bone weary fatigue, and I often feel safe and secure in God's presence as I sleep. Sometimes I'm playing the Bible or a bible teaching, sometimes it's just me praying, then drifting to sleep.
Elijah sleeps that night, safe and secure in the cave of the Lord on the mountain of the Lord.
That mountain is another 200 miles from Beersheba. Elija ran 100 miles from Jezreel to Beersheba, out into the wilderness a days journey whatever that distance was, and then another 200 miles to Mt Horeb. Over 300 miles. On foot.
He ends up in that safe cave inside the mountain of the Lord. We run to the Lord in our sorrows, in our troubles and find shelter in Him.
And there when he wakes up the next morning, "the Word of the Lord" came to him. Notice how hurt and tired he still is as he answers the Lord. Elijah is honest about his feelings as he talks with the Lord. The Lord is gentle and kind with Elijah. He knows we are but dust.
The Word of the Lord asks him twice, what are you doing here? Elijah answers twice, the same thing. I've been doing your will, they rejected your Covenant, tore down your altars, killed your prophets, and I'm the only one left.
Then God tells him what he's to do next and at the very end, He gently points out to his hurt and broken and exhausted servant that He God still has 7 Thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
It's not as bad as it seemed to Elijah. In our fatigue things look worse than they are. After we rest our ability to process things returns. We can't process stuff when we are too tired, hungry or thirsty to see straight. God allows us time to recharge.
God not only ministers to us in our exhaustion with rest, sleep, food and water, but also and most importantly with His WORD- The Word of God, the Bible, Jesus the living Word of God and with prayer- we are able to come to the Throne of Grace, before God the Father, thru the blood of Jesus, confidently, praying, speaking to Him as our Heavenly Father.
Verse 9 continues:
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, torn 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.”
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?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn 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.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah 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.
18
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Phase 2 of Elijah's ministry begins as he anoints Elisha to follow after him, but Elijah is never again troubled by anything Jezebel says, in fact he never sees her alive again. He talks with Ahab after Jezebel murders Naboth and steals the vineyard, but he doesn't see Jezebel again. He is raptured up as we see in 2 Kings 2 and it isn't till 2 Kings 9 that we see the end of Jezebel.
Malachi 4:5-6 promises that Elijah will come again before that great and terrible Day of the Lord- a phrase in the OT that usually refers to Jacob's Trouble.
Elijah- this man, greatly used of God
Struggled with fatigue, depression and a sense of being completely isolated and alone.
God has His reserves- 7000 in Israel (that is the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom is called Judah)
But God doesn't toss Elijah's pain and fatigue out because He has 7000 others who serve Him.
Instead He cares tenderly for Elijah, and ministers to Elijah's need for food, water, and rest before taking Elijah further to phase 2 of Elijah's ministry.
It's OK to rest in the presence of the Lord.
Eat a good healthy meal of food that God provides you, drink a glass of water, get a good nights sleep, take a nap and take time away from whatever you are doing for a living or from whatever ministry you are doing, to get time with the Lord, recharge your batteries and rest in His presence.
Get into the cave on the mountain of the Lord in your life. It might be the quiet corner of your bedroom, or the study, but it's somewhere that you can lie down, rest fully and deeply and let the washing of the water of the Word flow over you. Drink some water, eat something nourishing, and if you need to, take a nap while listening to the Bible on tape or You Tube- Gary Stearman
Studies with Stearman or Chuck Missler and Ron Matsen from Koinonia House
Koinonia House
Later, take the Bible or the teaching with you on your phone - to keep you company while you do your daily work.
Feeding on the Word as you go about your day. Get out with friends, feel the sunshine, go for a walk in the fresh air. All things that help reset us back to "normal".
But most of all take time to Rest.
It is just as much a work done for the Lord's service as any other thing we do for God. He knows we are but dust and we need rest. He loves us. He provides for us.
Psalm 127:2 in the Amplified reads like this:
It is vain for you to rise early, To retire late, To eat the bread of anxious labors— For He gives [blessings] to His beloved
even in his sleep.
and time to allow for unexpected changes really helps. It reduces stress and lets me rest when I need extra like I have needed this past week. This morning I needed a little nap after getting up and dressed. I'm going out for a walk this afternoon Lord willing.
times with God to refreshen our Spirit. There is so much to be done with cleaning the house, laundry, dinner,, and grocery shopping. We can get overwhelmed so taking breaks can help us instead of overloading ourselves too much at a time.
