|
This "Rhema Topic" is a message that I preached back on Sunday, May 06, 2012 at Christ-faith Bible Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
MESSAGE: "There is hope, just have faith!"
SCRIPTURE: I Kings 19:1-3; 9-18
Minister Frederick A. Landy
I Kings 19:1-3; 9-18 (NASB):
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “ So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
Elijah at Horeb
9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
11 So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking 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 After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
The Holy Bible. New American Standard Bible, (NASB). Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1995.
BACKGROUND
- Elijah- 9th century prophet of the Hebrew Bible
- Jezebel- wife of king Ahab; a wicked woman.
- Ahab- the 7th king of the northern kingdom of Israel; reigned for about 22 yrs.
POINT 1: A threat given! (Jezebel)! Vv. 1-3
- Because of the threat, Elijah went from Mt. Carmel or Jezreel all the way to Beersheba (map).
- The first, “so why are you here”? (The word of the Lord to Elijah) Vv. 9-10
- Many times we go down the wrong path that God has not planned for us to be on!
- He felt like he was _alone______!
POINT 2: The second, “so why are you here”? (The Lord to Elijah) Vv. 11-14
- The same question is asked by God and the same response is given by Elijah, in that regard!
- The Lord did not come in the _wind__, nor the ___earthquake_______, neither the fire, BUT in the SILENCE!
—Zechariah 4:6, The word of the Lord to Zechariah for Zerubbabel, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
CONCLUDING POINT: There is hope, just have faith! There is work to be done! Vv. 15-18
—___ENCOURAGEMENT___--just knowing that God has come; He has lended a listening ear and looked your way!
—HOPE—through the instructions that are given. It seemed like a “lost cause”, but God!
—LOVE—being shown through His patience and guidance! (God loves us so much that He makes the seemingly possible, to us, possible and with that, it is all according to our faith; Matthew 9:29)!
|
