In the times of Israel that word " man of God " comes repeatedly up in connection with Elijah and Elisha. The title, while actually found as the character itself is prominently brought out, is still really applicable to all the Lord's people, as what they all are, I may say, positionally, and as purchased by the blood of Christ. They are surely God's men; but the " man of God " is the title here of one who is practically that-one whose practical character answers to his position.
That character of course becomes only the more distinct as the times are trying. The apostle tells us also, even in his time: " All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Phil. 2:2121For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:21). Just in proportion as that is so, it makes more striking the reality of one who is a man of God; it makes him shine out in the darkness, as it is said of John the Baptist, who as you know took up Elijah's mission, " He was a burning and a shining light." The darkness is used of God to make His lights more apparent. God's lights as such, are made for the darkness, which does not hide or put them out, but manifests them. Such a light, in the very darkest days in Israel, was Elijah the Tishbite.
If you look back and consider, you will see how largely God's people have lived in such times as these; how from the very beginning of all dispensations that which was entrusted to man's care, he failed in. A time of general departure calls on those who would be over-comers to walk alone with God. If the stream be adverse, we need more spiritual energy.
The time in Israel was not such as we should look for such a light as Elijah the Tishbite in; it was exactly God's time. God delights in showing in the very midst of it all that He is quite as sufficient for the darkest times as for the brightest. Elijah's name shows where his strength lay. " My God is Jehovah " or " Jehovah is my mighty One," and it is the power of God we see in him; a power as available for you and me, as for Elijah. " Tishbite " is said by some to mean " The Converter," the one in whom there was God's power to turn men from the way in which they were unto Himself; and who sought to bring a nation back to God. In his own lifetime there might seem to be little apparent success in that; even so there is the lesson for us. For while God never allows His word to fall fruitless to the ground, and we may surely trust Him for that, on that very account we may leave that success to Him, not indifferent, but still not troubled, if it do not much appear and anxious, first of all that the seed and sowing should be to His mind, rather than to see results which perhaps the day of manifestation will alone disclose.
That is what God would have before us; success is in His own hands, and God is content sometimes to work in a way to us inscrutable. If we make success our object, it will become a snare to us. We shall get our eyes on the results, and by this test our work untruly. For if that is the test, what about His Who said, " I have labored in vain; I have spent My strength for naught! " " Yet surely," was His appeal, " My judgment is with the Lord and My work with My God." God, on the other hand, would have us look, in the most careful way possible, at walk and work and life, and as to what comes of it, the issue of it all, leave that to be made manifest in the Day fast approaching, which shall make everything manifest. Are you content to leave it to that? Care for souls and love to them is of course another thing. God forbid that I should say one word which should make that a matter of little moment; but beware of what on every side people are doing; and beware of thinking that quantity, with God, will atone for quality.
I want you to look at Elijah in the attitude which is expressed here in a few words. " Elijah the Tishbite who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." He stood before the living God; God was for him that-the living God. That is the first thing, " as the Lord God of Israel liveth " he says. He can find no way of expressing assurance equal to that. It was the surest thing he knew, the most vividly realized, that the God of Israel lived. And that is just the thing we want to realize down here. The living God is what we want in the midst of scenes like this, in the midst of all so full of life and activity, the life around and about brushing us on every side, how we do want to realize the living God!
Now this standing before the Lord God of Israel, what does it mean? As you see at once, it is the attitude of service. He is waiting, ready at His bidding to go. Not merely walking before Him, not running about surely with the restless hurry of many, too busy with His service to listen to His word. " Standing " is waiting to have His will expressed. We stand before the Lord God when we are waiting for Him to direct us, and do not move without His guidance. There may be much more standing than moving even, no doubt. If you take Elijah's life, how much more of standing or waiting, or being alone with God, than there was of acting for Him; but the acting for Him in consequence came just at the right time. So should we be ready to serve, not merely occupied with the service, much less hurrying about, as if to be doing was the whole matter, but to be in His path, to be doing His will, conscious that all else is worse than idleness.
Now notice how God identifies Himself with the men who stand before Him in this way. " As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." What a bold thing to say! It was not that the Lord was going to accomplish Elijah's will, but that Elijah was accomplishing the Lord's. " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." He had got into the secret of God's mind, and was honored by being made the announcer of it. " Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:77Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7).) The prophet and the man of God are nearly identical. Would He keep back anything from those who stood before Him, seeking to be servants of His will, and towards the people of His choice? What a wonderful place that is to be in! For God to identify Himself so with one, not to be ashamed of him, as it is said in Heb. 11 of those old worthies; not ashamed to identify Himself with, and uphold before the face of the world, the word of a poor, untitled man, but to whom His word and will were all. That is what Elijah was, and so he became linked with the fulfillment of the purposes of One to Whom the universe is but the scene of the display of a glory which transcends it still.
Now that is the character of the man of God. I have very feebly traced out what is there, but still that is what the man of God is. I want to know, not whether we are that in full, but still how far that represents us, or has meaning to us, at all? Do we know what standing before the Lord God is, and before the Lord God of His people? Do we know what it is to have the living God before our eyes in this kind of way? Do we know what it is to be able to see, not only His actings in our lives, but what He is doing in the world, and toward His people, because we are with Him, and therefore have His mind? Do we know what it is, as sons of God, to be His servants, working with the zeal and intelligence of those who both know the Father's will, and know the Father? Our service from first to last, is to have His word to justify it. God has one path for us to walk in, one work at any moment for us to be about. While the Word guides, it must be a living guidance-guided by His eye. The Lord grant it, for His Name's sake.