Address—C. Lunden
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The Book of Kings, the 19th chapter.
First Kings. Thank you.
19 chapter.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done.
And with all how He had slain all the prophets with a sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life, is the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.
And when he saw that he arose and went for his life, he came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself won a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he requested for himself that he might die, and said, it is enough now, O Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's.
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an Angel touched him, and said unto him.
Arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake, bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head, and did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went into the in the strength of that meat, 40 days and 40 nights under Horeb, the mount of God.
And he came together into a cave and lodged there.
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, And he said unto him, What doest thou hear, Elijah?
He said. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant.
Thrown down 9 altars and slain Thy prophets for the sword, and I even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord, and behold, the Lord passed by.
In a great and strong wind rent the mountain and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind.
And after the wind and an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake of fire, that the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire was still small voice.
Or a soft, gentle voice. It should read.
And it was so when Elijah heard it. They wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entry end of The Cave. Behold, there came a voice unto him, and said.
What dost thou hear, Elijah?
And he said, I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel.
Had broken thy covenant, thrown down 9 altars, slain thy prophets with a sword.
And I even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus.
And right now, call Mr. Anoint his ail to be king over Syria.
And Jehu, the son of Nemeshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel.
And the life of the son of shepherd of Abel Mahola, thou shalt anoint be prophet in thy room.
In circumstance that him that escaped with a sword of his ail shall Jehu slave, and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elijah's slave. Yet I have left me 7000 in Israel all the knees which have not bowed unto bail in every mouth of this not kissed him. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of the Shaifa, who was flying with 12 yoke of oxen before him.
And he was the 12Th, and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.
And you left the oxygen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me I pray thee, yes, my father and my mother, Then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?
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And he returned back from him, and took a yoke, or the yoke of oxen, and slew them.
And boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen gave unto the people.
And they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
We've had before us today already some principles in regard to.
Soul exercise and failure.
Now we have here one illustration.
But we have ended some very important principles.
Of the very same line of things we've had.
We have here a man, Elijah. I have no doubt he was a young man.
And John the Baptist was patterned after him.
He was a man who was wholly given up to God.
And so you see, even a man who's wholly given up to God is subject to like passions as we are, as we read in the book of James.
But we have here a man who had power.
Very few have ever expressed the power that seen in the hands of Elijah.
And so if you read and we won't turn to all these passages, but in the first verse of the 17th chapter.
He stands before the king and he says, according to my word, there will be no rain this year.
And there was number rain for 3 1/2 years. That's power.
What kind of power? Physical. No moral power.
Moral power?
And after 3 1/2 years, the Lord said, you go until Ahab that there will be rain.
In the mean time he had shown the people of God.
Who the true God was because it was famine in the land.
And.
There was number way to get water, just barely enough to drink. And yet the Apostle, or rather the prophet.
Orders 4 barrels of water to pour on the altar.
With anyone, he says. You do it three times.
Theory. It brings water then when there's no water around.
It's like the Prophet said when human cisterns all are dried. I have a fountain still.
The power of God.
Elijah was the man of power.
But it is because before the Lord God whom I stand, you see.
How important this is.
And then he takes and slays the prophets of Baal.
But now he's in trouble.
Bears of Jezebel.
But you know, it doesn't matter. As we sing in that little hymn, sometimes in every state, secure, no matter what happens, the blavor is secure.
He's secure.
You know, we get into difficulties, I'm sure that everyone here has.
And we began to wonder what's going to happen.
And well, we might. But remember, it's all in God's hands.
You can see it illustrated here in this passage we've read.
Now Jezebel heard about what Elijah had done.
In fact, it says another translation she heard in detail.
Shared everything Elijah had done instead of turning her heart to God.
She allows Satan to take over.
And so she threatens the life of this prophet.
And now the Prophet when he saw that.
He ran for his life.
How different than when he stood before.
The king and said, According to my word, there will be no rain is yours.
Now what has happened? His eye was off the Lord, that's all, when he saw that.
He wasn't seeing the Lord.
He saw Jezebel and what she was going to do.
Then he ran.
This mighty man of Elijah I know is God behind it, but.
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Now he runs from a woman.
Is that the way a prophet should act? Prophet of God? A mighty prophet of God?
He had come to bring the children of Israel back to God again, and he did so.
But in doing so, he slew the prophets of Baal, and this raised the.
The anger of this woman who was actually leading her husband Ahab.
And so she threatens to kill Elijah.
Now it says.
He went for his life and came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant there.
Now why does he leave his servant there?
Because he's going to get into the presence of the Lord, and Lord is going to do it.
It isn't Elijah going into the presence of the Lord, but the Lord bringing him into his presence, and the servant has no place there.
It's one thing to be out acting in power all around.
And for the glory of God, it's quite another thing to be alone in the presence of God.
And this is what we have in this chapter.
We have a prophet, mighty prophet, but alone in the presence of God.
Now why did God allow this? We often ask the question why has this happened and why has that happened?
Oh, he has a reason.
Don't you think God always has a reason for what he does? Always.
Never mistake.
And so we find that the Prophet.
He goes to, He leaves his servant.
There's no place now for a servant.
And he goes to Beersheba.
The well of the old.
Which is flown to the Judah.
Left his servant there. Now he goes a day's journey at the wilderness.
And came and sat down under, down under a juniper or a wild broom tree.
He's going to think things over now.
But as he as he sat down under this tree.
He requested for himself that he might die.
He's in the presence of the Lord, you know.
You know, no matter what experience you pass through, you can't get away from the Lord.
That's 139th Psalm. You can't get away from the Lord.
No matter what happens, there's no way you can get away from the Lord.
He's with you all the time.
All that you say is out of communion.
You can't get away from the Lord. You just had that this afternoon.
Now.
He makes a request.
That he might die. It's enough.
It's enough.
Have you ever come to that place where you've said it's enough? I just can't go on?
So now.
Love suffereth long.
And his kind. That's the new nature. Acting.
But not here.
We find that these requests for himself that he might die.
What is he running away from a woman for because of his wife and then turning around wanting to die?
So you see how foolish we become when we're out of communion now The Lord was there, but he wasn't in communion.
How foolish we are.
One instance he's running for his life, The next instance he asked to die.
No sense to that.
Now what is the reason?
Take away my life. Why? For I'm not better than my father's.
Did he think he was better than his father in the first place?
You know, beloved, we have to learn something, and that is, there's no partiality in the things of God.
No partiality.
Is not a question of what I am or what I'm not. It's a question of what the Lord is.
He may take one person and put him up as a powerful witness like Elijah.
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And he may take another one who is silent.
Still a witness? God is no partiality, and the one who is a servant should be content to be in the path the Lord has placed it.
Another thing.
He should be sure the Lord has placed him in the path.
All you say, well, I'm, I've got a family. I don't get into these things because they leave those to the older brothers.
You mean you don't get into the things that belong to your life?
Down here.
Oh, how important these things are. This passage we're reading is for everyone here.
Man, woman and child.
Not better than my father's.
And as he lay and slept.
Lay and slept.
Under a wild broom tree. Behold then.
An Angel touched it. It was the Lord, because we learned later that the Angel of the Lord, which is the Lord.
Touched him.
Rather a tender thing, isn't it?
Your servant is 200 miles away from his mission.
And the Lord has touched him, just touched him, that's all.
Oh, have you had these experiences with the Lord, dear brethren, have you been in such a position where you know that you were discouraged and probably a little bit angry too?
And then the Lord just touches.
That's what it does to the Prophet here.
Instead of.
Bowling, testifying, for the Lord is running from a woman.
Not a very nice picture, is it?
We hold. Then an Angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise.
8 And he looked, and behold, there was a cake, bacon on the coals now that should read hot stones, and a cruise of water at his head. Now he has a cake and a cruise of water at his head.
The Prophet says I was young and now I'm old.
I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor the seed begging bread.
Are you afraid if you go out to witness for the Lord that he's going to?
Going to take and light a pass through time and there's nothing to eat.
No, the Lord takes care of his servants.
If he sends them, he takes care of them.
Here's a cruise of water and a cake. Bacon on the cold.
And I suppose, dear brethren, that the Lord baked them himself from the looks of things.
I wonder if you and I realize what it means to walk in communion close to the Lord.
Haven't touched you.
And then need provides something for you to eat.
And when you're thirsty to provide the water without your acting at all.
The Lord doing.
Is that not his tender law?
Oh yes, his love is expressed at Calvary's cross, but it's also expressed to the daily circumstance of life of these people.
He looked and behold.
Cake, bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
I suppose that he just put his elbow up and enough so he could raise his head and.
Took what was given him and went back to sleep again.
Looks like his rather discouraged.
Discouraged.
I don't think discouragement is faith view.
No, it's not fake.
And yet, haven't you gotten discouraged?
And so faith is. If it isn't of faith, Scripture says it's sin.
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Here's a man, a mighty man of God.
A man of separation from evil in every way. And yet here he is, His heart is coming out.
Heart is being manifested.
He looked and behold.
And the Angela Lord came again the second time, and touched him.
And said arise and eat.
Because.
The journey is too great for thee.
And dear ones.
With that, the Lord would touch us and teach us this truth.
Right now, the journey is too great for thee.
But it's not too great for the Lord.
And we have to learn this.
That the journey is too great for thee. And so if we venture out in our own strength, we're going to find out that the journey is too great for us.
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights.
We have that in connection with others in the Old Testament.
Like Moses and so on.
40 days and 40 nights.
It speaks of a period of testing, I suppose.
Here's one who's the passing through testing, but he's sustained for 40 days and 40 nights.
But the meat that he's given at one time?
Ample to take him over these days of testing.
Yes, the Lord will supply what you need, dear brethren, to pass through that period of testing.
And I know there are those here this afternoon. Who?
Where are they?
Eyes filled with tears.
Trials.
The passing through, but remember the 40 days and the 40 nights.
A full supply.
No need.
And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there.
I should have noticed the end of that previous verse unto Horeb, the mount of God. And what is that? It's Mount Sinai.
That's a terrible place to go, isn't it?
If a beast touched the mountain, he'd be put to death.
Not for one who is under grace.
Oh, what Grace has done for us, brethren, has taken us so that we are not afraid of Mount Horeb anymore.
We might make mistakes, there may be great failure with us, but we're not.
Pray to Mount Horeb anymore.
Sinai And you get that in Hebrews 12, You're not come to it.
Then it tells us what we are come to.
Hebrews 12 We Won't turn to It.
And he said, I noticed that.
I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have.
Forsake a thy covenant thrown down thine altars, and slay thy prophets with thy sword, and I even I only, and let them they seek my life to take it away.
Now we have in this verse three eyes and a mind.
Notice it's all full of eye and what I have done.
Is there any way to get into the presence of the Lord?
But you know if something is worse than that.
And that is to speak against God's people.
God will not tolerate our speaking against His people. Let's remember that that is to Him.
Don't tell the tell God about the failures of his people because he doesn't want to know it.
They're all covered with the blood of Christ.
Every knot in the Tabernacle is covered with gold.
God does not want to hear about it.
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And so we find that testing has to go on.
And he said go forth.
And stand upon the mount before the Lord. Notice that before the Lord.
And behold, the Lord passed by.
And a great and strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord.
But the Lord was not in the wind.
And after the wind and earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake of fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire is still small boys.
Should read a soft, gentle porch.
In other words, Elijah, I'm going to give you just what you want. Power.
When Earthquake fire, that's what you like.
Isn't that what he's been doing?
Casting down the altars of Baal. Laying the Bale's prophets.
Calling for rain and falling that it might not be rain. Then he calls for rain. He was given the power to do it.
But dear friend, this afternoon.
Our joy is not in those things. Our joy is in the Lord.
Must remember that.
Is not in achievements.
It's not in some mission that we've carried out to the Lord. That's not where our joy is.
Our joy is in the person of the Lord Himself.
And what does that mean, Communion?
Communion.
The Lord wasn't in all these things. They had to be carried out, it's true.
But he couldn't find the Lord in them.
Because the Lord doesn't enjoy those things.
He loves to the spams brace.
And after the earthquake of fire, the Lord was not at the fire and after the fire.
A soft gentle.
Oh, how tender the Lord is.
He's working with his Prophet, but the Prophet has not learned his lesson.
And so he has to have it repeated again. This is sad.
Dear brethren, have you had to repeat lessons like this?
Go through that awful thing again that you had to go through once.
Why didn't repent?
Didn't judge it in the presence of the Lord.
You know, a brother and my sister might be found in sin and put away from the table, but unless they judge it, no matter if they're brought back, unless they judge it, they're liable to repeat their sin again.
Or is so important in receiving one to the table who has been away to be sure that there's true repentance?
Otherwise, that sin may be repeated again.
And you're doing a harm to the sister or brother. You're doing a harm to the assembly.
When there hasn't been true repentance.
Because if there hasn't been true repentance, it can't be true communion.
And so the same thing. What are you doing here, Elijah?
But you'll notice here on this thirteen first, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of The Cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou hear, Elijah? Same thing all over again.
You're 200 miles away from your mission.
But not only that.
What are you doing here? You're speaking against the people of God.
To me.
Telling me about the faults of my people.
That's what he's doing now.
Now I want to ask you what the Lord Jesus did when he went out.
I mean the cross of Christ.
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What did he do? Did he speak against God's people?
No, he died for them.
Mount Sinai.
Not horrible. Horrible. He died for God's people.
How different the Prophet?
He said. I've been very jealous.
Oh, we read that.
And the Lord said unto him, Go.
This is the second time he says go to him.
This is sad, isn't it?
The gospel message has come all the way through, isn't it?
But here we have a message go.
The Lord was not in the fire, He was not in the earthquake.
He was not in the wind, but he was in that soft, gentle voice.
But the Prophet hadn't learned it yet.
So now he's going to have to pass through something more solemn and serious.
Go in return, go back again.
On thy way.
To the wilderness.
To the wilderness.
Yes, we have to go on with God and His people, no matter what the conditions may be among his people.
We have to go on with his people, or well in the wilderness alone, one of the two.
And the spiritual wilderness of that.
Of Damascus.
Country of Syria enemies country.
And when thou comest anointed zeal to be king over Syria, why Azale? Because he was the one that's going to dash the.
Little children against the stones that belong to Israel.
That's power.
But what kind of power?
Pretty hard lesson for Elijah, wasn't it? Oh brethren.
Let's repent at the very beginning. Let's own our mistake before the Lord.
You won't have to pass through these deep, deep trials.
And Jehiel the son of Nemeshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel.
And Elisha, the son of Schaefer of Abram Maholo, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room?
Well, these weren't very pleasant things.
And you know what?
They were never carried out.
Never carried out. Why? Because he repented.
It doesn't say so, but if we follow the text out, we'll see.
There's pretty strong medicine.
To be the one to anoint the one who was going to dash, the children of Israel, the little ones in the rocks. That was pretty strong in medicine, wasn't it?
It never was done. That is, he didn't anoint them.
But now he has to anoint the very man that's going to be his successor.
He's going to have his mission, not his ministry, but his mission, taken away from him.
The mission that he was carrying out to restore the children of Israel to the God of their fathers, that mission is taken from him.
But not his ministry.
Because now he teaches the sons of the prophets.
As we see later.
And he's the one who will see in another picture.
Who rises into heaven in a chariot of fire?
With a chariot of fire, I should say.
A type of the Lord Jesus.
As he becomes a type of the Lord Jesus and resurrection life.
Ending the heavens.
But let's go on here.
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He anointed Elijah the son of Schaefer.
To be.
Prophet in his room.
It doesn't carry out the other two.
Because we read in other passages.
Who anointed these different ones?
But we find that he did anoint Elisha.
Now he's told this eighteen First, a lesson we need to learn.
We may be discouraged when we see that Gospel meeting after Gospel meeting, nobody is saved.
We may think of times where we've tried to witness in our weak way for Christ. No results.
Where is the blessing coming from? I have reserved me 7000 who not bowed the knees to bail?
The work of God is going on in spite of us, dear brethren, in spite of us.
And if he's pleased to use you for it, you may never learn about the soul that was saved through your ministry.
Lord, through your speaking over the fence to your neighbor, as the sisters might do.
Yes, there's always work going on 7000 there.
And not just Elijah alone with his eye, Eye and me. No, that has to pass away.
The Lord says I have reserved.
That's Sovereign Sovereign Grace.
And have every mouth which has not kissed him.
Now it's true. We have two kinds of testimony here. We have a positive and a negative testimony.
Elijah's ministry was a positive testimony public.
He was not afraid, except when he fell out of communion. But in his testimony he was not afraid. He could stand before that king, knowing he was one to kill him, and yet he had moral power over that king.
But now we have a We come to a place where it says.
I have left me 7000 in Israel, all the needs which have not bowed unto bail, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
And he asked to learn that lesson, that it's not in power of might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
There's where the power is for gathering souls, for Christ.
It's the operation of the Holy Spirit.
It's a wonderful thing to have a part in it.
But as he who is doing the work.
Now we have a little picture at the end of the chapter of justice this.
Speaking of.
So he departed thence, and found Elisha, the son of his shepherd, who was plying with 12 yoke of oxen before him.
Now I take it this way.
There were 12 men who were plowing and each had a yoke of oxen.
You wanted to take a furrow and the father would take another following one, would take the next furrow till you see 12 yoke of oxen going across the field with six men following.
And he were the 12.
It's the end of a dispensation.
12 yoke of oxen.
Something new is being introduced. Christianity.
This is a figure of type, you know.
And he with the 12Th and Elijah, passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.
What does ploughing mean?
Ditches. Plowing. Furrows. Pools. What do they mean? Repentance?
Oh, how precious.
How rich, When the soul is ready, learned his lesson and he becomes a blessing.
You know, brethren, if I have failed.
I want you to forgive me and I don't want you to carry it in your heart against me.
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No.
Oh, how often we hold things against our brethren that we should not hold against them.
Other than the way the Lord treated us.
And so we have here.
He left the auction.
He ran after Elijah and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. You said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?
I want you to turn to the 9th chapter of Luke, just for a verse.
The last verse of the chapter.
We'll just read these last two verses. The subject is, The whole subject is very important.
Another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first.
Go bid them farewell, which are at home in my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back.
Is fit for the Kingdom of God.
If Elijah had not rebuked.
Elisha. He might have gone back.
Might have gone back.
But it says he went back To do what? To kiss his father and mother. No.
We have here a picture of one who is to serve the Lord, and Elisha is a picture of Christian service.
And he brings in death.
Upon the flesh.
He doesn't go back, but what does he do?
He takes the oxen with which he had been plowing.
Plowing. That's repentance.
He slays them.
And he takes the instruments of the oxen.
All that's used in connection with the work he was doing and he makes a fire and he prepares meat for the people of God.
He gives evidence of what his character is now in service.
The fairs meet for the people of God. That's the ministry of grace.
If Elijah, whose name means God, he is God.
Was going to bring the people of God back to God who tries to.
And he didn't accomplish his mission, but Christ will in the coming days.
The name of Eli Elijah is God, is my God, is Savior.
That's the Ministry of Grace.
Returned back from him and took veil of oxen.
It should read and slew them and boil their flesh.
With the instruments of the oxygen, and gave unto the people that they did eat.
Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
Go back again.
No, he wasn't going to go back. What have you decided to do, dear friend?
Have you decided to go back to the natural things of this world? Oh, what a day we're living in.
And the believers persuaded almost to take up of the world through which we are passing.
To go back again.
No, dear brethren, we are a separate people.
And this is an individual thing. It's one thing to be a Christian when you're surrounded by Christians, but it's quite another thing to be in Elijah or in Elijah.
To go on with God, regardless what the circumstances are, oh how we need this truth.
It's a question of personal, individual testimony today.
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And the Lord is so near, His coming so near.
What a blessed thing it would be to have his people all devoted.
And in practice.
Seeking his glory down here and separating from all that's of this world, we might have a constant testimony when he comes.