Bible Talks: 1 Kings 18:40-19:2.

From: Messages of God's Love: 1956

Now that the people were convinced the Lord was the true God, Elijah told them to take the prophets of Baal and not to let one of them escape. He then took them down to the brook Kishon and killed every one of them. The Lord did not want His people to have divided hearts, and since they now knew that the Lord was the true God they must worship Him alone. May we know what it is to give Him our whole hearts too, for He is worthy. Let us get rid of our idols, and serve Him alone.

God had sent this terrible famine to turn the hearts of His people back to Himself, and now that they had acknowledged Him, there was no further delay in sending the rain. God is always in a hurry to bless, and so here, Elijah told Ahab that there was a sound of abundance of rain. Then he went up on the top of Carmel, and putting his head between his knees, he told his servant to go and look toward the sea. When his servant had done this seven times, he saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand. It is a great thing for us when our heads get down to our knees. Too often we are occupied with what we can accomplish, but when we get down before the Lord, knowing that all blessing comes from Him, then He can use us. After Elijah had waited with his head between his knees for a time, the Lord came in in a remarkable way.

Elijah then sent to Ahab and told him to get down before the rain stopped him. Soon clouds filled the sky and there was a great rain. While Ahab was hurrying to Jezreel, Elijah ran before him, rejoicing no doubt to see the rain coming upon the earth again. The first cloud that appeared was about the size of a man’s hand, but what great things followed. I believe this is a lesson to us, that if we are humble and look to the Lord, He will use our feeble efforts, just as this great “shower of blessing” started with a cloud the size of a man’s hand. May the Lord keep us close to Himself in these closing days, for “the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” Luke 10:2²Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2).

This testimony of Elijah to rebellious Israel is, also a figure of the testimony in power during the tribulation period (Malachi 4:5, 6⁵Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: ⁶And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5‑6)), and it will stir up the hatred of the ungodly part of the nation, just as Elijah’s testimony stirred up the wrath of Jezebel. (See Revelation 11:3-13³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. ⁵And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. ⁶These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. ⁷And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. ⁸And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. ⁹And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. ¹⁰And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. ¹¹And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. ¹²And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. ¹³And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:3‑13).) We might also mention that the testimony then will have the character of Moses as well, for he brought plagues upon Egypt — a type of the world in its opposition to the rights of God as Creator. What an awful time of judgment that will be!

When Jezebel the wife of Ahab heard that the prophets of Baal had been slain, she said that she would see to it that Elijah was put to death for all this. Elijah had openly demonstrated before all the people that the Lord was the true God, but we see that they needed more than a testimony. A testimony will never change the heart. God has given every testimony possible to man, but his natural heart is still at enmity with Him. Men will say they would like you to prove that the Bible is true, but even when we do give them overwhelming evidence, as Elijah did here, they only seek new arguments against it. The sinner needs not merely to be convinced, but conviction of sin and new birth by the power of the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3).

ML 06/03/1956

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