The life of Elijah vividly portrays a man of like passions as ourselves, witnessing for Jehovah. There is much to learn from him as we go through life. His ministry was to call Israel back to Jehovah and the law. His faithful representation of God proved the real condition of Israel. His witness of the law to Israel and his subsequent discouragement and departure from the land upon his rejection revealed that to continue with that character of ministry would only bring judgment. Israel was beyond being helped by that ministry. John the Baptist had a similar role, and he ended up being beheaded. Considering the life of Elijah in this way enables us to see the principles on which God ends the dispensation of law and introduces the dispensation of grace before judging the world completely. To understand grace properly, it is necessary to understand the end of law. This is why it was necessary for Elisha to spend time with Elijah. Elisha brought to Israel the ministry of grace following Elijah’s testimony against their evil.
No More Rain
Elijah’s first appearance before King Ahab is an abrupt announcement that there would be no more rain but by his word. The purpose was to cause Ahab to “turn back” to Jehovah, an expression often used by Elijah. The Lord then tells Elijah to go and hide himself. During that time, he was miraculously sustained by the ravens which feed him by the brook Cherith. This was a witness that the One who controls the rain of heaven also cares for His own who pass through the governmental judgments of God. He even used the unclean birds of heaven against their nature to feed His prophet.
When the brook dried up, Elijah was sent to be cared for by the widow of Zarephath. The care that each of these two had for the other is an example of God’s desired relationship with His people. God wants to provide for His people, but they must be willing to give Him the first place. This was lacking in Israel, but God was seeking for such. A widow in the extremity of her condition gave the prophet the first place when he requested it. She was at the end of all resources, having only one meal left for her and her son, yet she was willing to share that meal with the prophet. He promised that the meal would not waste and the oil would not fail. They were dependent on each other and this preserved them through the time of famine. What a witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to one who would give Him His place!
The Lord Jesus reminds the Jews of this story in Luke 4:25-2625But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. (Luke 4:25‑26), and they were filled with wrath. The story gives witness that there were none in Israel that would care for God’s prophet. If there were none in Israel willing to care for Elijah, it was right that he go to a widow and even a Gentile woman. The Lord Jesus was experiencing the same rejection as Elijah. God’s right to extend blessing to whomever He chose was being established by the Lord. This must be understood to appreciate grace rightly.
The Son Raised
After Elijah had lived with the widow for some time, her son died, and the widow concluded that he was calling her past sins to remembrance in judgment. Was there no other alternative but judgment under law from God? Elijah would not wish this on the widow. He took the son out of her bosom, laid him on his own bed and prayed to the Lord. The answer from the Lord is resurrection. This is mentioned in Hebrews 11:3535Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (Hebrews 11:35), “Women received their dead raised to life again.” There was hope for those who, in faith, depended on God in the Old Testament. This resurrection hope is the final reward of all the faithful, as stated at the close of Hebrews 11, “These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (vss. 39-40). Elijah did more than testify against sin; he raised the widow’s son. The widow recognized that Elijah was indeed “a man of God” and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was true. She was blessed by having the prophet in her home. Her faith, though tried through circumstances, grew through association with the prophet. Ahab, in contrast to this, accused Elijah of being the troubler of Israel in the following episode.
Ahab and the Prophets of Baal
In the third year of the famine the Lord sent Elijah to meet Ahab. It was time to demonstrate that Jehovah was the true God. From the beginning, Jehovah was the One who chose to bless Israel. The rain could not come until Jehovah was acknowledged. Elijah had prayed that it would not rain, and he alone, God’s prophet, could cause it to rain again. The idolatry in Israel was the hindrance. A confrontation between the prophets of Baal and Jehovah was necessary, and judgment must fall on the false prophets. Elijah performs this all alone, while there were 450 prophets of Baal. The test was, Who could cause the fire of judgment to burn the sacrifice? The prophets of Baal called on their god but there was no answer. Elijah repaired the altar of Jehovah made of twelve stones. After the sacrifice was laid on the wood upon the altar, he commanded that it be doused with four barrels of water. This was repeated three times until the trench around the altar was filled with water. Water would have been scarce in those days, but Jehovah must have the first part of that, too. Putting water on the wood and sacrifice would only make it more difficult for any man to start a fire, but for God this was no hindrance. The only way for the blessing of rain to descend on Israel was for His judgment of fire to fall on a sacrifice. Elijah’s sacrifice prefigured Christ, and it was acceptable to God. When the people saw the fire consume everything, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is the God.” Then Elijah commanded that all the prophets of Baal be taken, and he slew them there.
It was time to pray for the rain. Elijah went up to Mount Carmel to pray. He prayed while the servant went up seven times to see if there was a cloud in the sky. At last there was a little cloud like a man’s hand. The rain came in abundance. It is interesting to compare the story as told by Elijah with that of James in the New Testament. From Elijah’s viewpoint, he had to pray more earnestly to make it rain than for the rain not to come, whereas in the New Testament it is the opposite: “He prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain.” This is God’s perspective of giving rain.
Elijah Flees for His Life
When Jezebel heard what Elijah did to the prophets of Baal, she threatened to kill him. Earlier the Lord had told Elijah to go and hide, but this time he hid without instruction from God. On the one hand, we may say he lacked faith, but on the other hand, if he was the only faithful one, was there good reason to continue his kind of ministry? If the nation would not repent, what should he do? What next? Elijah returned to the place where the law was given to get the answer. The journey was long but the Lord was merciful to Elijah and sent an angel to feed him twice. In the strength of that food he went forty days’ journey to Horeb, the mount of God. There he poured out his heart to God. When asked why he was there, he responded, “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10).
The Still Small Voice
The answer from God was to make three great judgments pass before Elijah: the wind, the earthquake and the fire. In none of them did Elijah find the Lord. Such things are only preparatory for what God wants to do. God takes no delight in judgment. Such things are necessary to prepare men for God, but He is not found in them. The still small voice was where God was to be found, and Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle when he heard it. His testimony against the evil in Israel by great demonstrations of power was not to be the final judgment; it was a means to an end, an end of blessing. Elijah needed to know God, not simply His judgments. We are reminded of some verses that illustrate this principle in the New Testament: “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:2020Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)). Also, “That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Rom. 7:1313Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:13)). There are things to be learned from the law, though it does not give life.
More was to be done for Israel before God would judge them completely by removing them from the land. So the Lord asked Elijah the second time, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” Elijah gave the same answer, which seems to mean that there was no use for him to do anything more for Israel. But God was not finished with Israel. If Elijah would not continue as God’s witness to Israel, God would have him anoint others for the work. He was to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu to be king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his stead. Hazael was the one who would deal severely with the people of Israel; Jehu would judge the house of Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Elisha became the minister of grace to those who recognized their ruined condition, which was exactly what Elijah had concluded their condition to be. The door was open for a completely new kind of ministry, full of grace. Elijah had not thought of such a plan; only God could have such a heart toward Israel. This required another servant of different character than Elijah. It is good to notice that of the three that Elijah was told to anoint, he anointed only the last — Elisha. No doubt it was of God that the others should be anointed later by Elisha.
We are told in the New Testament that Elijah made intercession to God against Israel; this was the reason his ministry was to be terminated. He did not make a difference between Ahab and all Israel. Now, after having heard the still small voice and knowing there were still seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal, he had good reason to return to the land of Israel; it was not time to condemn all of them. The rest of his life was occupied with judging Ahab and preparing Elisha for his ministry. Elisha fulfilled the commission of anointing Jehu as king of Israel and Hazael king of Syria, but not before he fulfilled his ministry of grace. It was a difficult mission for Elisha to anoint Hazael king over Syria. Elisha wept for Israel, knowing the awful judgment that Hazael would execute on them (2 Kings 8:12). Judgments that fall after grace has been despised are the worst judgments.
D. C. Buchanan