Series:    Elijah

Title:       The Making of a Man of God        

Back Story- Recently we talked about Elijah in our “All In” series.  In that sermon we focused on the woman from Zarephath who was a very poor widow.  Though she did not have much as she began to use what she did have to bless the man of God, God began to bless her abundantly. 

Today as we start our new series, we will zoom in on Elijah, the calling of God upon his life and what led him to become a mighty man of God.

• What does it take to reach your full potential as a man or woman of God?

Allow God to Remove Your Limitations

1 Kings 17:1-7

¹ Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 

Elijah pops out of nowhere and not much is said about his origins regarding who his parents were or what tribe was he from or anything of that nature.  Other than the fact that He was from Tishbe which was a town in Gilead which was inhabited by both the tribes of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.  He could have been a descendant from one of those tribes, but it is not certain.  

We do know that Gilead was on the opposite sideof the Jordan River from where the other ten tribes of Israel inhabited.   The other ten tribes of Israel lived in the land that was promised to their forefather Abraham by God Himself. Though Gilead was a good land it was not the promised land.  Gilead was ordinary while Canaan extraordinary.

The fact that not much is known about Elijah’s upbringing is important to us today, as it helps us to understand that God uses ordinary people from ordinary places to do extraordinary things.

To some Elijah may have been considered a nobody from nowhere, but to God Elijah was the perfect candidate to be used to confront the wickedness of King Ahab and the Israelites.  Which proves that God can use you regardless of your past, regardless of where you came from or what family you were born to, or how much money you make; God is not limited by your limitations.  He gives the calling as He sees fit to do so.

In fact, He will often use the brokenness and weaknesses of our lives so that He would be most glorified.  

While Elijah’s background may be uncertain, a few things are certain regarding Elijah; his name Elijah which means “Yahweh is God.” 

This was significant because he lived as a prophet in the kingdom of Israel during the time when Ahab reigned as king.   As a reminder Ahab was the most wicked king to have ruled over Israel.  Ahab allowed the worship of a foreign gods, he allowed the building of a temple for Baal and allowed Jezebel his evil wife to bring a large group of priests and prophets of Baal and Asherahinto the country of Israel. 

So, it is interesting when God was wanting to confront the idolatry of Israel that He would pick a man named “Elijah” or “Yahweh is God” to do so.  It could not have been clearer that God was against their idolatry as He is a jealous God and He alone will be worshipped, especially among His people.

God will often raise up one man, such as Elijah, to confront such wickedness. He raised up Moses to confront Pharaoh, He raised up Joshua to conquer the Canaanites, He raised up David to stand against the Philistines, and now Elijah had the incredible tasks of confronting Ahab, his wife Jezebel, the Israelites and all the prophets of Baal for their wicked idolatry.

It is also interesting that Baal was known by the Canaanites as the god responsible for rain, thunder, lightning, and dew.  That is exactly where Elijah the prophet strikes first.  He was going to prove to them who was really in charge,that it was not Baal but Yahweh who is God and creator of all things.  

“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 

• How can a nobody from nowhere have that kind of boldness to stand before a wicked King such as King Ahab and tell him that there will be no rain?

Stand in His Presence

To stand in this context means to minister to Jehovah. Which is key to understanding how Elijah was able to declare such things to the king. 

If you are standing in the presence of a king and it is your privilege to minister to the King like a servant would, then when the King gives an order to you, you are in position to then carry outthat order because you have been authorized by the King. You have been standing in his presence and you have come to know his expectations you can then operate in His authority.

The way that Elijahwas able to stand before the King of Israel, was because he had already been standing before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, as his minister.  By standing in His presence he came to know His heart and His expectations and at the proper time, Elijah was thereby authorized to carry out the Lord’s commands.

So, when Elijah spoke, he did not speak of his own authority but the authority that came from God.  The message he spoke was not an easy message to deliver.  Yet he was obedient.

Obey Him Completely

Having no rain in Israel would be devasting to an economy which largely depended upon the growth of crops such as wheat and barley.  Without rain the ground would dry up and would not yield to the plow.  Without rain seeds that were planted would not grow,nor would any existing plants mature to the level they needed to before being harvested.

There would be no rain for 3 ½ years according to James 5:17. That’s enough time to cause complete devastation and desperation throughout the land.

A land that was once flowing with milk and honey and in which clusters of grapes were so ginormous that they must be carried on a pole stretching the shoulders of two people.  This same land would soon become a barren land deprived of water the necessary building block for sustaining life. 

Imagine if there were no rain in the United States for 3-1/2 years.  Everyone would be affected.

However, this famine was necessary to prove to Israel how foolish it was to trust in Baal who had no power to control rain, dew or anything which they claimed.  It was out of their control and they would be proven to be utter foolsfor trusting in Baal.

Meanwhile the Lord protected and nourished the man of God. Which demonstrates to us that the Lord is faithful and full of compassion when it comes to His children. Even during seasons of extreme adversity, He is there and will see His plan through to the end.  

Elijahwould experience the same drought and famine that the nation of Israel would experience.  Which made the decision to obey God a much tougher one. 

But Elijah chose complete obedience because he feared God more than he feared man.  As he obeyed God, his needs were provided for. Elijah’s life would be marked by taking steps of obedience which ultimately led to other steps of obedience.

In this case, the next step was to leave the place which he had come to know.

² And the word of the Lord came to him: ³ “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

Cherith

God was taking Elijah to a place in which he was stripped of everything that he had known.  He was to be in hiding which meant that there would be someone or many people in pursuit of his life.  If you read chapter 18 you will find that to be the case.

There is potentialof Elijah being afraid as he finds himself in complete isolation apart from the rest of the world and with the threat of knowing that he is being searched out.

Isn’t’ that two of our greatest fears today, being alone, and dying?

Does God use this method today for those who are called of God? 

• Will God bring you to a place in which you are stripped of everything you have depended on?
• Will He allow you to go through season of loneliness, isolation, even fearful circumstances to bring about His good purpose?

I would answer an emphatic yes.  He will use what He must to bring you to a place of total dependence upon Him.  Before God would use Elijah in the incredible ways that He did, He must first make him totally dependent upon His power, His provision, His protection and ultimately His plan. 

God did this by sending him to a brook called Cherith (ker·ēth'). It was here where Elijah would learn total dependence upon God.

Totally Depend Upon God

 ⁴ You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” ⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. ⁶ And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. ⁷ And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

God can and does defy nature when we step out in obedience to what He has asked us to do. 

First off, Elijah is sent to the brook Cherith, meaning he was sent to a place where there was water while Israel goes without.  That is the first way that God defies nature is through providing a well-watered place in the midst of dry barren land. Elijah obeyed and because he obeyed, he was nourished. It did not change the fact that he was lonely, isolated, in hiding etc. however his needs were provided for.

Secondly, ravens by nature are known to neglect their own young.  Yet when the man of God needed something to eat,God in His providence uses this creature to provide Elijah with two daily meals.  God not only provides the place but also the means by which He would provide for Elijah’s needs.

Notice the ravens would bring him just enough for that day.  This also taught Elijah to have a daily dependence upon God.  When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, He taught them to ask for their daily bread.

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread,

Meaning we need Him each day in our lives. We cannot expect to overcome or succeed without Him.

Elijahwas learning what it meant to trust God daily. God made a way for Elijah when there seemed to be no way. 

This opening passage about Elijah’s life, illustrates to us that which is necessary to becoming the man or woman of God that He has intended for us to be.

Allow God to Remove Your Limitations

It does not matter if you were raised up in a rich homeor a poor home, with a pleasant upbringing or an abusive upbringing, it does not matter where you were from or who your parents are, God can use each of us if we allow Him to remove our limitations.

You can either make excuses why you cannot be used for His glory, or you can make a commitment to be used for His Glory.  He is a limitless God with unlimited power, which supersedes your status, and/or inabilities. 

Stand in His Presence

Standing in His presence is where you will discover his heart and His expectations for your life.  It is here that you will obtain His strength and wisdom that you need to confront the wickedness that you are facing.

Obey Him Completely

Just as God was looking for Elijah to obey Him, He is longing that we too would follow suite.  It is often hard to obey God, but so worth it in the end.

Totally Depend Upon God

Grow your dependency upon Him.  Stop trying to fix your own life and let Him do it.   Trust in Him as your protector, provider, sustainer, redeemer healer etc.…

• What season are you in today?