Elijah’s Secret

Elijah may have lived a simple lifestyle, but he made such a tremendous impression, that he is mentioned in four Old Testament books and six New Testament books. When Jesus was here on earth, the Jews had Elijah on their minds, because they knew that the last two verses of the Old Testament say: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4: 5, 6. The work of Elijah is to turn the hearts of the children to their parents, the disobedient to the just and to prepare a people for the Lord.

In Luke 9:51–56, we read that when Jesus and the disciples were traveling, they stopped in a Samaritan village, and the Samaritans rejected Jesus because His face was headed toward Jerusalem. This upset the disciples. They said to Jesus, “What shall we do? Shall we call down fire like Elijah did?” Elijah called fire down from heaven more than once. Which time were they talking about?—not about Mount Carmel. They were talking about something that actually happened in a village in Samaria.

When Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, had been king for about a year, he fell through the lattice on the porch and hurt himself. As he lay in bed, he wondered if he was ever going to get up. So he asked his servants to go to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, to ask if he would ever get up. God told Elijah, to go to these people on their way to Baalzebub, and talk to them. Elijah met them and said, “Isn’t there a God in Israel? Why would you go to Baalzebub to ask questions?” He said, “I can tell you that the king is not going to get out of bed.” They went back and reported this to the king. The king called in one of the captains of fifty men, and said, “You go get Elijah and bring him here, I want to talk to him.” So the captain went.

Elijah had gone to the top of a hill, and the captain went to Elijah and said, “The king wants to talk to you. You come with me, we are going to go talk to the king.” Elijah looked at him and said, “If I’m a man of God, fire will come down and consume you.” And it did—the captain and all fifty of his men were consumed. When Ahaziah learned this, he sent another captain. The same thing happened again. So Ahaziah got a third captain and sent him, but this time, the captain came to Elijah, got on his knees and said, “Please find my life precious in your sight and the life of my men.” And the angel told Elijah that it was safe, he could go with these men and see Ahaziah. So he went to see Ahaziah and he said to him, “You’re not ever going to get out of bed.” And Ahaziah never did.

Now the important point is: who was it that destroyed those two captains and the hundred men? It was God. The men had been given many opportunities to return to God. Apparently the God who knows everything, knew that the first two captains and their men had wicked hearts, but the last one was repentant. Jesus said, “I came to save and not destroy.”

We need to take a few moments now to consider the rending of the kingdom and the sudsequent reign of Jereboam. This terrible rebellion led to the necessity of Elijah’s mission.

A Kingdom Divided

Remember first the kingdom had been given to Saul, and because of disobedience, it was given to David. David was promised that his house would last forever. The promise to Solomon was: “He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.” 1 Chronicles 22:10. But promises are conditional upon obedience, and Solomon was not obedient. There are churches today who think the same way—that they have unconditional promises.

Jeroboam was a man of valor. He was a building superintendent for Solomon’s building projects. Jeroboam was also a good leader—apparently a man of God. One day Ahijah, a prophet, came to Jeroboam and took him out in the field. He took his garment, tore it in twelve pieces and handed ten of them to Jeroboam. He said, “Here take these. The kingdom is going to be rent and you’re going to be the ruler over ten of the kingdoms.” Then God promised Jeroboam, “I will be with you and I will build for you an enduring house, as I have built for David, and I will give Israel to you.” Jeroboam had been promised an enduring house. But how long did that last?

When Solomon heard about God’s promise to Jeroboam, he decided to kill Jeroboam, so Jeroboam had to flee to Egypt. After Solomon died, Rehoboam was established on the throne. Jeroboam came back, and got together with the leaders of Israel to talk to Rehoboam. The leaders asked Rehoboam if he was going to tax as heavily as his father, Solomon. Rehoboam said he would tax heavier then Solomon. He sent the head tax man out to start collecting taxes. The tax man was stoned. That got Rehoboam’s attention.

Rehoboam went running back to Jerusalem. He gathered up an army, to go take the ten tribes back from Jeroboam, but God sent a messenger and said, “Don’t do it. I’m the one that’s in charge of this. You just stay where you are.” So Rehoboam didn’t go after Jeroboam.

An Enduring House?

Jeroboam had been promised an enduring house. After He was anointed king over the ten tribes, he started thinking: “If my subjects here go down to Jerusalem to worship; their hearts might be turned back to the king there, and I’ll lose my subjects, so I have to protect myself.” He went and built two places of worship, one in Bethel and one in Dan. He built two idols—calves. Then he called the Levites and said, “I want you to administer the services here.” But they said, “No way, we’re not doing it!” (I am thankful for pastors who stand up against celebration worship.) They said, “We’re not getting involved in this.” So Jeroboam went and got common people and made them priests, and then he started this worship—idol worship.

God’s promise to Jeroboam could not be fulfilled either. Israel went for about two-hundred years after that, but then the ten tribes disappeared. Abijah, a prophet of God said that Israel was to be shaken like a reed and to be uprooted.

After several kings, Ahab became king. This is the setting where Elijah comes on the scene. I don’t know if Elijah knew that Abijah said that Israel was to be uprooted. I suspect he did, and yet, he made a tremendous demonstration for God to those people. Why did he do it? How did he do it? We are told, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain: and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:17, 18. How did he do it? He prayed. Who was Elijah? The verse says, he was a man like you and me and had a nature like ours.

Why did he do it? James says, “brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back; let him know, that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19, 20. He loved the people. He wanted to turn their hearts back to God. What kind of man was Elijah? He was very simple. He lived in the mountains of Gilead, east of Jordan. He did not live by any city of renown. He had no special position. His life was devoted to the reform of God’s people.

Elijah Praying for Judgments

He could look down from his mountain retreat, and see that unbelief was separating Israel from their source of strength. He prayed that these people would turn from their wicked ways. And he prayed for judgment. Now why would anyone who loves someone else pray for judgment? Once God told Solomon, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people; if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14. Elijah must have been claiming that promise. Elijah probably knew what Jeroboam had been told—that the kingdom would be uprooted, because of disobedience. He knew God does not change, but He also knew that God is merciful and wants to save.

Elijah prayed for judgments. Elijah’s prayers of love were answered by a God of love. Judgments came. “Say to them, as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why should you die, O house of Israel.” Ezekiel 33:11.

Elijah was told by God to go down and see Ahab. On the way he saw beautiful forests that had never had drought. Elijah was tempted to think, “Is it really going to quit raining?” But he was determined to follow God. He got to Samaria and walked right up to the palace gate, through the palace door, and right up in front of Ahab. He said, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then he turned around and walked out of the palace. By the time Ahab could speak he said, “Get that man!” But Elijah was gone.

Troubler of Isreal

God kept His word, and it did not rain. Jezebel said it was because Elijah was alive. He had to be killed so Baal would be appeased and he would send rain. They searched the world for Elijah, even taking oaths from the kings of the surrounding nations, that they did not know of Elijah’s whereabouts. But God protected Elijah.

Finally, God told Elijah to go see Ahab. Ahab said to Elijah, “You are the one that troubled Israel.” Elijah said, “No I didn’t, you are the one.” Elijah was blamed for the trouble. I am sure you have seen things like that, it still happens.

Mrs. White said, “It’s natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the calamities that come as the sure result of departure from the way of righteousness. Those who place themselves in Satan’s power are unable to see the things as God sees them. When the mirror of truth is held up before them, they become indignant at the thought of receiving reproof. Blinded by sin they refuse to repent and they feel that God’s servants have turned against them and that they are worthy of the severest censure . . . Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke, for grievous sins have separated the people from God . . . The smooth sermons so often preached make no lasting impression, the trumpet does not give a certain sound, men are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s word.

“There are many professed Christians who if they should express their real feelings would say, ‘What need is there of speaking so plainly?’ They might as well ask, why did John the Baptist say to the Pharisees, ‘Oh generation of vipers. Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Why need he have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful to live with his brother’s wife?’ The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking. Why could not he have moved along without incurring the displeasure of those who were living in sin?

“So men who should be standing as faithful guardians of God’s law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness, and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?” Prophets and Kings 139-141.

After being blamed, Elijah told Ahab, “Now therefore send and gather all Israel before me on Mount Carmel, the four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four-hundred of the groves who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 1 Kings 18:19. Ahab obeyed. Elijah stood there, as one in the presence of Jehovah, and told Ahab what to do, and Ahab did it. He quickly sent messengers out to get the people to meet on the top of Mount Carmel.

The people climbed Mount Carmel. Now, it was ugly. Before, it had been one of the most beautiful places, with beautiful groves and meadows with flowers. Now, those groves were leafless, the trees had no leaves on them. It was in those groves where the worship of Baal had taken place. Now the worshipers could not hide while worshipping Baal. The people were nervous. They were afraid that something terrible was going to happen. Following the people came the priests of Baal, in all their royal pomp, with Ahab in front of them. The people were much more receptive to them than to Elijah. They were afraid of what Elijah would do next.

Choose Today

Elijah looked at the broken down altar of God, and asked the people one simple question: “How long will you falter between two opinions, if the Lord is God follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Elijah was standing alone. Then Elijah proposed that the priests of Baal build an altar and call upon their god for fire, and he would do the same and would call upon the true God. This was too reasonable for anyone to disagree.

The Spirit of Prophecy says that during the time of no rain, the priests of Baal had been sacrificing to Baal with a zeal worthy of a greater cause. Now, on Mount Carmel, they really had zeal. They cried and cut themselves. They tried to sneak fire on to the altar, but Elijah was watching them too closely. He knew, if they succeeded, he would be torn to pieces. Finally Elijah said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 1 Kings 18:27. The priests cried louder and cut themselves, until they were even cursing Baal.

Finally, Elijah said to the people, “Come near to me.” 1 Kings 18:30. With tremendous respect, Elijah took twelve stones and rebuilt the altar to God. He placed wood on it, and had a ditch dug around it, then had twelve pitchers of water poured on it. Then he prayed, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36, 37.

The priests were terrified, in a split second the fire came down and consumed the wood, the altar, the water and even the dust. The people all fell on their faces and cried in one voice “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” 1 Kings 18:39. What a victory! The peoples hearts had been turned back to God.

Elijah’s work was not done. He went to the brook Kishon and slew all the prophets of Baal. Then he prayed for rain, and soon the rain came. Elijah girded his loins. He took the rope of the horse in front of Ahab’s chariot, and he ran, in a storm, for seventeen miles in front of the king, and took him back safely to the palace.

Ahab went into the palace, without even inviting Elijah in, and told Jezebel what had happened—that the priests were all dead. She was very angry, so she sent a messenger to Elijah and said, “By tomorrow at this time you’re going to be dead.” Elijah took off and he ran. That was a mistake. If he would have stayed, Jezebel would have been destroyed.

He ran and fell under a broom tree and said, “Lord let me die. I’m just like my fathers.” Then he slept. Finally, an angel woke him up, prepared some food and gave him a glass of water. He ate, drank, went back to sleep, woke up again, and the angel prepared some more food. Then the angel told him to go to Mount Horeb, which was a forty day trip.

When he got to the mountain, he went into a cave, and God came to him and he said, “What are you doing here?” Elijah said, “Israel has killed the prophets of the Lord and I’m the only one left.” Then there was a tremendous windstorm and an earthquake and a fire, but God was in none of these. Then Elijah heard a still small voice. Elijah went to the end of the cave and wrapped his face in the mantel. Again God said, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah said I am the only prophet of Yours left. God said, “No, you’re not the only one left, there are seven-thousand that have not bowed to Baal.”

What a story! What was his secret? “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:17, 18.

The End