WHY ARE YOU HERE ELIJAH?
Hello Saints of God! we are about to enter into the Lenten Season fast of 2022. This commentary focus is on week one scripture meditation (1 Kings 19:1-9). I’m going to begin with the last verse 9, focusing on why? As The Lord brings us through what seem to be the most difficult circumstances in our lives. Sometimes we end up in a state of anxiety that attacks our mind which can causes us to run off course, Why so much confusion? This is the focus that leads us to the main focus of verse (4 and 8). In this Devotional Commentary. I would have to take us to (I Kings 18:17) so we can examine and look at what brought this bold Prophet to consider death for himself after his victory at Mt. Carmel. Elijah Why Are You Here?
I considered Elijah as one of the boldest, and powerful Prophets God has anointed in the bible. His firm stand when he sends Obadiah to go tell King Ahab (one of the most wicked kings of Israel) he's here, and to come and meet him (I Kings 18:8). Now Obadiah was one who hid 100 prophets of The Lord from the slaughter of Jezebel the sorcerer, one who appointed herself as a prophetess, she was King Ahab's wife. Obadiah fed them as he hid them from the clutches of Jezebel. This is in (I Kings 18:4). This show us how ruthless Jezebel sorcery was, she had no problem killing off the Prophets of God, and appointing her own. She drew fear through The Men of God with her sorcery. Now Elijah waits for crooked Ahab to come to him.
The interesting thing that needs to be point out in verse 8 is how the King of Israel came to Elijah. This shows the Spiritual Authority of The Great Jehovah God, The Elohim - (meaning The Supreme One, The Mighty One) at play in this scene. Do not miss The Authority of The ALMighty Supreme Lord, being exercised through His vessels Elijah The Prophet, for The King came to him. Awesome! Since When the King come to you? But yet The King of Israel Ahab came to Elijah.
Ahab came to meet Elijah. vs 17 and accuses him of causing trouble for Israel. Elijah boldly reverse his accusation towards him, and offer King Ahab to a stand off at Mount Carmel (as in the wild wild west, meet me at high noon) Oh! by the way bring all 450 of your prophets of Baal with you, and the 400 that eats at the table of Jezebel. In other words bring your whole army. (Stop Playing!) and bring all of Israel to meet Him at Mt. Carmel. Carmel biblically means - Garden.
Ahab forgot his roots, so Elijah is taking Ahab and all of Israel, and The Prophets of Baal demonic forces back to School. Back to the beginning in The Garden where dominion was stolen from man. God says (Everything The Devil has taken shall be restored to his people those who are obedient to His Will). Elijah is walking in all The Power of The Almighty God. All of Jezebel Prophets were defeated at Mt Carmel (Garden). In the challenge of two alters one to The Almighty God of Israel, and The other to Baal to see whose God will answer.
By Calling down fire from the heavens to light the altar up. This is Spiritual Warfare right here. A Battle of Good, against Evil. God steps in and takes Satan and his demons back to The Garden, and snatch back the dominion that was giving to The people of GOD. As Jezebel prophets called on Baal who was evidently mute, for they could not hear him, nor see his power. They must have been going through a dry spell, I mean there was no rain for three years maybe their God was dehydrated. The false prophets of Baal cut their flesh and cried out to their god, and there was no answer. All day and no answer.
By Calling down fire from the heavens to light the altar up. This is Spiritual Warfare right here. A Battle of Good, against Evil. God steps in and takes Satan and his demons back to The Garden, and snatch back the dominion that was giving to The people of GOD. As Jezebel prophets called on Baal who was evidently mute, for they could not hear him, nor see his power. They must have been going through a dry spell, I mean there was no rain for three years maybe their God was dehydrated. The false prophets of Baal cut their flesh and cried out to their god, and there was no answer. All day and no answer.
Elijah term to call on The All Consuming Fire of God, who set ablaze a drench in water alter, with a burnt offering on it. Where did Elijah get the water? It hasn't been no rain for three years, but yet again He had them pour water over the alter three times. There goes those threes. Also Key word is Prayer, for Elijah (Prayed) out loud petitioning The Lord. I had to rewind back to point out that in the power of The Almighty God Elijah defeated 850 prophets of Baal, and had them slaughter at the brook Kishon which means - winding spiral more like twisted. Elijah is a bad boy, I mean there is no evidence of a wimp here. He Prayed for the heavens to shut up for three years, and then open them back up through prayer. (The Power of Prayer)
I will say again Elijah is Bad as he wanna be, not to be mess with, Elijah restored a child life in (1 Kings 17:22) who was once dead he had resurrection power from God. (Come on now) All of this was during a drought Elijah call upon the Land through The Almighty God. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah has done, and withall how he had slain all the prophets with the sword, then Jezebel send a message threatening Elijah life and when he saw it, and now he is running for his life. This had to be a written message for it says when he saw it. Really?He ran until he was wore out. A long day's journey that’s twenty four hrs, journey he comes to the Juniper tree then sits there for rest, and became suicidal. Elijah has lost his mind. Why are you here Elijah? Even your name speaks with authority meaning - My God Is Jehovah.
Have you ever come to the point of exhaustion. This do not necessarily mean physically, even though it plays a role when you become spiritually exhausted in your walk with God. Let's Look at (chapter 18:41) after Elijah conquer his assign quest to defeat all the prophets of Baal. He says to Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink for there's a sound of abundance of rain. So his spiritual Hearing is in tack. He went up on top of Mount Carmel meaning (Garden), and cast himself down upon the earth putting his face between his knees. He sent his servant to go up and look for the rain seven times. It came first as a small cloud in the shape of a hand. Then grew, now the arrival of the rain, all during this time from the battle with the prophets of Baal, to the kneeling for (Prayer) for the rain, Elijah is operating in the overpowering Spirit of The Living God.
For You know when you are filled with The Holy Spirit of God after coming down from The Manifestation, and after The Exaltation of God rest upon you, there is a period of exhaustion. Whew! you're tired. This is why The Angels came to minister to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, to strengthen Him Luke 22:43. The Battle can be a strength drainer. This is a vulnerable time also for that vessel The Lord manifest His strength through. Matthew (26:41b) The Spirit is willing but The flesh is weak. This is where Elijah is during this moment he receives this written message from the messenger of Jezebel.
Jezebel sent a strong worded threat in the message she sent to Elijah that brought on The Spirit of Fear, and Anxiety at an exhausting time for him. Listen to his words in verse 4- But he himself went 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 am not better than my fathers. After all He just accomplished, and conquer in this demonic battle. He begins to think low of himself, and felt he was worst than his fathers.
This is a form of Depression. Wow! The door opener for this type of spirit to enter is exhaustion after a battle, or during a battle. We have to remind ourselves The Battle is not ours, it is The Lords. We are the vessel The Lord operate through. A Angel came to strengthen him, woke him up under the Juniper Tree, The Juniper Tree represent (Purification and Healing). Arise the Angel said. Wake Up! And eat, and laid him down again. The Angel 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 in the strength of that meat for forty days) and forty nights unto Horeb.
He had forty more days of travel to get to The Mounting of God. This is his wilderness experience, this is his trial, this is his time of rest for the journey is great. There is a time of weakness during our journey. Satan is on your heels 24 seven looking for a opening, when you are tired and weary your defenses are down. You my not pray like you should, or become slacking in your mission God has call for you to do, or through the experience of God using you to call down fire from the heavens Whew! The Awe! of this is a overwhelming experience. Elijah was exuberant, overpowered running over in The Spirit of The Lord, and after the winding down in The Spirit your back in the strength of the flesh, and feel tired. He travel for forty days and forty nights unto Horeb. The Mounting of God, also known as Mount Sinai.
1 Kings 19:9-10
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, 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.
What is going on here with Elijah? I can say one thing He came here after the Angel strengthen him so he could complete this Journey to The Mountain of God, We will call this temporary Insanity. Remember Obadiah I mention him in the early part of this commentary devotional, who Had hidden 100 of The prophets of God, and mention it to Elijah when he requested him to go before King Ahab. Somewhere within the threatening message, and his journey Elijah forgotten this, for he felt he was the only Prophet left. So His mind was convince everyone is out for his life. This is also a state of Paranoia. All of these are spirits of demonic.
This is very much for the Super Christian's you know the ones I'm talking about.
The ones who think there relationship is so strong with God that nothing could happen to them, They are to bless to be stress. They do not go through what others go through. Have you ran across one or more of these type of Christian yet? You will hear one say sometimes - at least I'm not like so and so, you must not be living right all this happening to you. The devil is a liar. If one of The Boldest Prophets in the Bible who can shut up the heavens through prayer, call down fire from the heavens, kill off 850 Prophets of Baal and Pray until a cloud in shape of a hand brings pouring down rains after three years of no rain, then goes in a state of Depression after receiving a death threat, and ran for 24 hours ending up under a tree praying to die. You are not exempt.
The Spirit of Fear, brings in The Spirit of Paranoia, and The Spirit Paranoia brings The Spirit of Anxiety, and The Spirit of Anxiety brings in Hopelessness, all attacking the mind. I have mention once before The Mind is the Battlefield. These spirits will block your Hearing, and your Seeing in The Spirit of God. The 40 days of fasting in this wilderness experience was necessary, and it is necessary for us in such a time as this. He went on the strength of a cruse of water, and cake baking on the coals for 40 days. The cake, Cruse of water and the coals to bake the cake came from The Angel of The Lord. This is the same as the spiritual manna from heaven, and the water from the rock, The Lord gave the Israelites in the wilderness to sustain them. The Angel said to him rest as he provided the nourishment he needed for his journey, for God is our provider.
The ones who think there relationship is so strong with God that nothing could happen to them, They are to bless to be stress. They do not go through what others go through. Have you ran across one or more of these type of Christian yet? You will hear one say sometimes - at least I'm not like so and so, you must not be living right all this happening to you. The devil is a liar. If one of The Boldest Prophets in the Bible who can shut up the heavens through prayer, call down fire from the heavens, kill off 850 Prophets of Baal and Pray until a cloud in shape of a hand brings pouring down rains after three years of no rain, then goes in a state of Depression after receiving a death threat, and ran for 24 hours ending up under a tree praying to die. You are not exempt.
The Spirit of Fear, brings in The Spirit of Paranoia, and The Spirit Paranoia brings The Spirit of Anxiety, and The Spirit of Anxiety brings in Hopelessness, all attacking the mind. I have mention once before The Mind is the Battlefield. These spirits will block your Hearing, and your Seeing in The Spirit of God. The 40 days of fasting in this wilderness experience was necessary, and it is necessary for us in such a time as this. He went on the strength of a cruse of water, and cake baking on the coals for 40 days. The cake, Cruse of water and the coals to bake the cake came from The Angel of The Lord. This is the same as the spiritual manna from heaven, and the water from the rock, The Lord gave the Israelites in the wilderness to sustain them. The Angel said to him rest as he provided the nourishment he needed for his journey, for God is our provider.
THE STILL SMALL VOICE
And Behold A Voice Came to Him And Said
What doest thou here, Elijah
vs 14. And he said, 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.
I HAVE BEEN VERY JEALOUS FOR YOU
This answer had me to look deeper into what Elijah mean by this. We learn our God is Jealous God, but what do it mean for God to be jealous? Surely He is not envious of anything for He Is The Creator of all things in the Heavens and in the earth, and every spiritual and physical being, so I look up the word Jealous to get a deeper meaning of what Elijah was really saying so I began with The Jealousy of God. I found 4 meanings for The Word Jealous - 1. Pertains to Envy, wanting what someone else has or hate what someone else has achieved. so this could not be what he was referring too. Everything created belongs to God. He created it All.
2 Pertain to being Suspicious of ones unfaithfulness. This couldn't be the jealous reference here for we serve a Omniscience God. A All Knowing God. He do not have to suspect, He knows all things. 3. The next one - Fiercely protective or vigilant of one's rights or possessions. Here we go this describes the attributes of Our God. The synonyms for this meaning of the word Jealous Is - protective, defensive, vigilant, watchful, heedful, mindful, careful, solicitous, attentive Yes our God Is, along with number 4 meaning which states - (of God) demanding, faithfulness, and exclusive worship. Absolutely it is a commandment to worship in faithfulness, He demands but He do not enforce us to do so, it's is a choice that comes with a Everlasting lifetime of benefits.
Elijah being jealous for God means - He hurts and feels towards his people who have rebel against The Lord, The way The Lord feels. He became - protective, defensive, vigilant, watchful, heedful, mindful, careful, solicitous, attentive towards his people with Righteous Indignation. Righteous indignation is typically a reactive emotion of anger over mistreatment, insult, or malice of another. It is akin to what is called the Sense of Injustice. Elijah is hurting because of The Injustice of The Leadership being King Ahab, and the evil sorcery of Jezebels corruption, and their influence over Israel. So He says I'm am very Jealous for you. It's with a Godly Jealous.
I really needed this message from The Lord during such a time as this. In the flesh we fail, but in The Spirit of God He renews our strength. Elijah why are you Here? He was Spiritually Exhausted. He needed to be Strengthen after the evil message that penetrated his mind striking fear, and a sense of hopelessness, for his request was to died, enough is enough. He has had enough. How many of us at one or more time in our life have come to this type of mindset when dealing with the injustice we see happening in our society, and in our world, or is happening to us. Aren't you glad you know a Savior who came down from His Throne through the incarnation of Himself into flesh bringing the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins.
Lord Jesus Thank You! for when I was wrapped up, and tangle up, stupefy in sin, You Lord paid The price for what we rightfully deserved, by the tearing of your flesh, and your impaled body to The Cross. Through Your Death and Resurrection by Your stripes brought healing to The Sin Sick Souls. You brought to this broken down undone wretch like me Life Eternal. You Lord lifted me up, turn me around and place my feet on solid ground. You Lord are the reason I live. Continue to breathe on your servants Lord we need that still small voice in this wilderness, We need that rushing wind to surround us in your presence let us become caught up within you, so Like Elijah We also become very Jealous for you, stepping out on faith so we can win souls for Jesus as you fight our battles for us just as you have for Elijah. Where would we be without you Lord? We need to get away to That Place for our alone Time With The Lord for meditation is Worship.
Live to Worship The Lord.
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IN THE SINCERITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sis. Seer Trudy