1 / 6

Elijah

Elijah. The shaping of a servant of God 1 Kings 17. The nation of Israel’s circumstances in Elijah’s time. Ahab did evil in the sight of the L ORD – more than all before him 1Kings 16:30 He married Jezebel - a Baal worshipper They promoted Baal worship throughout the land

alee
Download Presentation

Elijah

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Elijah The shaping of a servant of God 1 Kings 17

  2. The nation of Israel’s circumstances in Elijah’s time • Ahab did evil in the sight of the LORD – more than all before him 1Kings 16:30 • He married Jezebel - a Baal worshipper • They promoted Baal worship throughout the land • Baal was worshiped as the lord of the weather and fertility • Baal worship practised fertility rites which violated God’s moral laws. • The LORD’S conditional contract with his people Israel Deut 11:13-17 • Obedience to his commands and exclusive loyal love will bring rain • Producing crops and plentiful food • Turning aside to serve and worship other gods will stop the rain • Resulting in drought and lack of food • Jezebel was also killing those who claimed loyalty to the God of Israel

  3. Elijah steps up to tell Ahab God’s message 1 Kings 17:1b “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.” • Elijah is God’s man for his generation .. the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. Daniel 11:32b • Elijah’s mission is to bring God’s challenge to Ahab and Baal • A contest of cosmic proportions – who has the authority and the power to stop and start the rain? Food for thought • When God’s people persist in rebellion, he will provide someone to warn them • God needs people after his own heart to step up and be counted

  4. For God to work through us, he needs to work in us. Elijah’s first test • God, Elijah, the brook and the ravens 1Kings 17:2-7 • God guides and promises - depart and hide - drink and eat (ridiculous?) • Elijah trusts and obeys - he went and did according to the word of the LORD • God keeps his word - the ravens came with food, he drank from the brook • Crisis - the brook dries up from lack of rain Food for thought • When God calls his servants to ministry, they must learn to look to him for their personal security and sustenance

  5. For God to work through us, he needs to work in us. Elijah’s second test • God, Elijah and the widow 1Kings 17:8-6 • God guides and promises - go and dwell - a widow will feed you (unrealistic?) • Elijah trusts and obeys - he got up and went • Crisis - Food’s run out • Elijah speaks God’s word - don’t fear, me first, thus says the LORD God of Israel • Provision - jar of flour not spent, jug of oil not empty • Crisis - Accused for death of widow’s son • Elijah acts and prays - Give me your son - let this child’s life come back • Provision - Your son lives - you speak the word of the LORD Food for thought • When God calls his servants to ministry, they must learn to look to him for their ministry requirements

  6. if the foundations are destroyed,    what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3 Elijah • Stood for God’s values in evil times (Apostasy) .. the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. Daniel 11:32b • Submitted to God’s training to prepare him for ministry • He learned to look to God for his personal needs • He learned to look to God for his ministry needs- to speak God’s word in a time of crisis- to pray and trust God in a time of crisis •  He learned that for God to work through us, he needs to work in us

More Related