I've always been intrigued by the prophet Elijah. I grew up hearing the story of Elijah on Mt Carmel in Sunday School (1 Kings 18). Everyone in Israel seemed to be confused as to who was really God. Was it Yahweh, or was it Baal, the god of a pagan religion? So Elijah asks everyone, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him."
You probably know the rest of the story. Elijah proposes that each side build and alter, but not light the fire under the sacrifice. Those who think Baal is god, should build themselves an alter. And because Elijah believes Yahweh is God, Elijah builds an alter for the LORD. Each side is to then ask their god to answer by fire and consume the sacrifice on the alter. The god who answers by fire, He is God.
Imagine telling everyone who doubts you, "Stand back. Let the god who is really God answer by fire". Of course, Baal doesn't answer, but LORD answers by fire and consumes the sacrifice, and the stones.
I was recently reminded of the back story that led up to this classic Sunday School story. It starts three years earlier in 1 Kings 17 when Elijah is first introduced to the story line.
The people of Israel have completely forsaken God and God raises up the prophet Elijah to draw the people back to God. The very first words we hear Elijah utter are "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" (1 King 17:1).
That is pretty gutsy. He doesn't say "God says". Elijah says, "except by my word". I know if it had been me, I probably would have said, "If it's God's will, it's not going to rain". That's the safe thing to say. There's no risk in saying that. I'm definitely not bold enough to say "It's not going to rain unless I say so".
Now you might say, "Elijah had special authority and that God had told him to say this". And that's a fair assumption. I don't want to ever contend that we should not be listening to God and only speaking what He has asked us to say. However, James, the brother of Jesus, looked at this event very differently.
James 5:16b-18 "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."
James doesn't say, "God told Elijah that it wasn't going to rain". James says "Elijah was a man like us, who fervently prayed that it might not rain". Neither does James say "Elijah was special", but instead, Elijah was just like you and me.
How many times have I prayed, "Lord if if be your will, do such and such"? That's not the example we see in the Bible with Elijah.
I don't want to imply that we can order God around, but as Christians, there is a level of authority that I think the many in the church have misunderstood. Some shy away because of abuses. Others gravitate towards it thinking they can simply claim something in the name of Jesus, and it's theirs.
But Jesus always sent his followers with authority.
Jesus sent his disciples out three times. Once as group of 12 (Luke 9), then a group of 72 (Luke 10) and lastly a larger group who waited in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1). Each time Jesus sent out his students, he sent them with "power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal" - Luke 9:1. It didn't matter if they were the 12 apostles, or just lay people who were followers of Jesus. He sent them with authority.
The world doesn't need gods like Baal who are powerless. The world needs the God of Elijah, who can answer by fire, who can heal the sick and can set people free. I don't know about you, but I want to spend more time with Jesus, learning to walk in his authority.
