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In the School of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit
is the Teacher,
the Redeemed Believers
all over the world are His Students.
Be
ye transformed by the renewing power of Holy
Spirit. |
What are you
doing here?
I Kings 19:9-18I
Kings 19:9-18
9. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the
word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10. He
replied, "I have been ver zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites
have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets
to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to
kill me too."
11. The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the
presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about too pass by." Then a great and
powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the
Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
12. After the
earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire
came a gentle whisper.
13. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over
his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said
to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14. He replied, "I have been
very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your
covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the
sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
15. The Lord said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of
Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king of Aram.
16. Also,
anoint Jehu son Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat
from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
17. Jehu will put to death
any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who
escape the sword of Jehu.
18. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel –
all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not
kissed him."
This is not a
challenge for visiting this web site. It is not another way of taunting you
or telling you that you have missed your way. In fact, you are sincerely
welcome to be one of the people that have their portion counted among the
righteous for stirring your mind to access this web site.
The background
story went like this: Elijah challenged four hundred and fifty prophets of
Baal to make a sacrifice to Baal and call on the name of their god without
lighting the fire. He himself also make sacrifice to Almighty God and he
will call on the name of his God without lighting the fire. The people
around were the final arbiter to behold whether Baal or Almighty God will
accept the sacrifice. Of course the Lord God answered Elijah with fire but
Baal could not answer. Therefore the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal
were killed that day. This kindled the anger of Jezebel and sent her servant
to Elijah that within the next twenty-four hours he would be killed. He
started running for his life. He became dejected. He said, "I have had
enough, Lord. Take my life; I am not better than my ancestors." He was so
tired, he just slept off under a tree. He did not know what was going on
around him when he slept off. An angel of God woke him up two times to eat
his meal.
And the word
of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Elijah
complained bitterly. God told him, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the
presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." God was about to do
a new thing that Elijah knew not. He was about to prove a point to his
servant.
God
knew that a fierce wind will tear apart the mountain and shatter the
rocks. He had foreseen the earthquake and the fire, yet He asked Elijah
to stand on the mountain in His presence. This must have been a desolate
moment of his life. But God did not reveal His presence yet.
At
these devastating events, can you imagine where God was? He was not in
wind, not in the earthquake, and not in the fire. (Isaiah
43:1-3Isaiah
43:1-3
1. But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he
who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have
summoned you by name; you are mine.
2. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you
pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you.
3. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames
will not set you ablaze. ) At these terrible moments the presence
of Almighty God was with Elijah, that was the reason why the wind that
tore the mountain and shattered the rock could not tear Elijah. That was
why the earthquake could not swallow him. That was why the fire could
not kindle upon him.
The
presence of God was close by with Elijah, no wonder he could pick the
gentle whisper of God. Or does God need to shout when He is close by us?
What a beautiful way of revealing the simple fact that He was with
Elijah and reassure him that He will stand by him until his work on
earth is done.
(Verse
13-14) You will notice that God did not respond to Elijah’s complaints
until after the miracle. God came up with the same question and Elijah
responded with the same complaint. Even after the miracle, it did not
occur to Elijah what God was trying to reveal to him.
(Verse
15) God finally responded to the complaint of Elijah and said to him "Go
back the way you came . . ." And the Lord gave him instructions on his
next line of action in his ministry. It is like when we tell our
children – stop whining! Go and do what I have chosen you to do.
When God
called us to His vineyard, He did not promise us a smooth tenure in tending
the sheep. He did not promise us a rosy avenue to success. He promised us
His continuous presence. ". . . And surely I am with you always to the
very end the age." Matthew 28:20 And He promised us a resounding
victory. "In this world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world." John 16:33 When you find yourself at this
crossroad brethren be assured that the presence of God is there with you in
your situation.
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