Elijah

The Word for today:
1 Kings 17, 18

mark this: 1 Kings 17:1 --
Now Elijah the Tishbite...

Elijah is one of the Bible's unforgettable characters.

He enters the Bible all at once, at a single stride: Now Elijah the Tishbite...

He leaves the Bible just as suddenly--in a whirlwind, caught up into heaven on a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire. (Only Elijah and Enoch were taken up to heaven--"raptured"-- without experiencing death. Many Bible commentators think the church will be raptured to heaven prior to the second coming of Jesus.)

He doesn't occupy a lot of space in your Bible, but we get the feeling that he's about to pop up just about anywhere!

Here in 1 Kings he called Israel back to the LORD and demonstrated that the LORD is the one true God:

Under Ahab and Jezebel, Israel worshiped Baal, the Canaanite god of storm and rain. So God sent a drought upon Israel (17:1)--to show who was actually in control! Elijah hid until the drought ended, and he was sustained by God. During that time, he lived with a widow in Zarephath. The widow’s son died, but Elijah prayed for him and he was revived (17:8-24).

In the third year of drought, Elijah challenged Baal’s prophets on Mount Carmel to a contest to demonstrate the identity of the true God (18:1-40). The prophets of Baal called on Baal in vain, becoming frantic to induce him to appear, while Elijah made fun of Baal. When it was Elijah’s turn, he poured water over his sacrifice and prayed a simple, powerful prayer. Fire immediately consumed the offering. The people of Israel worshiped the LORD and, at Elijah’s direction, killed Baal’s prophets. Then Elijah prayed for rain, and the drought ended (18:41-46).

The Old Testament closes with the expectation that Elijah would return before the day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5-6), an expectation that John the Baptist fulfilled, at least in part (see Matt 11:14; 17:10-13; Luke 1:17).
Elijah appeared with Moses at Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13; Luke 9:28-36).

In Rev 11:3-12, one of the two witnesses is either Elijah himself or is modeled after Elijah.

He is the ever-ready prophet who keeps going and going and going and going. Be on the lookout for this radical tower of power. He enters and re-enters without knocking, and without introduction.

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