“Elijah's
name means 'Yahweh is God.' This is significant in a time when the
worship of Baal threatened to eliminate the worship of Yahweh in
Israel.”10
God ordained His prophet to call His people out of idolatry and back
to Himself. The man of God cannot look upon sin and disobedience and
go silently into the night. The Spirit of the Almighty God which
possesses him requires the man of God to speak. Because of the
wickedness of the leadership of Israel, God pronounced a drought over
the land. 1 Kings 17:1, “And Elijah the Tishbite, who
was of the
inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As
the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not
be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” The drought
was the consequence of their sin but this was only the beginning of
what God had planned for this rebellious people.
We
are living in a time in which the lives of men parallel that of
Elijah's day. The behavior and lifestyles in this generation require
God’s intervention. Look for the Elijahs in this generation! Just
as God sent Elijah to warn Israel of the coming judgment, God is
sending forth a new generation of Elijahs. He or she may be your
neighbor, co-worker, family member, teacher or pastor. Regardless of
who he or she may be, God is raising up men and women full of His
Spirit and full of His Word. They are speaking out against the
disobedience of man and the wickedness in high places. High places
being the spiritual realm and the idolatrous lives of men. The call
of God is going forth to warn all men that the sin of disobedience is
reaping God’s judgment. Just take a look around you, God is at work
in our world. He is presently bringing His will to bear upon the
actions of men and moving us closer to the consummation of all things
in Christ Jesus. Wake up, repent and return to follow God. Our
intimate encounter with Him will bring it to pass! (continued) The
Message, p.24, available at Amazon.com.
10 Ryrie, Charles C. (1978). Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, note on 1 Kings 17:1
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