The
evil influence, the cause of Israel’s idolatry had to be
eliminated. Elijah ordered that all the priests of Baal were to be
killed to rid the kingdom of their evil influence. Good call, right?
1 Kings 19:1, “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and
withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.” Jezebel
promised to do to Elijah what he had done to her priests and he ran
for his life. He found himself all alone hiding away in a deep dark
cave but it is there that he encountered the Almighty Lord God
Jehovah. 1 Kings 19:11, “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the
mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great
and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks
before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind
an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after
the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after
the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it,
that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in
the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto
him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”
There
are two issues that Elijah was challenged to address. One, how could
he justify his hasty retreat in the face of such a victory at Mt.
Carmel? And second, could he be used of God in the future? Elijah
began to justify his behavior and defend his cowardly retreat. He had
been very zealous for God when the children of Israel had forsaken
His covenant. They turned to the worship of Baal, having thrown down
the altars of the Lord and slain the prophets of God. Elijah
proclaimed that he was the only one left therefore they sought to
take his life. God assured Elijah that there were “7000” that had
not bowed to Baal or worshiped his image. God's command was to return
to action and finish what God had started. (To be continued). The
Message: A Critical Review Of End Time Events, p 25-26, available at
Amazon.com.
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