Title: Those left behind (1 Kings 19:9-14)
Contents
The wrath of God came upon the people of Israel, who were to fear God and keep the fidelity of faith and faith, and live with the blessings God promised with them, because they sinned before God.
God called the prophet Elijah to make the people of Israel aware of the evil of their departing from God, but they continued to sin in front of King Ahab's authority, worshiping idols, and living in disobedience to Almighty God.
God was angry with Israel's evil actions of serving Baal and Asherah as God, and through the prophet Elijah made them realize that the god they were serving was not only incompetent but also a sinful act before God.
Elijah's prayer shut the gates of heaven so that no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months, and he opened the closed gates and made it rain on the earth
He answered Elijah's prayer with fire and made known to all the omnipotence of God,
1 Kings 19:36-40 “At the time of the offering of the evening meal offering, Elijah the prophet came and said, O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I do all these things according to your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you are a God, and that you have restored their hearts." Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord is God, and the Lord He is God." Elijah said to them, "Capture the prophets of Baal, but let not one of them escape." So they captured him immediately.
Elijah's prayer had amazing power to move the sky,
God listened to Elijah's prayer and answered him immediately, so that the people of Israel believed that Elijah's God was God.
Elijah, who had the power of prayer, had a difficult time.
1 Kings 19:1-4 “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he killed all the prophets with the sword, and Jezebel sent an envoy to Elijah, saying, “Tomorrow at this time, I must make your life equal to the life of one of them. If I don't do that, the gods should punish me on top of my punishment."
1 Kings 19:4 “He went into the wilderness, and went about a day’s journey, and sat under a broom tree, wishing that he might die, saying, “It is enough, O LORD; take away my life now, for I am no better than my fathers.”
God sent an angel to comfort Elijah, who was in despair.
Elijah was so exhausted that he wanted to die, but God comforted and raised him up because there was still work to be done through Elijah.
1 Kings 19:7 “The angel of the Lord came again and touched him, saying, “Arise and eat, lest you be all the way.”
It is the love of God that helps you to complete your path.
God's love for us,
There are times when I think that life is worse than dying, because it seems like nothing, and there is nothing to do
But thank God for letting us know that there is still work to be done,
God had someone reserved for it,
I thought I was alone, but there is someone left behind,
1 Kings 19:18 “But I will leave seven thousand in the midst of Israel, all who have not bowed the knee to Baal or kissed him.”
1, a person who is loved by God,
What kind of person does God use?
The people God uses are those whom God loves,
Because only a person whom God loves can do it without complaining,
Complaints arise from forced work without love, and thanksgiving, joy, joy, and the glory of God appear in work done with love
Therefore, God picks up those he loves and uses them as workers,
The resurrected Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? you asked,
You gave work to Peter, who loved the Lord,
1 Kings 19:9 “Elijah went into a cave there and stayed there, and the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Elijah, why are you here?”
1 Kings 19:13 “When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave, and a voice came to him and said, “Elijah, why are you here?”
God, who visited Elijah, who was in despair, why are you here?
you asked,
It is God's love that God cares about even those who are discouraged,
Only those who know the love they receive can give love,
Why are you here?
Please listen to the voice of God's love who visited Elijah, who was waiting for death like a failed life.
2, I am a person of faith who does not compromise with the world,
Faith is not compromise, it is believing,
In the days of King Ahab, many of the priests of Israel surrendered to power.
Serving the idols Baal and Asherah, he took care of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and killed them appropriately.
But God doesn't always want to falter between the two.
If God is the true God, then one must follow Him; if Baal is the true God, then one must follow Baal. An unbelieving act of hesitating between the two cannot please God.
God holds out His hand of power and supports those who walk by faith in the only one way.
There are hardships along the way, a lonely and torturous environment may await him,
But at the end of the road, because of my faith in the Lord who will welcome me and welcome me, I am moving forward with faith that does not compromise with the world, relying on the Lord's hand
1 Kings 19:10 “He answered, “I am particularly zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant and torn down your altars and slain your prophets with the sword, and I am the only one left, and they seek to take my life. ”
Eliya says,
I'm the only one left, how lonely it was.
It was a lonely road, a lonely road
However, God was waiting for Elijah by giving him work to do, not only was he not going alone.
1 Kings 19:15-16 "Then the LORD said to him, "When you turn around and go through the wilderness to Damascus, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and you shall also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. and anoint Elisha the son of Abel-meholah Shaphat to be a prophet in your place.”
The anointing of Hazael to be king of Syria, the anointing of Jehu to be king over Israel, and the anointing of Elisha to be a prophet in your place are the tasks of Elijah.
It is to anoint those whom God has left, and to raise up workers,
3, He is a person of faith who does not yield before idols,
People can sometimes become weak even before idols,
But those whom God left behind were those who did not yield before idols,
If you live by faith that fears God, you will stop participating in things that God hates.
1 Kings 219:14 “He answered, “I am particularly zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, and have torn down your altars and slain your prophets with the sword, and I am the only one left, and they seek to take my life. ”
Elijah the prophet kept his faith in the face of death,
Jesus, who loved us, saved us from our sins by death,
This is God's love for me,
As children of God wearing this love, we should not do the things that are grievous to God by betraying our faith.
There are those left behind in this age,
There are those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and made the children of God, the children of God who have been chosen by God.
This mission can be done through the love of Christ,
I bless you in the name of Jesus that you do not judge easily, but have dreams and do the missions given to you.