Our perspective on life may change. Sometimes we need a
perspective adjustment from the Lord. In
the book of 1 Kings Elijah has two mountain top experiences.
In chapter 18, his mountain
top experience was on Mt Carmel.
In chapter 19, his mountain
top experience was on MT Horeb, the mountain of God
On Mt Carmel, Elijah had a
rather amazing experience where he challenged King Ahab to bring out 450
prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah.
Elijah then went before the
people of God to challenge them.
1 Kings 18:21 (ESV)
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long
will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow
him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
This
amazing challenge was set up between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and
Asherah to call down fire on a sacrifice.
1
Kings 18:24 (ESV)
24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
In this rather dramatic
scene, these false prophets agonizingly try, but fail to call down fire.
Elijah’s turn comes up and he
has people pour water three times on the sacrifice that he set up.
1 Kings 18:36-38 (ESV)
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
The
people of Israel acknowledge that the Lord is God.
Elijah
commands the people and they wipe out the false prophets.
This
was a very dramatic mountain top experience where God worked clearly and
visibly. You might then think a revival would break out.
What
happened immediately after this was that Ahab told Jezebel what happened and
she sent some men out to kill Elijah.
Elijah
did the sensibly thing and ran for his life. He traveled forty days and forty
nights. He is now at Mt Horeb and he is very tired and depressed. He told the
Lord that he was the only one left.
When
we are tired and discourage life can be overwhelming. We think things will
happen one way and when they don’t we get discouraged. It can be hard to see what
God is doing when we feel overwhelmed with the circumstances of life.
How
does the Lord respond to Elijah?
1
Kings 19:11-12 (ESV)
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.”
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.”
And behold, the LORD passed by,
and
a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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.
12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
And
after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
1 Kings 19:13 (ESV)
13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The
Lord spoke to Elijah in the quietness of the moment and the stillness of his
heart. The Lord spoke words of comfort to Elijah and told him that there were
many more people who had not bowed down to Baal.
Sometimes
we want the big, the flashy, We want to think and say that ,”we are doing great
things for God, look at all of this.”
God may or may not do
something big and flashy in our lives, but that does not mean He isn’t working
significantly.