ELIJAH – MEANING OF FIRE – PART 6
1 Kings 18:37,38 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
When did the first display of fire glory appear in the Bible?
Exodus 13:21,22 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
At night when it was dark, Israel could look up and see a symbol of God’s presence in this mega pillar of fire.
Can you hear the following prayers?: “Thank you Lord for changing the darkness into light; thank you warmth when it becomes cold at night.”
Where did the next manifestation of fire appear?
Exodus 19:18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
GOD COMPARED TO A CONSUMING FIRE
When last did you see a fire raging? I have watched since I was a child and also later in life.
It is quite a sensation to see those flames climbing into the trees and devour them.
Fire reminds me of something I read in the Bible:
Hebrews 12:28,29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
FIRE SYMBOLIC PRESENTATION OF GOD
Several times when prophets have a vision God, He appeared as fire.
Daniel 7:9,10 “I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
10 A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.
WHAT IS THE FINAL FUNCTION OF FIRE?
At the end of the millennium it will devour the unrighteous.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up
Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
MANIFESTATION OF FIRE LEADS TO REPENTANCE OR REBELLION
When God manifests Himself people are either save or destroyed.
What happened at the Red Sea?
At Sodom?
The blinding divine fire during the second coming will either translate us and take us to heaven or destroy us.
THE DESTINATION OF THE PRIESTS OF BAAL
Let us return to Carmel where the people experienced the dazzling divine devouring fire of God.
1 Kings 18:39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
“With startling distinctness the cry resounds over the mountain and echoes in the plain below. At last Israel is aroused, undeceived, penitent.
At last the people see how greatly they have dishonored God. The character of Baal worship, in contrast with the reasonable service required by the true God, stands fully revealed.
The people recognize God’s justice and mercy in withholding the dew and the rain until they have been brought to confess His name. They are ready now to admit that the God of Elijah is above every idol.” {PK 153.1}
PRIESTS OF BAAL
r nie almal is berouvol nie. Alhoewel die Baälspriesters die bonatuurlike mag van die Here aanskou, verhard hulle hulle harte.
Omdat hulle besluit om voort te gaan om Baäl te aanbid, kan die Here niks meer vir hulle doen nie. As hulle nog >n dag langer leef, kan hulle die volk weer van vooraf verlei.
Wat sou u sê moet met hierdie verleiers gedoen word?
Vers 40 Hierop sê Elia vir hulle: AGryp die profete van Baäl! Nie een van hulle mag wegkom nie.@ Toe die volk hulle gegryp het, het Elia die profete laat afbring na Kisonspruit toe en daar het hulle hulle doodgemaak.
OPTREDE BY BEKERING
The priests of Baal witness with consternation the wonderful revelation of Jehovah’s power. Yet even in their discomfiture
and in the presence of divine glory, they refuse to repent of their evil-doing.
They would still remain the prophets of Baal. Thus they showed themselves ripe for destruction.
That repentant Israel may be protected from the allurements of those who have taught them to worship Baal, Elijah is directed by the Lord to destroy these false teachers.
The anger of the people has already been aroused against the leaders in transgression; and when Elijah gives the command, “Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape,” they are ready to obey.
They seize the priests, and take them to the brook Kishon, and there, before the close of the day that marked the beginning of decided reform, the ministers of Baal are slain. Not one is permitted to live. {PK 153.2}
Elijah was a man of action. He wanted the people to bear fruit that goes with convertion.
The priests of Baal killed them spiritually, now they must suffer a physical death.
“Israel”, calls Elijah. “Grab the 850 priests who caused this drought calamity and follow me to the Kishon
River.”
They again made a big noise while Israel dragged them down the mountain.
KISHON RIVER
Every time I visit here I am reminded of the symbolism of Kishon.
In the past God wrought a great victory for His people in this vicinity.
He caused the Kishon River to overflow its banks and washed away Sisera and his army.
The victory poem of Deborah has eschatological value
Judges 5:20,21 They fought from the heavens;
The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
O my soul, march on in strength!
The unrepented enemies in the time of Deborah, and the unrentend enemies in the time of Elijah are types of the destiny of end time unrepented enemies of God.
Can you imagine a heaven without rebellious enemies of God and man?
Revelation 19:20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
May God protect us from the self-destroying worship of Baal
ELIJAH’S TRUST IN THE PROMISED RAIN
After Elijah completed his word of reform, he made the following statement:
Verse 41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
Can you hear the new repented Ahab saying to Elijah: “Rain. This is what we need but I see no sign of it.”
Elijah repeats his words: “Your majesty. “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
THE LESSON
The sound of abundance of rain was not in the ears of Elijah but in his heart.
The fresh smell of rain was not in his nose, it was in his heart. He smelled the rain in faith.
He did not see those great drops of rain falling on the dust of the earth; he saw it with an eye of faith.
OUTPOURING OF THE LATTER RAIN
The story of Elijah reminds one of the outpouring of the Latter Rain. Can you hear the sound of that rain?
If there is some kind of pet sin that we are clinging to, our ears of faith will not hear it.
Spirit filled people will proclaim that the righteousness of God with power. They will appeal to others to be obedient to God’s commandments and prepare for the second coming of Christ.
ELIJAH’S EXPERIENCE WHILE PRAYING FOR RAIN
Verses 42,43 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
Somewhere here on Carmel Elijah falls on his knees. The eye-blinding glory of the fire is fixed in his brain.
Listen to his prayer:
“Dear Lord. You have revealed your glory in a marvellous manner. King and people repented and the priests of Baal were destroyed.
We have complied to your conditions for rain and now we are waiting for it to happen. Amen”
He asks his servant to climb the highest rock to observe the skies for a sign of rain.
He returns with band news: “No my master. No sign of the slightest clouds over the sea.”
Elijah falls down on his knees for a second time. He agonizes with God and reminds Him of his promise of rain.
Again he sends his servant to view the ocean for a little cloud, and again he returns with bad news.
WHY DOES GOD DELAY HIS ANSWERS TO OUR PETITIONS?
If would answer us immediately we may take the answers for granted. We should examine our hearts to see if they are pure. We should always feel our total dependence upon Him
Elijah falls on his knees for a third time as he prays for rain. He searches his heart to see if he perhaps disappointed God.
He sends his servant again only to hear the bad news for a third time.
Visiting Muraka on Carmel I thought of Elijah’s fourth prayers.
He empties himself to such an extent that he will not take credit if the rain should fall.
THE SEVENTH PRAYER
While Ahab was feasting, Elijah was agonizing in prayer.
I wish I could have seen the last earnest pleading prayer with his head between his knees.
While he searches his own heart, he becomes smaller smaller in his own estimation. He feels that he is nothing and God is everything.
When Elijah reached the place where he fully and totally deny himself and relies totally on God, his prayer was answered.
Totally exhausted because of agonizing in prayer, he sends his servant for the seventh time to have a very careful look for the little cloud over the horizon of the Meditarian Sea.
Verses 44,45 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
What an unbelievable, inspiring story. An ordinary person like you and me allowed God to use him in a marvellous manner. The people repented and rain came pouring down.
God is looking for end time Elijahs with the same zeal and dedication as the first one. He is looking for you and me who will not let Him go ere He sends the sowers of the Holy Spirit to fall on us.
James 5:17,18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
QUESTION
My dear friend. It could just be that the continuous heat of temptation has dried up your moisture of your resistance. And you may feel guilty about it which is a very good thing.
It may that the noble plants of integrity and principle have been scoured to stubble.
Do you long for the cool refreshing showers of the Holy Spirit to end the drought caused by those devastating heated temptations?
Do you have a desire that God would again bring the lush plants of peace and kindness and forgiveness and love into your life?
Listen to this divine promise:
Zachariah 10:1 Ask the LORD for rain
In the time of the latter rain.
The LORD will make flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.
It may be that the scorching sun of pain and never ending problems evaporated the joy of living. There is drought in you life.
Do have need of the showers of God’s blessings to make an end to this drought?
Hosea 6:3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
We are living in the time of the Latter Rain. May we agonize with God like Elijah for the drop to fall on us.