1 Kings 19:15-18 Annointings and Generations - Elijah to Elisha

1 Kings 19:15-18 " The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

Sometimes I wonder why did the LORD ask Elijah to do such a thing of annointing after his run and escape from Ahab and Jezeebel? Who are these 3 persons mentioned in this annointing? 2 Kings 9

Elijah : Yahweh is God
Elisha: My God is salvation
Hazael King : God has seen
Jehu King : Yahweh is he

The story of Kings as recorded form 1 Samuel through to 2 Chronicles began with David - the greatest king in the new monarchy. Elijah and Elisha were prophets in this kingdom era around 1000BC. But after King David and King Solomon, the succession of kings were mainly unrighteous kings.

The book of 1 Kings and 2 Kings records the divided kingdom. The 12 tribes split with the Northern ten tribes under "ISRAEL' and the remaining 2 tribes under "JUDAH'. Judah was slightly better than Israel and so the kingdom lasted longer, about 400 years instead of Israel - 250 years.

"If you would be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave of the compass" At creation, God created man with free will. But there was an instruction to obey in the Garden . Gen 2:16 "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die"

Throughout life, we are constantly making choices. Freedom comes with a price. But there are certain freedoms we can have, but they have corresponding consequences. So like what we see in this Kingdom Era of Elijah's time, the Kings of Israel wanted such total freedom - the freedom to ignore the directives God had given to them how to rule and wage war. Like most civilisation histories in the world, such a kingdom was very turbulent. When a righteous king rules, the nation would prosper. When an unrighteous king gained the throne, the nation would falter. Are we a slave to the right compass of our life?

Today, we may not have kings except in certain countries- like UK, Thailand etc. Our countries are run by mainly governments elected by the citizens for some but not in all countries.

Yesterday, someone I know shared about the 'fear' that in 2020, those who are born in 1960s would be 'old'. And here in S'pore, eversince we had the 2-child policy in the 1970s, our next generation may not be sufficient to 'take over' (in terms of numbers I suppose). Interesting thoughts indeed. This population issue is not unique here in S'pore - it is common throughout the world right now. Do you know that based on 2006 statistics : About 115,000 babies were aborted per day? and this was about 42 million a year? {Biblical history of infanticide : Ex 1:15 - moses time, Lev 18:21 Molech child sacrifice and Matt 2:16 King Herold}

But as I reflected on this verse in 1 Kings 19: 15 onwards, I am reminded that we serve a Sovereign God - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of the heaven and earth. He will prepare the annointings over the younger generation. He will reserve all those who would not bow down to any idol worship.

He did that for Joseph in Gen45:77 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance

He assured King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19:30 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this"

Elijah had been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. But he was disheartened to be chased and sought after to be killed. Yet , God preserved his life for a purpose and time in this history making. His baton was passed on to Elisha - who experienced a greater double portion of annointing. Quote from my pastor " Let our floor be the ceiling of the next generation"

We pray that our children, nieces and nephews or grandchildren will experience Yahweh in greater measures than ever before. Because Yahweh is God, God is salvation - He is the "I AM". Yahweh is he.

Ps 91:14 Amen! Know HIM Love HIM Serve HIM!

Audio recording of 14&15 Jan2010 RBC seminar on "Elijah" by Bill Crowder

A friend sent me this link just today! Think this is not coincident but the Lord's way of assurance that my study of the life of Elijah is right on the dot! My 2010 resolution verse Luke 1:17! COOL!

http://www.rbcintl.org/bconf/sg/index.html

Messages are available for downloading from 20 January 2010 to 20 March 2010
To download & save the sermon file, http://www.rbcintl.org/bconf/sg/

Elijah: An Ordinary Man in Extraordinary Times - Session 1
Elijah: An Ordinary Man in Extraordinary Times - Session 2
Elijah: An Ordinary Man in Extraordinary Times - Session 3
Elijah: An Ordinary Man in Extraordinary Times - Session 4

1 Kings 19: 10, 14 Zealous-Burn out-Refreshing

1Kings 19:10,14:" He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

In the earlier chapter of 1 Kings 19, we recall Elijah coming to Kerith - the brook to rest. We read about the miracle in Zarepath, the encounters @Beersheba wells of oath and arrival at Horeb where the Lord came not in the earthquake, wind or fire - but a small still voice.

• What does one mean to be zealous for the Lord?


• How does one maintain that zeal always?

There are days where we feel we are at the mountain top. In the midst of the awe and wonders of experience of who God is, we are reminded to always go back to hearing the small still voice of God. Because many a times, we will plateu off - in the normal plain. Sometimes even going into a valley! So then how do we keep on keeping on that zeal for Him?

Jer 2:13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

May we be reminded not to forsake the spring of living water- Jesus Himself. May we remind ourselves not do dig our own cisterns. It is not about our own little "ministries" for the Lord. All that we are and have, it is the grace of the Lord. Nothing we can boast of. He has to increase and we have to decrease.

That's Zeal- Keep on keeping on.

1Kings 19:8 40D40N trek to Horeb Mountain - A desert Experience

After Beersheba's rest and being fed by an angel twice, Elijah was led to a journey 40 day and 40 night until he reached Horeb - the mountain of God.

"Hor" is mountain and "Horeb" is actually desert.

Interestingly, this is the same mountain where Moses met with God in Ex 3: 1 -22 in the burning bush. It was also a mountain of convenant. (Deut 29:1)

Like Moses, Elijah had to go through a period of running away from someone ( Pharoah and King Ahab respectively) and go through the desert. So this in not uncommon to man. Most of us have had such experiences.

We thank God that He himself led us through all these so that He will speak to us personally at His Holy mountain.

Elijah heard Him speak later.
Would we take that journey to this mountain of God? It may take us 40 days 40 nights or whatever the timeline that God has set for us. But it is worth it. Because it is only then we meet Him face to face.

1 Kings 19: 3 Beersheba Wells

After the face off in Mount Camel, Elijah fled from Ahab and Jezebel. When he came to Beersheba, he left his servant there and went into the desert. (Negev)

Beersheba today-located on the northern edge of the Negev desert 115 kilometres south-east of Tel Aviv and 120 kilometres south-west of Jerusalem. And is the seventh-largest city in Israel

• Be'er is the Hebrew word for well; sheva could mean "seven" or "oath" (from the Hebrew word shvu'a).

Significance of this place call Beersheba?

Tracing back history in Genesis, there seems to be similarities:

1. There was a time of famine

2. Sins and idolatory were peak high:After the Sodom and Gomorrah destruction, Abraham separated from Lot and moved into this region in Negev. For Elijah , it was after the showdown with the Baals and he came to Beersheba.

In Gen 21 & 27 We saw the generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the wells.

1. Gen 21:14 : After Isaac was born, Hagar and Ishmael was sent to the desert in Beersheba. Ishmael almost died and we saw God answered his cries. He gave the vision of a well of water to Hagar. God was with Ishmael as he grew up.

2. Gen 21: 25 : Abraham & Abimelech : Abraham complained to Abimelech (King of Gerar) about a well of water that the king's servants had seized. Then came the oath between the 2 of them : Abimelech accepting the 7 ewe lambs from Abraham (who lied about Sarah's wife-sister relationship) as witnessed that Abraham dug the well. V31 "so the place was called Beersheba" - well of 7 or well of oath.

3. Gen 27 : Isaac & Abimelech: Like his father Abraham, Isaac lied about his wife Rebekah to King Abimelech. But was later found out and so king had to send Isaac away . Lots of fighting over the wells dug and finally the last well in v32 which they called Shibah (V33 "..and to this day the town has been called Beersheba")

Some names of the wells:-

• V19 : First well was called Esek :meaning 'dispute'
• V21 : Second well was called Sitnah : Meaning 'opposition'
• V22 : Third well was called Rehoboth : Meaning "room'
• V25: Fourth well was built in Beersheba where the Lord appeared to Isaac with the blessing. And after Isaac built the altar there, his servants built this well. Treaty was made here again. Water was later found in the well v32 and the well was called Shibah : meaning 'oath or seven'

4. John 4:6 :Jacob's Well - where Jesus met the Samaritan woman . The record of this conversation below:-

4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Throughout history, we see the importance of wells. People at that time of famine badly needed the fresh supply of water from such wells. Beersheba - this name itself is a reminder of how God gave the vision of well to Ishmael and the oaths taken for taking the rightful ownership of those wells of the partriach from Abraham to Isaac and Jacob.

These wells at such a place provided refuge and rest. Even tired Jesus was at Jacob's well meeting that Samaritan woman.

Elijah badly needly the supply of the water in the desert after leaving Beersheba. We can be like Elijah - needing the recharge during those low times in our life - the famine times . God seems faraway. Or we can fall into sin and idolatory. Or we can face different wells of opposition, dispute and misunderstanding with people. We get discouraged. And we need to slow down, repent and turn to the source of the living waters again.

One can go on 40 days without food. But one cannot go on without water. Like the Haiti earthquake that struck on 12/1/2010, the Haitians suffered from the lack of water in the aftermath of the quake.

So take heart.

Isaiah 12:3" With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."

We remember those wells dug by the forefathers. The Lord God never forsake His children. Jesus is indeed greater than Jacob. Matt 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" May we continue to draw with joy from the water that Jesus gives, so that we will never thirst and within us this will become in us a spring of water welling up in eternal life!

1 Kings 19: 1-6 / Luke 4:24-25 The Zarephath Significance

Luke 4:24"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

As we journey with Elijah who ran for his life after coming down from Mount Carmel in the heavy rain, he arrived at Beersheba. Like the widow at Zarephath, he wanted to die. Supernaturally and incredibly, he was provided with not only a cake, but a cake that was baked over hot coals and not only water, but a jar of water!

Looking back at the supernatural provision events:-

1. Cherith /Hebrew: Kerīth -"a cutting, separation, gorge, torrent-bed, or winter-stream"; Greek: is a "brook", in whose banks Elijah first hid himself during the early part of the three years' drought [Elijah was fed by ravens]

2. Zarephath (Sarepta)-" smelter, forge or metalworking" : Why of all the widows, Elijah had to be sent to this particular widow in this place called Zarephath? In 1 Kings 17:9 " I have commanded a window in that place to supply you with food"

I believe that all of His children go through seasons of testings in life. Just as we become a child of God when we repent of our sins and invited Him to be our Lord and Saviour, we are 'cut off' and 'separated' and 'set apart' @ Cherith. This is the beginning of our journey with Him. He is the source of the living water. We drink from this brook and we will never thirst again.

The next is the Zarephath testing:

Smelting is a form of metal extraction; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. Smelting involves more than just "melting the metal out of its ore". Most ores are a chemical compound of the metal with other elements, such as oxygen (as an oxide) or sulfur (as a sulfide). To produce the metal, these compounds have to undergo a chemical reaction with a source of carbon, usually in a wood- or coal-burning furnace. Smelting therefore consists of using suitable reducing that will combine with those oxidizing elements to free the metal. Most ores are not pure, so that a flux (such as lime) must be added to react with the impurities and carry them off in a slag.

Forging is the process of shaping metal by localized compressive forces. A forge is the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith. Usually a forge is essentially a hearth or fireplace designed to allow a fire to be controlled such that metal introduced to the fire may be brought to a malleable state or to bring about other metallurgical effects (hardening, annealing, and drawing temper as examples). The forge fire in this type of forge is controlled in three ways: 1) amount of air, 2) volume of fuel, and 3) shape of the fuel/fire.

Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible for the silver and the furnace for the gold, but the LORD tests the heart"

Why the Zarephath widow?

• Well, she was the blesser to Elijah: she fed Elijah with all the little of flour and oil she had left.
• She was a recipient of a blessing from Elijah : She witnessed the miracle of seeing her own son raised from the dead on top of the endless supplies of the food

The Zarephath Significance

Do we want to be a witness of such miracles in our lives? Want to see God?
If so , are we prepared to be smelted and forged @ Zarephath?
Matt 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God"

There were many widows and man with leprosy during the time of Elijah. Yet, the Lord only selected the widow @ Zarephath and Namaan the Syrian.
We are all like the ores. Full of impurities. Of not much use until the metal is extracted from the ores.

At Cherith, Jesus becomes our change agent.

At Zarephath, Jesus becomes the tester of our heart.

May we be like James 5:12" Blessed is the man who perserves under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who loved him"

Thanks to Michael who highlighted the meaning of Cherith and Zarepath in my earlier blog in 1 Kings 17 : knowing hearing and obeying God. It is called "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" Prov27:17

1 Kings 18: 41-45:If all I had was one last breath

I love this song by Casting Crowns. The title is actually "I know you are there". But for some reason, I prefer "If all I had was one last breath"

In the midst of life’s brevity, perhaps we take time to ask ourselves “When was the last time something took your breath away because of the majesty?” Ever watched the movie “The Bucket List”?

At creation, God gave man breath. Then He took away man’s breath with the awesome, beauty, grandeur, majestic, symmetrical volcano shaped mountain called Mount Yotei in Hokkaido. The mountain photo was taken from our breakfast café at Hilton Niseko. For many days we stayed at Niseko in December 2009, we had poor visibility as the snow was so heavy. This was taken only on our last day I think – God was good! He gave us this spectacular view with the sun and the blue sky. It only lasted for a very short while! Cos the snow fall came again. Well, the global weather had gone bersek with reported heavy snowfall in many countries, not just Japan.

The cloud hovering above Yotei’s top was a reminder of how Moses spent his time up with God. His face radiated after he came down from the mountain. None of the people could take the radiance such that Moses had to veil himself. Breathlessness. Trillions of differently-shaped snowflakes. You can’t see such sceneries in Singapore, it had to be in Sapporo. Can we not marvel at God’s wonder creation?

This mountain also reminded me of Elijah at Mount Carmel. In my earlier posts, we saw fire came down. But at the end of 1 Kings 18 - this man of faith prayed for rain. He heard the sound of rain. He prayed. And the power of the LORD came upon him. A heavy rain came at last after 3 years of drought in this land. I have never seen a snow blizzard (rain in solidified flake form that was not falling vertically downwards but HORIZONTAL! )in my life except this first time in Hokkaido. It was so scary that we decided to stay indoors! And can you imagine Elijah running ahead of Ahab even though the latter had a head start in his chariot? Picture this : Elijah on foot - ran and overtook Ahab in his chariot! That's exceptional horse power without any steriods! Funny!

Kind of reminded me of the true story of the 2 men who ran in the Olympics in the Chariots of Fire. Heart was solidly steadfast in God and God honoured them in the race. What a run!

In the next chapter in 1 Kings 19, we shall see Elijah running out of breath for his life.

How about you? If all you had was just one last breath? What would you do? The song goes "If all I had was one last breath, I'd spend it just to sing Your praise, Just to say Your name...." How about you?