This world sometimes seems to be such a morally and ethically dark place. We look around and see very little godliness or morality, with evil and sin seemingly triumphing. We might become discouraged, and even begin to feel like we’re the only one who believes in or follows God. This is how the prophet Elijah felt during one period of his life. We read a little about that in our Scripture passage for today.
The prophet Elijah was a great man of God during some of the darker days in the Old Testament. He ministered primarily to the northern Kingdom of Israel. That nation had turned their back on the true worship of Yahweh, and had fallen into idolatry, worshiping many pagan gods. Shortly before the events of our Scripture, the prophet had won a great spiritual victory on Mt. Carmel over the priests of Baal and other pagan religious leaders (I Kings 18:19-40). However, following that great event, King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel sought to kill him, and Elijah had to flee for his life, hiding in a cave near Mt. Horeb. Rather than focusing on the great spiritual victory over Satan and the pagans, he feared the death threats and became discouraged and depressed.
As our Scripture begins, Elijah was in prayer with the Lord, and the Lord questioned why he was so discouraged and in hiding. Elijah answered that all of the people in Israel had forsaken God and His Word, torn down His altars, and killed all of His prophets, those who preached His Word (vs. 14). Elijah felt like he was the only one left who really worshiped God.
We might sometimes feel like that. When we look around the world today, and see how far society has strayed from God’s Word and commandments, from any semblance of godliness, we might feel that we are the only ones left who follow Him. What did God say to Elijah when he had answered Him with those comments? Did He agree with Elijah, telling him that he was correct, and to continue to hide out in the cave? Did He get angry at him? No, God told him to get up and go back, as He had some work for Him to do. There were three people that God wanted Elijah to anoint for special tasks.
God also reminded Elijah that he was not the only one in the nation of Israel that followed Him. Though that northern kingdom had, as a whole, turned away from God and never returned to true worship, He pointed out to Elijah that 7,000 people had refused to worship Baal and other false gods, and still truly worshiped Him (vs. 18). That wasn’t many out of a whole nation, but that was some, and God knew about them. They were not lost to Him. Even in the worst of times, God will not leave Himself without a remnant as a witness. When we feel isolated and all alone in our faith, we aren’t. The Lord is still at work in hearts that we may not even know about.
God had a job for Elijah to do at this time, and that was to anoint three different people for tasks that He wanted accomplished. The first was to anoint a man named Hazael to be king over the Kingdom of Syria, to the north of Israel (vs. 15). The Lord was going to use, a bit later, the Kingdom of Syria to chastise and punish the nation of Israel for their abandonment of Him and idolatry. Sometimes God will use unbelievers and heathen to accomplish His purposes, as He did here, and later with the greater Assyrian Empire, and also the Babylonian Empire against Judah.
The second person Elijah was to anoint was Jehu to become king over Israel instead of the descendants of Ahab (vs. 16). Jehu did put an end to the public worship of Baal, but not of other idols, and he never brought the country back to the worship of Yahweh. The country remained in their heathen ways.
The final person Elijah was to anoint was Elisha, who would be his successor (vs. 16, 19-21). Elisha lived in the village of Abel-meholah. Nearby there was the school of the prophets, sort of an Old Testament Bible school. Elijah was not instructed to anoint any of them to be his successor. Instead, God instructed him to anoint Elisha, who was a farmer. God does not always pick who we think He should. God doesn’t always use the ones with multiple theological degrees to spread His message. He chose the farmer Elisha.
This probably took Elisha by surprise, as Elijah was the well-known preacher, and Elisha from a simple farm family. Throwing the mantle over him was a definite symbol that Elisha was chosen to be his disciple and successor. Elisha accepted the call, and by killing the oxen and giving the meat to the people to eat, Elisha was showing he was giving up his former life to follow Elijah.
When we feel that we are alone in our faith and ministry, listen to what the Lord has to say to you. God will always have a faithful remnant. There may not be many, but they are there. God cared about what Elijah was going through, and He gave him a faithful companion for his remaining years.
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