Watumishi wa Neno

Back to 1 Kings 18…

Point 1: Yahweh preserves His servants in the midst of opposition

Point 2: Yahweh is the Real God

Point 3: The Word of Yahweh the real God must be fulfilled

(vv41-46) The battle at Mt Carmel has been won, but drought is still a problem.  The word of the Lord has to be spoken for it to rain again. Elijah tells Ahab go eat and drink for there is the sound of a rainstorm.  Elijah the man of faith goes to the summit of the mountain bows himself to ground (cf. 1 Kings 17:21) with his face between his knees. Is he doing some aerobics or what? His position suggests that he is praying.  James 5:17-18: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruits.”

The Bible says the fervent prayer of a righteous man available much (James 5:16). Why? Because it is praying for what God has promised (cf. Daniel 9). Elijah is praying in line with God’s will. He is confident that Yahweh will fulfil his Word and he’s eager to see it. He sends his servant seven times to see if there is any sign of rain. The seventh time the servant reports, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” It is said that seven is the number of perfection.   Ahab is told to hurry back to the city of Jezreel before the heavy rains brought flooding and made roads impassable: “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” For sure it does rain. Yahweh’s word has been fulfilled. In 17:1 “…there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my Word.”

The power of Yahweh was with Elijah, he did not need a Chariot, because of God’s power he was able to run faster than Ahab and his chariot.  That day the media houses had enough to report about: “The Real God Stands up: Rain After Years of Drought as Yahweh Speaks.”

Conclusion

Friends, Yahweh the creator of the universe is the Real God. The first commandment: You shall have no other god but Yahweh, the sovereign God. There is no one like Him. He whose fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, wood and everything on the altar is the same Yesterday today and forever more. He is the same one who was crucified on the Cross and conquered the devil. Through Christ we have victory over the devil and all his works. It’s Christ that we should follow, He is the real God.

Who loves his word? His word that gives life to all who believe in Him.  In these times of great apostasy, let God’s people step forward, in the name of the LORD, for God’s kingdom and His Truth and His Word.

But always remember that we cannot do all this apart from walking in the Grace of God. Recall Elijah’s prayer – he prayed that Israel would also “know… that You (Yahweh) have turned their hearts back to You again.” Notice he didn’t ask God that the people would turn back to Him, but that they would “know” that the Lord Himself had already “turned their hearts.”  It’s only by the grace of God through Christ that our hearts can turn back to God. May this be our prayer – that God will turn our hearts back to Him?