“Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat …” (Luke 22:31, NKJV)
In the previous teaching we saw that satan and the devil can in certain contexts be seen as merely people with a dark, carnal nature who oppose believers. Within the unfolding story of Elijah’s mantle formation it is now time for the adversary to establish Elijah. Remember – God sends the adversary.
All things considered Elijah has much to learn about triumphing over the adversary, and he can only access his inheritance if he triumphs (Rev. 2:7 & 11; 3:6, 13 & 22), but he needs to have a clear understanding what the role of his adversary is: “’Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the Lord.” (Isa. 54:16-17).
Elijah’s adversary who needs to establish him in his spiritual authority is a couple named Ahab and Jezebel. From the preceding passage we already know the following about these two: “So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place. In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:28-33).
To understand Ahab as prototype of the adversary, we need to however understand the legacy of his father, Omri, in typological terms. Long after Omri had died, his legacy was still strongly felt on the land. When the prophet Micah, many years after the reign of Omni, speaks to the people, he says to them that “the statutes of Omri are [still] kept” (Mic. 6:16).
In Hebrew Omri’s name means, according to Strong, “heaping”, derived from the root word ‛âmar, as in “to chastise (as if piling blows); specifically … to gather grain”. Realise this: the adversary chastises you to prepare you for the harvest. For this reason Jesus says to Peter: “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’” (Luke 22:31-32). More on this mystery in the next teaching.
- Selah: Do you now understand why you should pray for your enemies, persecutors and adversaries? (Matt. 5:44).
- Read: Luke 8; Matt. 13.
- Memorise: 13:19 (and try to understand how it is possible that the Evil one can steal in the first place).
