“Go, present yourself to Ahab …” (1 Kings 18:1, NKJV)
In the last teaching we concluded that typologically speaking, the spirit of Omri and Ahab opposes the anointing of Elijah.
As part of the unfolding teaching of Day 1016-1018 we saw that Elijah could lock the heavens with his rhema-word, and that it did not rain. Within his theme: ‘The prayer of the righteous has much power’, James uses Elijah as an excellent example: “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. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:17-18).
The way in which it is framed in 1 Kings 18 illustrates the relationship between God and his anointed. From 1 Kings 17:1 it seemed as if Elijah just impulsively decided to pray for the heavens to lock: “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.’”
In the true son of God there is no petulance, offense, no desire to be avenged. Elijah’s serious statement and action was not driven by a stubborn selfish desire which would be a disadvantage to the people – he acted based on God’s guidance, and that alone. This becomes clear from when the drought is finally lifted: “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” (1 Kings 18:1).
But God knows, as David illustrates in Ps. 84:5-7: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” Also Ps. 87:5-7, which notes the following prophetic word about the Bride: “And of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.’ The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: ‘This one was born there.’ Selah Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
‘All my springs are in you.’” Elijah was God’s key for unlocking the (spiritual) drought.
God wants to demonstrate his goodness to the world/people/believers through Elijah, both through exposing Elijah to his adversaries, thus testing him, and through establishing Elijah’s authority as an anointed ruler on earth. Remember that this is typological for each one called to be “kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:10).
1 Kings 18 clearly articulates Elijah’s assignment: “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” In obedience to God Elijah did as He asked (verse 2), despite the fact that this command put him at immense risk. The word “present” meant that Elijah had to physically show himself to his adversary, Ahab, who at that point was launching a massive search for Elijah, in order to kill him. The drought and accompanying famine had Ahab and his servant Obadiah (not the prophet, but the head servant of the king) moving through the land in search of grass for Ahab’s animals. One can understand that Ahab’s animosity toward Elijah had reached breaking point. In verse 10 Obadiah lays it out as follows: “As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.”
From this we learn a very important lesson, which David poetically articulates in Ps. 23:4-6: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David was familiar with the experience of being mercilessly hunted down by a variety of adversaries, and not being able to lift your hand against them unless God explicitly allowed it. If you are in position in Christ, no adversary can harm you outside of God’s will. Please remember this.
In the New Testament cadence Paul articulates it as follows: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28). Take note – all things do not work together for all believers, only for those who walk within their purpose.
Sometimes we forget that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastics after he had lost his calling and purpose, and this explains why so much of the book speaks of his attitude of overwhelming fatality. About this matter, for instance, he thus states in Ecc. 2:14-15: “The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. So I said in my heart, ‘As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me …’” This in no way corresponds with the truth he presents earlier, in Prov. 24: 16: “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”
The immense influence of the prosperity gospel has resulted in people believing that something is wrong with you, or that sin is ruling your life, if you are suffering, run into trouble, etc. Ps. 34:19 argues the opposite: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Our attitude in Christ must be like that of Daniel’s friends: “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:17-18).
The New Testament is quite clear about having the right attitude toward that which opposes you, in the words of Jesus: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). After Paul had been stoned and left for dead, he teaches his followers that “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22). His practical battles brought him to this conclusion in 2 Cor. 4:8-10: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
It is true, as 2 Tim. 3:12 posits: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” But the reverse is unfortunately also true – he who is not persecuted for his faith is not living a sufficiently fruitful life.
For this reason Elijah, without hesitation, presented himself to his adversary.
- Selah: Do you fear people, or God?
- Read: 4-5; Matt. 8:14-34, Matt. 9-10.
- Memorise: Mark 4:30-34.
