“Is that you, o troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17, NKJV)
Finally Elijah and Ahab can look one another in the eye. Please do not miss the gravity of this moment – it is akin to two opposing kingdoms – the prototype of the ruler of the kingdom of God (2 Thess. 1:5) who is standing against the prototype of the ruler of the kingdoms of the world (1 John 5:19).
It is thus of great importance to see how the showdown commences. Ahab waits for no one, and immediately begins his attack. The world does, after all, teach us that attack is the best defence. Ahab as natural man (1 Cor. 2:14) does not understand spiritual authority, and does not offer Elijah the respect he as prophet should receive (2 Chr. 36:12). In 1 Kings 18:17 we read: “Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’”
The “god of the world” has no power or authority over the Bride of Christ. The only role he can fulfil is that of “accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10). His only offensive weapon is his mouth – he can only speak. This is thus exactly what Ahab does – he accuses Elijah.
And the accusation is serious. The previous person who was called a “troubler of Israel” was stoned and burnt to death (Joshua 7:25). This was Achor, whose name also means “troublemaker”! Achor is the prototype of all troublers, and this because he took a mantle that did not belong to him (Joshua 7:21).
A mantle as indication of spiritual authority is what this positioning between Ahab and Elijah is really concerned with. Ahab knows this, and thus directs a salvo of deadly words toward Elijah.
This happens to everyone in the Bride – you will often be attacked and accused of wearing a false mantle, of having demonic authority, and told that you should disappear from the scene. Casting suspicion is part of the opponent’s strategy – this even happened to Jesus: “Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons … But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.’” (Matt. 12:24 & 28).
But everyone in the Bride must also endure this hardship (2 Tim. 2:3; 4:5) – through this God calls you into the desert in order to speak to your deceiving (Jer. 17:9) heart (Hos. 2:14). Through this hardship God removes the Baals from your mouth (Hos. 2:17) and heart (Matt. 15:18). Then your heart will be undividedly His, and “you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master’” (Hos. 2:16). Only then “I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord” (Hos. 2:20). Through this, Hos. 2:15 says, “I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope”. More on this in the following teaching.
- Selah: Ponder your persecution in the light of 2 Tim. 3:12.
- Read: Luke 17:11-18:14.
- Memorise: Luke 17:21-18:14.
