Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” . . . Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” . . . Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain” (1 Kings 18:38,39,41,45).
Almighty God, there is none like You! We acknowledge, and rejoice in that fact. You are the One who gives meaning to our lives. Just knowing that You will walk with us, gives us the necessary strength to get out of our beds and face a new day. Please stay with us as we study Your Word and be our teacher. In the Holy Name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.
Before we begin our study today, I would like us to read a verse of Scripture that will help us to identify more freely with the main character of our story, Elijah.
“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).
When we read about experiences in the Bible such as the one we have been studying for the past few days; in particular, what took place on top of Mount Carmel, the tendency is to say “Well, what do you expect, that was Elijah, God’s prophet. I would not expect anything less of him.” So who are we? Are we not God’s “witnesses” (Isaiah 44:8)? And because “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34), what He did through Elijah, He can do through all who are willing to be of service in His cause!
On Tuesday, when we began this journey, the country was going through a drought. It was the third year of the drought. Today, as we come to the end of our journey, God is about to open the heavens and allow an abundance of rain to fall upon the earth!
We pointed to the fact that the shutting up of the heavens, or the lack of rain, was a sign of God’s displeasure over Israel’s sin (1 Kings 8:35). And that when sin was confessed and forsaken, God would “heal the land.”Today the rains will fall as proof that God keeps His Word. This promise is found in one of my favorite Bible verses, 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
After the man of God prayed that fire producing prayer of faith a grand revival broke out! People began confessing that God was the only Lord! They bowed down and humbled themselves before Him! I imagine there was confession of sins as a major prayer meeting took place!
People could now begin to seek God’s face again as the land was being cleansed of the false prophets of Baal and Ashterah. A new day was dawning and the thirsty earth could open its mouth and receive the healing showers of blessings as they fell in abundance! New crops would soon be pushing their heads through the now moistened ground and bear fruit! Gods people were turning from their wicked ways! The land would now begin to heal.
Throughout this very challenging experience Elijah thought that he was the only faithful person left in Israel, until God revealed to him that he was only one among seven thousand! What is to be admired, is that he was willing to take a stand for the right even if he was the only faithful person left! A man with a nature like ours! The next time you and I are called to do the seemingly impossible for God, let us remember this fact!
This is only a glimpse of what took place upon Mount Carmel many, many years ago! The day is coming, and soon, when history will repeat itself with much greater splendor! I pray that you and I will be ready to be a part of it!