Word of the Living God

I Kings 17:1; 3 Kingdoms 17:1

As soon as Jezebel appeared in control of the government in Israel there also appeared a man of God whose task was to witness to the living God and to set in motion the forces of resistance that would ultimately overthrow Ahab and Jezebel.  “And Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Hosts lives, the God of all Israel before whom I stand, there shall not be any dew nor rain during these years except at my word.””

Elijah appears on the scene with startling suddenness. Indeed, his appearance is a mystery. We want to know more about this man when we suddenly see him stand before the king. We want to know where he came from, and where he was trained in the things of God. We want to know how he received his call to be a prophet to his time. But we know as little about him as Ahab knew about him, and it is better that we don’t know. For to see him appear thus reminds us that we need not despair when we see great movements of evil achieving spectacular success on this earth, for we may be sure that God, in unexpected places, has already secretly prepared His countermovement. God has always His ways of working underground to undermine the stability of evil. God can raise men for His service from nowhere. He can use “the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are”             ( I Corinthians 1:28). Therefore, the situation is never hopeless where God is concerned. Whenever evil flourishes, it is always a superficial flourish, for at the height of the triumph of evil God will be there, ready with His man and His movement and His plans to ensure that His own cause will never fail. *

*Note – The first two paragraphs above are quoted from my beloved Bible teacher at Columbia Seminary, Dr. Ronald Wallace. He said it so much better that I could! These words were published in 1957.

As we continue to behold this astounding scene of the unknown prophet standing before the apostate king, perhaps we, too, will be inspired to stand and speak for our God. The first words from Elijah’s lips reveal the message of his entire ministry. Indeed, is this not the underlying theme of the Old and New Testaments and of the Church’s proclamation to the world – “The Lord God of Israel lives!”? As it was in the days of old, so it is with us as well: “Christ is Risen!”.

It apparently had not occurred to Ahab that the Lord God, the God of his fathers, still lived. He and Jezebel were governing Israel under the deception that the Lord was no longer relevant. They assumed that He was relegated to the past. They imagined that He could be assigned a place on the same level as Baal or any other gods. They acted as though the religion of the Lord God of Israel could be easily altered to conform to the spirit and thinking of each new generation. Further, they had convinced the people (especially the youth) that the teaching of Moses was no longer appropriate and that new ways must be adopted. The teaching of the priests of Baal had insisted that it was Baal who provided good weather, abundant crops and prosperous conditions to their nation.

Likewise, even the faithful among them might have wondered whether the Lord was still there. If so, what was He doing? Why did He allow these things to go on?  Did He not see these abominations taking place?  

Yes, He had been slow to act as they perceived it. He may have been waiting for Ahab and Jezebel to repent of their wickedness. But they must have assumed that God’s inactivity was a sign that the living God was no longer there. They were living as though “every man could do what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

St. Paul recognized this spiritual blindness even in his day and reminded his hearers: “Truly, the times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world …. “ (Acts 17:30,31).

So it was in that day that Elijah proclaimed the word of the living God. It is worth noting that the judgement of a three-year drought punished not only the king but also the people. Dr. Wallace wrote, “In the sight of God, people and rulers are closely bound up together, and the people are regarded as responsible for their government. When people who have been bred in freedom yield to tyrants, they displease God. Israel, as a nation, is regarded as guilty for encouraging and tolerating Ahab”.

We, as Christians, are called to honor and pray for our leaders; and we must certainly do so. Our leaders are given authority and responsibility from God to lead, guide and protect the people. They are there to protect those who do good and to punish those who do evil. The Church exhorts to pray for God-fearing rulers – rulers who honor God and submit to His divine authority. Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). At times, rulers arise who care not for God’s authority and do not honor Him. Their edicts sometimes contradict the will of God. When that occurs (as in the case of Ahab and Jezebel), God will find those among His people who will stand against the evil and speak the word of the living God. For their courage and obedience to the Lord, many have given their lives. There are those times when, as St. Peter spoke, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

When the three-year drought and ensuing famine came upon them, the people were filled with the memory of Elijah standing before them, proclaiming what was to come. So, when it came, they had no doubt that God had acted. They could then see that the drought was a clear sign that the Lord God was stronger than Baal …. that it was the living God and not Baal who controlled the weather and gave them fruitfulness. They should, therefore, “have no other gods before Him” (Exodus 20:3).

As we look ahead, we will discover together that Elijah’s struggles were not over. Many battles were yet to be fought, No, he was not finished and he had no intention of wavering. But one thing was certain; he had spoken the word of the living God and that word would not pass away. As the Holy Prophet Isaiah wrote from the Lord: “so shall My word be, whatever proceeds from My mouth. It shall not return until it accomplishes whatever I willed “(Isaiah 55:11).

Around the world, God’s people are being scorned and persecuted; the Faith is being mocked and belittled; “Baals” of our day are being set alongside and replacing our God; our youth are being deprived of the values of the past; every hour, infant human beings are being murdered while in and out of the wombs. It is Time for the Lord to Act! O God, raise up Your Elijah(s) and let us all hear the Word of the Living God.

Fr. Andrew