God’s word will always prevail - 1 Kings 19v1-18

So, 1 Kings 19 is on page 360 in the Church Bibles.

So, chapter 19, starting in verse 1.

Now, Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say,

May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.

When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness.

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die.

I have had enough, Lord, he said.

Take my life.

I am no better than my ancestors.

Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, Get up and eat.

He looked around, and there by his head was some bread, baked over hot coals and a jar of water.

He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,

Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.

So he got up and ate and drank.

Strengthened by that food, he traveled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him.

What are you doing here, Elijah?

He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord.

But the Lord was not in the wind.

After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?

He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

The Lord said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus.

When you get there, anoint Heziel king of Aram.

Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king of Israel.

And anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-Moholah to succeed you as prophet.

Jehu will put to death any who escape the word of Heziel.

And Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal,

and whose mouths have not kissed him.

Pens, notes, anybody?

Everybody?

So previous talks from 1 Kings can be found on the church website.

I encourage you to look in there and listen if you've missed anything.

And the purpose of our home groups, yes, it's there to encourage.

And one of the good things about it is we can follow up with anything that we've looked at on a Sunday morning.

So questions that arise, things we want to discuss and share, we can do that.

So, yeah, as we go through this morning's talk, if there's things that you want to write down and come back on,

bring those questions to home group and let's discuss them and let's talk them out together.

Thank you.

Let's pray.

Father, your word has promised that when your word goes out, it will not return void,

but will accomplish the purpose for which you have sent it.

So we humbly submit ourselves to your word and pray that it will accomplish its purpose in each of our lives,

within our families,

and within us as a church family.

Do your work.

We ask this for your glory.

Amen.

Well, this book, the Bible that we have just read together and that you're holding in your hands,

how would you describe it?

How would you describe God's word?

Well, Charles Spurgeon was a famous preacher,

and in one talk, he described God's word.

He said it's like a lion.

This is what he said.

I do not know whether you can see that lion.

A number of persons advanced to attack him,

while a host of us would defend him.

Pardon me if I offer a quiet suggestion.

Open the door and let the lion out.

He will take care of himself.

The word of God is like a lion.

In other words, we do not need to defend God's word.

We just need to let God's word loose.

You see, God's word will always prevail.

People may attack it.

Oh, it's irrelevant.

It's outdated.

It's backward.

Nobody believes that stuff anymore.

Why are you reading that book?

Governments may try and ban it,

making it illegal to own a copy of God's word,

or punished if you preach its message.

Well, despite all the attacks,

God's word is like a lion.

It will defend itself.

God's word will always prevail.

No one and nothing can stop the word of God doing its work.

Well, in 1 Kings 19,

the lion has been let loose.

God's word is at work,

and despite all the attacks,

God's word will prevail.

First,

the word of God is always opposed.

The word of God is always opposed.

Have a look back at chapter 18.

Mount Carmel,

that great event,

had been the highlight so far.

Remember,

there were 450 prophets of Baal

versus one prophet of God.

The prophets of Baal were to call out

and to cry down to their gods

for fire to come.

But in verse 29,

we read,

there was no response,

no one answered,

no one paid attention.

And then,

the one prophet,

Elijah prayed.

Verse 38,

Then the fire of the Lord fell

and burned up the sacrifice,

the wood,

the stones,

and the soil,

and also licked up the water in the trench.

And when all the people saw this,

they fell down prostrate and cried,

The Lord,

He is God.

The Lord,

He is God.

Then Elijah commanded them,

Seize the prophets of Baal.

Don't let anyone get away.

They seized them

and Elijah had them brought down

to the Kishon Valley

and slaughtered there.

Judgment on the false prophets

for leading God's people away

from God's word.

It was a no contest.

God had won.

Everyone would now show up at church

praising God,

right?

Well,

despite the evidence,

not everyone was willing to bow

to the one true God.

There were those

who were still opposed

to God's word.

Look at verse 1,

chapter 19,

verse 1.

Now Ahab,

he was the king of Israel,

told Jezebel,

his wife,

everything Elijah had done

and how he had killed

all the prophets

with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger

to Elijah to say,

May the gods deal with me,

be it ever so severely,

if by this time tomorrow

I do not make your life

like one of them.

Now let's remember,

Elijah is God's prophet.

The prophet was God's mouthpiece.

God spoke his word

through the prophet.

So to put an assassination order

on Elijah

was a full-on attack

against God's word.

Put a bullet in Elijah's head,

you kept God silent.

Now this is really

nothing new, is it?

God's word has

and is always undermined.

While every other voice

is to be heard,

God's voice

is to be silenced.

We don't need God

telling us how to live

or what to do.

We know what's best.

Keep God's word

out of the schools,

restricted in our national debates,

close the Bible,

don't open it.

Now the reality is,

if you stand up

or speak out

for the truth

of God's word,

you too

will become a target.

You will be a marked person.

It mightn't be

a crazy Jezebel

who's vying for your blood,

but you will be told

by your boss,

no religious talk in here.

keep those views

to yourself,

please.

Or you will find

that you are no longer

liked on Facebook

or followed on Twitter.

And that can be

really hard.

You see,

speaking the truth

of God's word

will be costly.

You get hit enough times

and you will want

to give up.

Get sidelined

and rejected

by your peers.

You may find yourself

doing an Elijah.

Look at him

in verse 4.

He came to a broom bush,

sat down under it

and prayed

that he might die.

I have had enough,

Lord,

he said.

Take my life.

I am no better

than my ancestors.

Elijah

is suffering

with spiritual burnout.

This guy's done.

Do you ever feel like that

as a Christian?

No one takes

what you believe seriously.

Friends laugh.

Family think

that you've gone

a bit extreme.

And then we get

the aggressive attack

through the media

which continues

to take swipes

at God talk.

It's relentless.

And some days

it becomes too much

and you want to stop.

I've had enough,

Lord.

I can't do this

witnessing thing anymore.

No one believes.

No one listens.

Nobody wants

to know about you.

What's the point?

The word of God

is always

opposed.

Second,

the word of God

is always

enough.

You see,

when the pressure

comes on,

God's word

is what we all

need.

First,

let's see

how God's word

meets

our physical needs.

Look at verse

five.

Elijah

fell asleep.

He lay down

under the bush

and all at once

an angel

touched him

and said,

get up

and eat.

He looked around

and there by his head

was some bread

baked over

hot coals

and a jar

of water.

He ate

and drank

and then went

back to sleep

again.

I love

the practicality

of God's word.

Get up

and eat.

No sermon,

no Bible study,

just bread

and water.

You see,

God knows,

God understands,

God sees

what his servants

go through

and by this

simple word

of command

to get up

and eat

is all met

by God's

provision

to eat.

sometimes

I can be so

focused

on asking

what

I want

from God

that I forget

to be thinking

and thanking

God for what

I already have.

Wanting God

to do what

I command,

ready to bring

all my complaints

and all my

discouragements

rather than

seeing

all the goodness

in his provision.

So let me

encourage you

and myself

as you

munch your way

through your

cornflakes

in the morning

or your porridge

or whatever you have

and you sit

there wondering

how am I

going to face

another day?

How am I

going to go

into work today?

How am I

going to face

those people?

Well,

thank God

for your daily

bread

and water.

thank God

that by

his word

he loves

you.

He provides

for you.

He gives

to your

physical needs.

But we need

more than

just bread

alone,

don't we,

to face

the opposition.

We need

spiritual

nourishment.

God's word

comes to

Elijah

again.

Verse 7.

The angel

of the

Lord

came back

a second

time,

touched

Elijah

and said,

get up

and eat

for the

journey

is too

much for

you.

Now,

Elijah

isn't so

much

running

away.

Elijah

is on

a journey.

Now,

I'm not

sure

if this

has all

been planned

by Elijah

that he's

kind of

worked out

all the

steps or

not.

All we

know,

if you

look back

in verse

3,

Elijah

was afraid

or can

be translated,

Elijah

saw what

was going

on.

He saw

what was

ahead.

He saw

what Jezebel

was up

to and

he ran

for his

life.

His life

is in

danger

so he's

done the

sensible

thing

and he's

got out

of town.

But where's

he off

to?

Well,

it seems

that God's

word is

directing

his every

step.

Look at

verse 8.

So he

got up

and ate

and drank

strengthened

by that

food.

He

travelled

for 40

days

and 40

nights

until he

reached

Horeb,

the

mountain

of God.

Now,

Bible

readers

will

remember

Horeb,

sometimes

called

Mount

Sinai.

That's

why it's

called

the

mountain

of God,

the

mountain

that

Moses

had

climbed

to

meet

with

God.

Mount

Horeb

is

where

God

spoke

to

Moses

and

revealed

himself

to

Moses

and gave

the law

and the

commands

to

Moses.

You see,

Elijah was

spiritually

done,

wasn't he?

Look at

him here.

He's

sitting under

the broom

tree.

I've

had

enough,

Lord.

So God

in his

grace

provides

food.

But God

knows that

he needs

more than

just bread

alone.

Elijah

needs

spiritual

nourishment.

And by

taking

Elijah

to

Horeb,

God

is

reminding

Elijah

and us

that we

are

ultimately

fed

and

strengthened

by an

encounter

with the

living God

who speaks

to us

through his

word.

Just as

God had

said to

Moses

all the

years

before,

man

doesn't

live on

bread

alone,

but on

every word

that comes

from the

mouth of

the Lord.

You see,

God knows

our needs.

We need

the nourishment

of a good

meal,

God's

generous

provision.

But how

much more

do we need

to be

nourished

by the

word of

God?

It will

feed you.

It will

grow you.

It will

strengthen

you.

It will

give to

you all

that you

need to

keep going

in life

as a

Christian

and to

go on

serving

him

amongst

all the

opposition

and all

the rejection

of God's

word.

So,

the word

of God

is always

enough.

Third,

the word

of God

will always

sustain.

not

surprisingly,

God

begins to

nourish

Elijah

spiritually.

Look at

verse 9,

the second

part of

verse 9.

And the

word of

the Lord

came to

him.

What are

you doing

here,

Elijah?

Now,

God knows

why

Elijah

is there.

It's not

a surprise.

God knows

what has

been going

on.

He's been

directing

his steps.

He simply

asks Elijah

or invites

Elijah,

what are you

doing here?

Tell me,

Elijah,

what's going

on?

You see,

God is not

some distant,

impersonal being

who's immune

to the struggles

and the hardships

that we go

through.

God is

desperately

concerned

about us

and his

word invites

us,

talk to

me.

Tell me

what's

going on.

What's

your trouble?

Verse 10,

Elijah

replied,

well,

I've been

very zealous

for the

Lord God

Almighty.

The

Israelites

have rejected

your covenant,

torn down

your altars

and put

your prophets

to death

with the

sword

and I'm

the only

one left

and now

they are

trying to

kill me

too.

That's

my concern,

Lord.

All this

preaching,

all this

witnessing,

all this

speaking of

God's word,

it's really

not working.

I've done

what you

commanded,

but nobody

seems interested.

I'm longing

and praying

that people

turn back

to you,

but no one

believes.

no one

listens to

your word.

People say

they're going

to come to

the Children's

Rock,

but they're

not coming.

People say

they're going

to come to

Christianity

Explored,

but they

don't.

In fact,

it seems like

I'm the only

one who seems

to be hanging

in here.

Nobody

listens,

nobody wants

to know.

don't you

love the

way God's

word invites

us to

talk with

the sovereign

king of

the universe?

What are

you doing

here?

Just tell

me what's

going on.

What's on

your heart?

What's

troubling you

as my

servant

today?

he is

deeply

concerned.

Tell him

what is

going on.

Well,

talking we

can do,

but there

comes a

time when

we must

listen.

Verse

11.

The

Lord

said,

Go out

and stand

on the

mountain

in the

presence

of the

Lord,

for the

Lord is

about to

pass by.

Then a

great and

powerful wind

tore the

mountains

apart and

shattered the

rocks before

the Lord,

but the

Lord was

not in

the wind.

After the

wind,

there was

an earthquake,

but the

Lord was

not in

the

earthquake.

After the

earthquake came

a fire,

but the

Lord was

not in

the fire.

And after

the fire

came a

gentle

whisper.

When

Elijah heard

it, he

pulled his

cloak over

his face and

went out and

stood at the

mouth of the

cave.

This is a

display.

of awesome

power.

A mighty

wind, a

rumbling

earthquake, a

bolt of

fire.

But let's

not get

distracted by

all this

fireworks.

Yes, this

is the God

who is over

all creation,

but this is

just a mere

sideshow to

the all

powerful God

who speaks

his word to

his people.

God's

power is

demonstrated

supremely, not

in the

natural world,

but in

God's

spoken

word.

Yes, we

can admire

the creator

behind the

sun, but

God is not

in the

sun.

The sun

isn't going

to speak to

you.

We are to

listen to the

word of God

that spoke

this very

creation into

existence and

now speaks

that word

to his

people.

In other

words, there

is more

power in

the voice

of God

than the

shattering,

crushing,

bashing of

nature.

Look at the

end of

verse 13.

Then a

voice said

to him,

what are

you doing

here,

Elijah?

He replied,

well, I've

been very

zealous for

the Lord

Almighty.

The same

question is

asked, the

same answer

is exactly

given, but

what's

different?

Well, Elijah

is now

ready to

listen.

He is

ready to

hear the

voice of

God, to

stop looking

at what's

out there

and hearing

and listening

to what God

has to say.

Well, before

we hear what

God has to

say, I

think it

would be

good for

us to

ask that

question,

how am I,

how are we

going to

hear God's

voice?

Well, let

me say two

things.

First,

don't go

into the

woods of

Corabini and

sit down

amongst the

trees and

expect God

to speak to

you through

the shade

of light

that comes

through the

branches,

or go and

sit in some

rocks by the

edge of the

cliff and

expect to

hear a

thundering

voice.

Nature will

display God's

power and

beauty, but

it's not how

we hear

God.

We hear

God speak

to us as

we read

the Bible,

God's

written word.

God spoke

in an audible

voice, and

what God

spoke, he

commanded that

it would be

written down

for the

first hearers

of that

word and

for future

readers.

And here

we are,

hundreds,

thousands of

years after

this audible

voice spoke

to Elijah,

written down

and written

for us.

What we

have in the

Bible is

God's

sufficient

revelation

of himself.

In other

words, every

time we

open the

Bible, we

hear God

speak.

Now I know

the wind and

the earthquake

and the fire

sound rather

more spectacular,

doesn't it?

I know

we'd all

love to

climb up

the mountain

and hear a

gentle whisper

from God.

Who wouldn't

want that

experience?

But God's

written word

to us

has the

same power

as God's

audible voice

to Elijah.

We don't

need to go

looking for

God up

some mountain.

We don't

need to go

into some

special place

in creation

to meet

God.

We meet

God in

his word.

This is

where we

discover,

this is

where we

do business

with God.

Where he

hears us

and we

hear him.

And as

we open

his word,

his word

will sustain

you and

his word

will keep

you and

his word

will provide

the very

voice that

you need

in the

moment of

your trial

and struggle

and hardship

that you

are going

through.

So the

word of

God

always

sustains.

Fourth,

the word

of God

always

prevail.

God

says,

so what

does

God

have to

say?

Well,

thankfully,

we don't

have to

guess and

make up

what God

says.

Look at

verse 15.

The Lord

said to

Elijah,

go back

the way

you came

and go

to the

desert

of

Damascus.

Elijah,

I want

you to

go back

to where

unbelieving

Ahab and

Jezebel

are.

I want

you to

go back

to the

people who

are rejecting

God's

word,

who don't

want to

listen and

don't want

to know.

Well,

what does

God's

word have

to say?

Well,

two things

we need

to hear.

First,

God's

word

delivers

on

judgment.

Look at

the rest

of verse

15.

When you

get there,

anoint

Haziel,

king over

Aram.

Also

anoint

Jehu,

son of

Nimshi,

king over

Israel,

and anoint

Elisha,

son of

Shaphat,

from Abel

Mahaloah,

to succeed

you as

prophets.

Why is

he appointing

all these

new leaders,

a king

for Israel,

a king

for Aram,

a kind

of foreign

nation,

and a

new prophet?

What's

he doing?

What's

all this

for?

Well,

verse 17

tells us,

Jehu

will put

to death

any who

escape

the sword

of Haziel,

and

Elisha

will put

to death

any who

escape

the sword

of Jehu.

It's a

word

of judgment.

Remember

what Elijah

had been

crying out

to God?

Have a

look back

in verse

14.

Elijah

said,

I've been

very zealous

for the

Lord God

Almighty.

The

Israelites

have rejected

your covenant,

they have

torn down

your altars,

and they

have put

your prophets

to death

with the

sword.

They've

turned away

from God

who made

them and

who loves

them.

the God

who redeemed

them and

entered into

a relationship

with them.

The God

who's provided

for them

and kept

them and

given to

them everything

that they

need.

And what

have they

done in

return?

But they've

rejected God's

word, but

in rejecting

God's word,

they're rejecting

God himself.

And after

all these

years, God

says, well,

I am going

to reject

them.

justice

will be

done.

Judgment

will fall.

You see,

God will

not allow

us to go

on ignoring

him and

fighting him

if we

reject the

one true

God who

made us

and who

provides us

with all

that we

have.

And if

we insist

and persist

in pushing

God's word

out of our

lives and

have nothing

to do

with him,

well, he

says, I

will give

you what

you want

and what

you deserve.

Judgment

will come.

So he

delivers on

his judgment,

but he

also will

declare his

grace.

Verse 18,

God

will

fall on

those who

fight him,

but his

grace will

cover all

those who

will submit

to him.

God

isn't

cranky or

quick-tempered.

He's

patient.

He

loves us.

He

longs for

people to

turn to

him.

He

longs that

people will

bow to

him so

that they

might know

his grace,

experience

his forgiveness

and enjoy

God's

presence.

God

will

deliver on

judgment,

yet he

declares

his grace.

Don't

believe me?

Don't

believe this

word that

Elijah is

speaking,

that God

would actually

do this?

Well,

look and

listen to

the word

about the

cross where

Jesus died.

Because when

we look at

the cross and

listen to the

word of the

cross, it

tells us that

God takes

our rebellion

seriously and

judgment must

take place

because that

is what we

deserve.

But when we

look at the

cross and

when we

listen to the

word about

the cross, it

tells us that

God loves us

enormously,

that Jesus

dies in our

place, we

don't get

what we

deserve.

The cross

delivers on

judgment,

judgment.

But it's

not us.

So he

declares the

brilliance and

the greatness

of his grace

towards all

who will come

and bow

before him

and kiss

the sun.

We need to

listen carefully

to his

word.

God's

judgment will

fall on

those who

fight him.

But his

grace covers

all who

will submit

to him.

You see,

this is the

word that

will prevail.

The word of

the cross.

This is the

message Elijah

was to speak

and proclaim

and it's

the message

we are to

speak and

proclaim.

This

gospel message

is like

a lion.

We don't

need to

defend it.

We don't

need to

make excuses

for it.

We just

need to

let it

loose.

And

nothing

and no

one

will ever

hinder

or prevent

God's

word

doing

his

work

through

his

servants.

in the

midst of

hard times

and difficult

times.

God's

word will

prevail.

God's

word will

sustain you

and keep

you.

And

God's

word will

do his

work.

He will

display the

glory and

greatness of

his power

through his

word.

Let us

trust him

and let us

listen to

him.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.