In the Making
Part 1 of the “Elijah” Message Series
The BIG Idea for the “Elijah” series:
Even when God is faithful, we often find ourselves listening to the voices of this world that are unfaithful. This takes more of a toll on us that we often want to admit. We become weary and sometimes, even depressed. Elijah’s real-life account will help us consider that God offers a better way than this world.
The BIG Idea for Part 1 of the “Elijah” series:
God works through the most painful experiences in order to lead us to a place of great growth and full dependance upon God.
Elijah = “My God is Jehovah” or “The Lord is my God.”
(“El” from “Elohim,” or God; “I” as the personal pronoun for my or mine; “Jah” from “Jehovah.)
Elijah had to be “MADE” before God would work through Elijah for a great purpose.
(God had to work IN Elijah before God could work THROUGH Elijah.)
There were three seasons of preparation for Elijah and five parts of God’s guidance.
Season 1: Isolated Pai
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.4 And it shall be that you will drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide food for you there.” 5 So he went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. – I Kings 17:1-6 (NASB)
“Kerith” means to “cut off from the blessings,” or to “cut down.”
Part 1 of God’s Guidance: Purification, or “Holiness of Heart and Life”
“Being determined to perfect His saints, God puts His precious metal into His crucible. But He sits by it, and watches it. Love is His thermometer, and marks the exact degree of heat; not one instant’s unnecessary pang will He permit; and as soon as the dross is released so that He sees Himself reflected in the fire, the trial ceases.” (Arthur Pierson, The Bible & Spiritual Life)
Season 2: Total Dependance
Part 2 of God’s Guidance: God’s guidance often comes one step at a time.
7 But it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide food for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the entrance of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no food, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks so that I may go in and prepare it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”13 However, Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said. Just make me a little bread loaf from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘The bowl of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil become empty, until the day that the Lord provides rain on the face of the earth.’” 15 So she went and did everything in accordance with the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bowl of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil become empty, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah. – I Kings 17:7-16 (NASB)
Part 3 of God’s Guidance: God’s “Prevenient Grace” reminds us that God is at work, providentially pulling things together, whether we realize it or not.
Season 3: Unconditional Obedience
17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his condition became very grave, until at the end he was no longer breathing. 18 So she said to Elijah, “Why is my business any of yours, you man of God? Yet you have come to me to bring my wrongdoing to remembrance, and to put my son to death!”19 But he said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the upstairs room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he called to the Lord and said, “Lord, my God, have You also brought catastrophe upon the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and called to the Lord and said, “Lord, my God, please, let this boy’s life return to him.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived. 23 Elijah then took the boy and brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” – I Kings 17:17-24 (NASB)
Part 4 of God’s Guidance: God always brings provision for the work at hand.
*God not only guides by what God provides, but God also guides by what God does not provide.
Part 5 of God’s Guidance: God’s guidance may include people who are not just like you.
Questions for Reflection:
What was unusual about the ways God chose to provide for Elijah during the drought?
What kind of faith is required for living with just enough for each day and no more?
Describe a painful experience that God used to shape you into what you are today.
What is the importance of action to back up our words as believers?
In what way do you find it easy or difficult to obey God when you don’t know what the outcome will be?
Is there a “dry brook” in your life God is using to lead you to take a step of faith?
What are you trusting God for right now?
Even when God is faithful, we often find ourselves listening to the voices of this world that are unfaithful. This takes more of a toll on us that we often want to admit. We become weary and sometimes, even depressed. Elijah’s real-life account will help us consider that God offers a better way than this world.
The BIG Idea for Part 1 of the “Elijah” series:
God works through the most painful experiences in order to lead us to a place of great growth and full dependance upon God.
Elijah = “My God is Jehovah” or “The Lord is my God.”
(“El” from “Elohim,” or God; “I” as the personal pronoun for my or mine; “Jah” from “Jehovah.)
Elijah had to be “MADE” before God would work through Elijah for a great purpose.
(God had to work IN Elijah before God could work THROUGH Elijah.)
There were three seasons of preparation for Elijah and five parts of God’s guidance.
Season 1: Isolated Pai
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.4 And it shall be that you will drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide food for you there.” 5 So he went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. – I Kings 17:1-6 (NASB)
“Kerith” means to “cut off from the blessings,” or to “cut down.”
Part 1 of God’s Guidance: Purification, or “Holiness of Heart and Life”
“Being determined to perfect His saints, God puts His precious metal into His crucible. But He sits by it, and watches it. Love is His thermometer, and marks the exact degree of heat; not one instant’s unnecessary pang will He permit; and as soon as the dross is released so that He sees Himself reflected in the fire, the trial ceases.” (Arthur Pierson, The Bible & Spiritual Life)
Season 2: Total Dependance
Part 2 of God’s Guidance: God’s guidance often comes one step at a time.
7 But it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide food for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the entrance of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no food, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks so that I may go in and prepare it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”13 However, Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said. Just make me a little bread loaf from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘The bowl of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil become empty, until the day that the Lord provides rain on the face of the earth.’” 15 So she went and did everything in accordance with the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bowl of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil become empty, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah. – I Kings 17:7-16 (NASB)
Part 3 of God’s Guidance: God’s “Prevenient Grace” reminds us that God is at work, providentially pulling things together, whether we realize it or not.
Season 3: Unconditional Obedience
17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his condition became very grave, until at the end he was no longer breathing. 18 So she said to Elijah, “Why is my business any of yours, you man of God? Yet you have come to me to bring my wrongdoing to remembrance, and to put my son to death!”19 But he said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the upstairs room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he called to the Lord and said, “Lord, my God, have You also brought catastrophe upon the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and called to the Lord and said, “Lord, my God, please, let this boy’s life return to him.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived. 23 Elijah then took the boy and brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” – I Kings 17:17-24 (NASB)
Part 4 of God’s Guidance: God always brings provision for the work at hand.
*God not only guides by what God provides, but God also guides by what God does not provide.
Part 5 of God’s Guidance: God’s guidance may include people who are not just like you.
Questions for Reflection:
What was unusual about the ways God chose to provide for Elijah during the drought?
What kind of faith is required for living with just enough for each day and no more?
Describe a painful experience that God used to shape you into what you are today.
What is the importance of action to back up our words as believers?
In what way do you find it easy or difficult to obey God when you don’t know what the outcome will be?
Is there a “dry brook” in your life God is using to lead you to take a step of faith?
What are you trusting God for right now?