2 Kings 2:14 – And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

This is my final blog (I think!) on Elijah for the time being. I am hoping to do a few blogs about the life of Samson in upcoming days/weeks. So where is the Lord God of Elijah? 2 Peter 3:4 –Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. In the world today, it seems like a worthy question. Elisha was Elijah’s successor, he had just seen Elijah taken up into heaven, he was left alone, to continue on. He had been with Elijah for a long time before Elijah was taken to heaven. He poured water on the hands of Elijah. And he knew that it was God that made Elijah the man he was. He followed God, not Elijah himself. He knew that to continue on he would need the empowerment from on High that Elijah had. In a similar way today, Jesus is building his church. His true church, which consists of all truly born again, saved believers. It is a work of Jesus, we must remember that it is not our work. We have nothing to boast of, our own efforts and feats are a waste of time. Elijah’s life wasn’t about himself, it was about God, God was using him, and using him mightily. He had surrendered his will to God’s will. And Elisha had witnessed his life. He saw his faith. And he needed the Lord God of Elijah. The night of Jesus’ betrayal he told the disciples he must go away. Sorrow had filled their hearts. Jesus was going, and they could not follow him at that time. This is what Elisha must surely have felt. Elijah was a pillar of strength. Yet all his strength was God’s strength. The sons of the prophets reminded Elisha that Elijah was going, but he was unshakable. He would not turn to the right nor the left. He was not a reed shaken with the wind. They would later say, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.

God spoke by Elijah, Elijah was God’s prophet, and because of this Elijah represents the word of God. He represents the Bible in our lives. As Elijah had authority to stop the rain, so the word of God has authority over us. This is why people hate the word of God. It has authority over mankind. It brings conviction of sin. It is light, and sheds light on our darkness. But the darkness hates the light. Jesus had authority. They said, Never spake man like this man. They were astonished at his authority. As Elijah was persecuted, Ahab looked for him the whole time he was hidden, so God’s word is persecuted. Bibles are taken and burned, and Satan has flooded the world with false Bibles – corrupt seed. But the true word of God is incorruptible, no matter how many Bibles you burn, God’s word stands sure, true and eternal. The king of Israel, Jehoiakim, burned the book that Jeremiah wrote containing the word of God. Yet this changed nothing, Jeremiah wrote another book, exactly the same. God’s word is more than just ink on paper. It is spirit. Jesus said, my words are spirit. It is written in our heart. Many people have willingly surrendered their Bibles for alternative versions which excuse their sinful lives, which are amenable to their imaginations, which permits them do what’s right in their own eyes as Judges says. The word of God is the only hope for mankind. But the Bible prophesies of times of famine of the word. This happens when we forsake God. That time is now. The Bible says that in Samuel’s day, the word was precious in those days. And yet as Elijah was the only hope of rain, so the Bible is our hope of rain. If you read it, if you keep it in your heart, the words of God, it will produce fruit in your life. It alone has the power to change you. New leaves wither. I will do better next time does not change anything. God’s word can save you. It alone can save you. It has power. It will give you faith, it will build your faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God.The word of God is what spoke the world into being. It is the same word that keeps the heavens and the earth in store today.

But these heavens and earth are reserved unto fire and judgement, and Elijah’s time was a time of judgement, and as Elijah pronounced judgement, so the word of God pronounces judgement on sinful, unrepentant, unregenerate humanity. Although we look back fondly at the life of Elijah and tuck it away in the past, today there is another contest going on. It is an age old contest. And the result is still the same. There is a Mount Carmel that is happening today. There is drought in this world. A world that rejects Jesus Christ is in spiritual drought. People are thirsty, unfulfilled, unhappy, unsatisfied. We have exhausted ourselves on false gods, on Baal. And we are called to Mount Carmel to choose either God or Baal. God gives you a chance. He lights every man which cometh into the world. He gave his law. We know it is wrong to kill, to steal, to commit adultery. He has not left himself without witness. You and I are equally without excuse. The God that answereth by fire. What does this mean? How does sending fire prove who is God? Well, it is God alone who can judge. And it is God alone who has the authority to judge. This is why this test was such a true test of who is God. Baal cannot send fire because he is not God. Baal does not and cannot regard the sacrifice of his servants. You can dedicate your whole life to Baal, the world’s lusts and pleasures, and your life will be in vain. There was none that answered nor that regarded. And God does not regard anything other than the blood of Jesus Christ. The prophets of Baal shed their blood for Baal, they cut themselves, the Bible says their blood gushed out and there was no response. There lives were in vain.

The contest at Mount Carmel proved who was really God. God has the power to send fire. God has the power to judge. He has the authority to judge. And he does judge. Fire represents the judgement of God. God is a consuming fire. The fire will either fall on you or it will fall on the sacrifice. Jesus bore the fire of God for us, so that we could come to Mount Carmel, witness it, believe it and live. Will you return off Mount Carmel after witnessing it, or will you go even higher, to the very peak and look to God? God be merciful to me a sinner. Ahab ate and drank while Elijah was in earnest prayer for rain. And Elijah did not give up with his prayer. He was persistent, relentless, confident, he was totally dependent on God. He put his life on the line, and God did not let him down. The first time he prayed there was no rain. But he told his servant to go again. And again. And again. God sent the rain. The cloud was shaped like a man’s hand. This shows that power of prayer. When are saved we have power with God. Elijah had power with God, just as Jacob did after wrestling the angel. There is the sound of abundance of rain. This is our life after we are saved. God has abundant blessings for us. We are blessed because Jesus is the blessed man. Our blessings are in Christ. Our life is about him, not about us. Our life flows from him. Psalm 46:4 – There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.. He has the water of everlasting life. He is a fountain in us that never runs out, that never dries. There was a great rain.

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? This was not a statement of unbelief. This was not a statement of despair. It was a statement of faith. It was a statement of choice. Elisha wanted the Lord God of Elijah. He didn’t want Baal. He didn’t want the legion of man made, false gods, which cannot hear, which cannot see, which have no power to save, which have no life, which bring no blessing. Elisha wanted THE God, not any other god. He would not settle for less. The God that had provided Elijah with food during the drought. The God that had raised the widow’s son from the dead. The God that sent fire from heaven in the contest at Mount Carmel. The God of Abraham. The God of Isaac. The God of Jacob. The God who is over all and above all. This was the statement that the people of Israel at Mount Carmel should have not only said but committed themselves to instead of sliding back to their false gods. We don’t want Baal. We don’t want gods, we want THE GOD. Baal did not answer, Baal did not regard. We want the God of Elijah. He is the real God. He is the true God. He is the God that will judge you. He is the God that has authority. He is the Creator. You will be accountable to him. Ecclesiastes 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. He is Lord. Who will you choose? Will your blood gush out in vain as the prophets of Baal, or will you accept Jesus’ blood, poured out unto death in your place? This was the message of Elijah’s life. Make your choice. As Moses said, I set before you this day a blessing or a curse. Light or darkness. Life or death. Choose life! Joshua 24:14,15 – Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Who will you choose? Who will you serve? You are making a choice, regardless of whether you want to or not. You cannot circumvent the choice. Every person makes a choice. Every person is held accountable for that choice. You can fool your own self if you want to. But in death, the doubt, the confusion, the vanity will fall away. 1 John says the world passeth away and the lust thereof. All those foolish, hurtful, selfish lusts will be gone. They will fall away. You will be in hell if you are not saved. You will know you have made an eternal mistake. A year later, a hundred years later, even a billion years later, there will be no chance of escaping hell. Your blood can never pay the price. Your stint in hell can never satisfy God’s wrath. This is why the whole Bible points to the Lord Jesus Christ. From start to finish it exalts, it worships, it points us inescapably to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. It is a free gift. You may come. The invitation is extended. Why will ye die? Why will you refuse? Make your choice.

Blog Blog Christian Elijah Elisha Eternity Faith Future God Gospel Heaven Hell Salvation Spirit Truth