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A Voice in the Wilderness, July 18
1 Kings 17:1-7
And Elijah the Tishbite, ... said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel
liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to my word.
1 Kings 17:1
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Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in the days
of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to check
the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed from any city of renown,
and occupying no high station in life, Elijah the Tishbite nevertheless entered
upon his mission confident in God’s purpose to prepare the way before him and
to give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips,
and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of
one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And
while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm
of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed....
To Elijah was entrusted the mission of delivering to Ahab Heaven’s message
of judgment. He did not seek to be the Lord’s messenger; the word of the Lord
came to him. And jealous for the honor of God’s cause, he did not hesitate to
obey the divine summons, though to obey seemed to invite swift destruction at
the hand of the wicked king....
It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God’s
word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence
in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab. On his
way to Samaria, Elijah had passed by ever-flowing streams, hills covered with
verdure, and stately forests that seemed beyond the reach of drought. Everything
on which the eye rested was clothed with beauty. The prophet might have
wondered how the streams that had never ceased their flow could become dry, or
how those hills and valleys could be burned with drought. But he gave no place
to unbelief. He fully believed that God would humble apostate Israel, and that
through judgments they would be brought to repentance. The fiat of Heaven had
gone forth; God’s word could not fail; and at the peril of his life Elijah fearlessly
fulfilled his commission
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Prophets and Kings, 119-122
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