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A Voice In The Wilderness, July 17
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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