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Royalty and Ruin
up his hand against the messenger of God. With a bodyguard of
soldiers, the trembling monarch went to meet the prophet.
Brave Prophet, Guilty King
The king and the prophet stood face to face. In the presence
of Elijah, Ahab seemed weak and powerless. In his first faltering
[49]
words, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” he unconsciously revealed
the inmost feelings of his heart and tried to blame the prophet for
the heavy judgments resting on the land.
It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God
responsible for the disasters that come as the result of departing from
the way of righteousness. When the mirror of truth is held up before
those in Satan’s power, they become offended at receiving reproof.
Blinded by sin, they feel that God’s servants have turned against
them and are worthy of severest criticism.
Standing in conscious innocence, Elijah made no attempt to
excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor did he seek to evade the
king’s anger by the good news that the drought was almost over.
Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he fearlessly declared
to the king that it was his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that had
brought this terrible disaster. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah
boldly asserted, “but you and your father’s house have, in that you
have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the
Baals.”
Need of Reform Today
Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke, for terrible sins
have separated the people from God. Unbelief is fashionable. “We
will not have this Man to reign over us” (
Luke 19:14
) is the language
of thousands. The smooth sermons often preached make no lasting
impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. The people
are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s Word.
Many say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They
might as well ask, Why did John the Baptist have to provoke the
anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to