WEBVTT

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me like, what would be the title of what we're

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doing tonight? And I didn't really have one,

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but it's one that I think is a question that

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comes to mind, and maybe many of you have asked

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before, and that is, God, are you there? So we'll

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be in 1 Kings chapter 19, 4 through 21, the story

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of Elijah. Sure. Yeah, you go ahead, Greg. First

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Kings, chapter 19, 4 through 21. Yes, yeah, I'm

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not going to typically start off reading all

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of it to save us some time. It's quite the story,

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so I'll do a little bit of recap and we'll read

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it as it applies. And so kind of in that vein

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of, God, are you there? One of the openings would

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be... Have you ever just been done? And I don't

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mean with a situation, you've lost your patience.

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I mean to the point of trial after trial and

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you cry out, you know what, God, I'm good. Like

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if you just take me home right now, then no complaints

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from me. I'm content. Just call me home. This

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is where we find Elijah here in verse four. He's

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exhausted. He's running for his life. He's wishing

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that he might die. But as we see he still has

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a ways to go Now if this was a film I'd imagine

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this would actually be the opening scene if you've

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seen the Emperor's New Groove It opens up with

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Kuzco the llama right just say oh my goodness.

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I'm about to you know just I'm done and so keeping

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in that same vein will actually Kind of run through

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quick background on how we actually got here

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So Israel and Judah at this time they were split

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they were warring against each other and in particular

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Israel had a lot of infighting people trying

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to claim the right to be the king and so Jeroboam

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is the first king and then an effort to keep

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power and disunity in the people of God he Constructs

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two golden calves and so that people of Israel

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won't have to travel to Judah into Jerusalem

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And he also establishes sort of a counterfeit

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law. He establishes a priesthood that aren't

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of the Levites as God required Well, he dies

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and his son Nadab ascends and it is said of him

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in chapter 15 verse 26 He did what was evil in

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the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of

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his father and in his sin Which he made Israel

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to sin Well, not long after Nadab is murdered

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and his murder Basha becomes king, and then verse

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34, right, just a few verses later it says, he

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did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and

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walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin

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which made Israel to sin. The same goes for the

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next two kings, Eli and Zemri. Then Omri who

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becomes king, and it said that not only did he

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do what was evil, but he actually did more evil

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than all that were before him. And then enter

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Ahab, the son of Omri, right here to turn this

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thing around. Except for not quite right. He's

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even worse than his father. It says he did more

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evil than all before Him and then the wording

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here is interesting in chapter 16 verse 31 and

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it gives us a better understanding of how depraved

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he was and As if it had been a light thing for

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him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of

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Nabat He took for his wife Jezebel the daughter

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ofeth Baal King of the Sedonians and went and

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served Baal and worshiped him So, Baal was considered

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a storm god for the Sidonians, which, to be fair,

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would have made for quite the attractive option

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as far as gods because this was a very dry region

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of Israel where they were quite dependent upon

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the rain. So, even as many would have still recognized

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perhaps God as the one true God, Yahweh, there

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would have at least been this pooling to, well,

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I better at least maybe sacrifice to Baal just

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to cover my bases, just to check my boxes. just

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to make sure that the rain is going to come.

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And so we see there Ahab leading the people astray

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in that regard. Well, he also sets up in Asherah,

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which we may know would lead to the sacrificing

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of babies and of children. This is the type of

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evil ushered in by Ahab. But as the scripture

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says, God will not be mocked. So what does he

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do? He sends in our main character here, Elijah

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the Tishbite. who pronounces a drought on the

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land until God speaks through him again. The

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Lord then instructs Elijah to go hide out about

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20 to 40 miles east. Well, this drought goes

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on for about three years before God speaks to

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Elijah and he says, go back and find Ahab to

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do what Elijah surely would have thought would

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be to put this God ball to rest. And so we get

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the famous story that we've all have likely heard.

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We have a standoff between the gods. We have

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450 prophets of Bel, or Baal. And then we have

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one prophet of God, Elijah. They each are going

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to set up an altar. They're going to cut up a

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bull as sacrifice. And they're going to call

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upon their gods. And whoever answers wins. Pretty

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simple. And as we know, Baal doesn't answer.

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God does by sending fire and burning up the sacrifice

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the altar and all the water the Elijah had poured

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on it just to make a point and In verse 39 of

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chapter 18 It says and when all the people saw

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it they fell on their faces and said the Lord

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He is God the Lord He is God Well, then the drought

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ends so but all has been defeated the people

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have turned back to God And here comes the rain.

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All is good. Not exactly, right? Ahab goes and

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he tells his wife, Jezebel, everything that's

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happened, one of those things being that Elijah

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had slaughtered all the prophets of Baal, right?

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And Jezebel is not happy about this, right? She

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sends a messenger to Elijah and she said, well,

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the gods better slaughter me too or else I'm

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gonna see to it that you die by this time tomorrow.

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And so Elijah is not sticking out sticking around

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to find out if she plans on making good on that

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threat So he runs for his life all the way to

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Beersheba. In fact verse 3 tells us So that would

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have been about a hundred and twenty miles So

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for reference like if we ran from George's Creek

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down to Williams Bryce Stadium, right? I can't

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think of a worse destination myself where the

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Gamecocks play football, but that's about a hundred

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and twenty miles From where we are right now.

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So Elijah runs all the way to Beersheba. And

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here he actually, he leaves his servant behind.

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So he has a servant who's traveling with him.

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He leaves him behind and he goes another 20 miles

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or another day's journey into the wilderness

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and he crawls up under a tree to sit, to rest.

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And so we've made it back now to our opening

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scene of our film, right? An exhausted, running

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for his life, wishing that he might die. Elijah.

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And as we pick up now into the focus of our study

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this evening I'll lead with our main point and

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that is in times of trial We can be comforted

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in God's presence In times of trial we can be

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comforted in God's presence Which right that

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that sounds good It's cliche enough for us to

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maybe see it on a mug or on a t -shirt or on

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a picture on Facebook that gets shared. But it

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begs the question, how does God make His presence

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known to us? Because I know the response. Christian,

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I hear you. I want to be comforted. But there's

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been times that I've cried out. I've cried out

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and I've said, God, are you even there? And so

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our text tonight outlines four ways that God

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makes His presence known in times of trouble.

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So let's begin with today's text in verse four.

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or an angel touched him and said to him arise

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and eat and he looked and behold there was at

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his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar

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of water and he ate and drank and lay down again

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and the angel of the Lord came again a second

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time and touched him and said arise and eat for

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the journey is too great for you and he arose

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and ate and drank and went in the strength of

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that food 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb the

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Mount of God. So what does this text reveal,

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right? That nothing quite cures a deep depression

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like a nap and a good meal, right? There's certainly

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some truth there, but these verses are a bit

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richer than that, which gives us our first answer

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to our main question today, and that is, God

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makes His presence known through His provision.

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God makes his presence known through his provision

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And we see a few examples of this provision in

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these verses Elijah has gone a day's journey

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into the wilderness from Beersheba Right a day's

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journey would have been about 15 to 20 miles,

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right? So Elijah has at least traveled that far

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into the wilderness And as we talked about before

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in southern Israel, what type of land or our

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geological region would that have been? a desert

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right And what doesn't really grow in a desert?

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Plants, for starters, but especially trees or

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large bushes. And yet, Elijah, in fleeing for

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his life 20 miles south of the nearest town,

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exhausted to the point of saying, God, would

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you just kill me, finds refuge under a tree.

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And in doing so, God provides Elijah a place

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to rest. We are reminded of this in Psalm 127

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to when talking about laboring apart from God

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It states it is in vain that you rise up early

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and go late to rest Eating the bread of anxious

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toil for he gives to his beloved sleep So God

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knows that we have limitations He often pushes

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us beyond those limits so that our reliance on

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him grows more and more He actually bakes rest

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into the law That the Sabbath should be honored

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and it should be kept holy. Jesus says the Sabbath

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was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The

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Sabbath was made so that man could rest, not

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because God needs our worship on a particular

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day. Rest is a good thing, and God provides that

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for us. And we don't even have to wait until

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a special day of the week for these moments,

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or these moments of desperation. Rest is available

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for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ,

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right? And Jesus tells us this much in Matthew

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chapter 11 verse 28 through 30 He says come to

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me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will

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give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn

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from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and

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you will find rest for your souls for my yoke

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is easy and my burden is light Dave actually

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said this beautifully the other night in gospel

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groups as he brought up this verse as we're going

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through Colossians and talking about bearing

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one another's burdens And he said that something

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to the effect of I don't remember for radum But

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it was it's not that well we'll somehow have

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all of our issues just gone in life But rather

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in being yoked to Christ he will a bear the weight

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of our burdens While also be keeping us in lockstep

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moving forward on mission to our rest is now

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fully realized in Christ. How else do we see

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God provide in these verses? When Elijah wakes

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up, what's waiting on him, right? A hot cake

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and a jar of water. And so it's not just our

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rest, but also our sustenance. We see in these

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verses, God makes himself known through the provision

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of food and drink. Elijah wakes up, or I guess

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really even cooler, an angel wakes him up and

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says, arise and eat. And there's a hotcake and

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a jar of water prepared for him. And apparently

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he's still so tired that he falls back asleep.

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And then the angel of the Lord wakes him up again.

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And he says, arise and eat for the journey is

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too great for you. So we find out that whatever

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he eats next is supposed to serve him for the

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next 40 days and nights. So Elijah's gotten a

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couple of rounds of hotcakes and water that we

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all know is not going to be enough to survive

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for 40 days, much, much less in the desert. And

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yet through this miracle we see God making his

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presence known to Elijah through the provision

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of strength. And he completely separates Elijah

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from food and drink for 40 days to make sure

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that there's no confusion on where his strength

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comes from. May we remember the words of Jesus

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when he's in the wilderness being tempted with

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food from Satan as he's fasting. Jesus actually

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calls back a verse from Deuteronomy when he's

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being tempted that applies here to Elijah as

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well. It's Deuteronomy 8. three and he humbled

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you and let you hunger and fed you with manna

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which you did not know nor did your fathers know

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that he might make you know that man does not

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live by bread alone but man lives by every word

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that comes from the mouth of the lord right and

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so you're starting to probably see a theme form

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here because he does that through the person

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and work of jesus christ We read in John 6 32

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through 35 that Jesus then said to them truly

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truly I say to you It was not Moses who gave

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you the bread from heaven, but my father gives

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you the true bread from heaven For the bread

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of God is who comes as he who comes down from

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heaven and gives life to the world They said

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to him sir give us this bread always And Jesus

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said to them I am the bread of life whoever comes

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to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in

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me Shall never thirst Jesus is the source of

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our strength And surely this has been true for

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you in your life. You've been through hard times

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You've had to care for a loved one who is sick

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and then perhaps died you weren't sure if you

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had enough money to make it through the week

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and the in the pantry was running there and Again,

00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:11.340
this is where we meet Elijah On the run in the

00:15:11.340 --> 00:15:13.440
middle of the wilderness pleading that God would

00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:15.559
just take his life and God reminds him through

00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:18.659
his provision Hey, you're here because of me.

00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:22.639
You're here for me Therefore you need to look

00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.659
to me to sustain the very breath in your lungs

00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:30.399
and the strength to take the next step So God

00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:34.200
provides rest and strength for Elijah, but also

00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:36.080
a game plan Let's not let's not miss this the

00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:38.620
angel of the Lord says the journey is too great

00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:43.039
for you God has a journey planned ahead for Elijah.

00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:46.000
We read in the next verse where this journey

00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.600
will lead, which is Horeb, the Mount of God,

00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.139
also called Mount Sinai, right where God appears

00:15:51.139 --> 00:15:54.100
to Moses through the burning bush, and he also

00:15:54.100 --> 00:15:57.519
provides the Ten Commandments here. And so we

00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.659
have a bit of good news, bad news for Elijah,

00:15:59.960 --> 00:16:03.820
right? Good news is Elijah is now rested, he's

00:16:03.820 --> 00:16:08.440
now fed, and he's got a purpose and a plan. The

00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.960
bad news is Mount Sinai is about 180 miles south

00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.200
of where he is now. So God doesn't just solve

00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:19.039
all of his problems. This isn't the part where,

00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:21.500
although Elijah's hoping for it, he gets whisked

00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:25.639
away in a whirlwind. No, rather, God restores

00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:29.240
him and he says, all right, let's go. The next

00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:32.299
little bit's gonna be hard too. And so we know

00:16:32.299 --> 00:16:34.620
this next bit of the journey is going to be difficult,

00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:37.440
as it's signified by the time period it's going

00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.200
to take them to make this journey of about 40

00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.860
days and nights. And so for 40 years, the Israelites

00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:45.960
wandered around in the desert. It was Jesus who

00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:48.279
faced trial in the desert for 40 days and 40

00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:52.940
nights and fasted. This number often means a

00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:57.610
period of trial. Again, showing Elijah and us

00:16:57.610 --> 00:17:00.389
that God has provided for and sustained Elijah

00:17:00.389 --> 00:17:05.390
through intense trial. And so Elijah arrives

00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:07.990
at Horeb, the mount of God, and we'll pick back

00:17:07.990 --> 00:17:14.349
up in our text in verse 9. There he came to a

00:17:14.349 --> 00:17:16.970
cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of

00:17:16.970 --> 00:17:18.730
the Lord came to him, and he said to him, What

00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:21.930
are you doing here, Elijah? He said, I have been

00:17:21.930 --> 00:17:24.750
very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts.

00:17:24.970 --> 00:17:27.410
for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant.

00:17:27.650 --> 00:17:29.730
They've thrown down your altars and killed your

00:17:29.730 --> 00:17:33.609
prophets with a sword. And I, even I, only am

00:17:33.609 --> 00:17:38.009
left and they seek my life to take it away."

00:17:38.009 --> 00:17:40.990
And he said, go out and stand on the mount before

00:17:40.990 --> 00:17:44.829
the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by and

00:17:44.829 --> 00:17:46.930
a great and strong wind tore the mountains and

00:17:46.930 --> 00:17:49.670
broken pieces the rocks before the Lord. But

00:17:49.670 --> 00:17:52.710
the Lord was not in the wind. after the wind

00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:55.509
and earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake

00:17:55.509 --> 00:18:00.109
and after the earthquake a fire but the Lord

00:18:00.109 --> 00:18:04.210
was not in the fire and after the fire the sound

00:18:04.210 --> 00:18:08.690
of a low whisper if you're familiar with the

00:18:08.690 --> 00:18:11.309
story of Moses then this sequence may actually

00:18:11.309 --> 00:18:13.829
sound familiar right Moses goes up to Mount Sinai

00:18:13.829 --> 00:18:16.329
or like we've mentioned and he gets the Ten Commandments

00:18:16.899 --> 00:18:19.039
And then he comes back down. Well, it doesn't

00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.299
take long for the Israelites, who were just brought

00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:26.819
out of Egypt, to turn to idol worship. And God

00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:28.920
is angry. And he's about to eliminate them all

00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:32.519
and start afresh with Moses. But Moses pleads

00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:36.700
with God and he seeks his mercy. Well, God relents

00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:40.720
and so he sends Moses down, who then gets angry

00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.680
at the people and he breaks the tablets. And

00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:46.240
he ends up destroying the calf and having the

00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:49.960
Levites slaughter about 3 ,000 people. I'm still

00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:51.500
talking about Moses. I haven't jumped back to

00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:53.599
Elijah. The parallels are very, very similar

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:58.200
here. And yet when Moses ascends back onto the

00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:00.420
mountain, what does he do? He seeks atonement

00:19:00.420 --> 00:19:03.640
for the people and ultimately sees the back of

00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:06.960
God as Moses steps out from hiding in a cleft

00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:10.619
or a cave. And here we have Elijah who's climbed

00:19:10.619 --> 00:19:13.640
the very same mountain and is in a cave, perhaps

00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:15.700
the same exact cave that Moses might have been

00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:18.960
in. And God speaks to him and asks, what are

00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.279
you doing here, Elijah? I think we can all agree

00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:24.279
that God wasn't necessarily surprised to see

00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:27.319
Elijah at this point. 40 days ago, the angel

00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:30.200
of the Lord told Elijah, hey, there's a journey

00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:31.619
ahead. You're headed to Horeb. You're headed

00:19:31.619 --> 00:19:34.900
to Mount Sinai. So this isn't a surprise. Oh,

00:19:35.099 --> 00:19:37.990
what are you doing here, Elijah? No, what God

00:19:37.990 --> 00:19:40.809
has done is that he's drawn Elijah near to him

00:19:40.809 --> 00:19:43.289
and invited him to speak and to share what's

00:19:43.289 --> 00:19:46.769
on his mind. If I'm sitting down or I'm doing

00:19:46.769 --> 00:19:49.210
something like yard work and I hear Clara, my

00:19:49.210 --> 00:19:51.829
oldest, cry out and I want her to draw near to

00:19:51.829 --> 00:19:54.650
me. And God help me that I'm not impatient and

00:19:54.650 --> 00:19:56.730
God help me that I'm not surprised when she comes

00:19:56.730 --> 00:19:59.329
to me with her problems. God help me that I too

00:19:59.329 --> 00:20:01.809
would draw her near to me and ask, hey, what's

00:20:01.809 --> 00:20:04.750
going on? What are you doing here? And so what

00:20:04.750 --> 00:20:07.750
we see here actually is a a loving God, not a

00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:10.470
surprise God, but a loving God, inviting His

00:20:10.470 --> 00:20:16.369
child to cast His cares upon Him. And unlike

00:20:16.369 --> 00:20:19.670
Moses, Elijah pleads his case. He essentially

00:20:19.670 --> 00:20:22.349
says the opposite of Moses here. Elijah isn't

00:20:22.349 --> 00:20:24.769
after atonement and God's mercy, rather he's

00:20:24.769 --> 00:20:28.170
after his judgment. Elijah's fed up. He says,

00:20:28.210 --> 00:20:30.750
God, I've been jealous for you, but everybody

00:20:30.750 --> 00:20:32.869
else, they've forsaken your covenants. They've

00:20:32.869 --> 00:20:34.609
thrown down your altars. They've killed your

00:20:34.609 --> 00:20:37.460
prophets. And all you've got is me. I'm the only

00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:41.319
one left." Right? Contrast this again to Moses,

00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:44.619
who God says he himself is going to wipe everybody

00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:46.559
out and start over with Moses. And Moses says,

00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:49.420
no, God, these are your people. Let your name

00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:53.440
be made great through them. And so God makes

00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:57.079
a point here. He instructs Elijah to stand out

00:20:57.079 --> 00:21:00.160
on the mount before him. Now in this sequence

00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:01.880
with Moses the Lord says he will make all of

00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:04.019
his goodness pass before Moses But what do we

00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:08.380
see here starting again in verse 11? And he said

00:21:08.380 --> 00:21:10.140
go out and stand on the mount before the Lord

00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:12.460
and behold the Lord passed by and a great and

00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:14.980
strong wind Tore the mountains and broken pieces

00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:17.480
the rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not

00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:20.039
in the wind and after the wind an earthquake

00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:23.160
but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after

00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:26.059
the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in

00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:30.680
the fire and after the fire the sound of a low

00:21:30.680 --> 00:21:34.599
whisper. And at the conclusion of this sequence,

00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.099
we get our second point, and that is that God

00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:45.940
makes his presence known through his word. God

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:52.890
makes his presence known through his word. So

00:21:52.890 --> 00:21:55.329
we see three major events right three events

00:21:55.329 --> 00:21:57.849
that are actually often ways that God makes the

00:21:57.849 --> 00:22:01.230
power of his might known Three natural elements

00:22:01.230 --> 00:22:03.569
that God has often used to make his judgment

00:22:03.569 --> 00:22:07.170
known to the people But instead we get this little

00:22:07.170 --> 00:22:10.470
detail after each one that the Lord was not in

00:22:10.470 --> 00:22:13.650
these And one thing that's particularly interesting

00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:15.990
here is that the Lord was not in the fire, right?

00:22:16.049 --> 00:22:18.450
Do we do we remember the backstory of how Elijah

00:22:18.450 --> 00:22:21.329
got here right in competition with hundreds of

00:22:21.329 --> 00:22:25.480
prophets? He was in this standoff of whose God

00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:27.940
was real, and the Lord makes his presence known

00:22:27.940 --> 00:22:31.220
by coming down as fire and burning up the altar.

00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:36.240
And yet here on the mount, he's not in the fire.

00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:40.940
But what comes next? The sound of a low whisper,

00:22:41.099 --> 00:22:44.539
or some translations render this a still small

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:50.259
voice. Voice being the Hebrew word, kol. And

00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:52.500
this is significant because we see this same

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:55.319
word appear twice in the previous chapter during

00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:59.299
this God standoff. Elijah lets the prophets of

00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:01.160
Baal go first, and so they're summoning him.

00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:03.460
They're calling on him for hours saying, oh,

00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:07.480
Baal, just answer us. And as we see in chapter

00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:13.359
18 verse 26, but there was no voice and no one

00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:17.900
answered. Well, Elijah mocks them. He says, hey,

00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:20.920
keep screaming. I mean, he's a God, right? Perhaps

00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:23.779
he's busy or he's relieving himself or perhaps

00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:27.799
he's on a trip. Or you know what? He might be

00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:30.019
asleep. If you're a little bit louder, scream

00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:32.380
for a little bit longer, perhaps he'll wake up.

00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:35.859
And so the prophets continue to cry out. They

00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:38.400
even start to cut themselves and shed their own

00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:41.319
blood. And so we see actually in a few verses

00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:47.380
later, verse 29, but there was no voice. No one

00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:53.380
answered. No one paid attention Elijah is pleading

00:23:53.380 --> 00:23:56.559
for the judgment of God to be made known he wants

00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:59.339
to see the power of his might taken out on all

00:23:59.339 --> 00:24:01.079
the people who have betrayed the covenant of

00:24:01.079 --> 00:24:06.480
God and instead God makes himself known through

00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:13.680
his word a still small voice Will God reveals

00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:15.980
himself to us in this way still through his word?

00:24:16.089 --> 00:24:18.910
We live in a world of people that demand God's

00:24:18.910 --> 00:24:22.009
judgment, seeking signs of His power. And instead,

00:24:22.049 --> 00:24:24.950
He's mercifully revealed Himself through His

00:24:24.950 --> 00:24:27.990
Word that we may better understand His character.

00:24:28.869 --> 00:24:31.210
We want to see the winds that tear apart mountains,

00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:34.470
earthquakes, and fire. And please hear me, this

00:24:34.470 --> 00:24:37.910
isn't a bad thing to desire God's judgment, but

00:24:37.910 --> 00:24:42.130
we better be careful what we're asking for. Because

00:24:42.130 --> 00:24:45.140
we haven't dodged the bullet here either. We

00:24:45.140 --> 00:24:47.920
too often want to apply God's judgment and the

00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.359
wrath of the wrath on sins of the world that

00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:54.759
we hate the most But we need to understand that

00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:57.660
God will not judge with partiality right that

00:24:57.660 --> 00:25:00.259
our gossip and our covetousness and our gluttony

00:25:00.259 --> 00:25:03.200
are as damnable offenses as rape and abortion

00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:07.240
and homosexuality and our desire for judgment

00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:11.220
will lead to our own condemnation and So God

00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:14.440
here to Elijah mercifully and patiently makes

00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:18.980
himself known to Elijah through his word. And

00:25:18.980 --> 00:25:21.319
as such, we would do well to pursue God's will

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:23.839
and his voice through his written word, where

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:27.660
we would find verses like John 3, 17, where Jesus

00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:30.019
says, for God did not send his son into the world

00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:33.380
to condemn the world, but in order that the world

00:25:33.380 --> 00:25:37.559
might be saved through him. And so let us not

00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:39.960
pursue the destruction of others in the name

00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:42.799
of God's judgment, but that His Word be a comfort

00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:46.960
to all people everywhere. If your heart has been

00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:49.579
oriented around the destruction of others and

00:25:49.579 --> 00:25:52.000
sin that you hate more than perhaps your own

00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:54.720
sin, and it hasn't been oriented around their

00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:59.859
salvation, then we've missed the point. And that's

00:25:59.859 --> 00:26:03.299
actually what we see here from Elijah. God invites

00:26:03.299 --> 00:26:06.400
Elijah to speak. Elijah pleads his case and he

00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:09.559
calls for judgment and instead God says you mean

00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:12.220
like this the the wind and the earthquake and

00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:16.920
the fire I'm not in those Actually, here's what

00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:19.599
I'm gonna do instead remember this and I want

00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.779
you to remember this pattern because we're gonna

00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:24.980
jump into verses 13 through 18 here and We see

00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:28.640
a very similar pattern even identical at some

00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:32.980
points And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his

00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:35.200
face in his cloak and went out and stood at the

00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.480
entrance of the cave. And behold, there came

00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:39.819
a voice to him and said, what are you doing here,

00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:42.940
Elijah? He said, I have been very jealous for

00:26:42.940 --> 00:26:45.619
the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of

00:26:45.619 --> 00:26:47.319
Israel have forsaken your covenant. They've thrown

00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:49.079
down your altars and killed your prophets with

00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:53.099
a sword. And I, even I only, am left. And they

00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:56.160
seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said

00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:59.099
to him, go, return on your way. to the wilderness

00:26:59.099 --> 00:27:02.180
of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint

00:27:02.180 --> 00:27:05.740
Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu, the son

00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:08.000
of Nimshi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel.

00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:13.259
And Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel Mahallah,

00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:15.799
you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:18.940
And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael

00:27:18.940 --> 00:27:21.200
shall Jehu put to death. And the one who escapes

00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.700
from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.

00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:27.740
Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel. the

00:27:27.740 --> 00:27:29.940
knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every

00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:34.119
mouth that has not kissed him." So again, God

00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:37.400
invites Elijah to speak, right? And Elijah doubles

00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:39.200
down, asking for God's judgment. He says the

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:42.019
exact same thing and calls for judgment. And

00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:44.099
we see the pattern from before, do we not? God

00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:47.319
responds with three things, right? We get the

00:27:47.319 --> 00:27:50.279
anointing of Hazael and Jehu, and then Elijah

00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:54.380
to carry out his judgment on the people, right?

00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:56.920
Hazael is going to be killing Quite a lot of

00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:59.519
people, and whoever escapes Hazael, Jehu's going

00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:03.039
to kill. And whoever Jehu doesn't kill, Elisha's

00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:06.319
going to put them to death. We actually see this

00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:09.359
judgment carried out later in 2 Kings 8 and 9

00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:13.240
as Hazael and Jehu are anointed as kings. I'm

00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:14.740
convinced that these characters are displays

00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:16.779
of his judgment as you look at these accounts.

00:28:17.579 --> 00:28:22.009
So Elisha, already anointed by Elijah, Anoints

00:28:22.009 --> 00:28:23.829
hazael as king and he actually breaks down into

00:28:23.829 --> 00:28:27.029
tears when he when he anoints hazael as king

00:28:27.029 --> 00:28:32.569
in second kings 812 he says he being Elisha answered

00:28:32.569 --> 00:28:35.970
Because I know the evil that you will do to the

00:28:35.970 --> 00:28:38.970
to the people of Israel You will set on fire

00:28:38.970 --> 00:28:41.049
their fortresses and you will kill their young

00:28:41.049 --> 00:28:43.710
men with a sword and dash and pieces their little

00:28:43.710 --> 00:28:47.549
ones and rip open their pregnant women Hazael

00:28:47.549 --> 00:28:51.049
goes on to war against Israel and do all of these

00:28:51.049 --> 00:28:53.549
things that were prophesied. Jehu actually goes

00:28:53.549 --> 00:28:56.509
on to wipe out the rest of the house of Ahab

00:28:56.509 --> 00:29:00.470
in 2 Kings 10, as well as all the prophets of

00:29:00.470 --> 00:29:04.049
Baal. And so the pattern here is significant

00:29:04.049 --> 00:29:06.490
as we see the three natural occurrences of the

00:29:06.490 --> 00:29:08.609
wind, the earthquake, and the fire, which God

00:29:08.609 --> 00:29:12.250
was not in, paralleled with the rule of Haseel,

00:29:12.430 --> 00:29:16.009
Jehu, and Elisha. But after the fire, we get

00:29:16.009 --> 00:29:18.789
what? We get that low whisper or that still small

00:29:18.789 --> 00:29:22.000
voice. And after these three men are anointed

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:26.460
to lead, we get what? A remnant of 7 ,000 of

00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:29.640
God's chosen people. Which brings us to the third

00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:34.900
point. God makes His presence known through His

00:29:34.900 --> 00:29:41.059
grace. God makes His presence known through His

00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:46.859
grace. Great so paralleled with the low whisper

00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:49.819
then the is the merciful withholding of his judgment

00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:52.460
in the deliverance of seven thousand Israelites

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:54.960
who have not given themselves over to ball right

00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.460
God is well aware of the sins of the people who

00:29:57.460 --> 00:30:00.140
have turned their backs on Turn their backs on

00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:03.380
him and have gone after other gods However, we

00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:05.619
can be confident that God will not fail in his

00:30:05.619 --> 00:30:08.299
mission to rescue his people and to uphold the

00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:10.859
promises to his children Right Paul highlights

00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:14.450
his exact case in in Romans actually Romans 11

00:30:14.450 --> 00:30:18.670
2 through 5 God has not rejected his people whom

00:30:18.670 --> 00:30:21.509
he foreknew Do you not know what the scripture

00:30:21.509 --> 00:30:24.250
says of Elijah how he appeals to God against

00:30:24.250 --> 00:30:27.029
Israel? Lord they have killed your prophets.

00:30:27.089 --> 00:30:29.369
They have demolished your altars and I alone

00:30:29.369 --> 00:30:32.769
am left and they seek my life But what is God's

00:30:32.769 --> 00:30:36.130
reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand

00:30:36.130 --> 00:30:40.130
men who have not bowed the knee to Baal So too

00:30:40.130 --> 00:30:42.589
at the present time there is a remnant chosen

00:30:42.589 --> 00:30:46.869
by grace. And it's always been God's grace that

00:30:46.869 --> 00:30:49.509
he's maintained his people in times of trial.

00:30:50.089 --> 00:30:52.150
Speaking of Paul, he gets a taste of this himself

00:30:52.150 --> 00:30:54.710
as he prays for the thorn in the flesh to be

00:30:54.710 --> 00:30:57.849
removed. I think we all know God's response to

00:30:57.849 --> 00:31:00.450
this when he says, my grace is sufficient for

00:31:00.450 --> 00:31:03.390
you for my power is made perfect in your weakness.

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:08.440
it's in these times of trial of affliction of

00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:10.599
suffering that we are made even more painfully

00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:14.400
aware of our human condition and While like Elijah

00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:17.160
we tend to call for the judgment upon the things

00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:19.599
that cause these trials and inflicts on us suffering

00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:22.319
We say God exercise your might let everybody

00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:25.900
see your power He says to both Paul and Elijah

00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:29.359
that his power is actually made perfect and understood

00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:33.759
properly Not in rescuing them from trials But

00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:37.299
by upholding them in the trial his chosen people

00:31:37.299 --> 00:31:40.759
in their moments of weakness His presence is

00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:44.440
made known through his grace Right. We are pointed

00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:47.380
to this point in Romans 3 I think we all may

00:31:47.380 --> 00:31:50.420
know Romans 3 23 which is for all have sinned

00:31:50.420 --> 00:31:54.519
and fall short of the glory of God and The first

00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:57.400
part of Romans 6 23 which is for the wages of

00:31:57.400 --> 00:32:01.440
sin is death Right, but there's good news attached

00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:04.089
to both of those Romans 3 goes on to read and

00:32:04.089 --> 00:32:06.849
are justified by his grace as a gift through

00:32:06.849 --> 00:32:10.049
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus and similarly

00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:12.930
as you as you can see in Romans 6 it concludes

00:32:12.930 --> 00:32:16.910
with but the free gift of God is eternal life

00:32:16.910 --> 00:32:22.569
in Christ Jesus our Lord I Would argue that sometimes

00:32:22.569 --> 00:32:25.069
we don't sense God's presence through his grace

00:32:25.069 --> 00:32:27.789
Because we're out of touch with the severity

00:32:27.789 --> 00:32:30.930
of our own sin, but we think that what we've

00:32:30.930 --> 00:32:33.890
done is It isn't that bad, right? Our slothfulness,

00:32:34.190 --> 00:32:36.509
eh. Our pride, right? We're actually convinced

00:32:36.509 --> 00:32:38.630
that sometimes that's a good thing to be prideful.

00:32:39.190 --> 00:32:41.910
Right? Our disobedience, right? Well, hey, I

00:32:41.910 --> 00:32:44.230
obey sometimes. I'm more obedient than all these

00:32:44.230 --> 00:32:49.150
other people and they're doing pretty well. But

00:32:49.150 --> 00:32:52.410
our misunderstanding of our own sin prevents

00:32:52.410 --> 00:32:55.890
us from being able to fully understand God's

00:32:55.890 --> 00:32:58.849
grace. We're getting in our own way. We're suppressing

00:32:58.849 --> 00:33:03.140
what is actually true. and is preventing us from

00:33:03.140 --> 00:33:05.880
experiencing the goodness and the comfort and

00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:09.180
the assurance of God's grace. And so while we

00:33:09.180 --> 00:33:11.400
have to wait a bit to see this trial play out

00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:14.640
until Hazael and Jehu enter the picture, Elijah's

00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:17.640
next stop is to go find Elisha, picking up in

00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:22.160
verse 19. So he departed from there and found

00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:25.619
Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:28.640
twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was

00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.539
with the twelfth. Elijah, passed by him and cast

00:33:32.539 --> 00:33:35.619
his cloak upon him and he left the oxen and ran

00:33:35.619 --> 00:33:38.400
after Elijah and said let me kiss my father and

00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:41.460
my mother and then I will follow you and he said

00:33:41.460 --> 00:33:43.339
to him go back again for what have I done to

00:33:43.339 --> 00:33:46.359
you and he returned from following him and took

00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:48.859
the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled

00:33:48.859 --> 00:33:51.759
their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave

00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:54.900
it to the people and they ate then he arose and

00:33:54.900 --> 00:33:59.079
went after Elijah and assisted him. Alright,

00:33:59.140 --> 00:34:01.440
so Elijah has called out to God pleading with

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:04.779
him twice saying that he was alone Right. This

00:34:04.779 --> 00:34:06.900
is despite the fact that everybody who witnessed

00:34:06.900 --> 00:34:09.179
the God standoff fell on their faces at the Lord

00:34:09.179 --> 00:34:11.639
He is God right despite the fact that apparently

00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:13.179
he had a servant traveling with him the whole

00:34:13.179 --> 00:34:15.960
time that he had left behind in Beersheba and

00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:17.500
despite the fact that they were actually seven

00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:20.480
thousand Israelites who were still faithful to

00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:26.059
God and Yet Elijah felt alone And so God gives

00:34:26.059 --> 00:34:28.780
him a companion to train and to walk alongside

00:34:28.780 --> 00:34:32.940
him And this brings us to our final point this

00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:36.079
evening in times of how in times of trouble God

00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:37.820
comforts us with his presence and that is that

00:34:37.820 --> 00:34:41.800
God makes his presence known through his people

00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:48.019
God makes his presence known through his people

00:34:48.019 --> 00:34:51.300
right Elisha appears excited right he's out working

00:34:51.300 --> 00:34:54.679
in the field and Elijah Comes by him and tosses

00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:56.659
his cloak on him, right? It takes him as it takes

00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:58.960
him a minute to kind of reorient figure out what

00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:02.119
happened because he has to run and catch up to

00:35:02.119 --> 00:35:03.639
Elijah and he says hold up let me say goodbye

00:35:03.639 --> 00:35:06.480
to my parents and Then what we actually get is

00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:10.000
this sort of display of being all -in by Elisha,

00:35:10.179 --> 00:35:11.739
right? He's obvious out. He's out working in

00:35:11.739 --> 00:35:14.039
the field during this time which would make him

00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:18.199
a farmer right a lot of his worldly riches and

00:35:18.199 --> 00:35:19.820
and what worldly well -being would have been

00:35:19.820 --> 00:35:22.969
tied to the wealth, or sorry, the health of his

00:35:22.969 --> 00:35:27.150
oxen. Right, he's obviously doing pretty well

00:35:27.150 --> 00:35:29.969
for himself. He has 12 yokes of oxen, right,

00:35:30.030 --> 00:35:32.829
so two per yoke, you have 24 oxen, pretty big

00:35:32.829 --> 00:35:36.010
field going on. And yet what does he do when

00:35:36.010 --> 00:35:40.489
called? He ditches it all. He sacrifices the

00:35:40.489 --> 00:35:42.989
oxen. He feeds presumably, you know, the people

00:35:42.989 --> 00:35:46.789
of his village or town, and then Elisha spends

00:35:46.789 --> 00:35:49.880
the last approximately six years or so alongside

00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:52.539
Elijah in his ministry before Elijah finally

00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:55.840
gets taken up by that whirlwind. So God makes

00:35:55.840 --> 00:35:59.920
his presence known through his people. And we

00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:02.019
too are to be reminded of this as we come together

00:36:02.019 --> 00:36:04.900
as a church family. God's presence is made known

00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:07.739
to us by gifting us the church body, that we

00:36:07.739 --> 00:36:09.840
may encourage one another, bearing one another's

00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:12.000
burdens, like we read in Colossians, breaking

00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:14.400
bread with one another, praying for one another,

00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:17.969
loving one another. And this church was exactly

00:36:17.969 --> 00:36:20.409
that for my family last summer as we're navigating

00:36:20.409 --> 00:36:22.449
some familial health concerns that it took me

00:36:22.449 --> 00:36:25.590
away from my home for a week. Naturally, that's

00:36:25.590 --> 00:36:27.550
the week before Caroline and I are about to travel

00:36:27.550 --> 00:36:31.869
out to Kansas to pick up Cecilia. This was uncharted

00:36:31.869 --> 00:36:35.090
territory for us in a time of great stress and

00:36:35.090 --> 00:36:37.730
uncertainty and yet a time that I've never been

00:36:37.730 --> 00:36:41.530
more sure of God's presence in our life. Because

00:36:41.530 --> 00:36:43.590
of the encouragement and the love poured out

00:36:43.590 --> 00:36:46.599
by his body for us in that time, whether it was

00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:48.780
coming and cutting our grass while we were away

00:36:48.780 --> 00:36:52.239
or dropping off meals before and after we were

00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:57.079
back. The Lord makes his presence known through

00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:00.300
his people. And so as we wrap up here, I think

00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:02.179
it's important that we remember these things

00:37:02.179 --> 00:37:05.260
practically, right, to help us actually be comforted

00:37:05.260 --> 00:37:07.420
in these times of desperation or loneliness.

00:37:07.849 --> 00:37:10.610
I think we tend to intellectually understand

00:37:10.610 --> 00:37:13.590
that God is omnipresent. He's everywhere, so

00:37:13.590 --> 00:37:16.769
He should be here. But it's typically in these

00:37:16.769 --> 00:37:18.570
moments of desperation and great stress that

00:37:18.570 --> 00:37:22.210
we forget to go to Him. We accept the lie of

00:37:22.210 --> 00:37:25.489
our flesh, or Satan, that we are left alone and

00:37:25.489 --> 00:37:28.170
to fend for ourselves. But God does not leave

00:37:28.170 --> 00:37:31.570
His people. The reminders of His presence are

00:37:31.570 --> 00:37:34.590
all around, through His provision, through His

00:37:34.590 --> 00:37:39.210
Word, His grace. and through his people. And

00:37:39.210 --> 00:37:42.730
the Lord uses these things to bring us great

00:37:42.730 --> 00:37:46.429
comfort. Let's pray. Definitely, Father, we thank

00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:52.630
you for your word that we get to read it and

00:37:52.630 --> 00:37:54.710
study it and to learn more about you and your

00:37:54.710 --> 00:37:58.469
character, God, that you do not leave us alone

00:37:58.469 --> 00:38:01.030
and that you actually leave several reminders

00:38:01.030 --> 00:38:05.070
for us in these times of loneliness and desperation.

00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:08.159
That the that the answer to the question God.

00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:13.079
Are you there is an overwhelming? Yes And so

00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:15.320
God we thank you for that assurance that we have

00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:18.360
And we pray that you remind us of that in the

00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:20.719
weeks to come and God. We love you. Thank you.

00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:26.480
Amen All right Thanks everyone. See you Saturday

00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:28.619
if you're coming to heartstrings Mother's Day

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:31.519
tea or Sunday. I will not be at Mother's Day

00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:32.239
team surprisingly