TEXT: I Kings 19:1-18

SUBJECT: Life of Elijah #7: Elijah's Breakdown

We return this afternoon to our study of Elijah. Our interest, however, is not in the prophet, but in his Savior, the Lord Jesus. What was He doing in Elijah's life? Two things: He was bringing glory to Himself and He was teaching us some lessons we need to know. May He do both in this sermon! Amen.

Our reading narrates the lowest point in Elijah's life. He has just won a colossal victory on Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were beaten; the LORD was vindicated; Elijah's hopes were realized. He was on top of the world. Until Jezebel heard what happened. She was not awed by the events of Mt. Carmel, but enraged. She swears by her gods that Elijah will be dead before the day is done. Stunned by her threat, the prophet hurries into the desert, and wishes to die. But God doesn't grant his wish. He sends him back to Mount Sinai, where He reveals Himself in "the still small voice", which bids him to go back to work. The prophet recovers his faith and returns to his station. The nervous breakdown is over; Elijah's ready to serve Christ once again.

What is the Lord doing in these strange and unexpected events? Four thoughts come to mind.

The LORD is reminding Elijah of his own weakness. In the last three years, Elijah had wielded supernatural powers. His voice closed heaven; his breath raised a boy to life; his prayer pulled down fire; his command put an end to the prophets of Baal. Rarely had a man spoken with such authority. But the power was not Elijah's; it belonged to Christ. Psalm 29 puts it thusly:

"The voice of the LORD

is powerful;

The voice of the LORD

is full of majesty".

Elijah must remember this; he must be humbled. When humility is lacking, the mightiest preacher becomes a "sounding brass and a clanging cymbal". Jesus Christ, therefore, keeps His servants humble. If He calls Simon, "The Rock", He must also call him "Satan". Why? Not because He takes pleasure in belittling others, but because the most gifted man in the world must remember what he is: "An unprofitable servant...having done, at the most, what he was told to do".

Elijah needed a reminder of his weakness; Peter did; Paul, it seems, needed it more than anyone else. So proud was he by nature that he required "infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses" to find "the power of Christ resting on [Him]".

We need humbling too. The Savior who sent a Jezebel to Elijah, a stinging rebuke to Peter, a "thorn in the flesh" to Paul, sends humiliations our way. Sickness, poverty, a bad home life, an obnoxious employer. Why? Because He loves us and won't allow us to become or remain arrogant for long. If we'd but recall what the alternative to problems is--arrogance--we'd "count it pure joy when we fall into various trials".

The LORD was exposing Elijah's weakness to the world. Hours before, he had faced down an army; now he's fleeing from a woman. He looked bad--not only to himself--but to everyone else. The people who had pinned their hopes on him were sorely disappointed. Their hero wasn't the man he seemed to be; he too was a coward. He was as intimidated by the queen as everyone else. When they saw Elijah turn tail and run, they may have thought of that Psalm

"Do not put your trust in princes,

Nor in a son of man,

In whom there is no help".

This is the Lord's way with His people. He normally chooses the "weak, foolish, base, and despised" to carry on His work. Why? So no one will "glory in the flesh"--so we won't worship men! This was especially true of the Apostles, who became "the filth of the world and the offscouring of all things". Paul explains the riddle in I Corinthians 4:7: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us".

We ought not to worry so much about others discovering our defects, for it is defective people whom our Lord uses to bring glory to Himself. Elijah has made a fool of himself for everyone to see. But God didn't discard the fool, but kept him in His employment.

The LORD was revealing Himself to Elijah in his weakness. Elijah was at the lowest point of his life. He was scared of Jezebel's threat; he was tired, having walked for forty days; he was lonely, thinking no one cared for Christ but he; he was appalled with his people: "The children of Israel have thrown down Your altars". He was in despair: "It is enough, O LORD, take away my life; I am no better than my fathers".

Now--"in the horrible pit"--Christ draws near. A tornado rips into the mountain--but the Lord is not in it. An earthquake rumbles by--but the Lord is not in it either. A fire rages--surely it is the Lord--but no, "the LORD is not in the fire". At last, a "still small voice" is heard; the Voice is unmistakable. The Lord has drawn near to Elijah--not in power, signs and wonders--but in the Word, a gentle, loving Word. The Word changes nothing; the Word changes everything. Elijah's problems are not solved, but Elijah is a new man--remade by the Word.

The word of encouragement comes to us when we need it most. Elijah needed no comfort atop Mount Carmel; but at the foot of Sinai, He needs the encouraging Word and felt presence of Jesus Christ. He isn't disappointed.

Neither was David or Paul. The former wrote, "The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low and He helped me". The latter could say: "At my first defense, no man stood with me, but all forsook me...Nevertheless, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion".

The Lord is like anyone else; He comes to us when He's most welcome. Never is He more welcome than when we're desperate. The disciples had spent a rather listless day with Him. "Ho hum" they must have thought. But, in the storm, when their boat was about to capsize, they were mighty glad to see Him!

The same is true of us. It is in our weakness that He draws near. Weakness, illness, poverty, bereavement can become a blessing when the Lord Jesus comes to us in it with a cheering word. "Fear not, it is I".

The LORD was calling Elijah to serve Him despite his weakness. Christ did not try to raise the prophet's self-esteem; had no interest in making him for good about himself. He acknowledged Elijah's weakness--and said (in effect) "Go back to work". "Anoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu king of Israel, and Elish prophet in your place". And take care of the "seven thousand whose knees have not bowed to Baal and mouths have not kissed him".

The Lord Jesus doesn't call strong men into His service. He calls weak men, whom He strengthens as they serve Him. But not before! There is a man with a withered hand. The Lord commands him: "Stretch out your hand". The man can't extend his hand, of course. But he obeys nonetheless. Suddenly, as he is stretching it out, the arm is healed. Would he have been healed had he waited for healing? No. It was only as he obeyed Christ that he found the promised strength.

The same is true of us. He calls us to serve Him--just as we are--weak, stupid, inconsistent, pathetic. We feel inadequate, not up to the task. But as we try, we find we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]".

It is good to know that a man of Elijah's ability could go to pieces under stress. It's better to know that God was still with him and able to use him. It is best to know that He can and will do the same for us. May He magnify His strength in our weakness! Amen.