The Resolve Of Elijah

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

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Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

1 Kings 18:21, 37-39

Elijah was a mighty man of God. He was a powerful prophet as he was used by God to constantly remind the people of Israel who their Creator was, even in the face of great adversity. The people had trusted in their corrupt leaders to the extent that they were so far off the mark of what God intended for His people, that they were not only worshiping pagan gods, but trusting in those Baals to help them become fruitful and prosperous. Yahweh (the God of Israel) had come to be just another god (in their minds) amidst the many other entities that the pagan nations worshiped and in whom they trusted.

The people and their leaders had been living so debaucherously that Elijah called for a drought to get the people’s attention. Unfortunately, even when the people were faced with widespread famine, they still did not turn to God. Elijah was such a faithful servant to the LORD that it was clear that he was anointed by the Spirit of God to warrant protection from the king of Israel and his pagan wife, Jezebel, who had all of the prophets of God killed, leaving only the false prophets to mislead the nation of Israel. God protected Elijah and he survived.

Eventually, Elijah was called to bring all of the people together in order that they would be given an ultimatum. Even when faced with making a choice, they were still not willing to choose their God (the God of Israel) over the false gods of the pagan nations. All the while, Elijah knew that he was risking his life to be in the public surrounded by hundreds of false prophets and hostile leaders of the community. To some, this may be a bizarre story placed in antiquity, but it is a timeless example of the fickleness of the human heart.

The God of Israel promised his people protection and fruitful lives if they would only remain faithful to him and his guidelines. There are numerous reasons for the boundaries that God set forth, most evident of which is our mental and physical wellbeing.

It has never been popular to stand in the face of evil and to expose wicked behavior and corruption, but Elijah did just that. Since Elijah’s day there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of God’s people shining the light into this dark and perverted world. The spirit of Jezebel, however, lives on and is intent on silencing the Truth and God’s faithful people.

It has never been clearer to me that the world tha we live in is very evil and is in the grip of satan. The more creature comforts we have, the less we see the problem. The twenty first century person is no smarter or discerning than those living in the eight century B.C. The western man is so mesmerized by the trappings of our day, that he too worships the pagan way of life over faithfulness to God. How bad do things have to get for you to ask God for wisdom and discernment? For many, the government has become their god, and they are willing to become violent towards anyone who stands in the way of their pagan narrative.

Now more than ever, the world needs God’s true warriors to take a stand for righteousness in the face of evil. The Word of God is clear, if we (meaning Christians) see evil, we are obligated to speak up and if we remain silent, then the blood of all of those who turn to evil and die without repentance will be on our hands (Eze. 33). There will be no excuse for fear. Fear shows a lack of trust in God and gives power over to satan. It is time for the Church to take a stand and speak up! Be wise about your choices Christian. It will be far worse to ignore God’s call and to remain silent than to face persecution from the wicked (Matt. 18:6-7, 25:14-30; Heb 10:30-32). There are great rewards for those who take a stand, use the gifts with which God has blessed you. Do not let the enemy destroy your family.