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Elijah RunsHE RUNS IN VICTORY AND THEN RUNS IN FEAR

Elijah Runs

We’ve discussed before Elijah’s great victory on Mount Carmel over the prophets of Baal by the Hand of God.

This no doubt had to be a high point in the life of Elijah

He had spent the last 3 1/ 2 years in hiding while the drought was going on.

Immediately after the victory on Mount Carmel, God grants thru Elijah another important Miracle.

Rain!!

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Rain Comes

1Ki 18:41 ¶ Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."

42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,

43 and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."

Rain Comes

44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot , and go down before the rain stops you.'"

45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

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Rain Comes

46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Elijah’s Victory Lap

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Elijah’s Victory Lap

Elijah’s Victory Run

Elijah out ran the chariot of Ahab for more than 27 miles.

The Olympic marathon is only 26.2 miles

This had to be one of the greatest days in Elijah’s life

In just the past few hours, God had demonstrated his power thru Elijah in wonderful fashion.

There should not have been any doubt in the mind of anyone that Elijah was a servant of the Most High God

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Elijah’s Victory Run

You would think after all of this everyone would be willing to follow the things taught by Elijah

After seeing fire and water fall from heaven at the prayer of Elijah

These things did not just happen by coincidence but by the hand of God at the request of his servant Elijah

I think Ahab should make him his right hand man, don’t you?

Elijah Runs in Fear

Sadly, Elijah is like many of us. We quickly forget about the good things in our lives and focus on the Bad.

It’s not long until he is scared, running for his life and feeling sorry for himself.

Ahab rather than making him his right hand man, has gone home and told Jezebel what happened with the prophets of Baal.

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Elijah Runs in Fear

1Ki 19:1 ¶ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

Elijah Runs in Fear

3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"

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Elijah Runs in Fear

5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat."

6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."

Elijah Runs in Fear

8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 ¶ And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

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Elijah Runs in Fear

I believe at this point that God has directed Elijah to go to Horeb.

Horeb is evidently the Mountain Range that included Mount Sinai where the Law of Moses was given.

When he gets there he finds a cave and spends the night in it.

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

God asks Elijah “what are you doing here?”

With the idea behind this question that “you are needed somewhere else”

Things were going so well

You showed courage in facing Ahab and Baal’s prophets

Great things were being done by God thru you

Israel desperately needs someone to guide them

So, What are you doing here?

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

Here is Elijah’s response

1Ki 19:10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;

12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

Elijah is suffering from the same problem many of us have from time to time

He feels alone in serving God

We may be the only Christian at work

We may be the only Christian at school

This has discouraged this great prophet of God

The small number of people wanting to obey God today may discourage us from time to time.

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

Instead of being discouraged by the ones that do not obey we need to be encouraged by the ones who do.

Remembering what Jesus said.

Mt 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

Jesus also said:

Lu 13:23 ¶ Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them,

24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Mt 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen.“

When we see that the numbers are few, we are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy.

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

We should also remember that God has never put His emphasis on large numbers of people but has actually done just the opposite.

De 7:7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

Do we remember how many were saved during the flood?

Out of all the people on the face of the earth at that time only 8 were saved!

1Pe 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

When we begin to become discouraged we should remember the admonition of the Apostle Paul

Ga 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Elijah Becomes Discouraged

We can also look to what God told Elijah to do while he was discouraged.

Get back to Work!

Focus on the job that we have to do and we won’t have much time for self pity and discouragement!

1Ki 19:15 Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

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Elijah Becomes Discouraged

16 "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

17 "It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

18 "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

Conclusion

There will be times when we become discouraged

But, we can not afford to give up.

If we do, then we won’t make it into Heaven and we will have lost it all

All of the good things we have done in the past will do us no good if we quit

Let’s focus on the work the Lord has given us to do and look unto Jesus as our example and not grow weary.

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Conclusion

Heb 12:1 ¶ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Conclusion

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

We need to remember what all Christ went thru for us before we become discouraged and give up.

Many times, our problems pale in comparison to what Christ and other Christians have endured.