But it wasn’t long before God reassured Elijah and sent him back to face King Ahab. In a moment of human weakness, Elijah was deeply discouraged. Jezebel and the false prophets of Baal hated Elijah and they did everything in their power to catch him. God’s prophets who bring messages of warning are often hated and accused of being the cause of such suffering. As Israel’s queen, she brought the worship of her god Baal, influencing King Ahab to worship Baal and set up idols in Israel (1 Kings 16:31 1 Kings 21:25-26). When the false prophets of Baal were dead, Elijah’s life was threatened by Jezebel, the wicked wife of King Ahab. There was also a point where Elijah’s life was threatened. Elijah’s depression, along with many other biblical characters, alerts us to the fact that being committed to God does not necessarily exempt us from being depressed. He suffered from spiritual depression – a specific kind of depression that is related to commitment to God. He now collapses, runs away when Israel most needs his leadership, possibly missing the chance for national repentance and turns suicidal. Up until this point, Elijah had been the epitome of spiritual courage. His lofty hopes were crushed he became sick at heart. Elijah grew depressed when he was rebuked while he was anticipating a moment of triumph. His life reminds us that if we trust in God through prayer, it will make a significant impact.Īnother important thing to note about Elijah is that he suffered with depression. We see through Elijah’s life that prayer is truly powerful. It even licked up all the water in the trench!” (1 Kings 18:36,38). Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones and the dust. Prove that I have done all that is at your command. The Bible tells us, “At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am Your servant. His requests weren’t small – He prayed for a drought in the land, prayed to raise the widow’s son from the dead and called down a fire from heaven to consume the offering on Mount Carmel. His prayers were bold and he called on God to do the miraculous. In addition to confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he also performed many miracles: providing an endless supply of flour for a widow and raising a young boy from the dead.Įlijah prayed to God vehemently. Elijah was chosen to confront the followers of Baal simply because he had a relationship with God. Then God sent Elijah into hiding as the drought dried up the streams and withered the crops of the nation (1 Kings 17:7-15 1 Kings 18:1). Elijah set out at once for the capital city of Samaria to deliver the announcement to King Ahab. When he was called, Elijah didn’t hesitate to take on his mission, even though it appeared his life would be threatened by the wicked king. Instead, God chose him directly for the position. Similar to many of the prophets of the Bible, Elijah didn’t seek to be one of God’s messengers. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. In addition to confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he also performed many miracles: providing an endless supply of flour for a widow and raising a young boy from the dead. Elijah’s admonition that God’s people faithfully serve Him with their whole heart is just as relevant now as it was during his time on earth. Ultimately, Elijah urged the people of ancient Israel to turn from sin and to return to the true God and his message is just as important for us today. His life was devoted to the work of restoring true worship In Israel. He recognized the power of God, but he also knew the pits of depression. He also demonstrated victory and defeat, trailed by recovery. There were times when he was decisive and valiant, but there were also times when he was fearful and uncertain. Like many other characters in the Bible, Elijah’s life was not without its challenges. God used him during a really important time in Israel’s history to oppose a wicked king and to bring revival to those people. Elijah, a biblical prophet is one of the most interesting characters in the Bible.
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