Christians are called to stand courageously for the truth of God, but our failure to do so seems far more common – and far more likely. However, for some reason, God continues to call forth His people to obedience.
The truth is that the Lord is well aware of our frailty. As a recent meme going around on social media says: “When God put a calling on your life, He’d already factored in your stupidity.”
We might add that He’d already factored in our cowardice and selfishness too. We could all add even more to that list of flaws.
Elijah is a perfect study of strength and weakness all intertwined in the same person. He stood virtually alone against the seemingly irresistible momentum of pagan darkness in Israel. Then, when the inevitable backlash came, Elijah broke and ran for his life. (See The Stand, 4/23 and 5/23.)
In the hands of God
However, after Elijah’s collapse of faith, God began to minister to the prophet to let him know that it was God who was in charge all along (1 Kings 19). The Lord was not caught off guard by the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel, the infidelity of the people of Israel, or the fear and doubt of the man of God.
Thankfully, the kingdom of God is not in our hands but His. So the Lord commanded Elijah that three men should be anointed. The first was Hazael, king of Aram, a political ruler in the Gentile world.
The second was Jehu, who was ultimately to become king of Israel, end the reign of the house of Ahab, and thus become a political ruler in the Jewish world. Finally, Elijah was commanded to anoint his spiritual successor – Elisha.
Each command to anoint someone represented a truth that would undoubtedly give the prophet a sense of peace. The anointing of Hazael would make it clear to Elijah that God is still in control of all things – both inside the kingdom and things outside. His purposes would be carried out and His judgments executed (v. 17).
The command to anoint Jehu (which was eventually done by Elisha) made it clear that God was choosing the successor to Ahab who, along with his wife, Jezebel, had persecuted Elijah. This was a promise from the Lord that He would triumph over those whom the prophet feared; these wicked rulers would be replaced.
Finally, anointing his own successor would let Elijah know that the divine work of the kingdom would continue through Elisha as well as the faithful servants God told him about in verse 18: “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
An appointed time
When they have finished their earthly race, all Christians would no doubt long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Matthew 25:23).
In this poignant moment, it is clear that Elijah is catching a glimpse of a kingdom fact: The Lord will have a replacement at hand when the prophet’s time for departure comes. There was still ministry to come for Elijah, but when it was over, his faithfulness would be recognized. Like a soldier who has fought faithfully during war time, Elijah would be given his discharge papers from earthly service – and the discharge would be an honorable one.
“There is an appointed time for everything,” says Ecclesiastes 3:1-2. “And there is a time for every event under heaven – a time to give birth and a time to die.” While Elijah would not technically die, there would still come a time to leave.
As we get closer to that time of departure, however, even those who have served Him faithfully can fall victim to obsessions over defeats. We are tempted to look backwards to gaze upon a trail littered with far too many failures. Why have I not done more for God? Why wasn’t I more faithful?
Make no mistake, when we stand before Jesus Christ at the judgment seat, the accounting will be only too thorough (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
However, the heartbeat of the New Testament message seems to call us ever forward and upward – not backward – keeping our eyes fixed on our eternal future in heaven. As Paul says, “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Together at last
Yet, it’s not just about where we will wind up. Our focus should be on the One who will get us there. The Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones” (Psalm 116:15). Why will our deaths be “precious” to God? Our heavenly Father will one day welcome home His children because He wants us there with Him.
In John 14:1-3, Jesus encourages His disciples, who were distressed to hear Him say He will be physically leaving them – and they cannot go with Him right now. The balm for their troubled hearts was the promise that the Lord’s departure only meant that He was going to prepare a place so that they would be together.
It is fascinating to note that Paul describes the gospel message in 1 Co-rinthians 15 as including the fact that Jesus “appeared to Cephas” (v. 5) and to the other apostles. Why this personal appearance? After all, there was already evidence to corroborate the resurrection: there was an empty tomb, and there were angels telling people He had risen, just as He’d promised.
However, Jesus appeared to His people following the resurrection because they didn’t just need information, they needed Him. The disciples were allowed to see Him and touch Him – and even eat a meal with Him.
Moreover, it seems clear that Jesus appeared to the disciples because He wanted to see them. He loved them. Jesus had been to war with these guys. He called them friends.
While it is true that the (faithful) apostles had a special relationship with Jesus, the Lord’s love for His people extended beyond them too. It extended to more than 500 other people following the Resurrection, and it extends to us.
Part of the gospel message, the good news, is that Jesus shows Himself to us too. Jesus said that “he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21).
When we are troubled and need His help, we are invited to visit Him at the “throne of grace” so that we might receive what we need from the One who loves us.
And then one day when, like Elijah, it is our time to leave this mortal sphere, we will be welcomed home by a loving God to a place of eternal joy.
