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God keeps His promises. It’s a major part of His immutable nature. He doesn’t hold out hope with nice-sounding words, then renege on what He said He would do. God is neither fickle nor moody. And He never lies. As my own father used to say of people with integrity, “His word is His bond.” When you stop to think about it, it was because of a promise of God that Elijah came on the biblical scene in the first place. It was the prophet’s unpopular task to announce God’s message to the king. That message had to do with a terrible drought that was coming: The drought would last for years, and it would not end “except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). That message was not only a wake-up call to get Ahab’s attention, it was also a not-so-subtle reminder that, even though Ahab thought he was in charge, “the God of Israel lives” and He, alone, determines what will happen when. Elijah’s heroism in standing before the king of the land and telling him what he didn’t want to hear came from the man of God’s confidence in the word of his Lord. The Master of heaven had spoken, and that was the message Elijah brought to the attention of Ahab. God promised a drought, and nothing Ahab could do would keep it from arriving of diminish its devastating results. Furthermore, God had assured the prophet, who passed it on to the king, that the drought would not end until God determined it would end. Period. End of announcement. Exit Elijah. Bring on the drought. The very thing that God had communicated through His prophet came to pass. Exactly as God promised, there was not a drop of rain to relieve the scorched earth. The land became parched and barren as months passed, turning into years. Rivers no longer flowed, streams dried up, wells ran dry, crops burned to a brown crisp, animals died, and the king found himself totally helpless to interfere with God’s act of judgment. God keeps His promises. Agree with it or not, His word is final. As we have seen, many things were happening behind the scenes during this drought. God’s servant was put through the paces as his Lord prepared him for the mission He had in mind for him. The only “headline news” was the dreadful drought, day after monotonous day. But behind the scenes, unheralded, God was working His sovereign will in the heart of His man, Elijah, just as faithfully as He was sustaining the drought across the land of Israel. And even though it may have seemed that He had forgotten all about His earlier statement regarding the land, He never forgets anything He promises. That’s right… never. God’s agenda continues to unfold right on schedule, even when there is not a shred of evidence that He remembers. Even when the most extreme events transpire and “life just doesn’t seem fair,” God is there, carrying out His providential plan exactly as He pre-arranged it and to complicate matters, He doesn’t feel the need to clear any part of that plan with any earthling. Why should He? Chances are good we’d not agree anyway. And so we wait. And wait. And wait. Our faith is stretched because, I repeat, there is absolutely nothing that makes us think He even remembers the promise He made. And then suddenly, without warning, He keeps His word. He decides it’s time to step back into time as we reckon it (which is not at all the realm in which he exists) to make good on His promise. It’s the right moment. Enough waiting. And wouldn’t you know it? As He said He would, He acts. Changes occur just as He promised. It’s happened like that ever since our Creator has been dealing with His creatures. Yet we still doubt. We still worry. We still wonder if He will remember. Strangely, we just don’t get it. Now, back to our friend Elijah. In the first verse in 1King 18 there is an eloquent phrase: “The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year.” Three years! That’s an incredibly long time to go without rain. We can’t even imagine it, can we? But God was up to something. By now, not even those false prophets could garner much credibility. All repetitious prayers and rituals and voodoo tactics had proven useless. Is it any wonder that Elijah had the people’s attention when he challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a public showdown with Jehovah God? By now, they were willing to try anything. Elijah didn’t have to plead for their cooperation. And is it any wonder that, when God proved Himself to them, the people “fell on their faces” and immediately acknowledged, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God” (18:39)? And when Elijah told those same people to seize the prophets and not let one of them escape, he didn’t have to beg them; the people of Israel had had enough of those idolatrous fools! The fire from heaven may have convinced them, but the never-ending drought had already sucked dry most of the confidence they’d had in the pagan leaders they had once followed. God’s delay worked wonders when the choice between who was worthy of worship needed to be made. Natural calamities normally turn hearts toward God, not from Him. But look again at the first verse in 1King 18, and you will find another promise of God. Elijah was more than ready to hear this one! “I will send rain on the face of the earth,” God said. Finally. What relief that promise must have brought. I find it interesting that God’s prophet had never once complained about the drought, even though the very brook from which his water supply came had dried up, and even though it must have been as dreadfully difficult for him as it was for the others in the land of Israel. But the difference between Elijah and the others was simple: He knew God would one day fulfill His promise and bring rain. Until then, Elijah would wait, never doubting, because he was fully persuaded of something most of us, at one time or another, doubt: God keeps His promises. SOME CLARIFYING COMMENTS ABOUT PROMISES The Bible is full of promises-thousands of them. In fact, I recall reading many years ago in a national periodical that someone had taken the time to count all the promises in the Bible and had come up with almost seven thousand five hundred of them! I have not counted all of them, therefore I’m not able to verify that figure, but it is safe to say there are indeed several thousand promises in the Word of God. Admittedly, they are not all as specific and direct as the ones we’ve reviewed from Elijah’s day, but there are numerous promises punctuated throughout the Scriptures. The question worth pondering is one I’ve seldom heard addressed: Can we claim every one of those promises personally? I can still remember singing a little chorus in Sunday school: “Every promise in the Book is mine…” But that isn’t true. That’s a major overstatement. As a matter of fact, one of the best ways to get yourself in trouble really fast is to start claiming every biblical promise you come across. Though some would encourage us to go in that direction, I need to warn you: That’s a dangerous practice. In an excellent book that speaks to this very issue, Protestant Biblical Interpretation, I find some extremely helpful counsel. The author, theologian Bernard Ramm, warns against trying to force any and every Bible promise into our specific situations. As a case in point, he cites the example of a man who, during World War II, wondered if he should enlist in the military service or join the Merchant Marines, or seek a theological waiver. Like many believer, he turned to his Bible for help and, while reading in the Psalms, he found a reference to “those who go down to the sea in ships” (Psalm 107:23). He took that personally and literally, claiming it as a direct order from God to enlist in the United States Navy. The action could not be based upon any sensible exegetical principle, nor upon any spiritual principle. It was a haphazard coincidence between the verse that had the word seas in it and the United States Navy. Unfortunately, that young man is not alone in employing this method of determining God’s message to them. He meant well, but he made the common mistake that so many untaught believers make. Ignoring the context and overlooking the possibility that certain promises were given to one specific person for one particular situation, these individuals claim that all the biblical promises are there for us today, in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves. Those who do this will someday find themselves woefully confused, however, for not all promises found in the Bible are for us to claim. Nor were they ever meant to be. Don’t misunderstand. The Bible is, indeed, God’s inerrant Word. And His Word is authoritative, profitable, and reliable. God has preserved it for us to guide us into His will, to assist us in our struggles, to comfort us in our sorrows, and to equip us to stand firm through trials. There is no question about any of that. But this is not to say that every single promise that has been recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture is written for us to claim and count on. So please stay with me through this important section of clarification. We’re not going to lose sight of Elijah, but we do need to understand certain things about God’s promises. PERSONAL OR UNIVERSAL Before you and I can claim any promise, we need to determine in which category it falls. Is it one of those promises that was meant for a unique situation and given to a specific person or group of individuals who lived in the days in which Scripture was being written? Such personal and direct promises applied to them and only them, at that time, for specific purposes God reserved for their time and place. Or is the promise one of the many general promises that have a much broader-based universal appeal and application? Is it one of those unique promises, not addressed to us, but specifically meant for another? Was that the setting in which God had that promise recorded? Or did He intend it for anyone in any generation? To determine the answer, we must check the context, read the passage carefully, and employ great discernment. If it’s the former, then stay away from it. Don’t go there. Refuse to set your heart on that promise as though it’s for you. Otherwise, you’re in for a massive disappointment and future disillusionment! However, if it is in the latter category, claim it. Count on it. Believe it. I would even say, more often than not, memorize it! It could prove to be a source of enormous comfort and reassurance in the days ahead. An example of a promise to a specific individual in a unique situation would be God’s promise to Joshua in Joshua 6: And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And it shall be that when they make a long blast with the rams’ horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.
Joshua 6:3-5 That promise was given to Joshua for his specific situation at the city of Jericho. It is not a promise to be claimed by any other military commander, past or present, in attempting to take a city. Or consider the promise in Mark 16:18: “They will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them.” Certain groups of people today use this verse as a basis for their beliefs, claiming this as a personal promise for their disciples. Consider this newspaper report headlined, “2 Holiness Die in a Test of Faith.” Two Holiness preachers who had survived the bites of poisonous Snakes, tested their faith with strychnine and died a few hours after drinking the poison…. Cocke County officers [of Tennessee] said copperheads and rattlesnakes were handled at the… religious service Saturday night. After the snakes had been handled, Mr. Williams and Mr. Pack drank strychnine as a further test of their faith [based on] Mark 16:18. I repeat the warning: It is dangerous to claim a promise out of its context, apart from its primary setting and away form its original meaning. If it is a personal promise in a unique situation, stay away from it. That promise is not for you and me. If, however, the promise is a universal one, then claim it joyfully. Several in this category come to mind:
Psalm 103: 11-13
Proverbs 3:5-6
Isaiah 41: 10
Matthew 7: 7-8
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10: 11-13 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 19 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for you testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a believer, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4: 12-17 CONDITIONAL OR UNCONDITIONAL? Even with those promises we may claim however, we need further discernment. We must determine whether they are conditional or unconditional. A conditional promise will not be fulfilled until we have kept our part: the condition on which the promise hangs. For example, consider 1 John 1: 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If I refuse to confess my sins, I cannot expect my holy, heavenly Father immediately and automatically to forgive my carnality. In other words, I cannot claim the promise of God’s forgiveness until I’ve done my part (the condition), which is to confess my sins. Matthew 21:22 says, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.’” People point to that verse and say, “There is my promise. I can ask God for such and such and I will receive it.” But they often over-look the condition in Scripture that says, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). In other words, a sinful, disobedient heart, though it may be the heart of a child of God, does not arouse the activity of God. The vessel must be clean. That’s the condition that must be met. Unconditional promises are just that: unconditional. They are neither qualified nor limited. What is promised by God will occur, regardless of anyone’s response. Several come to mind. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But He does according to His will in the host of Heaven and among the in- habitants of earth: And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, “What hast Thou done?” Daniel 4:35 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Titus 2:11 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. Hebrews 6:10 The Bible is God’s inspired truth. It is wholly trustworthy, for God is trustworthy. It is our sacred guide, written for our instruction. But it is not some kind of rabbit’s foot we carry about, hoping for good luck. It is to be read intelligently, interpreted carefully, treated respectfully, handled wisely, and applied correctly. Down through the centuries the Scriptures have been misread and twisted, forced and abused, by saints and sinners alike. Often, those who go farthest away from God’s intended direction are those who pull promises from their original and unique settings and push them, inappropriately, into applications they were never meant to fulfill.
ELIJAH CLAIMS A PROMISE For three long years and more, the land of Israel had been without rain or dew. God had told Elijah to tell King Ahab that because of his sinfulness, a terrible drought would come upon the land. And that is exactly what happened. The land became parched and cracked and broken. The results, as we have seen, were death and desolation. Then, in His own time, God came to the rescue of Israel. He broke the silence and instructed His servant to declare His will. Now it came about after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 1 King 18:1
When God speaks to His prophet, He offers him a promise. Now, in light of what we have learned about promises, let’s analyze this one. First, it is a personal promise made to one individual (Elijah) in a specific situation. Second, it is a conditional promise. “Elijah, you go show yourself to Ahab” (that’s the condition- that’s Elijah’s part), says God, “and I will send rain” (that’s the promise- that’s God’s part). God was not going to send rain until and unless Elijah went to Ahab. In the last chapter, we saw that Elijah met that condition. He went to Ahab. Then he climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed fire down from heaven, by the marvelous power of God. The result was dramatic: The prophets of Baal were slaughtered, and God proved that He, alone, was the Lord of heaven and earth. But Elijah wasn’t through yet. The land was still parched by drought, and God had promised to send rain. Elijah hadn’t forgotten that promise. And knowing that God keeps His promises, Elijah had no problem issuing a command to the king of the land. Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 1 King 18:41
Now when we read that, we get the impression that Elijah actually heard the rain pouring down, or at least the thunderous rumblings of an approaching storm. “You can celebrate now, Ahab. The drought is over,” he said. But when I examine this verse in the context of the following verses, I am convinced that up to this point there was not a cloud in the sky-not a flash of lightning or a roll of thunder. So what was the sound? Well, I believe that Elijah was hearing the sound of God’s voice and the promise He had made - that if Elijah went to Ahab, then He (God) would send rain. In fact, the Hebrew word that is translated “sound” here is translated “voice,” or refers to the sound of a voice, in other places in Scripture. Elijah was certain that the rain was coming, not because he heard the sound of rain itself nor even far-off thunder, but because he was claiming the stated promise of God. And he claimed that promise through prayer. KNEELING ON THE PROMISE
When we look closely, we find five wonderful components in Elijah’s prayer as he claimed God’s promise. First, he separated himself. “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel.” Never underestimate the place of prayer. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating. I’m convinced that one of the reasons we are so lax in prayer is that we have never prepared a place to meet with God. When you want to draw near to the heart of God, you have to get away from the din, away from the confusion, away from the noise and distractions. Now granted, you can’t always climb or drive up to a mountaintop. You can’t always get to the sea. But you do need a place apart - a place where you can separate yourself from the distractions of daily life and meet, alone, with God. Our great forefather Abraham frequently returned to Bethel, the place where he had first built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. It was there, in that familiar, intimate setting, that he found refreshing fellowship with his Lord. It was there that he received cleansing from his failures. Abraham separated himself and got alone with God. We, too, need such a place. It can be a place as simple as a closet or a room where you can shut the door and be alone. That’s all you need-just a place to be alone with God to pray, to wait, to seek His will, to claim His promises. Second, Elijah humbled himself. “He crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.” The most vulnerable moment is right after a great victory. Humility does not follow readily on the heels of awards and achievement. Yet Elijah, who had just come through the greatest and certainly the most public victory of his life, was not arrogant. He went right back to Mount Carmel-back to the very site of that triumph-and humbled himself before God. The best attitude in prayer is an attitude of humility. Elijah offers us an outstanding model and example. When seeking a “oneness with God,” we naturally must be drawn to Elijah’s courage and fortitude. “Heroism” seemed a synonym for his name. When we think of Elijah, we think of a man of invincible power, one who wasn’t afraid to face down the greatest powers of his day - pagan priests and a wicked monarch and his evil consort. Yet the more I studied his life, probing to find the source of his courage, the more I kept coming back to moments like this one, when he humbled himself before the greatest power of all. Regardless of his impressive achievements, Elijah never forgot the importance of the principle that the apostle Peter mentioned centuries later: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
1 Peter 5:6 Heroism, yes. Elijah definitely exhibited that quality. But humility throughout his life and ministry - that was at the core of Elijah’s character. Third, Elijah was specific. “Go up now,” he told his servant, “and look toward the sea.” Elijah told his servant to look for one thing: a sign of rain. God had promised rain, and that was what Elijah was expecting, confident God would keep that precise promise. Be specific in your prayer life. If you need a job, pray for a job. If you’re an engineer, ask God to open up an engineering position for you, or something related for which you are qualified. If you’re in sales, ask God for a sales position. If you need fifteen hundred dollars for tuition, ask for that amount. If some fear has you in its grasp, name that fear and ask specifically for relief from it. If it is envy you’re struggling with, call it by name. “We need,” as one of my mentors used to say, “to guard against the slimy ooze of indefiniteness.” Learn from Elijah’s example. Make your petitions specific. Fourth, Elijah was persistent. “And he said, ‘Go back’ seven times.” When testing comes, it often comes when we have to wait. We want the answer fast-right now. It’s difficult to wait. Waiting, however, brings needed perspective. And we learn, as well, to be patient. God’s timing is not based on our clock. He is never late, but He often deliberately “delays.” He loves it when we “go back seven times.” Or seventeen. Or seventy! There are some things for which I have prayed consistently, on and off, for six and a half years. One thing, specifically, for over eight years. Elijah knew that the answer to his prayer would come in God’s own time, and it would come only because God had promised that it would. Remember this fact! God keeps His promises. Because he knew this… believed this… Elijah would wait. As he did, he persisted in humbling himself before God. Fervency and faith go hand in hand. Fifth, Elijah was expectant. “And it came about at the seventh time, that he said, ‘Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.”’ All that Elijah had to go on was a tiny cloud, no bigger than a man’s hand, in the midst of that vast expanse of sea and sky. But that was enough! He had such faith in God’s promise that he acted upon what he expected to happen. And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”
1 Kings 18:44b All Elijah saw was tiny cloud, but he said, in effect, “Ahab, put the rain tires on your chariot. The deluge is coming!” The human eyes saw only a little cloud, but the eye of faith saw the promise of God. Ahab would have shrugged, “So, what’s the big deal?” But Elijah shouted within himself, “Finally, God is keeping His word!” Do you live expectantly? Do the little things excite you? Do you imagine the improbable and expect the impossible? Life is full and running over with opportunities to see God’s hand in little things. Only the most sensitive of His servants see them, smile, and live on tiptoe. Children can teach us a lot about this kind of expectancy. Did you ever listen to a child pray? Their faith knows no bounds. And who are the least surprised people when God answers prayer? The children. But then we get older and we grow too sophisticated for that. We use phrases like, “Let’s be realistic about this.” We lose that expectancy, that urgency of hope, that delightful, childlike, wide-eyed joy of faith that keeps us full of anticipation and excitement. May God deliver us from a grim, stoic, stale shrug of the shoulders! “Look, I haven’t changed,” He says. “I still delight in doing impossible things. I love to surprise you!” Elijah’s God was the God who kept His promises. He was the God of impossible things. So Elijah said to Ahab, “Get ready. The rain’s coming. I know, because there’s a tiny little cloud out there that’s getting ready to unload God’s abundance.” So it came about in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds And wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rose and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.
1Kings 18:45-46 I love this scene! Every time I read it, I almost laugh out loud. Ahab is racing in his chariot across the land, trying to outrun the storm. He hasn’t seen rain for so long that he doesn’t know whether to spit or wind is watch! And then along comes Elijah, running like mad behind him, gaining on him, passing him, outrunning him all the way to Jezreel - about thirteen miles away - on foot! If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land, do so. Take it from me, you will never regret it. Every time I’m there, another section of the Scriptures jumps off the page. Here’s an example. There is an old church on the mountain, and when you climb to the top of the building, you encounter a breathtaking view. Stretching out before you is the vast, sweeping Valley of Jezreel. What an eye-opening sight! You can see for miles. With a little sanctified imagination, you can see that hand-sized cloud starting to form in the distance, you can watch the sky grow dark, and you can hear the big drops of rain start to splash… and look! There’s the old prophet, Elijah, running, running, running, faster and faster, hitching his robe up around his thighs as he catches up with Ahab’s chariot, which is starting to get bogged down in the mud churned up by the torrential downpour. It’s a wonderful sight! And then, while you’re standing there smiling, thinking you’re all alone with Elijah and Ahab… and God… some other tour group behind you wonders what you’re laughing at and why you don’t move out of their way so they can see what’s so amusing. Some travelers just don’t get it. Can you imagine the thoughts that must have been running through King Ahab’s mind about this prophet of God, who was sprinting alongside his chariot in the rain? At the very least he must have thought the man bizarre. Strange. Weird. But Elijah wasn’t weird. “The hand of the Lord was on him,” and he lived expectantly. And if that’s weird, well, then, I want to be weird. It’s not easy to be in Elijah’s league. It’s not easy, but it’s also not impossible. I’d like to start a brand, new club that only Elijah-types can join. What fun we could have outrunning chariots, shocking the Ahabs that are bogged down in the mud of monotony and mediocrity, held back from the fun of running with God through the downpour of His blessings! Here’s what James says: The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
James 5:16b-18 We read about Elijah and we say, “Wow, he’s in the big leagues. He’s a spiritual giant. I’m a pygmy in comparison to him. He’s in another world entirely.” Not true. Look again. James doesn’t say, “Elijah was a mighty prophet of God.” He doesn’t say, “Elijah was a powerful worker of miracles.” He doesn’t say, “Elijah was a model no man can match.” James says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” That means he was flesh and blood, muscle and bone. As we’re about to see, he got really discouraged, and he had some huge disappointments. He had faults and failures and doubts. He was just a man, with a nature like yours and mine. He may have been a man of heroism and humility, but never forget his humanity. Elijah was our kind of man! So, what kind of man was Elijah? Well, he wasn’t afraid to square off with the king of the land or take on the prophet of Baal. The guy had guts, no question. But he wasn’t too powerful to pray… or too confident to wait… or too sophisticated to see rain in the tiny cloud… or too proud to pull up his robe and run like a spotted ape down the mountain in the rain and mud, like the roadrunner, thinking, “C’mon, Ahab… catch me if you can!” No wonder Elijah is the kind of man we admire. Isn’t it exciting to know we serve the same God he served? Isn’t it thrilling to think we can trust the same God he trusted? And what kind of God is that? He’s the God who makes promises and keeps them. |
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