1 Kings 19:18 – “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel
I heard a Christian businessman recently tell of an
incident. While on a business trip, he
was having dinner in a local restaurant chain.
For some reason, he was feeling down – discouraged – pitiful – perhaps a
residue of a recent sickness. But as
people walked in and out, he sat there and passed judgment on them for imagined
wickedness in their lives. Little
children running around with glee were imagined to soon be filled with wicked
thoughts as they grew older. Nearby was
a table-full of older adolescent girls.
You can imagine his thoughts about those girls – not inappropriate
thoughts, but wicked all the same. Just
as he was imagining the worst, he heard their conversation. They were each telling the others their
personal testimonies – how they grew up – when they came to Christ – their
personal battles with worldly elements in their high schools – how they were
now serving Christ. The businessman’s
heart broke as he realized his mistake.
He wept as he related the incident, feeling the same sense of shame that
he had felt as he confessed his sin of pride before God.
Sometimes we tend to get heady and high-minded in our
Christian faith – to the extent that we get a martyr complex – a feeling that
we hold a place of esteem in God’s eyes – an over-inflated ego that makes us
feel we and we alone speak the mind of God.
Such was the case with the mighty prophet Elijah. He was right on the heels of perhaps his
greatest victory over the forces of Baal – the test on Mount
Carmel – where he bested the four hundred prophets of Baal in a
head-to-head contest. While the false
prophets showed the nation Israel
that their god was totally powerless, Elijah was able to call fire down from
heaven and devour the sacrifice, the altar, and the barrels of water poured
over it. What a great victory for the
right!
But Elijah heard that the wicked queen Jezebel was now
trying to have him killed. So this great
and powerful prophet of God went on the run – on the run before the forces of
wickedness that he had just defeated.
This great, powerful preacher was now a pathetic, pouting prophet. Psychologists tell us that after any great
victory, which brings an emotional high, comes an emotional low – a downer – a
depression. And Elijah was right in the
middle of those doldrums. Another
symptom, psychologists tell us, is a severe martyr complex. Thus was Elijah’s condition in verse 14, “And I, even I only, am left; and they seek
my life, to take it away.” This is
when God spoke to Elijah and told him that he still had seven thousand devoted
subjects still in Israel
– seven thousand who had not followed Baal – seven thousand who had not bowed
the knee – seven thousand who had not kissed the false god. As Elijah realized his mistaken ideas – his
inflated ego – his martyr complex, he probably felt the same sense of shame as
our businessman from above. Verse 19
gives us Elijah’s reaction – “So he
departed thence.” And what else did he do?
He threw himself into his work once again – he anointed Elisha to succeed
him – he anointed Hazael as the new king of Syria
– he anointed Jehu as the new king of Israel .
Ain’t God good?!? He
allows us the occasional fall – He allows us our mistakes. Just as He spoke to Elijah in a “still small voice,” so He speaks to
us. Just as He chastised Elijah for his
lack of faith, so He chastises us. Just
as He put Elijah right back to work, so He encourages us to jump right back
in. He warns us not to think too highly
of ourselves – “Pride goeth before
destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18)” – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12).”
But, thankfully, He also gives us grace – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He is a wonderful, forgiving God!
"Lord, Thank you for being there to pick us up when we fall. Help us to see your eternal hand of mercy and to lean upon your strong arm. Amen."
