Wow! There are at least 4 miracles in this chapter. 1) Elijah by the word of the Lord stops the heavens from raining for three years. 2) God provided for Elijah by means of a Raven (a scavenger bird—yuck!). 3) God provided for Elijah and a widow by means of the widow’s flour and oil pots that would not empty. 4) God provided for the widow by Elijah raising the son from the dead. Each one of them would be amazing by itself, but all 4 of them happened by Elijah’s word. All four of them prefigure the miracles of Jesus.
Jesus on the great day of the feast stood up in the temple and proclaimed, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” Can you imagine the thirst the people of Israel had after 3 years of drought? Jesus rescues us from drought.
When Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, do you suppose He visited the brook Cherith? His need was met by fasting. Elijah’s need was met by a scavenger bird. I am not to sure that I would want to eat what a scavenger bird brought me. I mean, how long had the meat been dead? What did it die of? But then if God instilled in it the sense to bring the food to Elijah, I suppose He instilled the sense to bring clean food.
God makes the widow’s flour and oil supernaturally multiply, just like Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes. Did you every wonder what that looked like? I mean, when he broke the loaves could one see each piece of bread grow back to its original size? When the widow poured out the flour or the oil, did she pour out just enough for the meal, and then when she set it down, did it multiply in the jar? Or did it multiply as she poured it out? Hmmm. . . that must have been pretty cool!
Jesus raised the son of the widow at Nain. His body was being carried in the container to the tomb. Jesus touched him, and he sprang back to life! Wow! One moment she was torn with grief that her only family and support was dead, and suddenly he was alive! How long did it take for mourning to turn to dancing? .1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds? How long did it take for the significance of the act to sink in to the mothers and the sons?
So, we see the glory of Jesus prefigured in the four miracles of Elijah. He controls the weather. He provides a place to hide-protection. He provides food. He raises the dead. How does each one apply to me? If I am pursing the will and glory of God, will He do each one for me? Absolutely! The only variable is me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Go to: http://genesistochroniclespictures.blogspot.com/ “Brook Cherith”
PSALM 105
“Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold, and I’m growing old. . .” If you’re old like me, you probably remember that song from the early 70’s. I’m old enough to have watched a number of entertainers go through cycles of trying to find truth and meaning in life. Probably the classic is Bob Dylan. Often celebrated as one of the greatest song writers of the 60’-80’s, he ran the gambit of religions and philosophies. Of course during his “Christian” period, he wrote Gotta Serve Somebody and Man Gave Names to All the Animals. To the best of my knowledge, he currently does not claim Christianity. There is Kris Kristofferson who made a lot of noise about Jesus, especially with his song Why Me Lord? I am not sure where his public stand is right now. There was B.J.Thomas, Rain Drops Keep Fallin on My Head. He professed Christ for a while, then backed off. I think I heard that he is back with Jesus now. Of course there was Jane Fonda. What a radical! She made a few ripples a decade ago about possibly being a follower of Jesus, not sure where she stands now. People keep blindly searching for the truth. Why is it that when they find it, they back away?
Oh there are several answers to that question. The motivations are varied within the same individual and often unknown to the seeker. But I think this Psalm reveals one of the reasons people fall away. Verse 3 commands, “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!” I think the reason the seeker often falls away is a failure to make this his/her motivation. Often we, as seekers, are seeking in order to advance our own glory or our own pleasure. If our own glory or pleasure is not advanced, then we fall away. What does it mean to glory in His name as opposed to my name? Why should I have to be commanded to rejoice when I seek Him? Should it not come naturally as I pursue the One who created all things?
The Psalm is replete with the history of God’s redemptive plan in Israel. Many of those acts go beyond His work with Israel. They are types of what God was going to do in Jesus the Messiah in order to deliver us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light. The Psalmist recounts the many acts that God did before He made them into a great nation. They include the humbling and raising of Joseph, the plaguing of the land of Egypt before their departure, the destruction of the firstborn, the plundering of the Egyptians on the night of their deliverance, the protecting pillar and cloud of the Lord for the nation, the miraculous providing of bread and quail for the sustenance of the people. It is as though the Psalmist is saying, “Connect the dots! These times of suffering and deliverance show the glory of the Lord, not our own glory. Therefore, when suffering and deliverance occur again, connect the dots! God is about to once again reveal His glory! Therefore, led your heart be glad! Rejoice!”
Maybe a reason we have so many people fall away is because we have won them with a promise of glory, but have not helped them to connect the dots of God using the redemptive acts in their lives of suffering and struggle to bring Himself glory in our lives, by our redemption. Therefore, when we continue to suffer or struggle, rather than rejoicing in another opportunity to show His wondrous works, we give up. We thought it was solely about our comfort and redemption. Connect the dots! God used the suffering and discomfort to bring us to Himself. Because of the hardness of our hearts, He must continue to use suffering and discomfort to keep us glorifying Him. Hmmmm. . . Have I connected the dots of suffering and pain that lead me to a knowledge of him? Let my heart rejoice as I seek Him; for when those times of pain and suffering come, it is another opportunity for Him to display His wondrous works and how glorious He is! He alone can keep me searching for a heart of gold. He is that gold. He alone is our reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
HOSEA 14
It was a PTA meeting where all the kids came and we played outside while the adults did whatever it is that adults do in PTA meetings. I was having a blast with my friends. But all good things come to an end. My mother, who was also a teacher, was very tired, so she went on home. (We only lived a block from the school.) There were still a few families at the school who had friends my age. I wanted to stay. So I did. After a while my mother sent my older brother to tell me that it was time to come home. I was having too much fun, so I refused. As older brothers are sometimes prone to do, he tried to force me to come home. I wiggled and squirmed and managed to escape. He gave up the chase and went on home. I played for only a couple of minutes and then all of my friends were gone. The school yard isn’t so much fun alone. Now I had to deal with disobeying my mom and return home. Funny how long one block can be when you know you’ve been disobedient and you are not sure what the reception will be at the other end.
He calls us to return to Him. By the end of Hosea we find how repugnant our adulterous heart toward God is to Him. Yet even at this, He calls us to return to Him. He encourages us to say to Him, “Take away our iniquity, and receive us graciously.” If He encourages us to seek that of Him, then it must be that He is willing to do that. He encourages us to say that we will no longer say to the works of our hands, “You are our gods.” How insulting it must be to Him that we worship our own creation! Yet is it not what do so readily? Are not our jobs, our lands, our cars, yes even our families often more important than Him? Yet He calls us to return to Him. In Him we will find mercy. He will heal our backsliding. He will love us freely.
The one block was a long walk home. I wasn’t sure how I would be received. Yes, I received a strong rebuke when I arrived home, but I did find mercy. That is what we find with our Lord when we truly repent. He will love us freely. Why do we wait so long to repent? Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
1 THESSALONIANS 2
I am reminded again from this passage that part of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He calls us into His own kingdom and glory (v.12) and that, when He returns, part of His glory will be the change that He has produced in us. We are His glory, as our lives are changed by Him (v.19,20). We are called to walk worthy of Him (v. 12). If we are truly justified, the change has already been declared in the heavenly realms. We are called to work out visibly on earth what is true in the heavenlies. That is why focusing on His glory is so important. How can we walk worthy of such glory if we forget what it is? My Jesus not only performed works of power, He always presented attitudes that were beautiful and pleasing to God the Father. He demands holiness, yet extends mercy. He seeks purity, yet pours out grace. He is strong in every situation, yet condescends to me in my weakness. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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