Life of Elijah - Elijah's Restoration 1 Kings 19:5-18 (Sermon 14)

Elijah was a man who accomplished great exploits in the Name of his God, Yahweh.

• However, he was also a man just like us (James 5:17).

After the victory of Mount Carmel, Elijah came to a major setback.

• Ahab still blamed Elijah for the drought and for killing the prophets of Baal.

• Jezebel flew into a rage and threatened to kill Elijah, just as he had killed the prophets.

The Scriptures give an honest account of what happened next:

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life … He prayed that he might die.

• Elijah was in a state of despair & depression. He couldn't see any way forward.

• All he could see was a time of uncertainty and a continuation of wickedness & apostacy.

Last time we saw how Spiritual Depression is a Valid Christian Experience.

• All believers must expect times of both Victory & Depression.
• We can expect to experience what has been described as: "The dark night of the soul."

Having looked at Elijah's time of DESPAIR & DEPRESSION;

We'll now consider Elijah's RESTORATION.

We'll answer TWO QUESTIONS concerning the Restoration of Elijah:

FIRSTLY: Who did this work of restoration?

SECONDLY: How was this work of restoration accomplished?

Firstly, then: Who did this work of restoration?

In 1 K 19:5 we read: "Elijah lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, 'Get up and eat.'"

Verse 5 gives us an indefinite description of the messenger sent by God:

The writer says: "An angel touched Elijah"

This special messenger is identified in a more definite manner in verse 7:

"The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,

'Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.'"

This was no ordinary angel from the host of heaven - This was "the angel of Jehovah"

• This is what the theologians describe as "a Theophany"
• This angel of Jehovah is a pre-incarnate manifestation of the 2^nd Person of the Trinity.
• This is an Old Testament appearance of the Eternal Son of God.

This fact is further emphasised in verse 9:

"And the Word of the Lord came to him: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'"

In the A.V., the emphasis shows the meaning more clearly:

This was the Word of God of whom the Apostle John says (John 1:1):

"In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God" The instrument of Elijah's restoration was none other than the Lord Jesus himself.

Note that God did not send the ravens as he had done at the Brook Kerith.

• God did not provide Elijah's needs through a widow woman as he did at Zarephath.

Elijah was now facing a greater and more desperate time of need.

• He was in the wilderness of despair & depression.

• So the Lord sent a special messenger as a special manifestation of his grace & mercy.
• God's Son, the Saviour, came personally to minister to the needs of Elijah.

The appearance of the Saviour was living proof that God is the Sovereign Lord.

• By sending his own dear Son to care for his servant, God gave Elijah a special assurance

There was no need for Elijah to fear for the cause of God in Israel!

This passage speaks eloquently of the Lord Jesus as the Restorer of our souls.

He is the One of whom the Psalmist says:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green

pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul" (Ps 23:1-3)

C H Spurgeon comments on this phrase - "He restoreth my soul", saying:

"When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it;

when it is weak he strengthens it."

Matthew Poole says that the literal meaning is:

"He bringeth back my soul … The idea of restoration to a forsaken path is

combined with that of recovered strength to walk in it."

The hymn of Robert Robertson comes to mind:

"O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wandering soul to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;

Take my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it from thy courts above!"

Remember the words of Isaiah concerning the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:3):

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out."

• The Lord Jesus takes the bruised reed of Elijah's soul & refuses to break it.
• He takes the smouldering wick and refuses to snuff it out.

• He restores the lamp - he trims the wick & pours in fresh oil until it burns brightly,

with a clear & smokeless light, before the whole nation.

Elijah was in the wilderness of depression & isolation,

but he was not beyond the reach of the restoring power of the Angel of the Lord.

• The same is true of every servant of God who feels in a state of depression today!

• This same Angel of the Lord will restore us, just as he restored Elijah.

We are considering TWO QUESTIONS concerning the Restoration of Elijah:

FIRSTLY: Who did this work of restoration?

• It was the Angel of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, "the Restorer of our Souls."

SECONDLY: How was this work of restoration accomplished?

The FIRST thing God did was to assure Elijah of his love & concern in time of need (v5)

• This is a reminder that, no matter how far we drift away, the Saviour never leaves us.

Elijah was a man who was prepared to stand alone for the Living God.

• He wasn't in a state of depression because of a guilty conscience.

• He was a man who had poured out himself as a Living Sacrifice in the service of his Lord

• He was a man who could say (18:15; 19:10):

" I serve the Living God … I have been zealous for the Lord God Almighty"

When a man like Elijah feels depressed & discouraged, and prays stupid prayers saying:

"I have had enough, Lord. Take my life" (19:4).

What does God do?

God did not come with a word of rebuke or a word of condemnation. He didn't say:

• What are you doing, grovelling in your unbelief?

• He didn't ask Elijah if he still believed in the God who sent fire from heaven.

• He didn't ask if his God had gone on a journey like the prophets of Baal.

• There is no language of rebuke or ridicule in the message of the Angel.

Instead, the very language of the passage speaks of God's love & concern for Elijah:

"The angel touched him" - The Angel stooped down & touched him, ever so gently.

• The Angel wakes Elijah up with a smile on his face, and says: "Get up and eat."
• The loving & caring attitude of the Lord of Glory is obvious for all to see.

When Elijah had eaten & drank his fill, you may think he was ready for service again:

• But, yet again, we see God's gentleness & loving-kindness in his dealings with Elijah.
• After Elijah had partaken of God's bountiful provision, we read:

• God didn't send him straight back to the Nation of Israel.
• God left him to rest, saying: "My son, you are weary - so lie down & go to sleep"

The first thing Elijah receives from the Lord is an assurance of his love & concern.

God is saying to his servant Elijah:

- You have run away from Jezebel in fear of your life.

• You have laid yourself down under this tree, hoping you will never wake up.

• You are in a state of depression.

Be assured of this one thing, my son - Your God cares for you - so:

"Get up and eat. Then go back to sleep until you are fully rested"!

That wasn't all - we go on to read:

"The angel of the Lord came back a second time & touched him and said,

'Get up & eat, for the journey is too much for you." (19:7-8).

Yet again, the Angel of the Lord dealt gently with Elijah by showing his love & concern

• He touches him and encourages him to eat & drink again.

Note the reason why God did this:

"Because the journey is too much for you" (19:7).

• My son, in your present condition, the journey would be more than you could endure.
• You need more rest & food & drink to strengthen you for the arduous journey.

"He got up and ate & drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled

40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God" (19:8).

After the arduous journey, the Angel allows Elijah to sleep in a cave on Mt Horeb (v9).

• God allows his servant to rest until his mental & emotional powers were restored.
• Only after this time of recuperation did God to deal with his conscience, by asking:

"What are you doing here Elijah?" (19:9)

The Lord God was NOT CONDONING what Elijah had done.

- God did not say that it was right for Elijah to run away from Jezebel.

• Nevertheless, God assured Elijah that he was still the object of God's love & concern!
• He assured Elijah that he still had a plan & purpose for him - He was still a child of God.

This was the manner in which Jesus treated his disciples after the resurrection:

• After the death of their Lord, the disciples felt despondent; So they decided to go fishing;
• Jesus revealed his power to them by providing a miraculous catch of fish (John ch 21).
• This is the same loving Jesus who restored Peter after his denial (Jn 21).

This is the Saviour who said:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and

ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Mtt 11:28-29).

Surely this is the way we ought to deal with one another.

When we see a fellow believer who is who is dejected and depressed, this is how to react.

• We need to deal gently with someone who is physically & emotionally drained.

• The best ministry you can perform for someone grovelling in discouragement & unbelief is to gently assure them of your love & concern for them.
• They need a word of encouragement, instead of a word of rebuke!
• When it’s the right time, you can probe their conscience.
• But first of all - be gentle - show a genuine love & concern for their general well being.

We are considering God's Work of Restoration in the Life of Elijah:
How was the work of restoration accomplished?

1. God assures Elijah of his love & concern in his time of need (v5)
2. God met Elijah's immediate needs as a whole man (v5-6)

Take note of the emphasis throughout this passage (19:4-9):

"Elijah lay down under the tree and fell asleep … An angel said, 'Get up and eat.'

He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals,

and a jar of water. He ate & drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord

came back a second time … & said, 'Get up and eat' … So he got up & ate & drank.

Strengthened by that food, he travelled 40 days and 40 nights until he reached

Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night."

Note the great emphasis on the TWO most important PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS that we have as Human Beings - the need for food & drink and the need for rest & sleep.

- God knew that Elijah was physically & mentally exhausted after the events of Carmel.

• He allowed Elijah to rest & eat & drink.
• Then God said: "My child, you haven't had enough of these basic needs."
• I'm going to give you sufficient for you to face the task that I have laid out for you.
• Strengthened by that food, drink & rest - Elijah travelled 40 days & 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God!

God met Elijah's IMMEDIATE NEEDS.

• There is a close interplay between the Body, Mind & Soul.
• Therefore, the Lord first gave Elijah sufficient rest & sustenance for his Mind & Body.
• Only then did God speak to Elijah's Soul in v11-18.
• In order that the WHOLE MAN might be ready to be recommissioned for Service,

God dealt with his physical as well as his spiritual needs.

The message of this passage is clear:

You have as much need for Sleep & Rest as you have for Biblical Instruction.

• The problem that troubles the mind and makes you feel physically sick in the evening,

you can usually take in our stride next morning.

• You haven't had a thunderbolt experience or a special revelation from God;
• You've simply known the God-ordained refreshment of rest for the Mind & Body.
• Your Emotions have had time to get back into equilibrium.

Your Mind has been rested.

Your Body has been allowed to recuperate from physical exhaustion.

After a good nights sleep you are in a fit state to cope with the problem.

It may seem a romantic idea to speak of burning ourselves out in the service of God.

• But, most of the time, this is not a truly Biblical approach to Christian Service.

• The Lord himself recognises the need for Rest & Recuperation.
• God recognises the fact that a worn out soldier is of little use on the spiritual battlefield.
• The Biblical Norm is for God and his people to care for Body, Mind & Soul - all three.

This is a reminder that we must be sensitive to our physical needs.

• There are times when we need to tell ourselves to go and have a good sleep.

• There are times when we need to tell ourselves to go and have a refreshing holiday.

• There are times when you will see a fellow believer spiritually & mentally exhausted because of being overworked - advise them to have a rest for a while -offer to help them.
• Sometimes we have to do this to save people from a mental & spiritual breakdown!

Elijah was in need of special instruction from the Lord.

• He needed to understand that, despite major setbacks, the Sovereign God is in control!
• BUT, his immediate need was for physical strength. He needed rest, food & drink.
• God has designed us to function in all aspects of our being - body, mind & soul.
• Although the Spiritual aspect is important for our effectiveness in God's service - nevertheless, it is vitally important that we also take care of the Body & Mind.

We cannot divorce the Physical from the Spiritual!

• One part of our being is affected by the other parts.

The wise King Solomon said:

"A heart at peace gives life to the body … A cheerful heart is a good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 14:30; 17:22).

• So long as we are in this world, the Life of the Soul cannot separated from the Body.
• The Body cannot be separated from the Mind.
• They are all intimately related and inter-connected.

God is giving us some very practical advice through his dealings with Elijah:

• Depression is not simply a spiritual or emotional state.
• Depression has physical as well as spiritual causes.

God's PRIMARY & natural CURE for physical, mental & spiritual exhaustion is

SLEEP & REGULAR MEALS.

• If you feel stressed out - allow yourself more sleep - have regular & substantial meals.
• Don't go on day after day trying to get by on junk food because you are too busy.
• Plan your routine so that you get a decent night's sleep.
• If you have been extremely busy & feel exhausted, have a lie in on your day off.

• You may need medical, spiritual or practical help, or even all three, but seek help.

We are considering God's Work of Restoration in the Life of Elijah:
How was this work of restoration accomplished?

1. God assures Elijah of his love & concern in time of need (v5)
2. God met Elijah's immediate needs as a whole man (v5-6)
3. God restored his servant Elijah by revealing the diversity of his Sovereign Power

• Elijah had spent the night in a cave on Mt Horeb, the Mountain of God.

In the morning, the word of the Lord came to Elijah & said:

"What are you doing here Elijah?" (19:9)

Elijah replies in a tone of despair & desperation from the turmoil of his depressed soul:

"I have been zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your

covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (19:10)

The Lord's answer to Elijah's cry of desperation is clearly stated (1 K 19:11-13):

• Elijah is commanded to stand at the mouth of the cave on Mount Horeb.

The Lord was about to pass by and reveal his Mighty Power to his dejected prophet.

"Then a great & powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks

before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an

earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire,

but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When

Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth

of the cave."

What is God seeking to teach Elijah here?

God is saying that his Sovereign Power is not restricted to one way of working.

• The Lord is placing before his servant Elijah the whole of his prophetic ministry.

God is saying: "Elijah, you have been a prophet who has seen me working as

a great & powerful wind, as an earthquake, and as a fire from heaven."

FIRST of all, God sends the WIND:

Remember how I sent you to King Ahab like a GREAT & POWERFUL WIND;

• You were just like a whirlwind that arose all of a sudden out of the desert.

• You came without warning to Evil King Ahab and declared:

"As the Lord God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in

the next few years except at my word" (1 K 17:1).

• BUT, God tells Elijah that, this time, he has no special word in the Mighty Wind.

SECONDLY, God shows his Power by sending an EARTHQUAKE:

Remember that after 3 1/2 years of drought I sent you again to King Ahab.

• I sent you with a word of rebuke & condemnation that came just like an EARTHQUAKE, shaking the very foundations of Ahab's kingdom:

• When the people were gathered on Mt Carmel you struck again as your voice thundered out like a MIGHTY EARTHQUAKE, saying:

• BUT God tells Elijah that, this time, the Voice of God was not in the earthquake.

THIRDLY, God sent FIRE:

Remember how I commanded you to give the whole nation a Challenge by Fire:

"You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.

The god who ANSWERS by FIRE - he is God" (18:24)

Remember how I answered your prayer by sending down FIRE from heaven (19:38):

Remember how the people responded when I sent down FIRE from heaven, saying:

"The Lord, he is God! The Lord - he is God!" (!8:39).

BUT God tells Elijah that, on this occasion, the Voice of God was not present in the fire.

Elijah, you need to learn that this is not the only way in which I reveal my Power:

• AFTER this dramatic manifestation of God's Sovereign Power, Elijah recognises the VOICE of God when it comes like a GENTLE WHISPER (A.V. a still small voice)

God is saying to Elijah: "I am the God who works by Wind & Earthquake & Fire,

but I am also the God who works in the Quietness of a GENTLE WHISPER.

• You think you are the only true believer in Israel;
• You think you are the only one who has not bowed the knee to Baal;
• But, you have not noticed that I have still been working by my Sovereign Power:

As surely as God works in Wind, Earthquake & Fire, he works in a Gentle Whisper;

• God works in the hearts of men & women, boys & girls, in a still small voice.
• At times God works in Revival Power!
• At other times God works with a GENTLE WHISPER -

with a gentle stillness - silently & secretly - but just as powerfully & effectively.

Believer - take heart from the fact that God is still at work in our own day,

just as he was at work in the days of the Reformers & the Wesleys & Whitfield.

• The work is not so dramatic, but God is still at work in times of comparative silence;

• He at work in a gentle whisper; in a still small voice.

Remember how Jesus promised (Mtt 16:18):

"I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"

• It may seem that Christ has stopped the work, but Scripture tells us otherwise.

• We should not become disheartened because we don't see

the Wind, the Earthquake & the Fire of God's Sovereign Power.

• God's Gentle Whisper is no less powerful than the Wind, Earthquake & Fire!

Note how this is the PRECISE MESSAGE which Elijah required for his own soul

in this time of DESPAIR & DEPRESSION:

• God had allowed Elijah to run away into the wilderness to teach him a lesson.
• We have already noted how God revealed his love & concern for his servant.
• We have also noted how the Angel of the Lord touched him tenderly & lovingly and ministered to his Physical Need for Food & Drink & Sleep.

Now we see how the Lord exhorts Elijah to Quieten the turmoil in his Mind & Soul:

God says to Elijah: "I am speaking to you in a Gentle Whisper - in a still small voice."

God speaks to us today in the same manner that he spoke to Elijah.

God speaks in the words of the Psalmist:

"God is a refuge & strength, an ever present help in trouble …

Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:1 & 10)

God speaks to our Souls in the same manner that Jesus spoke to the wind & the waves: "'Peace! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely still" (Mark 4:39).

God speaks to our Souls in the same manner that Paul to the Colossians (3:15):

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace."

We must speak to our Souls in the same manner as the Psalmist David did:

"Find REST, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my

rock and salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and

my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge" (Ps 62:5-7).

When we tell our souls to "Be STILL", we will find REST for our Souls.

• We acknowledge the fact that our hope is in God & in God alone!
• In the STILLNESS & QUIETNESS we FIND STRENGTH in the Inner Man:

H C Leupold remarks:

"There are times when the danger threatening is beyond man's ability to control the

situation. All that is left is to wait on the Lord … Passive reliance on the Lord is

not weakness; it is actually strength. A great word of faith!"

Dr Lloyd-Jones says in his book Spiritual Depression:

"I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of depression in a sense is this,

that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. This is the very

essence of wisdom in this matter. Have you realised that most of your unhappiness in

life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"

We listen to our problems, instead of quietly trusting in Lord!

• We remain depressed because we feed the depression!

Instead of wallowing in morbid introspection, we must say to ourselves:

• Be still, and know that the Lord, he his God.

• Hope in God and take refuge in him.

• You do not do not fight the powers of evil in your own strength.

The Lord is your strength and your salvation!

• In the midst of your despair and depression - Be still & rest in the Lord your God!

• Remind yourself of whom God is. Remind yourself of what God has done in the past.

• Remind yourself of the promises of God for the future.

Ask yourself the QUESTION:

"Why art thou cast down O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?"

Come back with the ASSURANCE:

"Hope thou in God: For I shall yet praise him" (Psalm 42:5)