God Uses the Bravado

Remember how we talked about Elijah's boldness before Ahab? Remember how it says Elijah prayed 3.5 years for no rain in Israel and that his time in prayer steeled his heart by the presence of God so that he was not at all affected by the presence of Ahab?

Well, it doesn't take long for us to wonder where that Elijah went. By the time he confronts Ahab at the end of the drought, the years of listening closely to God must have made him feel a bit self-important. Notice the way he begins the conflict with the prophets of Baal:
1 Kings 18:22 (ESV) Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

Now this phrase is not true and Elijah knows it. We know he knows it because we read earlier in the chapter that Obadiah had been hiding and caring for 100 of the Lord's prophets in caves. 

1 Kings 18:3–4 (ESV) And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, 4 and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)

So what gives Elijah? Why the arrogant attitude here?

Because time with God is a good thing. It can prepare us for any battle and strengthen us for any challenge. But, and this is a huge point... the benefits of our time with God could make us insufferable to everyone else. Why? Because we take the strength God gives us and believe we did it for ourselves.

Now, this is not the main event of the story. Elijah prepares his sacrifice for Yahweh and puts on a bit of a show. He calls for water over the sacrifice three times. He calls out to God with a long and flowery speech. Yes, Elijah perhaps at this moment became a bit arrogant and full of himself. He repudiated the faithfulness of Obadiah and ignored the existence of the 100 prophets hidden in the caves. He was also unaware of the 7000 God kept for Himself (we read about that next chapter).

The good news is, that in spite of Elijah's pride, God still honored his efforts and showed up in a big way to turn the hearts of his people back to Himself.
1 Kings 18:36–38 (ESV) And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

1 Kings 18:39 (ESV) And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.”

Friend, if you are going to wait to serve God until you have all your personal issues and hang-ups sorted out, you will be waiting forever! Elijah models both absolute commitment to the Lord and a bit of bravado perhaps he could have done without. No matter, God still works through this man! And that should give us hope that He can and will work through us. 

Where do we get the idea anyway that those who serve the Lord should be meek and mild, quiet and almost predictable? It's not in the text I read. Jesus upended the apple cart of many listeners and healed people in multiple ways, often showing us His glory with mud, spit and simple ceremonial washing. Now Jesus never sinned, but we do and we will. His righteousness covers us even so. Therefore we can serve Him through our foibles and experience His movement in our lives even though we don't have it all together. 

Do you have issues? Great. Serve God through them and with them. He isn't looking for perfect people, He's looking for people to show up.