Kings 19 [Text]

KINGS 19

1Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

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Kings 19 videos-

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgRSBmzdqmqC_eM0J

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yz6mfxwptwilpcy/2-8-18%20Kings%2018.mp4?dl=0

ON VIDEO- [Filmed by the Lexington- good view of C.C. bay]
.The history of fire and Elijah
.Jezebel threatens the prophet
.He ‘saw’ her words and fled
.Why? Words create images in the mind
.Elijah meets God- Earth, Wind and Fire
.Than the still small voice
.The fire in 2nd Kings 1- how did Elijah use it?
.Did Elijah abuse the fire?
.Jesus talks about Elijah and the fire- he came to save, not destroy
.Leadership principles
.Who is ‘your’ Judas? Or do we all play the role at one time or another?

Deuteronomy 18:15
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
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Acts 3:22
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

TEACHING- [Past posts below]
I want to focus on one aspect of this chapter- Elijah’s 2 chances.
In this chapter we read how after the great victory over the false prophets- Elijah is then threatened by Jezebel-
1Kings 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

As he flees her wrath- he requests from God- that he might die-
1Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
He also intercedes- against Israel-
1Kings 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1Kings 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
God provides food and drink for the tired prophet- and after some time to recover-
God asks Elijah once again- and the prophet gives the same answer.

He then basically allows Elijah to leave the ministry- and simply gives him 3 more tasks to do [in the chapter]-
One of them is to anoint his own replacement-
1Kings 19:15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
1Kings 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
In this famous story we see how God was not in the various manifestations-
Specifically not ‘in the fire’-
1Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
1Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
I feel that Elijah had a chance to change his response.
That God was showing the prophet that his job was not only to mete out justice- but to also make intercession for his people.

In the New Testament we read how 2 disciples of Jesus remembered the history of Elijah- and they asked Jesus if they too should call down fire from heaven-
Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
Luke 9:52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Luke 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Jesus rebukes them- and shows them that he came to save men- not destroy men-
Luke 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
What account were the disciples referring to?
It is found in 2nd Kings 1-
2Kings 1:9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
2Kings 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
2Kings 1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
2Kings 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Notice how Elijah [not God] took it upon himself to call down fire- he already had the great experience where God came thru for him- with fire-
1Kings 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Yet now it seems like he became too familiar with it.
After all- the messengers did not have to die this day [the 2 companies of 50]- yet- as a prophet sent from God-
He knew God would honor his word.

The authority the prophet had was for real- and he had the faith to see it work- as many times as he felt he should ‘Tap’ into it.
Yet Jesus- and Paul- tell us that he was interceding in a wrong way-
Paul puts it this way-
Romans 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
Romans 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Romans 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
It’s possible that Elijah had simply missed the reality that God tempers judgment- with mercy.
It’s possible that he had ‘too much faith’- meaning- he knew God would send the fire- because he did it before.

It will be the same fire that takes him into heaven-
2Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Yet we see that just because you have the gift- a real gift- it does not always mean your motives are correct.
The bible tells us faith works by love-

Galatians 5:6
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
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And the great apostle himself teaches us if we have powerful gifts- yet without love- it means nothing-
1Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Elijah will go on to carry out the rest of his ministry-
God will continue to come thru for him in a bind.

Yet I think his ministry was cut short-
Because he missed the most important thing-
The fire he became familiar with was not only for the purpose of judgement-
But it was to save men’s lives as well-
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. [Some sites see here  https://corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com/2022/11/kings-19-text.html?m=0 ]