But the prophet did not stop here; it would have been sad indeed had he been confined to the humiliating story of Israel"s failure, and the departure of their ancient glory; he was able, through grace, to add to the solemn announcement, "O Israel, _thou_ hast destroyed thyself,"
the consolatory a.s.surance, "but IN ME is thy help;" and herein we have developed to us the two elements which composed the ministry of the prophets, namely, Israel"s total failure, and G.o.d"s triumphant grace--the departure of the glory as connected with, and based upon, the obedience of Israel, and its final return and establishment as connected with, and based upon, the obedience and death of the Son of G.o.d.
Truly, we may say, this was ministry of a very elevated and holy character; it was a glorious commission to be told to stand amid the fragments of a crushed and ruined system, and there to point to the time--the happy time--when G.o.d would display Himself in the immortal results of His own redeeming grace, to the joy of His ransomed ones in heaven and on earth.
_SECTION I._
THE PROPHET"S FIRST MESSAGE.
The reign of Ahab, the son of Omri, was a dark and dreary time for the house of Israel; iniquity had risen to a fearful height; the sins of Jeroboam were little when compared with the black catalogue of Ahab"s transgressions; the wicked Jezebel, the daughter of the uncirc.u.mcised king of the Zidonians, was chosen to be the partner of his heart and his throne, and this circ.u.mstance alone was enough to secure the oppression of Israel, and the entire subversion of their ancient worship. In a word, the Spirit sums up the whole matter with these words, "Ahab did more to provoke the Lord G.o.d of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him" (1 Kings xvi. 33). This was saying enough for him. The whole line of kings from Jeroboam down, had done evil in the sight of the Lord; but to do more than all of them, marked a character of no ordinary degree of guilt. Yet such was Ahab--such was the man that occupied the throne of G.o.d"s ancient people, when Elijah the Tishbite entered upon his course of prophetic testimony.
There is something particularly sorrowful to the spirit in contemplating a scene like that which the reign of Ahab presents.
Every light had been extinguished, every voice of testimony hushed; the firmament in which many a brilliant luminary had shone from time to time, had become overcast with dark clouds; death seemed to spread itself over the whole scene, and the devil to carry every thing with a high hand, when, at length, G.o.d in His mercy to His poor oppressed and misguided people, raised up a bright and powerful witness for Himself in the person of our prophet. But then it is just at such a time that a real witness for G.o.d is likely to produce the most powerful effect, and exert the most extensive influence. It is after a long drought that a shower is likely to be felt in all its refreshing virtue. The state of things at this time in Israel called for some mighty man of valor to come forth and act in divine energy against the tide of evil.
However, it is instructive to observe that Elijah is presented to us, in common with all his fellow-servants, in circ.u.mstances of secret training and exercise ere he appears in public. This is a feature in the history of all the servants of G.o.d, not excepting Him who was emphatically _the Servant_; all have been trained in secret with G.o.d previous to their acting in public with man; and, moreover, those who have entered most deeply into the meaning and value of the secret training will be found the most effective and permanent in their public service and testimony. That man has much cause to tremble for his destiny who has arrived at a position in public which exceeds the measure of his secret exercise of soul before G.o.d; he will a.s.suredly come short. If the superstructure exceed the measure of the foundation below, the building will totter or fall. If a tree shoot forth its branches into the air to a degree exceeding the depth of its roots, it will be unequal to the violence of the storm, and will come to the ground: so is it with the man who enters a place of public service; he must be _alone with G.o.d_; his spirit must be exercised in private; he must pa.s.s through the deep waters in his own experience, otherwise he will be but a theorist, and not a witness; his ear must be opened to hear, ere his tongue can be fitted to speak as the learned. What has become of all those apparently brilliant lights which have suddenly flashed across the path of the Church of G.o.d from time to time, and as suddenly disappeared behind the cloud? Whence came they, and whither have they gone, and why have they been so evanescent? They were but sparks of human kindling; there was no depth, no power of endurance, no reality in them; hence they shone for a time, and speedily vanished away, producing no result save to increase the darkness around, or at least the sad consciousness thereof. Every true minister of G.o.d should be able, in measure, to say with the apostle, "Blessed be G.o.d, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the G.o.d of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of G.o.d" (2 Cor. i. 3, 4).
I Kings xvii. gives us Elijah"s first appearance in public; but the Spirit, in James, has graciously furnished us with the account of a yet earlier stage in his history, and one full of instruction to us, be our sphere of service what it may. The sacred historian introduces our prophet in a way which might seem abrupt. He presents him to us as at once boldly entering upon his sphere of labor, with this grand and solemn announcement, "Thus saith the Lord." But he does not tell us, in this place, anything of the prophet"s previous exercise; he speaks not of how it was he came to learn how the Lord would have him to speak: of all this, though most important for us to know, the Spirit in the historian says nothing; He simply introduces him to our notice in the holy exercise of a power which he had obtained in secret with G.o.d: He shows us Elijah acting in public, and nothing more. But the apostle lets us into the secret of Elijah"s prayer _to G.o.d_, before ever he came out in active service before _man_. "Elias was a man subject to like pa.s.sions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the s.p.a.ce of three years and six months" (James v. 17).
Now, if the Holy Ghost had not informed us about this important fact, by the pen of James, we should have lacked a very powerful incentive to prayer; but Scripture is perfect--divinely perfect, lacking nothing that it ought to have, and having nothing that it ought to lack; hence it is that James tells us of Elijah"s secret moments of prayer and wrestling, and shows him to us in the retirement of the mountains of Gilead, where he had, no doubt, mourned over the lamentable state of things in Israel, and also fortified his spirit for the part he was about to act.
This circ.u.mstance in the life of our prophet teaches us a truly profitable lesson. We live in a time of more than usual barrenness and spiritual dearth. The state of the Church may well remind us of Ezekiel"s valley of dry bones. We have not merely to cope with evils which have characterized by-gone ages, but also with the matured corruption of a time wherein the varied evils of the Gentile world have become connected with, and covered by, the cloak of the Christian profession. And when we turn to the state of those whose knowledge of truth and high profession might naturally encourage the expectation of more healthy and vigorous Christian action, we find alas! in many that the knowledge is but cold and uninfluential theory, and the profession but superficial, having no power over the feelings and affections of the inward man. Amongst persons of this cla.s.s it will also be found that the truth of G.o.d possesses little or no interest, or attractive power; they know so much in the intellect that nothing can be presented to them with which they are not already acquainted: hence the lifelessness with which they harken to every statement of truth.
In such a condition of things, what is the resource of the faithful one? To what should he betake himself? Prayer; patient, persevering prayer; secret communion with G.o.d; deep and real exercise of soul in His presence, where alone we can arrive at a true estimate of ourselves, and things around us: and not only so, but also obtain spiritual power to act for G.o.d amongst our brethren, or toward the world without. "Elias was a man of like pa.s.sions with us;" and he found himself in the midst of dark apostasy, and wide-spread alienation of heart from G.o.d. He beheld the faithful failing from amongst the children of men; he saw the tide of evil rising around him, and the light of truth fast fading away: the altar of Baal had displaced the altar of Jehovah, and the cries of the priests of Baal had drowned the sacred songs of the Levites; in a word, the whole thing was one vast ma.s.s of ruin before his view. He felt it; he wept over it; he did more--"_he prayed earnestly_."
Here was the resource--the sure unfailing resource of the grieved prophet; he retreated into the presence of G.o.d; he poured out his spirit there, and wept over the ruin and sorrow of his beloved people; he was really engaged about the sad condition of things around him, and therefore prayed about it--prayed as he ought, not coldly, formally, or occasionally, but "earnestly," and perseveringly.
This is a blessed example for us. Never was there a time when fervent prayer was so much needed in the Church of G.o.d as at this moment. The devil seems to be exerting all his malignant power to crush the spirits and hinder the activities of the people of G.o.d; with some, he makes use of their public engagements; with others, their domestic trials; and with others, personal sorrow and conflict; in a word, "There are many adversaries," and nothing but the mighty power of G.o.d can enable us to cope with them and come off victorious.
But Elijah was not merely called to pa.s.s unscathed, as an individual, through the evil; he was called to exert an influence upon others: he was called to act for G.o.d in a degenerate age; he had to make an effort to bring his nation back to the G.o.d of their fathers; how much more, therefore, did he need to seek the Lord in private; to gather up spiritual strength in the presence of G.o.d, whereby alone he could not only escape himself, but be made an instrument of blessing to others also. Elijah felt all this, and therefore "he prayed earnestly that it might not rain."
Thus it was he brought G.o.d into the scene, nor did he fail of his object. "It rained not." G.o.d will never refuse to act when faith addresses Him on the ground of His own glory, and we know it was simply upon this ground that the prophet addressed Him. It could afford him no pleasure to see the land turned into a parched and sterile wilderness, or his brethren wasted by famine and all its attendant horrors. No; it was simply to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers--to bring the nation back to its early faith--to eradicate those principles of error which had taken fast hold of the minds of the people: for such ends as these did our prophet pray earnestly that it might not rain, and G.o.d harkened and heard, because the prayer was the offspring of His Spirit in the soul of His dear servant.
Truly we may say, _it is good to wait upon G.o.d_: it not only leads to happy results as seen in G.o.d"s answer to it, but there is also much sweetness and comfort in the exercise itself. How truly happy it is for the tried and tempted believer to find himself alone with G.o.d! how blessed to allow his spirit to flow out, and his affections to ascend to Him who alone is able to lift him above the depressing power of present things into the calmness and light of His own most blessed presence! May we all be found, then, waiting more upon G.o.d--making the very difficulties of our day an occasion for drawing near to the mercy-seat, and then we shall not only exert a salutary influence in our respective spheres, but our own heart will be comforted and encouraged by private waiting upon our Father, for the promise has never yet failed, "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength!" Precious promise! May we make full proof of it!
Thus, Elijah the Tishbite entered upon his path of service; he came forth armed from the sanctuary of G.o.d with divine power to deal with, and act upon, his fellow-men. There is much power in the words, "as the Lord G.o.d of Israel liveth _before whom I stand_;" they bring before us in a very special way the basis on which the soul of this eminent servant of G.o.d was resting, as also the principle which sustained him in his course of service. He stood before "THE LORD G.o.d OF ISRAEL," and so standing, he could speak with a measure of power and authority.
But how very little did Ahab know of the secret exercises of Elijah"s soul, ere he had thus come forth to speak to his conscience! He knew not that Elijah had been on his knees in secret before he presented himself in public. He knew nothing of all this, but Elijah did, and hence he could boldly confront the very head of the evil; he could speak to king Ahab himself, and announce to him the judgments of an offended G.o.d. In this, our prophet may be viewed as a fine model for all who are called upon to speak in the name of the Lord. All who are so called should feel themselves, in virtue of their divine commission, entirely lifted above the influence of human opinion. How often does it happen that men who can speak with a measure of power and liberty in the presence of some, are before others cramped, and, it may be, altogether hindered! This we know would not be the case did they but realize with distinctness, not only that they had received their commission from on high, but also that they executed it in the presence of _the living G.o.d_. The messenger of the Lord should never be affected by those to whom he delivers his message; he should be above them, while at the same time he takes the humble place of a servant. His language should be, "But with me it is a very small matter that I should be judged of you, or of man"s judgment."
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This was pre-eminently the case with our blessed Master. How little was He affected by the thoughts or judgments of those to whom He spoke! They might thwart, oppose, and reject, but that never led Him for a moment to lose sight of the fact that He was sent of G.o.d. He carried with Him, throughout His entire course, the holy, soul-sustaining a.s.surance expressed in the synagogue of Nazareth, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor," etc. (Luke iv. 18). Here was the basis of His ministry as Son of man. It was "in the power of the Spirit," and hence He ever felt Himself to be the minister of G.o.d, and as such raised quite above the influence of those with whom He had to do. "My doctrine is not Mine," said He, "but His that sent Me." He could truly say, "The Lord G.o.d of Israel, _before whom I stand_:" He was ever "the Lord"s messenger," speaking "in the Lord"s message unto the people"
(Hag. i. 13).
And should not all who fill the place of servants or messengers of the Lord, seek to know more of this holy elevation of mind above men and circ.u.mstances? Should they not aim at being less under the power of human thoughts and feelings? What have we to do with the thoughts of men about us? Nothing. Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; whether they will accept, or whether they will reject; whether we shall be highly esteemed for our work"s sake, or made of no reputation--still let it be our aim, our constant aim, to "approve ourselves as the ministers of G.o.d."
But observe further, the power and authority with which our prophet speaks, "There shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word." He felt such perfect a.s.surance in the fact that he was standing in the Lord"s presence, and speaking the Lord"s words, yea, that he was thoroughly identified with Him, that he could say, "according to my word."
Such was the privilege of the Lord"s messenger, when delivering the Lord"s message. Such are the wondrous results of secret prayer. "Elias was a man of like pa.s.sions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the s.p.a.ce of three years and six months." May it prove a powerful incentive to all those who desire to act for G.o.d in this day of weakness! We want to be more in the presence of G.o.d, in the real sense of our need; if we felt our need more, we should have more of _the spirit of prayer_. And it is the spirit of prayer we want--that spirit which puts G.o.d in His own proper place of _giver_, and us into our proper place of _receivers_.
But how often are we deceived by the mere form of prayer--with the formal utterance of words which have no reality in them! There are many who make a kind of G.o.d of prayer--many who let their very prayers get between their souls and the G.o.d of prayer. This is a great snare. We should always take care that our prayers are the natural outflow of the Spirit within us, and not of the mere superst.i.tious performance of what we think ought to be done.[15]
[15] I would offer a few words here on the subject of united prayer among Christians, an exercise which seems so sadly neglected by us at a time when it is so specially needed. It will be generally found that collective life and energy, service and testimony, will be in proportion to the measure of collective waiting upon G.o.d. Where there are not public prayer-meetings, there is sure to be a lack of service and testimony; the interests of the Church of G.o.d are not realized, and, as a consequence, the things of earth occupy a place of undue prominence in the minds of Christians. If we _felt_ our collective weakness, there would be a collective utterance of that weakness, and, moreover, a renewal of our collective strength. Now I think it will be found that all important movements among the people of G.o.d have been the result of united heartfelt prayer. And surely we may say it is natural that it should be so. We are not to expect that G.o.d will pour forth His reviving grace on those who rest satisfied with their deadness and coldness. The word is, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." If we will not open our mouths, how can they be filled? If we are satisfied with what we have, how can we expect to get more? Let it be, therefore, the aim of the Christian reader to stir up his fellow-Christians around him to seek the Lord in united prayer, and, he may be a.s.sured of it, the happy results will speedily be seen.
SECTION II.
THE PROPHET IN RETIREMENT.
Hardly had our prophet delivered his testimony when he was again called away from public observation into retirement and solitude. "And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and _hide thyself_ by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan."
These words are full of deep instruction. Elijah had taken a very prominent place in the presence of Israel, and though his having done so was the result of previous retirement and exercise of soul in the presence of G.o.d, yet did the faithful One for whom he was acting see it needful to have him away again into privacy, that so he might not only occupy a high place in the presence of his brethren, but also a low place in the presence of G.o.d. All this is full of teaching for us.
We must be kept low. Flesh must be crushed. Our time of _training in secret_, must far exceed our time of _acting in public_. Elijah stood, as it were, for a brief moment, in public testimony, and that too, after having been alone with G.o.d, and he must at once be led away into seclusion for three years and a half.
Oh! how little can man be trusted; how badly can we bear to be set in a place of honor! How soon we forget ourselves and G.o.d! We shall see presently, how much our honored prophet needed to be thus kept in retirement. The Lord knew his temperament and tendencies, and dealt with him accordingly. It is truly humiliating to think how little we can be trusted in the way of public testimony for Christ; we are so full of self; we vainly imagine that _we_ are something, and that G.o.d will do much by _us_: hence it is that we need, like our prophet, to be told to "hide ourselves," to get away from public view, that we may learn, in the holy calmness of our Father"s presence, our own proper nothingness. And the spiritual mind can at once see the importance of all this. It would never do to be always before the eye of man; no creature could stand it: the Son of G.o.d Himself constantly sought the solitary place, apart from the din and bustle of the city, where He might enjoy a quiet retreat for prayer, and of secret communion with G.o.d. "Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives." "Rising up a great while before day, He departed into a solitary place and there prayed."
But it was not because He needed to hide Himself, for His entire path on earth was, blessed be His name, a hiding of self. The spirit of His ministry is brought out in these words, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me." Would that all the Lord"s servants knew more of this! We all want to hide self more,--much more than we do. The devil acts so on our poor silly hearts; our thoughts so revolve round ourselves; yea, we so often make our very service, and the truth of G.o.d, a pedestal on which to show forth our own glory. No marvel, therefore, that we are not much used: how could the Lord make use of agents who will not give Him the glory? How can the Lord use Israel, when Israel is ever p.r.o.ne to vaunt himself? Let us then pray to be made more truly humble, more self-abased, more willing to be looked upon as "a dead dog, or a flea," or "the off-scouring of all things,"
or nothing at all, for the name of our gracious Master.
In His lonely retreat by the brook Cherith, Elijah was called to sojourn many days; not, however, without a precious promise from the Lord G.o.d of Israel in reference to his needed provision, for he went accompanied by the gracious a.s.surance, "_I have commanded_ the ravens to feed thee there." The Lord would take care of His dear servant while hidden from public view, and minister to his necessities, even though it should be by the instrumentality of ravens. What a strange provision! What a continual exercise of faith was there involved in being called to look out for the daily visits of birds that would naturally desire to devour the prophet"s meal! But was it upon the ravens that Elijah lived? Surely not. His soul reposed in the precious words, "_I have commanded_." It was G.o.d, and not the ravens, for him.
He had the G.o.d of Israel with him in his hiding place--he lived by faith. And how truly blessed for the spirit thus to cling, in unaffected simplicity, to the promise of G.o.d! How happy to be lifted above the power of circ.u.mstances, in the apprehension of G.o.d"s presence and care! Elijah was hiding himself from man, while G.o.d was showing Himself to Elijah. This will ever be so. Let us only set self aside, and we may be a.s.sured that G.o.d will reveal Himself in power to our souls. If Elijah had persisted in occupying a prominent and a public place, he would have been left unprovided for. _He must be hidden_; for the streams of divine provision and refreshment only flowed for him in the place of retirement and self-abas.e.m.e.nt. "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee _there_." If the prophet were anywhere else but "_there_" he would have gotten nothing at all from G.o.d.
What teaching for us in all this! Why are our souls so lean and barren? Why do we so little drink of the streams of divinely provided refreshment? Because we are not hiding self sufficiently. We cannot expect that G.o.d will strengthen and refresh us for the purpose of earthly display. He will strengthen us for Himself. If we could but realize more that we are "not our own," we should enjoy more spiritual power.
But there is also much meaning in the little word "_there_." Elijah should be "_there_" and nowhere else, in order to enjoy G.o.d"s supplies; and just so is it with the believer now; he must know where G.o.d would have him to be, and there abide. We have no right to choose our place, for the Lord "orders the bounds of our habitation," and happy for us is it to know this, and submit to His wise and gracious ordering. It was at the brook Cherith, and there alone, that the ravens were commanded to convey bread and flesh to the prophet; he might wish to sojourn elsewhere, but, if he had done so he should have provided for himself: how much happier to allow G.o.d to provide for him! So Elijah felt, and therefore he went to Cherith, for the Lord had "commanded the ravens to feed him _there_." The divinely appointed provision is alone to be had in the divinely appointed place.
Thus was Elijah conveyed from solitude to solitude. He had come from the mountains of Gilead, with a message from the Lord G.o.d of Israel to Israel"s king, and having delivered that message, he was again conducted, by the hand of G.o.d, into unbroken solitude, there to have his spirit exercised, and his strength renewed in the presence of G.o.d.
And who would be without those sweet and holy lessons learnt in secret? Who would lack the training of a Father"s hand? Who would not long to be led away from beneath the eye of man, and above the influence of things earthly and natural, into the pure light of the divine presence, where self and all around are viewed and estimated according to the judgment of the sanctuary? In a word, who would not desire to be alone with G.o.d?--alone, not as a merely sentimental expression, but really, practically, and experimentally alone; alone, like Moses at the mount of G.o.d; alone, like Aaron in the holiest of all; alone, like our prophet at the brook Cherith; alone, like John in the island of Patmos; and above all, alone, like Jesus on the mount.
And here, let us inquire what it is to be alone with G.o.d. It is to have self and the world set aside; to have the spirit impressed with thoughts of G.o.d and His perfections and excellencies; to allow all His goodness to pa.s.s before us; to see Him as the great Actor _for_ us, and _in_ us; to get above flesh and its reasonings, earth and its ways, Satan and his accusations; and, above all, to feel that we have been introduced into this holy solitude, simply and exclusively through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are some of the results of our being alone with G.o.d. But, in truth, it is a term which one can hardly explain to another, for each spiritually-minded saint will have his own feelings on the subject, and will best understand what it means in his own case. This, at least, we may well crave, to be truly found in the secret of our Father"s presence; to be done with the weariness and wretchedness of endeavoring to maintain _our character_, and to know the joy, the liberty, the peace, and unaffected simplicity of the sanctuary, where G.o.d in all His varied attributes and perfections rises before our souls and fills us with bliss ineffable.
"To find my place within the veil, To know that G.o.d is mine, Are springs of joy that will not fail, Unspeakable, divine."
But, though Elijah was thus happily alone by the brook Cherith, he was not exempt from the deep exercise of soul consequent upon a life of faith. The ravens, it is true, in obedience to the divine command, paid him their daily visits, and Cherith flowed on in its tranquil and uninterrupted course, so that the prophet"s bread was given him, and his water was sure, and thus, as far as he was personally concerned, he might forget that the rod of judgment was stretched out over the land. But faith must be put to the test. The man of faith cannot be allowed to settle on his lees; he must be emptied from vessel to vessel; the child of G.o.d must pa.s.s from form to form in the school of Christ, and having mastered, through grace, the difficulties of one, he must be called to grapple with those of another. It was, therefore, needful that the soul of the prophet should be tried in order that it might be seen whether he was depending upon Cherith, or upon the Lord G.o.d of Israel; hence, "it came to pa.s.s, after awhile, that _the brook dried up_."
We are ever in danger, through the infirmity of our flesh, of having our faith propped up by circ.u.mstances, and when these are favorable, we think our faith is strong, and _vice versa_. But faith never looks at circ.u.mstances; it looks straight to G.o.d; it has to do exclusively with Him and His promises. Thus it was with Elijah; it mattered little to him whether Cherith continued to flow or not; he could say,
"In vain the creature streams are dry, I have a fountain still."
G.o.d was his fountain, his unfailing, exhaustless fountain. The brook might yield to the influence of the prevailing drought, but no drought could affect G.o.d, and the prophet knew this; he knew that the word of the Lord was as certain a portion, and as sure a basis in the drying up of Cherith, as it had been during the time of his sojourn upon its banks; and so it was, for "the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there; behold _I have commanded_ a widow woman there to sustain thee."