Rev. David Holwick Q The Life of Elijah, #4
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 13, 2007
1 Kings 19:1-18
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I. The chaplain who hates God.
A recent issue of Newsweek magazine profiled Army Chaplain Roger
Benimoff, a Southern Baptist, has had two tours of duty in Iraq.
He has counseled stressed-out soldiers, provided death rituals for
planes full of coffins, and struggled with his personal faith.
He began with much enthusiasm and a sense of mission, but the
tensions of war began to wear down his relationship with God.
Chaplain Benimoff kept a journal during both tours, but the final
entry was Jan. 22 of this year.
The last lines read:
"I do not want anything to do with God.
I am sick of religion.
It is a crutch for the weak. . . .
We make God into what we need for the moment.
I hate God.
I hate all those who try to explain God when they
really don't know."
#34488
A. This is a rather grim assessment of religion.
B. But the chaplain is not the only one to feel this way.
1) Centuries ago, one of God's prophets had a similar
experience.
2) His name was Elijah, and it's the one experience he had
that I think you can relate to the best.
II. Elijah's "mountaintop experience".
A. Elijah expected great things from the victory on Carmel.
1) He expected Ahab to turn to God and turn against his wife.
2) The victory was going to be a rout.
B. It doesn't turn out as Elijah anticipated.
1) Jezebel doesn't convert, but threatens him.
a) She could have killed him, but doesn't.
b) She just wants him out of the way.
2) He obliges her by running away in terror.
C. Elijah flees to Beersheba.
1) It is as far from Jezreel as he can get.
2) Like having a confrontation on Mt. Katahdin in Maine,
meeting the queen in Kennebunkport, and fleeing to
Key West in Florida.
III. Unusual turn-around.
A. How can one woman be worse than 450 false prophets?
1) (some would say, easily)
2) Jezebel was a formidable pagan queen who corrupted both
the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel.
3) But God is greater than Jezebel.
a) Elijah had many concrete signs of God's love and power.
1> Fire from heaven to burn up his sacrifice.
2> The multiplication of the widow's oil.
3> Being fed by ravens.
A> He wasn't lacking for personally-seen miracles.
b) His failure points to something within himself.
B. Three theories:
1) Some say he was just recouping.
a) He went south to seek God's word for the next step.
b) If you switch the Hebrew vowels around, the expression
"he was afraid" can be translated "he saw."
1> Therefore he is not afraid, but realizes he needs
a new plan from God.
c) But the idea he decided to take a spiritual retreat is
unconvincing to me.
2) Others say he was bi-polar. (manic-depressive)
a) Wishing for death.
b) Loss of appetite.
c) Excessive self-pity.
d) Inability to manage.
3) He was definitely discouraged and defeated.
a) Elijah had a breakdown and was bugging out.
IV. When depression hits.
A. Even the strongest can get discouraged.
1) It is interesting how often the Bible reveals the
weaknesses of its heroes.
2) Paul speaks of despair, but says don't lose heart. 2 Cor 4
3) Power to overcome must come from the Holy Spirit within
a believer.
B. Don't fall into Elijah's trap.
1) Elijah was discouraged because he limited God's will.
a) He was certain God would break Jezebel.
1> He did, but it happened later.
b) We also limit God's will.
1> The unrealistic expectations of Christians:
A> If I go to church and follow the Ten
Commandments I will be happy and successful.
B> Good Christians never see pain.
C> Bad guys always get their just desserts.
2> When our simplistic view are confronted by harsh
reality, we want to give up, just like Elijah.
2) Elijah was discouraged because he had an unrealistic
assessment of himself.
a) His pride is shown by the repeated statements, "I am
zealous for God... I am the only one left."
b) Pride comes before many falls, as the Bible says.
1> We need other people.
2> We need to know we are not indispensable.
V. God goes with him when he runs.
A. Elijah's journey.
1) First, he ran to Beersheba, where he discharged his servant.
2) Then he went a little farther.
a) There in the desert he asked God for death.
1> He is not contemplating suicide.
2> He wants to die, but knows God should be in charge
of that.
b) Elijah saw no advantage in continuing to live.
B. An angel's touch.
1) Once again, Elijah receives God's provision.
a) Not once, but twice more.
2) He is told to go a little farther, into God's country.
a) Sinai, the land where Israel wandered.
1> They wandered for 40 years.
2> Elijah wandered for 40 days.
3> In both cases, the wandering followed a failure.
b) Mt. Horeb, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
1> The cave may be the one where Moses saw God from
a cleft in the rock. Exodus 33:22
C. Meeting God.
1) What are you doing here?
a) God's question to Elijah draws out his feelings.
1> Jesus used the same approach with the two men on
the road to Emmaus, to draw out their feelings.
b) Elijah responds with a whining tone of self-pity.
1> Depression has a way of making us focus selectively
on events in our lives.
2> It forgets about God's past faithfulness.
2) God's gentle whisper.
a) God sends wind, earthquake and fire.
1> In the past, he revealed himself through these.
A> Elijah himself saw fire come down, twice.
2> But not this time. God comes in a gentle whisper.
b) We don't need a dramatic miracle -- we need God.
1> His gentle whisper can be heard through the Bible,
the encouragement of friends, in times of prayer.
2> God is always speaking to us. Are we listening?
3) Elijah is given a mission, and a promise.
a) He is not alone - there are 7,000 others.
VI. There is a way back.
The Newsweek article I referred to says by late March, Chaplain
Benimoff he was recovering his faith but still felt inner pain.
He says, "The symptoms are still there; this past year has been
the most challenging of my life.
But I have a new relationship with God.
I tend to be much more blunt with him."
As he counsels wounded soldiers in Walter Reed Hospital, he often
shares a verse that best describes where he is today with his
faith, Psalm 40:1-2 --
"I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand."
#34488
God is our rock.
He is not our miracle-on-command assistant.
He does not have to explain everything to us.
But he will be our foundation when everything is falling apart.
Be open to his gentle whispers.
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#34488 "A Chaplain Who Hated God," by Eve Conant, Newsweek Magazine;
Article: Faith Under Fire, May 7, 2007, p. 26.
A Letter to the Editor in the following Newsweek makes this insightful
comment:
While one can only sympathize deeply with chaplains
like Roger Benimoff for the horrors they have endured,
it's puzzling that it comes as an unwelcome surprise to
any adult that terrible things happen to people no
worse than themselves and their loved ones all the
time. Hasn't that always been obvious? Genocide is
committed, little children die of starvation, people
are tortured and maimed, and killed in wars. None of
this is new nor have these things happened only to bad
people. Why then should those who have had no trouble
maintaining their faith question it only when they see
such things happen close to them? Did they suppose
that all those other suffering people weren't deserving
enough or praying hard enough or not praying in the
correct religion? Did they believe in a God who would
allow such things to happen to millions but never to
them because they had chosen the right spiritual
formula? If that's the sort of nonsense they are
losing faith in, it's hard to see that as a bad thing.
Felice Sage
Littleton, Colorado
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