Sometimes our God-focused expectations take us into the wilderness. At times a person can envision a solution to a spiritual need with such intensity that he/she confuses personal desire with God's will. What the person wants is not bad within itself--it is not dishonest, or arrogantly defiant, or some form of physical indulgence, or a pursuit of an ambition that is anti-God. The person merely makes the mistake of substituting his desires for God's will. If what he/she desires is not ungodly in objective nor anti-God in result, why is it destructive to substitute this human expectation for God's will? Rarely will a human expect results in all he/she personally anticipates. Two problems frequently occur. First, the person arrogantly persists in his/her goal as though he/she has a special commission from God. Or, second, the person gives up when his/her expectations fail to become reality.
Because of great wickedness and idolatry under the leadership of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, northern Israel [the ten tribes who separated themselves from Judah and Jerusalem] suffered an severe drought. The prophet Elijah asked God to withhold rain from Northern Israel The drought was so severe that even King Ahab experienced grave difficulty finding water and pasture for his horses, mules, and cattle.
Elijah created an opportunity when he ended the drought. God directed him to reveal himself to King Ahab. King Ahab greeted Elijah by calling him the troubler of Israel. Elijah declared King Ahab was the troubler of Israel because the king led the ten tribes deeper into idolatry. Elijah asked King Ahab to summon the men of the 10 tribes, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of the Asherah [all 850 of whom were supported by Queen Jezebel] to Mount Carmel. King Ahab did as Elijah requested.
Elijah proposed a contest. He declared these 10 tribes needed to bring spiritual things to a conclusion. If the Lord was God, they needed to follow him. If Baal was God, they needed to follow him. He observed he was only one man representing God, but Baal was represented by 450 prophets. He proposed a sacrificial contest. God clearly, unquestionably won the contest! As a result, the 450 prophets of Baal were executed at Elijah's instruction. Shortly after that, rain returned to the region.
Elijah felt God's decisive victory at Mount Carmel would reunite northern Israel and Judah in worshipping God at Jerusalem. Elijah's expectation would become reality, and God would be glorified! Doubtlessly, he felt victorious in God's vindication! The purpose of the sacrificial contest was to establish the ten tribes' God!
King Ahab gave a complete report of the events at Mount Carmel to Queen Jezebel. She was extremely angry! She was so angry she vowed Elijah would be dead in 24 hours!
When Elijah heard Queen Jezebel's vow/threat, he was afraid! This man who revealed himself to an angry king, this man who all alone had a contest with 450 prophets of Baal, this man who moved idolatrous men to execute the 450 prophets of Baal, this man was afraid! He revealed himself to King Ahab to comply with God's instruction. With great expectation for the 10 tribes repentance and return to God, he faced the 450 prophets of Baal and had them executed.
There is no way to know how Elijah expected Queen Jezebel to react, but it is evident that her reaction was not what he expected. The 10 tribes abandoning idolatry for God was not going to happen! When it was obvious to Elijah that his expectations were dead, his faith shattered. He was motivated by self-pity! He fled to the wilderness, and God helped him get there! He wanted to die, and was so depressed that he asked God to let him die. Instead, God sustained Elijah for a 40 day trip even further into the wilderness to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). When Elijah came to Sinai, he lived in a cave.
God spoke to Elijah and asked, "What are you doing here?" Elijah responded, "I have been very zealous for God. The ten tribes have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets. I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me."
Before you condemn Elijah, think about this man. Elijah responded to the extreme wickedness of northern Israel by evoking a drought. At the Lord's instruction, he lived in isolation by the brook Cherith. No human companionship or association! All alone in the middle of nowhere! His diet: brook water to drink, and the bread and meat ravens brought him! This was not an exciting vacation! When the brook dried up, Elijah was directed to the home of a gentile widow for care. The woman was preparing her last bit of food for herself and her son--hardly a visit to a resort! Still, this man had the faith and courage to appear to an angry king, and to face 450 prophets of Baal all alone! Most of us would have been seriously depressed before those two things occurred!
Note what God did. (1) He asked Elijah, "Why are you here?" (2) He revealed Himself to Elijah in an unexpected way. (3) He told Elijah to return and do the Lord's work. (4) He said He had faithful people Elijah did not even know about. Paraphrased: "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and involve yourself again in serving Me." Because our expectations do not produce the results we expect does not mean God's purposes have failed.
Thought and Discussion Questions
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 8