Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Some have criticized Elijah for being so abrupt and confrontational in dealing with his majesty King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Weren't the two the appointed leaders of God's work of that day? Hadn't the Lord wonderfully blessed Ahab's leadership of Israel with great success economically and militarily? Hadn't King Jehoshaphat, David's faithful successor, cooperated publicly with King Ahab? Shouldn't Elijah have worked more tactfully, and ministered quietly within the structure to bring about a gradual reformation? His was a very independent ministry, maybe offensive.
Above all, Elijah is faulted for a grievous "holier-than-thou" attitude--he thought he was the only one loyal to the true God. The Lord had to reprimand him for that--God had seven thousand hiding in the closet who hadn't "bowed the knee to Baal" (1 Kings 19:18; fearful?).
Wait a moment! The Bible gives Elijah great support: (1) His prayers were answered; that's something! (James 5:16-18). (2) God sent ravens to provide his board in the wilderness; (3) God appointed a pagan widow outside of Israel's borders to cook for him and provide him a guest room; (4) God honored him with fire from heaven--wow! (5) God sent him an angel to cook his meals for him in the desert when he was discouraged; (6) to top it all, God granted him a privilege only one other human in history (Enoch) has ever had--he was translated to heaven without tasting death. And better even than that, Elijah was entrusted with the honor of encouraging the Son of God as He faced His crucifixion (Matt. 17:3).
We'd better be careful what we say; Elijah is alive somewhere in God's great universe--maybe even reading this little essay! We don't want to knock a man so highly honored by God. Malachi 4:5, 6 seems to indicate that God has entrusted him with one more job: to lead or direct a vast reformation among God's people just before the second coming of Christ.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: August 12, 2002.
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