DROUGHT FAMINE RAIN HEARTBREAK GOD COMPLETE CONTROL
Prime Minister Joseph filled his grain silos during 7 good years for the 7 failed years, following the Lord’s vision. Joseph was full of faith, sustained by prayer.
‘All nations came to him, for there was corn in Egypt,’ just as life rests in Christ.
Moses faced the turbulent waters of the Red Sea, which parted miraculously, as he held the rod of God high. The children of Israel passed over securely. Later, Moses struck the rock, from which water flowed: a delightful type of our Lord Jesus Christ. This satisfied the needs of 2 ½ millions through the frustrations and hardships of desert life. Christ claimed, ‘I Am the water of life. If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink.’ When one inch (2 ½ cms) of rain falls on one square Km, it weighs 50,000 tones. Our home state, South Australia, is 1,000kms square, totaling 1 million sq kms., where such general rainfall would weigh 50 billion tones. Supernaturally, God suspends and releases it gently.
Consider Elijah, who shared Mount Transfiguration with Moses and his Lord. In
1 Kings 17:1, read ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.’ Animals absorb water, eating grass saturated with dew; thus depriving them of their fluid. Humans sorely miss the rain. He was then instructed to ‘Hide by the brook Cherith, which flows into Jordan. ‘(v3) ‘You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ Obediently, ‘He went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the brook Cherith, which flows into Jordan, which description was repeated.’ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening and he drank from the brook. ‘Ravens are gluttonous for meat for their young’ however, they respond unnaturally under God’s control.
God redirected Elijah as in 17:8-16, ‘Arise go to Zarepath, Sidon and dwell there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’ Remarkably, this is the only place where our Lord Jesus went outside Israel, in earthly ministry. ‘Widows mostly do not hold resources.’ He came to the gate of the city, where a widow was gathering sticks. Please bring me a little water in a cup. That I may drink. (v10) ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand,’ he added. Your personal care!
‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread; only a handful of meal, and a little oil in a jar. The ground meal refers to Christ, also the bruised corn. (His sufferings are indicated in the grinding and bruising. Oil speaks of the Holy Spirit. She planned ‘That she may prepare it for herself and her son, to eat thereof and die.
Elijah taught the widow the life of faith.’ ‘Do not fear; Make me a small cake from it first. And bring it to me, and afterwards make some for yourself and your son.’
‘Thus says the Lord,’ the bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the Lord send rain on the earth. ‘Rain was sorely needed.
‘She went away and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. the bin of meal was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Jeremiah.’ (v16)
A crisis in the widow’s home prepared for the Lord’s mighty power. ‘The son of the woman owner of the house became sick. Indeed, his sickness was so serious that there was no breath in him. Probably a heart or lung condition? She addressed him as ‘O man of God, have you come to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?’ God’s word does not explain the sin in her life. ‘Give me your son, ’as ‘He cried to the Lord.’ Elijah identified himself with the cold, blue, lifeless form of the little son. ‘Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.’ ‘See, your son lives’ he triumphantly claimed. She blurted out, ‘By this I know you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.’(17:24) She, a Gentile, became a woman of faith.
God directed Elijah in 1 Kings 18:1, ‘Go present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the earth.’ Rain was the Lord’s gift, acknowledging Elijah’s obedience during 3 1/2 years of drought. The bible records ‘A severe famine in Samaria.’ ‘Obadiah (servant of the Lord) feared the Lord greatly.’ Obadiah hid one hundred prophets in caves, feeding them with bread and water.’ He imperiled himself in saving 100 prophets of the Lord. He knew where the secret springs were. Ahab massacred the prophets of the Lord. Ahab searched in one direction for Elijah, while Obadiah went the opposite way.
Obadiah met Elijah in the way. ‘My Lord, Elijah.’ they discussed meeting the pathetic king Ahab, resulting in his greeting, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’
He authoritatively responded, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baal’s.’ Elijah did not compromise; or minimize Ahab’s guilt.
Elijah challenged, ‘How long do you halt between 2 opinions?’ Fraudulent prophets danced, screamed, teased, jumped on altars, lacerated themselves, and contaminated the altar with their own blood. No fire resulted nor did the god of rain and fertility reply. Baal a complete fraud. At 3pm, when our Lord cried ‘it is finished’ (from Calvary), the precise time of the evening offering, Elijah repaired the altar: placed the wood; sacrificed the life-giving water, poured 3 times on the altar and on the bullock. God heard, as fire miraculously fell from Heaven. People shouted ‘The Lord He is God; the Lord He is God.’ Elijah commanded that the false prophets be slaughtered, even as God’s word decreed.
A remarkable sequence of events: the miracle of supply for 3 ½ years (42 months) from the brook and the widow; resurrection of the precious son preceding the drought relief: a return to old-fashioned faith in the Lord- a life recalled from heaven; a widow exultant with joy at the miracle- a nation on its knees and truly repentant- ungodly, false prophets sternly judged and condemned- Almighty God free to release His rain. This synopsis is foundational for the shattering 18th chapter.
Unfavourable circumstances for 2006 in South Australia saw only half the usual rain fall: 240 mms, instead of 500. Our life-giving River Murray will be dry by May 2007. The River Darling which supplies our main river is dry and may be crossed on foot. Cereal crops have failed. One Melrose property, run by a family for 135 years, was recently auctioned. Heartbreak and hopelessness gripped many, weighed down with immense debt. 1/5 farmers have committed suicide, unable to face distress. Many were oppressed with heavy debts. In Queensland, the Premier called for prayer, when our God mercifully responded with heavy rain. 90% of our body is water, so dehydration endangers our well-being. Our tourist Coorong normally has 2,000 pelicans, reduced to only 200. Mature birds have unnaturally abandoned eggs and chicks, because they cannot forage fish from depleted sources. Grim!
The prophet prayed passionately for rain. His servant made seven visits to the mountain peak, seeing the cloud as big as a man’s hand. God deluged the land.
Have you personally sacrificed all on God’s altar? Have you abandoned your false gods? Have you simply prayed for a Holy Spirit revival? Elijah’s God waits for you.