1 KINGS 19 (FROM CAC'S NOTES)
1 KINGS 19 (FROM CAC’S NOTES)
The famine in Ahab’s time would correspond with the idolatrous period in church history when the Scriptures and the gospel were withheld from the people. No doubt there was man’s wickedness, but it was also God’s judgment on a state of things allowed which was extremely offensive to Him. The dealings of God with Israel no doubt prepared the people for what Elijah proposed at Carmel (chapter 18); so God has prepared the way in His governmental dealings for movements of the Spirit. There have been movements of God which all have had to take account of. There were movements before the Reformation and at the Reformation and since, and what people call revivals which have for a time affected many in a public way, and have caused certain glaring evils to be judged. This would answer to the killing of Baal’s prophets.
Then when evils are judged God gives rain; but this requires prayer. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and bowed down and put his face between his knees. This is his praying again according to James. Seven times expresses a perfect period of exercises. Then a cloud small as a man’s hand, indicating that attention is called to a Man and his hand. “The Lord’s hand was with them”, Acts 11: 21. “The Lord’s hand is upon thee”, Acts 13: 11. “Abundance of rain”. It is a time like that now.
In chapter 19 Elijah is tested as to his personal faith. A servant who is largely used has to find his own measure. It is a solemn thing to get away from the sense of God’s [p. 143] power and think of himself. If Elijah could so fail, what about ourselves? But he came to Beer-sheba — the well of the oath. He sits under a broom-bush and requests that he might die. James might truly say he was a man of like passions. But we see the faithfulness of God! An angel touched him. How often we find God moving at times we should least expect! “Arise, eat”. That is what we need when we get under the broom-bush. “Feed on faithfulness”, Psalm 37: 3. There was at his head a cake and a cruse of water. God has His people as one whole before Him, and is thinking of them in relation to Christ. We need that side of things very much as food. It is a cruse of water; not now oil but water because it is the Spirit as personal reviving and refreshing. It is the Spirit introduced, as it seems to me, in a limited way, but as available. What would the Spirit do for me? The cake had been subject to the action of fire mediately, not directly. It would seem to suggest that we shall only reach God’s thoughts as judgment is applied to ourselves. Not exactly as at the cross where it was the direct action of fire but as having had the heat of that applied to ourselves. The stones have been in the fire. Elijah was going through experience of his own nothingness, that he belonged to a hopeless race.
Then we see that it is the divine intent that he should take a journey which was only possible as divinely strengthened. These 40 days to Horeb are sent of God as a spiritual journey to bring him back to the presence of God, as He was made known to Moses. He pleads with God against Israel, Romans 11: 2. God answers him by a great and strong wind, then an earthquake, then a fire — all speaking of judgment; but God is not in any of them. God is in the soft, gentle voice. In God’s electing love He had reserved seven thousand. God had reserved seven thousand on the principle of the soft, gentle voice.
The distinctive commission is to anoint Elisha. Elijah [p. 144] thinks first of the prophetic word being continued. Elisha was ploughing with the twelve yokes before him and he with the twelfth. Here was a man who was taking full advantage of the rain. James says the earth caused its fruit to spring forth, but it would not have done so without ploughing. So that Elisha was in full accord with the present actings of God.
Elijah is not presented in this chapter as being there; he is a warning rather than an example. The twelve yokes would be a full answer in administrative activity to the pour of rain. He is the man for the crisis. Elijah cast his mantle on him. Elijah’s mantle is an important subject in itself. It seems to speak of that in a servant which can be passed on — a testimony which has marked one but which can be passed on to another. It supposes a spirituality in the other so it is very exercising. “The things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses”, 2 Timothy 2: 2. Timotheus is left to carry Paul’s cloak. How could Timothy or anyone else do that save as in the spirit of sacrifice? It is here sacrifice to benefit the people.