Introduction:

In the last portion of James letter, this epistle consists of a clear and unexpected perspective that James wants us to accept as we display our genuine saving faith in the dark and hard places.

James compares our ministry to the occupation of a faithful farmer who works and patiently waits for God to bring forth a precious fruitful harvest (James 5:7 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”). To accomplish these divine blessings in the midst of hard and dark places, it requires us to strengthen our soul in order that we trust God whole-heartedly, with single-focused, and trusting in God’s promises (James 5:8 “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh”; James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”).

The harvest that we are waiting God to send us is the same harvest that the Prophets being the friends of God had looked for. These Prophets of God by the grace of God had persevered as they were challenged to face the unjust dangerous and deadly persecution (James 5:10 “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”). It is also the same harvest that Job expected as he endured the prolonged, painful, but not described or unexplained severe suffering he experienced (James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”).

God consecrates some of His servants to give them the same task involving personal opposition or unexplained hard suffering because God has a desire to use these faithful servants to face the hard and dark places that may result to a harvest of righteousness in people (James 3:18 “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”; James 5:20 “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”) and leads for the glory of God.

Like what we have said James compares our ministry to that faithful farmer occupation that waits for the harvest to bear fruits, so that is also true for these gospel servants to be successful in their mission as they sow seeds of the gospel grace in that hard soil of these unbelieving, persecuting world, but it was the fervent, faith-filled praying that will sustain them in order for them to overcomes all obstacles. In order to illustrate what this kind of powerful praying is all about, so James introduces us to the final friend of God that James mentioned in this book, that man named Elijah the Tishbite.

James narrates the particular event from the ministry of Elijah, that we may pay attention about the time in Israel’s history when God called an ordinary man to go to someone in order to tell everybody that God wanted a Word about God’s Word with the people of God for their good and for the glory of God.

In this epistle, James wants us to know and learn that what happened in the story of Elijah is amazing work of God because there was a unfamous, humble, ordinary and faithful servant of God who prayed fervently and desires to faithfully exalt God’s name and rescue His people. James said the prayer of a righteous man had a great power and resulted to an amazing change at that fervent prayer effectively worked (James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”).

The people of God, the Israelites had wandered far and gone astray from the right ways according to God’s commandment and engrafted Word of truth given in His Law through Moses. These Israel, people of God were guilty of rampant wickedness and immoral or filthiness of the flesh, that is why James confronted that in the lives of his readers (James 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”). Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel caused the people of God, the people of Israel to wander far from the right path of righteousness taught by the Word of truth that James mentions (James 1:18 “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”). However, God was not finished with the people of God Israel nor God was not faithful to His covenant, and to prove His faithfulness on His covenant, he raised up a humble, faithful, ordinary, unpopular, but righteous and faithful follower and God appointed him to the very challenging, painful task in ministry of bringing back the wandering hard-hearted people of God to their faithful God.

I – INSIGNIFICANT SERVANT – James 5:16b-17

James 5:16b-17 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. ¹⁷Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

Notice in v.16b “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James is saying that a great power of a righteous person is working. Then notice in verse 17a “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,” James is saying that Elijah was a man with a nature like all of us believers. We and Elijah had the same nature as a man and we are encouraged to be a righteous and faithful servant of God so that our prayer will work powerfully and effectively as that of Elijah.

James referring to Elijah, the example of a righteous man who fervently prays that resulted to amazing things. James wants us to understand when he challenges us to pray like the righteous Elijah prayed?

Some represented image of a righteous man:

1. Elijah was just an ordinary man - with a nature, feelings and experiences like us.

2, Elijah was a humble man - not acquainted with a long and outstanding genealogy. Without ministerial accomplishments; without prophetic credentials; with uncertain hometown location. Elijah was an ordinary man called by God to do extraordinary things. There are five major miracles connected with Elijah.

3, Elijah was obedient and faithful man – in his words and his deeds. I Kings 18:36“So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. ²¹And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. ³⁶Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.”

4. Elijah was a whole-hearted man, fully trusting God – consistently follow God’s direction without hesitation and without wavering.

Proofs of Elijah obedience into God's direction:

a. Elijah courageously went to Ahab to proclaim something strange thing.

b. Elijah unhesitant went to the brook to be fed by a raven, an unclean bird.

c. Elijah went to homeland of Jezebel to be sustained his needs by a widow.

d. Elijah calls and prayed fully trusting God to raise a dead son.

e. Elijah stood before the eyes of the Israel nation to face the challenge to prove the real God against the 450 Baal prophets. So, Elijah asked God to send fire on an altar drenched with water in the middle of a drought.

Elijah did not doubt (James 1:6 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

Elijah was not a double minded man or unstable in his ways (James 1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”).

Elijah was bold but gracious in the midst of persecution. Elijah’s tongue clear and send a message about without compromise. If Ahab leads people to do foolishness against God, in contrary Elijah’s message pointed people to obey heavenly Wisdom. Elijah’s tongue was not set on fire from hell, and did not stain morally and defile not the nation Israel (James 3:6-7 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. ⁷For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:”).

If Israel silently, undecidedly did not answer not a word in choosing between Baal and God, Elijah is different because he strongly challenges the nation of Israel to choose between God or Baal to be their God (I Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”).

Elijah consistently speaks the truth, blessed God by his words, and ministered grace to the hearers for God controlled his tongue (James 3:7-12 “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: ⁸But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ¹²Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”).

Elijah patiently endured suffering and hardship and never quit. In spite that Elijah feel exhausted, afraid, emotionally drained, and at the very last point of his strength, he talked to God (I Kings 19:4 “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”), however, when God instructed him, Elijah listened humbly to the Words of God and he followed that instruction and obeyed God with the strength and courage from God to go on (I Kings 19).

Elijah prays fervently. According to James, Elijah had been praying long before Elijah appeared unto Ahab to announce that there will be drought on the land. James shows us that all through chapters 3 to 5, the words and deeds of Elijah are always accompanied by Elijah’s praying fervently.

The aim of the fervent prayers of Elijah:

1. Elijah prayed for the glory of the name of God

2. Elijah prayed that the servant of God will be free from blame

3. Elijah prayed that Israel, people of God would repent from their sins, be forgiven, and turned back to God.

The words of Elijah’s fervent prayer on Mount Carmel: I Kings 18:36-37 “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. ³⁷Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.”

When this faithful, humble, obedient, servant fervently prayed to God, God heard those prayers from heaven and sent fire that fell, then the people fell before God, and finally the rain fell from heaven and healed the land.

This whole account and story about Elijah’s fervent prayer is the reason of James why he motivates you and me to pray these kinds of prayers with our lives faithful to God and single-focused, whole-hearted, fully trusting God. That is what it means to be righteous. James 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

God sent this faithful servant who is nobody with a message to somebody. God sent Elijah to Ahab.

II – INFLUENTIAL SOMEBODY – I Kings 16:30-33

I Kings 16:30-33 “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. ³¹And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.³²And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. ³³And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.”

Did you see in these verses the opposite description of Ahab compared to Elijah? What everything that Ahab was, Elijah was not.

Proofs that Ahab in contrast with Elijah:

1. Ahab was well known man – he is the son of Omri the powerful king who founded a solid and powerful dynasty.

2. Ahab was powerful and respected man – Due to his political expertise Ahab successfully reigned 22 years politically, military, and economically. Because he was well known internationally, with that high reputation, Ahab earned the respect of Shalmaneser III who was the powerful King of Assyria.

3. Ahab was wicked and immoral man – he disregards the law of God as he lives wickedly, he sinned without restraint. The kings who reign before Ahab introduced a false way of worshipping the true God, but much worst, Ahab introduced false gods and instituted a program to propagate their worship throughout the land by the ministry of 450 prophets of the two false gods that his wife Jezebel wanted all Israelites should worship those false gods as substitute for Jehovah, the true living God.

4. Ahab led the people of God, Israel to go astray from the right path – this led to the situation where the leading

Israelite official rebuilt Jericho and held the dedication of the foundation by offering his eldest son as a sacrifice and even held a dedication for the opening of the city gates by offering his youngest son as a sacrifice (I Kings 16:34 “In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.” It is reasonable why Elijah call Ahab the troubler of Israel (I Kings 18:17-18 “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? ¹⁸And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.”).

In I Kings 16:33 “And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” This verse describes the total assessment of the life and reign of Ahab. Ahab used to provoke the Lord into anger, and done it many times, it is part of his reign and his kingdom, provoking the Lord into anger is his normal way of life.

In spite of the rampant and scattered idolatry and immorality in the whole nation of Israel, God sent Elijah, a simple, ordinary, humble servant, who seemed insignificant person in the eyes of the world, who faithfully praying fervently out of a grieved heart to this influential somebody Ahab, with a divine message of truth from the true and living God of Israel that everybody may know about the amazing working hands of God by announcing that there shall not be dew nor rain these years, until Elijah fervently prayed again to God. (I Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”).

III – INSTIGATION TO THE SUBJECT – I Kings 18:31-32a

I Kings 18:31-32 “And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: ³²And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.”

God instructed Elijah to shew himself and spoke to Ahab for the second time around and stood because God wants to restore His people Israel and to bring rain to their land of the people (I Kings 18:1 “And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”). When Elijah appeared into Ahab, he commanded Ahab to gather all Israel to Mount Carmel for a showdown with the 450 false prophets of Jezebel. It is shocking to see that Ahab obeys the instruction of Elijah to have a showdown (I Kings 18:19-20 “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.” We can say that it is God who moved Ahab to obey what Elijah told him, it is because these people were people of God and these were not the people of Ahab.

Israel were God’s people:

1. Israel were God’s covenant people – v.31. The altar was rebuilt with 12 stones, these people were called the sons of Jacob. Elijah reminds them that although they were a divided nation, they were chosen people of the God of Israel.

2. Israel knew God – v.31. They experienced history with God, pointing back to the founding of their national existence.

3. Israel experienced the grace of God – God gracious hand of God works beginning at Exodus.

4. Israel received the gracious Word of God – that is the wisdom of Torah (Hebrew name for teaching or instruction), it is the name given to the five books of Moses which come at the very beginning of the Bible. These books form the basis of all Jewish law and practice.

5. Israel had been deceived by sin – James gives warning about this (James 1:16 “Do not err, my beloved brethren.”)

6. Israel had been led astray by their lustful desires – James describes this (James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”). Baal and Ashtaroth were false gods of fertility that induced people to sensual worship that they cannot stop involving their hearts and their hormones. According to James, Israelites were committing sins that lead to death. The punishment for sins of idolatry and immorality was death. That is why in his book, James exposed the end result of uncontrolled sin.

7. Israel was under the mercy of God as a starter to God’s fierce wrath – So Moses warned Israelites about this very danger of this sins of immorality and idolatrous worship of the false fertility gods that deceived them.

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; ¹⁷And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.”

The very reason of all this wickedness and sinful evil practices of Israel is that they were double minded (I Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”).

These was the very the same dangers that James addresses in the lives of his Jewish readers. Some of these Israel were behaving badly and some these people of God were guilty of spiritual adultery (James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”), it is because these nation of Israel had been deceived by sin and led by the fleshly desires to practice immoral filthiness, wickedness and lustful and idolatrous worship of their false gods (James 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Like as God sent Elijah with a strong word from God to give warning to these ancient Israelites, likewise James also sent a similar word from God, warning us when we are tempted to go astray or went away from the right path. Be cautious!

IV – IDENTICATION OF THE GOD OF SCRIPTURES - I Kings 18:36

I Kings 18:36 “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.”

A. The One True God

Elijah challenged the Israelites to follow the One True God as opposed to many gods of the nations by saying in I Kings 18:21 “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him:” Elijah is saying if the Lord is the True God, they must follow God.

B. The Living God

Elijah in his opening statement to Ahab, introduces and identifies the Living God as opposed to the powerless, pretend, dead false gods in I Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

C. The Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Ruler over Heaven and Earth

Elijah identifies to the nation of Israel the God who powerfully created, sustained and ruled over the earth and heaven, as conflict or opposite to the limited spheres and power of the gods of fertility Baal and Astaroth who are not able to bring rain, but on the other hand, the real God sends rain at His will, by His Word, for His pleasure.

D. The Good and Gracious God of Israel – I Kings 18:36 “Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel,” Elijah is speaking to the Lord God who always listened, and answered and always care and give all things to the people of God, as opposite and contrary to Baal and Astaroth who never listened, who never answered, and who never gave anything good but leads them to sin, bondage, and death.

I Kings 18:26-39 “And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. ²⁷And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he ²⁸And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. ²⁹And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. ³⁰And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. ³¹And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: ³²And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. ³³And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. ³⁴And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. ³⁵And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. ³⁶And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. ³⁷Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. ³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”

According to verse 26, the people called on the name of the Lord from morning until noon, saying “O Baal hear us”. But there was no voice nor anyone that answered them. Then these people leaped upon the altar which they have made. Then according to verse 29 when midday was passed, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the oblation, but after shouting with a loud voice and cutting there was no voice that pay attention to them, so there is no answer for their loud voice and no one cared for as they cut themselves with knives until their blood gushed out upon them but still there was no voice that answered, no one paid their attention in spite of all the efforts they have performed.

The disabled idols can do nothing: speak nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing, see nothing, neither walk and handle anything. It is like a god who THINKS NOTHING (Psalm 115:2-8).

Psalm 115:2-8 “Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? ³But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. ⁴Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. ⁵They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: ⁶They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: ⁷They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. ⁸They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.”

The disabled idols are man-made gods, that needed anything instead of being a provider (Acts 17:25, 29).

Acts 17:25, 29 “Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; ²⁹Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.”

Idols can’t do evil and good so don’t fear them (Jeremiah 10:2-5).

Jeremiah 10:2-5 “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. ³For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. ⁴They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. ⁵They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”

People profited nothing and they that gathered together were ashamed.

Isaiah 44:9-11 “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. ¹⁰Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? ¹¹Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.”

Don’t carry the idols upon the shoulder neither cry unto it for idols can’t answer or help people to get out of trouble. (Isaiah 46:6-10).

Isaiah 46:6-10 “They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. ⁷They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. ⁸Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. ⁹Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, ¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

V - INSTRUCTION FROM THE SOVEREIGN GOD – I Kings 18:21

I Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

Elijah challenged all the people of Israel to choose who they would follow but the people did not answer him a word.

A. Word of Confrontation issued by God – “How long halt ye” or “How Long will you go”

The people of Israel had been asked how long will they continue to be divided in their allegiance of their heart toward God.

According to James in James 1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James is saying here that the people of Israel are double-minded that is why Israel was instable in all their ways.

James wants to point to the people of Israel that their prayers for rain are not answered and the prayers of Elijah the faithful, obedient, humble servant of God are answered (James 5:16-18), so they have an obvious and clear choice.

James 5:16-18 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. ¹⁷Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

B. Word of Invitation extended by God – “if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”

Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

C. Word of Restoration granted by God – “thou hast turned their heart back again.” (I Kings 18;37)

I Kings 18:37 “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.”

VI – INCENTIVES OF THE STATEMENTS – I Kings 18:38-46

I Kings 18:38-46 "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. ¹⁸ And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. ⁴⁰And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. ⁴¹And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. ⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, ⁴³And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. ⁴⁴And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. ⁴⁵And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”

A. Response definitely of God’s fire – v.38

I Kings 18:38 “Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

God answered Elijah’s prayer definitively when the rain fell from heaven, to prove He is the only One, True and Living God.

B. Repentant worship of God’s people – v.39

I Kings 18:39 “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”

After God send fire to fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and even the wood, stones and dust then licked up the water that was in the trench. The people saw this powerful shows of God’s hand, they fell on their faces showing the repentant heart from their sins against God. They testified now that the Lord is the real God.

C. Retribution of the false prophets – v.40; Deuteronomy 13:1-5

I Kings 18:40 “And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, ²And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; ³Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. ⁵And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.”

These false prophets if you notice fell under the judgment of the mosaic law. These false prophets were lawfully judged and punished appropriately according to their abominations and wickedness toward God.

D. Rain of God’s merciful blessing – v.45- 46

I Kings 18:45- 46 “And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. ⁴⁶And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”

Notice, there was a great rain fell from heaven. We learn from this story the abundant mercy of God triumphs over judgment.

Psalm 145:8-9“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. ⁹The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Lamentations 3:22- 23 “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

God send the rain fell from heaven through the faithful and courageous proclamation of the Word of God. As Elijah continuously speaks to the people of Israel and to Ahab.

God send the rain fell from heaven as an answer to the fervent praying of God’s righteous servant Elijah.

Elijah did all the proclamation of God’s Word and fervent prayers by the enablement of the Spirit of God. (v.45-46)

Conclusion: Listen friend, It is the fervent prayers of a righteous faithful servant Elijah who was willing to obey God’s assignment of suffering and hardship but never quit up to the point of feeling exhausted, emotional collapse, emotionally drained until the very last point of his energy (I Kings 19) so that the people of God, Israelites could be rescued from their sinning, and also caused God to decide these people return their hearts back to God by granting these people of God repentance instead of leaving them in their deception and allowing their sin to result on death penalty.

There are Christian’s in James day and even also in our days:

1.) who have wondered far from God’s commandments and from the engrafted Word of truth given in God’s law through Moses (James 1:18),

2.) who has become double-minded (James 1:8)

3.) whose lives are guilty of rampant wickedness and moral filthiness of the flesh (James 1:21), who compromise, conformed and have friendship with this world and made spiritual adultery has made enemies of God (James 4:4).

Now, it is the fervent prayer of the righteous, faithful, humble and obedient servant of God, Elijah who are bold to speak the truth to the sinning, hardheaded people, who is willing to endure faithfully and persevere suffering even when mistreated by these people of God.

Challenge: Now, Elijah is bringing our full attention to another Faithful Servant who suffered that nobody equally match His suffering, as He was dying, this was Jesus who fervently prayed for God His heavenly Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. The result of Jesus fervent praying is that God may forgive those who mistreated Him, crucified Him, sinned against Him, and even we who were lost, we who were sinners who were bound to everlasting torment in hell were forgiven, healed by His wounds and we returned to the shepherd of our souls (I Peter 2:24-25 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. ²⁵For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”). This great and good Shepherd Jesus Christ (John 10:11-14 “I am the good shepherd:”,; Hebrews 13:10 “our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd”); has looked at some of us and He challenges and urging us if we were willing to do in our time like what the Lord asked Elijah had to do in his time, so God can use our sufferings as God uses the sufferings of Elijah to return the wandering sinners to the only One, True and Living God (James 5:19-20).

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