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The steps of a good man: Elijah

Sermon Outlines
A mountain cave entrance with light mist after a storm
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

Introduction:

  • "Elijah was as human as we are" (James 5:17). A hero, but flesh and blood.
  • Elijah went from the mountain to the cave. The steps of a good man also go through valleys.

1. Elijah speaks, God confirms. Whoever speaks what God has already said has heaven's backing (1 Kings 17:1).

  • "there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!" (1 Kings 17:1).
  • Elijah did not invent the drought. God had already warned: "The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze" (Deut 28:23).
  • "The Lord directs the steps of the godly" (Ps 37:23).

2. Dependence on God. Whoever is directed by God is sustained by God (1 Kings 17:4).

  • "eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food" (1 Kings 17:4).
  • Then a widow outside Israel: "I have instructed a widow there to feed you" (1 Kings 17:9).
  • It went on like that for "three and a half years" (Luke 4:25). Dependence is not a phase; it is a lifestyle.

3. The high point of spirituality. On Carmel, God answered with fire (1 Kings 18:38).

  • The challenge on Carmel, near Phoenicia: "the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven" (1 Kings 18:38).
  • The people cried out: "Yes, the Lord is God!" (1 Kings 18:39).
  • Then a run of about 20 miles to Jezreel: "the Lord gave special strength to Elijah" (1 Kings 18:46).

4. The cave of sadness. Right after the mountain comes the valley (1 Kings 19:3-4).

  • One threat from Jezebel was enough: "Elijah was afraid and fled for his life" (1 Kings 19:3). He went down from the north of Israel to Beersheba, in the south of Judah.
  • This time the food did not come from a raven, but from an angel: "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you" (1 Kings 19:7).
  • Strength without understanding: "the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights" (1 Kings 19:8), all the way to the mountain of God.
  • "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9). Self-pity, discouragement and sadness: "I am the only one left" (1 Kings 19:10).

5. The way God speaks. God was not in the noise; He was in the whisper (1 Kings 19:12).

  • "the Lord was not in the wind (...) the Lord was not in the earthquake" (1 Kings 19:11).
  • "And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12).
  • Elijah only left the cave after he heard it: "When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave" (1 Kings 19:13).

6. Pride broken and the end of a victorious life. Elijah was neither the only one nor the last (1 Kings 19:18).

  • He thought he was the only one. God answered: "I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal" (1 Kings 19:18).
  • God sent him to anoint Elisha "to replace you as my prophet" (1 Kings 19:16). And Elisha asked for "a double share of your spirit" (2 Kings 2:9).
  • The end: "a chariot of fire appeared" and "Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11).

Conclusion:

And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12
  • After the mountain comes the cave. But the cave is not your final address.
  • God does not leave you in the cave; He calls you out and gives you back a mission.
  • What cave are you in today, and what is God whispering to you?