Preparing For Victory

King Ahab was more evil than any king before him, and his wife, Jezebel, was apparently worse than he. They purposed to destroy the Jewish religion and replace it with the religion of Baal. Those who followed the God of Israel were hiding from Ahab and his leaders. Elijah even believed at one time that he was the only one who still followed the God of Israel. The Lord corrected him by saying, “Yet, I have left me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:18).

Elijah experienced a tremendous victory in I Kings 18. He does so because he declares in v.36, “I have done all these things at thy word.” Elijah makes a proposal to Ahab in v. 24, “…the god that answereth by fire, let him be God.” Ahab agrees. All of the prophets of Baal offer their sacrifice and call upon Baal. They cry out to him for six hours. They cut themselves and cried out more. Their god did not answer.

Now, it was Elijah’s turn. He repaired the altar of the Lord; filled a trench around and under it with water; laid the wood and the sacrifice; water was poured on the altar and sacrifice three times; and he called upon the Lord. Verses 37-39 says, “‘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.’ 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. 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.’” Elijah had all of the prophets of Baal killed.

What prepared Elijah for such a victory? I submit to you before the victory, there was a “preparing.” Elijah is introduced to us in Chapter 17:1. He stands before evil King 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.” He did not acknowledge standing before Ahab. Now, Elijah means “Yahweh is my God.” Do you suppose Ahab wondered who Elijah trusted in?

The Lord instructed Elijah, “Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.” (v. 3&4). Elijah obeyed the Lord. Sure enough the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening and he drunk from the brook for approximately one or two years. What a glorious place. Elijah fellowships with God and is fed by Him spiritual and natural food. …But Cherith means “a cutting (of the matrimonial bond); divorce.” Brook Cherith didn’t last forever; “the brook dried up.” God had provided and He would provide again elsewhere. He had been fed and now he would take God’s feeding provision to a widow woman.

Is your Brook Cherith drying up? What did Elijah do when his brook was slowly drying? He sat still waiting on the Word of the Lord. Remember, the will of God will never lead us where the grace of God cannot keep us and care for us, and Elijah knew this from experience. Is. 33:15-17, Amp. tells us that when we walk in right standing with God “his bread will be given him and water for him will be sure…”

Elijah was prepared at Cherith for his Mt. Carmel victory. Our victories will also come as we prepare in the Presence of our God and King in prayer. (To be continued)