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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see how God calls us to stand boldly for His truth, and how He sustains us through times of victory, failure, and renewal.

Key Verse

1 Kings 18:21: And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

Introduction

We know very little about Elijah’s background. We don’t know about his parents or his birth. We don’t know about his childhood. He appears suddenly in Scripture like a bolt of lightning, ready to confront the wickedness of his day.

1 Kings 17:1: And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

Some of the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah were writing prophets who left us books that we still study today. Other prophets wrote nothing down but spoke God’s word with power and authority. Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha were speaking prophets only. These men were not lesser prophets because they wrote nothing. Nathan delivered one of the greatest prophecies in the Bible about the coming Messiah through David’s line. Elijah and Elisha performed great miracles and called Israel to turn back to God.

This teaches us an important truth about how God works. He calls each of us to different tasks and gives us different gifts. We should not compare what God has called us to do with what He has called others to do. The work that God has given to each of us is exactly what we need to be doing.

1 Corinthians 3:5-6: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

Elijah lived during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history. King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel had led the nation deep into idolatry and away from worshiping the true God. It was into this spiritual darkness that God sent His faithful prophet to shine the light of truth.

In this lesson, we’ll look at how Elijah passed through three stages that many of God’s servants experience:

• The victory of Elijah
• The failure of Elijah
• The renewal of Elijah

The Victory of Elijah

God called Elijah during a time of terrible spiritual compromise in Israel. Ahab and Jezebel were wicked rulers who led God’s people away from true worship and into the darkness of Baal worship. This is when we first encounter this bold prophet of God.

Elijah’s life and service demonstrated great victories for God—both public victories that everyone could see and private victories in his personal walk with the Lord. Let’s examine both kinds of victories, because we need to learn from both.

➤ Victory in Elijah’s Public Life

Elijah began his public work with a dramatic message of judgment. He appeared before King Ahab and announced that there would be no rain in Israel except at his word. This was not just a weather prediction—it was a direct challenge to the false god Baal, whom the people believed controlled the rain and storms.

1 Kings 17:1: And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

For three and a half years, no rain fell on the land. The drought continued exactly as Elijah had prophesied, proving that the Lord—not Baal—controls the weather. When God was ready to end the drought, He spoke through His servant again.

1 Kings 18:41: Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

The most dramatic public display of God’s power came on Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal to a contest that would settle once and for all who was the true God. The false prophets called on Baal from morning until evening, but nothing happened. Then Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord, drenched his sacrifice with water three times, and prayed a simple prayer. God answered by sending fire that consumed not only the sacrifice but the wood, the stones, and even the water.

1 Kings 18:38-39: Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

What can we learn from Elijah’s bold public stand for truth? Several important lessons emerge from his example.

First, we learn that God’s servants must be bold when they know God has called them to speak His truth. Elijah didn’t soften his message to make it more acceptable to King Ahab. He didn’t try to be diplomatic about Israel’s sin. He called people to make a clear choice between the true God and false gods.

1 Kings 18:21: And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

Like Joshua before him, Elijah called people to make a decision. We too must be willing to challenge people to choose whom they will serve.

Joshua 24:15: And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Second, we learn that God’s servants must be committed to God’s honor and reputation above everything else. When Elijah prayed on Mount Carmel, notice what concerned him most:

1 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 Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

Elijah’s greatest concern was that God would be honored and that the people would know that the Lord is the true God. (Notebook Moment: When you face situations where you need to stand for truth, what motivates you most—concern for your own reputation, fear of what others might think, or desire to see God honored? How might focusing on God’s glory change the way you respond to these situations?)

Third, we learn that God’s servants must be people of prayer. God’s power and glory are demonstrated through us when we seek Him earnestly in prayer.

James 5:17-18: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

➤ Victory in Elijah’s Private Life

Elijah was a bold man of God in public, but he also struggled with very human feelings of doubt and fear in his private life. Through these struggles, God taught His servant important lessons about depending completely on divine provision.

God used many different methods to provide for Elijah during the drought, and each method taught the prophet something important about trusting God. First, God sent ravens to bring him food twice a day. Ravens were unclean birds according to the law of Moses, so God’s plan must have seemed very strange to Elijah. But God often works in ways that humble our pride and stretch our faith.

1 Kings 17:2-6: Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to a poor widow who lived outside the land of Israel. This widow was not even Jewish, yet God chose to use her to provide for His prophet.

1 Kings 17:8-9: Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

Elijah served this widow and her son by multiplying their food miraculously and even raising the boy from the dead when he became ill. But God was also ministering to Elijah through this experience. Jesus mentioned this miracle in His teaching, reminding us that God doesn’t work the same way in every situation—He always has His own purposes.

Luke 4:25-26: But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

What did God teach Elijah through this experience with the widow? Several important lessons:

• Elijah learned humility as he received help from someone outside God’s chosen people
• Elijah learned that God always provides for His servants, even in impossible circumstances
• Elijah was encouraged by the widow’s testimony about what God had done through him

1 Kings 17:24: Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

The same God who provided for Elijah will provide for us when we trust Him completely.

Philippians 4:19: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The Failure of Elijah

Even great servants of God experience times of discouragement and failure. Elijah’s life shows us that spiritual victory can sometimes be followed quickly by spiritual defeat if we take our eyes off God and focus on our circumstances.

Right after his tremendous victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah received a threatening message from Queen Jezebel. Instead of trusting the God who had just demonstrated His power so dramatically, Elijah became afraid and ran away.

1 Kings 19:2-4: Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

How could the same man who boldly faced 450 false prophets now be running in fear from one woman’s threat? This teaches us that even the strongest believers can experience times of discouragement and depression. Elijah felt sorry for himself and became convinced that he was the only faithful servant of God left in Israel.

1 Kings 19:14: And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

(Notebook Moment: Have you ever felt like Elijah—that you’re the only one trying to live for God while everyone around you seems to be compromising? How does it help to know that even great servants of God sometimes felt this way?)

This teaches us an important truth about our emotional and mental health as believers. We can face times of real discouragement and even depression, but we must remember that God is faithful to meet our emotional needs just as He meets our spiritual needs. The apostle Paul learned this same lesson when he struggled with his own difficulties:

2 Corinthians 12:9: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

James reminds us that Elijah was an ordinary person just like us, which makes his story both encouraging and instructive.

James 5:17: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

The Renewal of Elijah

The beautiful thing about our God is that He doesn’t abandon His servants when they go through times of discouragement and failure. Instead, He ministers to them with gentleness and love, restoring them to useful service.

God renewed Elijah in three important ways:

➤ Physical and Emotional Renewal

First, God met Elijah’s physical needs. The prophet was exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. An angel provided food and water, and Elijah slept until his strength was restored.

1 Kings 19:5-7: Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

Sometimes our spiritual problems are made worse by physical exhaustion and emotional strain. God understands this and ministers to our whole person, not just our spiritual needs. We see this same caring attention to physical needs in Jesus’ ministry. After He raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, Jesus immediately told her parents to give her something to eat.

Mark 5:42-43: Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Even in the midst of performing one of His greatest miracles, Jesus was concerned about the girl’s immediate physical needs. This shows us that God cares about every aspect of our lives—spiritual, emotional, and physical.

➤ Spiritual Renewal

After Elijah’s physical needs were met, God renewed his spiritual perspective. He brought the prophet to Mount Horeb (also called Mount Sinai), the same place where He had appeared to Moses centuries before.

1 Kings 19:11-12: Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

God taught Elijah an important lesson about hearing His voice. Sometimes we expect God to speak through dramatic, attention-getting events. But often God speaks to us in the quiet moments when we’re listening carefully for His gentle voice. Every servant of God must learn to hear the Lord’s voice through all the noise and confusion around us.

➤ Renewed Purpose

Finally, God gave Elijah new work to do. Instead of scolding him for his discouragement, God showed him that he was not alone—there were 7,000 others in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. Then God gave him specific tasks to accomplish.

1 Kings 19:15-16: Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.”

God’s comfort and renewal in times of discouragement are available to all His servants. The apostle Paul experienced God’s strengthening touch many times throughout his challenging life of service.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

(Notebook Moment: Think about a time when you felt discouraged in your Christian life or service. How did God comfort and renew you during that difficult season? How might your experience help you encourage others who are struggling?)

Conclusion

Elijah’s story didn’t end when he finished his earthly work. His legacy continued throughout Scripture and reaches all the way to the New Testament, showing us just how significant his faithful service was in God’s great plan.

When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain before Peter, James, and John, two figures appeared with Him—Moses and Elijah. These were the two greatest representatives of the Law and the Prophets, and their appearance with Jesus showed that He was the fulfillment of everything they had pointed toward.

Matthew 17:2-3: Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

Even more personally, James uses Elijah as an example for all believers when he teaches about the power of prayer. He reminds us that this great prophet was “a man with a nature like ours”—he struggled with the same human weaknesses we face—yet his prayers moved heaven and earth.

James 5:17-18: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

The God who called Elijah to stand boldly for truth is calling you to do the same in your generation. The world around us is filled with false gods that demand people’s worship—money, success, pleasure, power, and popularity. Like Elijah, we must be willing to challenge people to choose between these idols and the one true God.

When we stand for truth, we may sometimes feel alone and discouraged, just as Elijah did. But remember that the same God who renewed His faithful prophet will renew you. He will provide for your needs, speak to you in the quiet moments, and give you fresh purpose for serving Him. Take courage from Elijah’s example and stand boldly upon God’s truth, knowing that He who calls you is faithful—and that your faithful service today may have an impact that reaches far beyond what you can imagine.

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