Not in the Fire
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Kings 19:11-18
Often as not, we look to the systems of power around us to offer guidance, direction, and meaning for our lives. We seek in those same systems of economic, cultural, social, and political power a validation of our faith. We want them to prop up our understanding of God, our way of live, our faith practices. Unfortunately, power as it is normally wielded in the halls of power is not attached directly to the purposes and design of God. Why do we continue seeking to find God in human power structures, when so often God shows up in places and ways that run counter to the priorities and concerns of the ways we wield and maintain power?
Today's passage is the culmination of a series of stories about Elijah. The central story had just been told of Elijah's standoff with the prophets of Ba'al. After a drought of three years, he had faced down King Ahab's 450 prophets of Ba'al and 400 of Asherah. Yahweh had strikingly demonstrated full superiority to Ba'al, sending fire down to consume sacrifice, altar, water in the trench around the altar, and even the very stones of the altar. Surely, Israel would shake off their idolatrous relationship with Ba'al after such a demonstration of power. Indeed, these false prophets were put to death by the people, yet the king and queen demanded Elijah's life in consequence. Rather than turning to Yahweh, they were more upset that Elijah had orchestrated this great demonstration against Ba'al.
Elijah ran off to meet Yahweh, desiring to end his life. He was depressed, disappointed, distressed, and disillusioned. He felt like the previous three years culminating in the amazing standoff at Mount Carmel had all been for naught. What good had it accomplished for Yahweh to prove superiority to Ba'al, to show up Ba'al as an imposter, when the king and queen wished him dead for having shown Yahweh to be the true God for Israel?
He had hoped that Israel would turn in repentance to ...
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Kings 19:11-18
Often as not, we look to the systems of power around us to offer guidance, direction, and meaning for our lives. We seek in those same systems of economic, cultural, social, and political power a validation of our faith. We want them to prop up our understanding of God, our way of live, our faith practices. Unfortunately, power as it is normally wielded in the halls of power is not attached directly to the purposes and design of God. Why do we continue seeking to find God in human power structures, when so often God shows up in places and ways that run counter to the priorities and concerns of the ways we wield and maintain power?
Today's passage is the culmination of a series of stories about Elijah. The central story had just been told of Elijah's standoff with the prophets of Ba'al. After a drought of three years, he had faced down King Ahab's 450 prophets of Ba'al and 400 of Asherah. Yahweh had strikingly demonstrated full superiority to Ba'al, sending fire down to consume sacrifice, altar, water in the trench around the altar, and even the very stones of the altar. Surely, Israel would shake off their idolatrous relationship with Ba'al after such a demonstration of power. Indeed, these false prophets were put to death by the people, yet the king and queen demanded Elijah's life in consequence. Rather than turning to Yahweh, they were more upset that Elijah had orchestrated this great demonstration against Ba'al.
Elijah ran off to meet Yahweh, desiring to end his life. He was depressed, disappointed, distressed, and disillusioned. He felt like the previous three years culminating in the amazing standoff at Mount Carmel had all been for naught. What good had it accomplished for Yahweh to prove superiority to Ba'al, to show up Ba'al as an imposter, when the king and queen wished him dead for having shown Yahweh to be the true God for Israel?
He had hoped that Israel would turn in repentance to ...
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