Introducing Elijah

 

If you are someone who doesn’t know the bible very well, I want to introduce you to Elijah, If you are someone who over the years has focused mainly on the New Testament, maybe you have only heard rumors of a man named Elijah. Either way I want to spend time this week focusing on my favorite story of Elijah. In the New Testament Elijah’s name is brought up in a few very important places. Let’s look at Mark 8:27-30:

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” ²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

 

Before people knew who Jesus was, they thought he might be Elijah.

Now let’s go forward to when Jesus is on the cross in Mark 15:33-37

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ^{a 35} When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

 

So here we have Jesus on the cross and people are waiting to see if Elijah comes and saves Jesus, not God. All of this makes me want to know, who is Elijah and why did they think he could come save Jesus? For that answer we need to go into the Old Testament to 2 Kings 2:11-12.

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Elijah never died! Everyone knew about this from reading what we call the Old Testament. They figured that if Jesus was truly a religious figure, then Elijah had to be involved in some way.

 

Before we find out what Elijah did to receive the honor of never having to die, we need to introduce the bad guys into the story, Let’s stay in the Old Testament, but this time go to 1 Kings 16:29-33

 

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. ³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. ³⁴ In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

 

Before we go any further can I just say that in case you were wondering, Yes the woman mentioned in verse 31 is the women responsible for making the word “Jezebel” a universal word for an evil woman. So, Ahab and Jezebel are going to be the two main people that Elijah has to deal with. Now that we have made a few formal introductions, lets stop for today and pick up tomorrow when the action begins.