____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ August 17, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Elijah: Are You Listening? (Warren E. Berkley) 2) Pearls From Proverbs (Irvin Himmel) ____________________________________________________ -1- Elijah: Are You Listening? by Warren E. Berkley Elijah's first job involved great divine power but he delivered a message to a very unpleasant human audience. Elijah said to Ahab: "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word" (1 Kngs. 17:1). This was the beginning of a roller coaster ride for the prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. During the days that followed, he was briefly exiled in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, fed by the ravens and the brook. When the brook dried up, the Lord sent him to Zarephath of Sidon. He was fed by a widow, in keeping with the Lord's promise. When the widow's son became ill, she blamed Elijah: "What do you have against me, man of God? did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" (1 Kngs. 17:18). Elijah petitioned the Lord to restore his life, "and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived." In an extraordinary moment of celebration, the widow said, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth" (1 Kngs. 17:24). After that, Elijah answered the Lord's call again, to present himself to Ahab. It was a time of great famine and Ahab had summoned Obadiah to help find some way to keep the livestock alive. As Obadiah traveled through the land on this mission, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized the man of God, and Elijah said to him, "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here'" (1 Kngs. 18:8). Obadiah was upset with Elijah. "What have I done wrong?" he said. He reminded Elijah of how he had protected the prophets from the cruel hand of Jezebel. Obadiah feared for his life. "Elijah said, 'As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today'" (1 Kngs. 18:15). Obadiah carried the message to Ahab, and when Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" Elijah responded by telling Ahab the truth: "I have not made trouble for Israel; but you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals." This exchange led to the great contest with the gods of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kngs. 18:16-46). The false prophets were publicly humiliated, utterly defeated and slaughtered in the Kishon Valley. Elijah then said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink now!" (see James 5:18). As the writer concludes the record of the event: "The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel." Meanwhile, Jezebel was so furious, she threatened to put Elijah to death (1 Kngs. 19:1-13). He fled to Beersheba, sat down in despondency under a juniper tree. The account says, "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life." "When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, Lord,'he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.' Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep" (1 Kngs. 19:3-5). Asleep and depressed, an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." He arose and found a provision miraculously supplied, then went forward. He traveled forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God, where he took up residence in a cave. Here the Lord appeared unto him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" In answer to his despondent words God manifests to him his glory, and then directs him to return to Damascus and anoint Hazael king over Syria, and Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his room (1 Kings 19:13-21; comp. 2 Kings 8:7-15; 9:1-10). Some six years after this, Ahab and Jezebel suffered the violent deaths Elijah had prophesied. He dealt with Ahaziah, who had succeeded his father Ahab. Finally the time came for Elijah to be taken up into heaven (2 Kngs. 2). Elisha was his successor. Elijah had to learn to experience the extraordinary, while living in the ordinary. He had to learn to be exhausted, but not discouraged; blamed but not blameworthy. He overcame discouragement by getting up, listening to the Lord and doing His will. God can mend the broken heart and restore us to usefulness, when we listen to Him. Are you listening? -- Via From Expository Files 11.12; December 2004 ____________________________________________________ -2- Pearls From Proverbs by Irvin Himmel Frankness Finds Favor "He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue" (Prov. 28:23). Although there are people who do not care what others think about them, most of us desire the esteem and good will of our acquaintances. Our words and actions toward others reflect our inclination to find favor with them. On the surface it seems that rebuking someone is not the way to gain his respect and admiration, but frankness finds more favor then flattery. Rebuke The Hebrew word for "rebuke" (yakach) in this proverb means to decide, judge, reprove, or correct. We rebuke a person when we take him to task or reprimand him. (1) Rebuking requires courage. It is much easier to brag on someone than to tell him that he is wrong. When God charged Nathan the prophet to go to David and convict him of the sin of adultery, it took boldness on Nathan's part to fulfill the assignment (2 Sam. 12). David was the king of Israel. He had great power. Already he had arranged to dispose of Uriah the Hittite. If he became angry toward Nathan, the prophet might be imprisoned or put to death. Nathan courageously went to David and pointed out his sinfulness. (2) Rebuking may be painful. Possibly there are some who relish telling another his faults, but a conscientious person, keenly aware of his own shortcomings, finds no pleasure in confronting another about his transgressions. "Nothing is more irritating or hardening than to be rebuked by one who evidently enjoys his office. But if the one who points out our fault is evidently deeply pained himself, we must be very obdurate if we are insensible to such an appeal. The wayward child is conquered, not by the rod in his mother's hand, but by the tears in her eyes" (E. Hurndall). (3) Rebuking shows love. Paul found it painful to rebuke his brethren but love compelled him. He expressed his feelings this way: "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you" (2 Cor. 2:4). (4) Rebuking is commanded. God told the Israelites, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him" (Lev. 19:17). The command to rebuke one who sins was to avoid developing hatred toward him and to avoid complicity in his sin. Jesus taught that if a brother trespasses against thee, "go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone" (Matt. 18:15). Again, Jesus commanded, "if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (Lk. 17:3). (5) A rebuke is a call to repentance. The aim in castigating someone is to produce godly sorrow which in turn brings about repentance. The design of a rebuke is not punishment. Read Paul's remarks in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 on this point. (6) A rebuke may cause temporary displeasure. The one who is reproved may not like his medicine. He may get angry and attempt to justify his misconduct. Favor Afterwards In the long run rebuke is more likely to bring admiration and respect than displeasure. "We are so prone to self-love, and pride, that the most prudent, and needful rebukes are apt to create transient displeasure. Yet upon reflection most men will have a better opinion of a faithful reprover, than of a soothing flatterer, and will show him more favor" (T. Scott). When the rebuked person comes to his senses, his heart will be grateful toward the individual who pointed out his fault and convicted him of his sin. Failure of Flattery As Proverbs 26:28 states it, "a flattering mouth worketh ruin." How many people do you know who have been brought to repentance through flattery? The real friend is not the flatterer but one who rebukes in the spirit of love. "He who gives us kisses when he ought to give us reproof, or who holds back deserved rebuke from cowardice, is more cruel than if he withheld from us an indispensable medicine simply because it had a bitter taste. And if a wound is to be probed it is surely better for the patient that it should be done by a skillful and tender hand than by one who has no sympathy with us and no acquaintance with our inner life" (W. Harris). Firm, frank, and kind rebuke finds more favor than flattery will ever produce. -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXI: 4, p. 108, February 19, 1987 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________