The SHOWDOWN
-
1 Kings 17
Close
The waiting period - a must
Barbara Sandbek has been following the life and works of the prophet Elijah. We’ve seen him travel from a palace, to a wilderness, and then to a pagan land. God has protected him from the wrath of a king, provided for him through a wild raven and a starving widow, and has powerfully wakened the widow’s son from death. Elijah’s faith has grown as a result of his obedience. Now he’s ready to face Ahab again, and do the job these experiences have groomed him to do – that of calling the Israelites back to God.
ELIJAH - a man for the times - God’s Glory increases our Faith
Barbara Sandbek has been following the prophet Elijah on his ‘BOARDWALK’ of life. Elijah seems to have a MONOPOLY on receiving God’s prophetic word and seeing His promises fulfilled. He LANDED first at a palace. To avoid being sent ‘DIRECTLY TO JAIL’ by King Ahab when he told him of God’s impending punishment, he fled into a wilderness. There he was fed from the COMMUNITY CHEST by a raven. When his WATER WORKS dried up, he moved to a pagan city, where he took the CHANCE to trust God to provide his needs through a starving widow. This certainly wasn’t the HIGH RENT DISTRICT, but he didn’t have to pay rent at any of these places - God gave him FREE PARKING. The widow ‘ROLLED DOUBLES’ when she obeyed Elijah’s command to make a cake for him, first, and then for herself and her son. God kept his promise. There was enough food for ALL of them until the rain came. Elijah may feel like HE’S been winning the monopoly game so far, but this next faith test will show him that God is in control, especially when he comes to the end of his resources. On this program, we’ll hear about another miracle God performed for the widow. This one will finally cause her to believe.
ELIJAH - a man for the times - God's multi-purpose, multi-person plan
Barbara Sandbek has been taking us on a faith building journey with the prophet, Elijah. We’ve seen how God stationed Elijah in the royal palace, where he delivered a prophetic message of impending drought to King Ahab. Then God sent him to the wilderness, where his only company was that of a raven. Last week we found Elijah settling in, but God soon dried up the brook -- his source of life. Now it was time for him to go to a territory ruled by Queen Jezebel’s father, and be cared for by the human hands of a poor, gentile widow, facing starvation. Sounds like ‘Mission Impossible’ doesn’t it? Well, the Lord had said to Sarah, Abraham’s barren wife, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”, and He challenges US to believe that EVERYTHING is possible when we act in obedience. Elijah chose to accept this mission and found that NOTHING would ‘self-destruct’ without God’s say so.
God in the little things - part 2
On our last program, Barbara Sandbek began a new series on Elijah, a man for the times. The ungodly King, Ahab, had led them into Baal worship. In an effort to steer His people back to Him, God withdrew His hand of blessing so they would appreciate what He had done for them. God chose the prophet, Elijah, to tell the king that there would be no dew or rain until he said so. Then he told Elijah to go and hide, and He’d supply his needs through a brook and a raven. God kept His promise, and then began to groom Elijah’s faith for an even tougher task ahead. Let’s continue now, and see how Elijah handled his isolation and humbling conditions.
God in the little things
Faithfulness…what does it mean? Webster defines it as loyal. And ‘loyal’ is defined as faithful to a trust or confidence – true to duty or love. Is that the definition you had in mind? On this Grace Notes program, Barbara begins a new series which will take us on a journey with the prophet Elijah. We’ll see how God worked THROUGH Elijah to demonstrate His faithfulness to His people, Israel, despite their unfaithfulness. We’ll also see how God worked IN Elijah to groom him to truly be a man for the times. So, buckle your seat belts, and get ready to roll with the prophet of old.
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
In John 11:25, Jesus said.. “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.” King David didn’t have THAT New Testament Scripture to assure him that there was life after death, yet because of his intimate relationship with the Lord, God gave David hope that He would remain with him as his faithful Shepherd-King for as long as he lived. Therefore, David confidently concluded Psalm 23 with a statement of his faith in the Great Shepherd he had come to know, love and depend on. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek wraps up our study of the 23rd Psalm with David’s closing phrase… “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me
After meditating on God’s faithfulness, David was persuaded that God would continue His favor toward him, so he wrote… ”Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Let’s listen in now as Barbara dissects this phrase for us.
Thou anointest my head with oil
King David was well aware of the gracious and lavish treatment he received from His Heavenly Father. In the first part of verse 5 of Psalm 23, he described how bountifully God set the table for him, and how comfortable and secure he felt, even with his enemies looking on. He continues the verse with “Thou anointest my head with oil – my cup runneth over”. This shows how the Lord honored him by anointing him with oil and continually filling his cup to overflowing. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek will discuss the custom of anointing with oil and relate it to our anointing as Believers. So stay tuned, you’re sure to learn something new.
Thou preparest a table before me
In Old Testament times, to eat and drink at someone’s table created a bond of loyalty. This scene is not simply of a host and a guest, but rather of two friends. The Psalmist David needed a loyal friend. He found this and more at the Lord’s table. Under God’s protection and power, he could feast in safety and security though surrounded by his enemies. One commentary wrote that this could also be interpreted as that of a victory feast, where David celebrated, as his defeated, unarmed enemies looked on. Regardless of the meaning, David’s enemies couldn’t harm him because the Lord was on his side. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek will show how we, too, can feast comfortably in the middle of a crisis because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thy Rod and Thy staff Thy comfort me
The psalmist David spent most of his days in the middle of danger. Perhaps he was thinking about the attempts made on his life by King Saul and others when he wrote, ”Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Before he became king, he was constantly dodging Saul’s murderous pursuits. As king, he warred with the surrounding nations, and toward the end of his reign, his own family members tried to overthrow him. But because he had been a good shepherd himself, he understood and counted on the protection from God, the greatest Shepherd of all. Today, on Grace Notes, Barbara Sandbek will talk about how the shepherd protects his sheep.