Elijah was a powerful prophet of God who lived in Israel around 900 years before Jesus. He had a strong word of repentance for a wicked king. That king, Ahab, didn’t receive Elijah’s word. Elijah told him, “It won’t rain again until I say so.” And it didn’t, for three years (1 Kings 17-19).
Elijah told the king three years later that he would give him another chance to repent and change. Ahab gathered all his pagan priests of Baal at Mt. Carmel for a test of faith. Whoever could call for their god to consume an animal sacrifice with fire would win.
The heathen priests prayed all day, nothing happened. Elijah prayed and fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice, then it rained. A huge win. A big victory. A massive moment of faith.
Then it all changed. Ahab’s wife Jezebel was so mad she put out a contract on Elijah’s life. In fear, he ran.
Elijah hid in a cave in the desert. He was so distraught, he asked God to kill him. He said, “God, I’m the only one left in this world who is following you.” God told him in essence, “Get up! I have 7,000 other men who have not bowed a knee to Baal and still follow me just like you.”
The pattern that bedeviled Elijah is common to you and me in difficult times—he was alone, he was isolated. He was in fear, disconnected, depressed, dislocated and it led to a desire to die.
That’s a pattern of fear.
Here’s the pivot point—why didn’t Elijah know any of those 7,000 men? If he knew he had brothers, it would have changed his perspective. Perhaps Elijah was so consumed with his vision he forgot the basics of brotherhood.
Here’s what Jesus said to you and me about friendship and brotherhood:
I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in His slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me. You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name. This is My command: Love each other (John 15:15-17 NLT).
A brother may not always be your friend, but a friend will always be your brother.
