Elijah is Suicidal—God’s Response and the New Covenant pt.3

—1 Kings 19
(Part 57 of Seeing Jesus in the O.T.)

• Andrew Fountain – July 3, 2022

 
 
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Goal:

That each of us would hear the gentle voice of Jesus
and not our self-blame, criticism and self-condemnation,
which constantly tell us our weaknesses.

1 Kings 17:4

4. [Elijah] came and sat down under a juniper tree.
   and he asked that he might die, saying,
5. “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life,
   for I am no better than my fathers.”

“I am a failure! I have achieved nothing! and it is all too much for me.”

How will God answer?

• Your suicidal thoughts are sin and you will be punished
• You stupid man, shut up and get on with your task
• Don’t focus on yourself, but on others
• I accept your resignation, Elijah!
• Just try to think positive thoughts
• Yes, you are a pathetic failure, but I love you anyway

Instead

• I know your pain, and am going to gently meet you, just where you need to be met
• I am going to show your value to me by giving you one of the biggest prophetic revelations any human has yet received.
• That is how much I value you!

Elijah is Suicidal—God’s Response and the New Covenant pt.3

1. The Old & New Covenants—Quick recap
2. The Prophet who wanted to end his life
3. God’s Extraordinary Response: the New Covenant
4. Hearing the Quiet Whisper Ourselves

Covenant:
“A forever relationship with serious commitments”

Three Covenants

1. Covenant with Abraham (grace) —a picture of the New Covenant
2. “Old Covenant” (laws, performance)
3. New Covenant (grace)

Hebrews 8

Summary:

• If you are a member of the New Covenant:

1. You have a new heart, that like a butterfly wants to soar
2. You are God’s beloved and he is your beloved. You are secure in the relationship
3. You relate to God directly, not through priests
4. You are totally forgiven and God is never judging you or condemning you

Elijah is Suicidal—God’s Response and the New Covenant pt.3

1. The Old & New Covenants—Quick recap
2. The Prophet who wanted to end his life
3. God’s Extraordinary Response: the New Covenant
4. Hearing the Quiet Whisper Ourselves

Elijah is Suicidal—God’s Response and the New Covenant pt.3

1. The Old & New Covenants—Quick recap
2. The Prophet who wanted to end his life
3. God’s Extraordinary Response: the New Covenant
4. Hearing the Quiet Whisper Ourselves

Exodus 19

16. On the third day in the morning there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud horn; all the people who were in the camp trembled.
17. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their place at the foot of the mountain.
18. Now Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.

Exodus 19 cont’d

19. When the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking and God was answering him with a voice.
20. The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Exodus 20

18. All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking — and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.
19. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Exodus 24, 25

15. Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16. The glory of the LORD resided on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud.
17. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in plain view of the people.
18. Moses went into the cloud when he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
1. The LORD spoke to Moses:… (The Laws of the Old Covenant)

Parallels with Moses

1. Has to escape into the wilderness
2. Supernatural provision of food
3. Then 40 days of fasting
4. Led by God to Mount Sinai
5. Told by God to climb the mountain
6. Earthquake and fire
7. Hears the voice of God: The Covenant

God is re-running Sinai,
and replacing the Law

• Replaces the fire, earthquake and terrifying noise
  with a gentle whisper
• Prophetic:
  God is going to replace the Sinai Covenant
  with a new way of speaking to humanity
• The gentle voice of Jesus

Zechariah 9 —Jesus

9. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
         Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
   See, your king comes to you,
         righteous and having salvation,
   gentle and riding on a donkey,
         on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Isaiah 42 – Jesus

2. He will not cry out or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
3. a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a faintly burning wick he will not snuff out;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.

How did God respond to Elijah’s self-destructive mental illness?

• “I value you so much, I am going to take you beyond Moses”
• “And I am going to do this extremely gently, because that is all you can take right now”

Elisha & Jesus

Many similar miracles, but at a much smaller scale

• Broke loaves and fed 100 people
• Healed a leper (Naaman)
• Healed the blind
• Float on water (axe-head)
• Love your enemies (made a feast for them)

Elijah & John the Baptist

• Anointed Elisha/Jesus
• Prepared the way, calling for repentance
• A tough ministry
• Moment of darkness, with a gentle response from God

Matthew 11

2. …John… sent his disciples to ask a question:
3. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
4. Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see:
5. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.
11. “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.
14. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come.

Elijah is Suicidal—God’s Response and the New Covenant pt.3

1. The Old & New Covenants—Quick recap
2. The Prophet who wanted to end his life
3. God’s Extraordinary Response: the New Covenant
4. Hearing the Quiet Whisper Ourselves

The New Covenant is about hearing the gentle voice of Jesus!

• We all feel like this sometimes
• Even the loud narcissist who thinks he is more important than anyone else?
• Deep inside is a terrified child
• This inner voice telling us we are worthless is one of the fundamental roots of mental illness and addiction

Often there is some guilt

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin

The Gentle Voice of Jesus

• It is critical that you listen to his voice, not the thunder
• When you sin, remember how gentle he was with Peter!
• The prodigal son, the woman in adultery —so gentle
• He has a destiny for you, a seat at his right hand

How did God respond?

“It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life,
for I am no better than my fathers.”

• With a soft and gentle voice
• With a gift of extreme value:
  A prophetic revelation that replaced the law of Moses with Jesus
• Let him whisper your value to you right now!