The Outline
After Elijah has his mountaintop experience, seeing God reveal Himself the true and only God in an impressive show-down with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, we read this chapter. It begins with Jezebel’s response to the news of the slaughter of the prophets and she responds with an edict that Elijah is going to be dead “by this time tomorrow!”
And really, what happens next, you just don’t see coming… Elijah flees. He travels to the southernmost point in Judah, leaves his servant there and wanders into the desert.
God goes with Elijah and provides a hot breakfast and Elijah travels through the desert for 40 days and nights, finally ending up at the Mountain of God - Mt. Horeb. There he crawls into a cave.
This is where God asks His question: Elijah, what are you doing here?
Elijah’s response is: “I’ve worked hard for you Lord. The Israelites have broken Your covenant, pushed over all your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left and they want to kill me.”
And then God works on His servant.

For many this story may have a ring of familiarity in it. Why did Elijah end up here? How does he go from victor to victim in the space of a few hours. What happened?
What happened is the point and the backdrop for this entire story. King Ahab happened. This Jewish king should have been so impressed by the display of God that he went home and got right with God. Elijah, who outran the chariot, by the way, expected an edict that would read similar to the edict the king of Nineveh published when Jonah prophesies there. “Everyone wear sackcloth and seek the face of God and perhaps He will save us from calamity!” Instead Elijah gets a message that his days are numbered.
Elijah is dealt some severe disappointment and disillusionment. His hope for the nation has been a good hope, but things aren’t going to play out like Elijah had envisioned.
So… does this sound familiar to you?
Something that you thought God was going to do that He didn’t?
Maybe you were expected God to do the miraculous and heal a sickness. Maybe you were hoping that all your efforts to evangelize that co-workers or family member would result in their salvation. Maybe you did most everything right and expected your kid would follow God with all his heart. But instead these good hopes didn’t materialize.
Disillusionment is a real thing and it can happen when God’s plans are not our plans and we discover that we were holding on to our plans just a bit tighter than to God’s.
The question God’s asks Elijah, is the question He asks us and moments like that… What are you doing here?
Because you end up there, because you’ve lost your way and need to get back in step with God.

The lesson for Elijah is as follows:
First he goes back to the beginning. 8
He tells God how he is feeling. 10
Listen for His voice. 14
Be obedient. 15

Elijah ends up back where it all started… the mountain of God. This is where God met Moses. This is where God and His people started.
God asks His question the first time and Elijah doesn’t hold back. He thinks he is the only one left, even though in chapter 18 Obediah informs him he has been secretly taking care of 100 prophets (1 Kings 18:13).
God comes to Him in a small voice and His question hasn’t changed… Elijah, what are you doing here?
After repeating his complaint, God basically says: “Okay, that’s enough.” And gets Elijah back into service. How? By showing Him the next step in His plan. Not all of it… just what’s next. Get up, anoint some kings and train the next prophet.
What does Elijah do? He obeys. Did he feel like it yet? Who knows. I tend to think he may not completely, but he goes. And he and Elisha develop a very neat relationship. And Elijah’s end? Impressive - chariots of fire!

We can get disillisioned and disappointed when things don’t happen...

The Outline

The King (2 Chronicles 26)
King Uzzia was elected king by the people at 16 years old. At such a young age he was instructed by the prophet Zechariah (verse 5) in the fear of the Lord. This must have been a tremendous privilege for this young king - to have someone that helped him to continue to fear God. He reigned 52 years - a very long time and verses 6-15 chronicle his achievements as king.
The turning point in the story comes in verse 16. When he had become strong - it went to his head. An episode in this king’s life that changed him and his reign forever. He thought he could act as priest and burn incense before the Lord. The priests (80 of them) warned him not to do it and the king burned in anger toward them. And while the priests were watching him, leprosy started to grow on his forehead.
The end of his life was one of seclusion - away from the temple and the palace - and his son ruling in his stead.

The King of kings (Isaiah 6)
This is the situation that forms the backdrop for Isaiah’s vision. The king has died. His rule had lasted 52 years. He had made a tragic error in judgment. This attitude toward the things of God was reflected among the people.
It was at this moment that Isaiah is ushered into the throne room of God and has a spectacular vision of the Lord, high and lifted up.

Majesty (verse 1)
What a difference with king Uzziah, who had tarnished his kingly majesty. The King of kings is still on His throne and the train of his robe fills the temple. That’s impressive
Holiness (verses 2-3)
Seraphim are guarding the holiness of God. They were created so that they do not look upon the holiness of God and they call out a warning. In the Hebrew language there is no punctuation, so where we would use an exclamation point, in Hebrew you would repeat it. The strongest way to say something in the Hebrew language is to repeat it three times. God is holy, Holy, HOLY! And even though it may not always seem like it, the whole earth is full of His glory.
Sovereignty (verse 8)
This last scene contains our question. But understand what is happening here. God is clearly shown as ruling and reigning in the affairs of men. He asks whom they (a veiled reference to the trinity) might send and Isaiah is quick to answer that he is willing. He then receives a commissioning to speak to a people that will not want to listen.


This vision of the King of kings teaches us much that ought to encourage us in the times we live in. In turbulent political times, like a Brexit from the EU and a call for a referendum in the Netherlands… it is this scene in Isaiah 6 that lifts our focus from the earthly to the heavenly. God is still on his throne.
Isaiah’s response is really a pattern for us to follow.

His first response is to acknowledge his own sinfulness. 5a
Secondly, he considers the people he lives with: unholy 5b
God is unapproachably holy 6
God sanctifies Isaiah. 7

God’s holiness shows our unholiness. But He doesn’t leave it that way, but chooses to make us holy. And then he chooses to accomplish His work through us. And the call - or question - still rings today… Whom shall we send? Who will go for us? What will your answer be?

I will build my Church
Pentecost Sunday 2016

As I was considering what to preach on for Pentecost a passage came to mind that Wim quoted to me a few weeks ago. In this passageChrist asks His disciples an all-important question. For everyone here, it is the most important question ever asked: Who do you say that I am? Peter, being the always-first-to-speak disciple utters a confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus praises Peter for this confession and adds that only the Father could have revealed that to Him.

This is the backdrop to a magnificent statement by Christ in verse 18, which is where we will begin our study of God’s Word. My aim this morning, is to trace this promise to its fulfillment and to encourage us in this plan.

Matthew 16:18 - Looking forward
Jesus mentions the Church - ekklesia, which means “called out ones” - for the first time in this text. The tense is future, meaning that building the Church has not yet begun. Jesus clearly expresses that this will be His work with the “I” and the “my”. He will lay the foundation and He will retain ownership of the building.
The final part of His statement is that “the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. I love this picture, because gates are a defensive structure that you hide behind. Hell is pictured as being on the defensive, while Christ’s buildingproject will advance against it. Throughout history this has proven to be true - the Church has conquered kingly decrees, survived large-scale persecution and penetrated every culture. Christ is building His Church as He promised He would.

John 20:19-23 - Promise
In Matthew 16:21 Matthew tells us that Jesus’ message changed from “repent for the kingdom is at hand” (Matthew 4:27) to “I must go to Jerusalem to suffer many things”. In John 20 that is passed. Jesus has been crucified, He was laid in a tomb, and He rose again three days later and is now appearing to His disciples. He first appeared to Mary, which is such a sweet testimony to Christ’s love. Then he appears to the disciples gathered in a room and wishes them “peace” twice. They investigate the evidence and then Christ gives them a promise. As the Father sent Christ, He is sending them. But He isn’t going to send them alone and gives them assurance of Holy Spirit. Literally the text just says that Christ “breathes” here - the “on them” is supplied by the translator. The plainest explanation is that Christ gives an audible example of how they will receive the Holy Spirit. He either blows out (on Pentecost Day the coming of the Holy Spirit is accompanied with a rushing wind) or breathes in (to signify how the Holy Spirit will fill them). Either way, there isn’t a reference to some mystical pre-pentecost giving of the Holy Spirit. More significantly is the change that Jesus promises in their ministry: they will be given the authority to speak of forgiven and unforgiven sins. Again this isn’t mystical, but a change in the situation before Christ death and resurrection. The Jews didn’t speak of forgiven and unforgiven sins, but of covered sins. Now, the disciples - and we - are permitted to speak of sins that are forgiven - if you believe on Christ, your sins are forgiven. And sins that are not forgiven - if you do not believe on Christ, you remain in your sins.
Jesus gives His disciples assurance of the Holy Spirit that they will receive, but have not yet.

Acts 1:4-8 - Expectation
Jesus tells His disciples to wait in Jerusalem and expect the Holy Spirit in not many days. The coming of the Holy Spirit is still future here and the disciples still need to obediently wait. Christ has not yet ascended to send the Comforter.

Acts 2:1-4 - Fulfillment
In Acts 2 Pentecost has come and the disciples are gathered together. The sound of a rushing wind - perhaps they thought back to John 20 - and it fills the room. The Holy Spirit...

Not all superheroes wear capes
1 Samuel 1

I want to first draw your attention to 1 Peter 3:1-6. Peter - the fisherman - gives us a portrait of true, Godly womanhood. The beauty of outward adornment takes a back seat to the inner beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit. Heather and I attended a wedding last night and the outward beauty of women was on display - pretty dresses, hair done up, make-up, and the clicketting sound of high heels on the concrete Church floor. There is nothing wrong with outward beauty. Peter, however draws our attention to the inward beauty. A woman who has learned to quiet her spirit and be gentle is precious in the Lord’s sight.
The first descriptive noun captures genuine friendliness or meekness. It is not that of an unassuming wallflower, but a quality of character that is gentle with others. The second noun is virtually unknown to the world we live in: a peaceful heart. Being satisfied, free of turmoil, and steadily trusting her Lord.
Then Peter segues to “holy women” and cites Sarah as a good example. It’s one of those holy women that I would like to visit this morning.

Hannah
One author I read describes the setting as follows:
“As the book opens, it is the period of the Judges. There is no king in Israel as yet. It is a time of turmoil; it is a time of confusion. It is a time when Israel is vulnerable to the Philistines. It is a time when they are debauched morally. It is a time when their religion has grown cold. And it is a time for a great man to rise and take the leadership of the nation, a period of religious degeneracy, of political distress. With the death of Samson the country was divided and leaderless. (...) The priesthood was corrupt. Moral scandals were rampant among the family of the priests. The nation was weak. The nation was impotent. And the worst of all, chapter 3, verse 1 says, “word from the Lord was rare in those days, and visions were infrequent.” God even had nothing to say.”

In the middle of this worldly nation we read about Hannah, who is going to be the mom of one of the Godliest men in Scripture. Not in the family line of Messiah, but a man of simple obedience and faith. You’ll see in just a moment that he got that from his mom.

Happily married, and yet...

We are introduced to a man named Elkanah and the details of his marriage are spelled out. He got married twice. It was never God’s pattern for marriage and never condoned in Scripture, but Scripture never hides the faults of its heroes. The narrative makes it plain that Elkanah loved Hannah, though. Since Peninnah had the children (verse 2) and Hannah received the double portion (verse 5), it is safe to assume that Elkanah married Hannah first. When they discovered that God had closed her womb (verse 5), Elkanah married Peninnah to ensure offspring. This is a clear indictment of Elkanah, who chooses to follow a social construct instead of God’s pattern for marriage.
The text plainly states that Elkanah loved Hannah. He even intimates in verse 8 that he goes to great measure to be good to her. He’s a good husband, all things considered. So she’s happily married, but Peninnah makes her life difficult. I can imagine that.

Pouring out her heart to...

Hannah’s name means “grace” and she displays this in the text. Nowhere do we read of a backlash at Peninnah. We don’t read that she treats Peninnah badly. Hannah has inner turmoil and great sadness, but she is gentle in her treatment of wife number two.
And then we read that she directs her inner turmoil to the only One, who can do anything about it. If God closed her womb, only He could open it. She goes and prays… actually the text says “she was speaking in her heart” - what a beautiful description of prayer.
When Eli - what a great guy - sees her praying and assumes she is drunk, she responds vehemently to an accusation of being a “worthless woman”....