Elijah has just been powerfully used by God, has seen Him do
a mighty thing at Mt Carmel in exposing the futility of worshipping Baal, and
has proven Himself to the people there.
Amazingly, Jezebel invokes the “gods” against Elijah, she has not seen what
the Lord has done on the mountain, and Elijah decides he’s done. It makes no sense, Elijah has seen the power
of the Lord in answer to many prayers and now he is running from Jezebel. It is weariness and the belief that surely
the opposition will now end and instead he is under attack once more. Satan never stops, never leaves us alone and
we are vulnerable when the Lord has done mighty things for us and through
us. Elijah leaves Jezebel’s realm in
going out into the wilderness a day’s journey, beyond her grasp. There he can rest and his rest is deep, twice
the Lord wakes Him to eat to gain strength for the journey ahead, forty days
into the wilderness. He can’t get far
enough away to truly rest. Sometimes
God’s servants simply need rest and restoration of their souls for the next leg
of the journey.
The fourth sign John gives us is the feeding of the
multitudes. Jesus turns to Philip and
asks where they will buy bread for all these people. Philip sees that this isn’t the only problem,
where would the money come from to feed 5000 people is at least as big an
issue. Why does Peter mention the boy
with a few barley loaves and fish?
Finally, on the mountain in a grassy place Jesus feeds the sheep and is
environmentally conscious not to waste anything so has them collect the
leftovers. At the end of the scene they
conclude that Jesus is the Prophet, the one like Moses promised in Deuteronomy
18.15. He has miraculously provided,
just as Moses had done. The Samaritans
were looking for this same one, not simply a Prophet but the Prophet and Jesus
offered the woman water welling up to eternal life as Moses had been the
conduit as it were for providing water in the wilderness. They are coming along in belief but they
aren’t there yet.
The church is the vessel God has chosen to continue the
mission of Jesus into the world and proclaim the kingdom is among us and it is
also coming. In choosing and sending the
church He has also chosen the church to equip the saints for the work of
ministry and mission. All who receive Him
are given gifts and talents to use for the work of the kingdom of God. The church exists at least partially to equip
the saints for the work of ministry. To
do the work of the church God has given gifts of offices to the church,
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. If we take the time to identify those among
us who are those people and then allow them to use those gifts we will find the
purposes of the church being fulfilled.
If we did, we might find our way as the church out of the wilderness and
into the mission field that is white for harvest. We would see the body working as it was
designed to work.
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
“Glory to the newborn King!”
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