Elijah – How Come Such Authority?
Whatever enabled Elijah to say to King Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). How often do you read about such boldness? However did Elijah know to speak like that? Would he not have lived in fear day and night that it might rain after he said that to Ahab, and then his word would have no credibility at all? I think I would have been a nervous wreck if I made a claim like that!
But there is more. How could Elijah have such calmness when he said to the prophets of Baal that the “god who answers by fire – he is God”. Not only that; while the false prophets feverishly pleaded, “O Baal, answer us!”, watch Elijah! He is having the time of his life! He pokes fun at them. “Shout louder . . . Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:22,27). How could Elijah be so relaxed? So sure
The answer is: God had sworn an oath to him.
God swore an oath to Abraham (Gen.22:16ff). Up until then it had been one promise after another to Abraham that his seed would be innumerable – like the “dust of the earth” (Gen.13:16) or the stars in the sky (Gen.15:5). Abraham believed these words but also felt a need to make these promises happen – as when he slept with Hagar (Gen.16:2). But once God swore an oath to Abraham he was “set” – utterly and totally convinced that his seed would be like the sand of the seashore.
What made the difference? Is not the promise true? Is it not valid? Why would one need the oath to be utterly and absolutely convinced? It is because the oath is stronger. It puts an end to all argument (Heb.616). When the oath is sworn no room for doubting is left. These two unchangeable things – promise and oath (Heb.6:18) – are equally true but not equally convincing to us. God sometimes accommodates us by swearing an oath to us, and when he does we know that we know. It is an assurance that comes by the immediate and direct witness of the Holy Spirit. It was what was promised to the Hebrew Christians (Heb.6:9ff). I shall deal with this in detail this summer at The Cove (Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, NC). I also deal with this in detail in my latest book These Are the Days of Elijah.
My point is this. No man or woman on earth could speak as Elijah did had he not heard from God at what I would call the oath level. You have two unchangeable things: promise and oath. Both are true but the promise tends to be conditional: this is true upon the condition “if”. But there is no condition attached to the oath. When God swears an oath it is going to happen, like it or not. When God swears this to a person he or she KNOWS what will happen.
That is what Elijah had. That is how he could, almost casually, say to Ahab: no rain unless I say so. That is why he could be so calm on Mount Carmel and even tease the prophets of Baal. He knew his word was infallibly true.
Have you ever had God to swear an oath to you? It may come with regard to an answer to prayer (1 John 5:15; Mark 11:22-24), to full assurance of salvation (Heb.11:22) or infallible understanding of what is true (Col.2:2).
Ask God to give you this. He did with Elijah – an ordinary man (Jas.5:17). Why not you?
RT
You can read much more about this in my New book: These are the days of Elijah available at a discount for this month.