CARMEL

Mount Carmel

Today we were in Israel at the scene of Elijah's famous bout with the 450 prophets of Ba'al on Mount Carmel.

One thing about the life of Elijah is absolutely certain - it's dazzling.

Ravens bring him food.
He prays and a widow's son is raised from death.
He wins a showdown against several hundred false prophets.
He runs seventeen miles from Carmel to Jezereel, outrunning chariots and horses.
He appears at the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus and Moses.
He is associated with John the Baptist in the New Testament.
He is a mega-prophet, whose coming paved the way for the Messiah.

Yeah.  I'd say Elijah was pretty normal.  He's really nothing like us.

And yet, James makes an extraordinary statement when he says Elijah was actually a man like us:
"The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  So confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a human, even as we are.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years.  And again he prayed and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced crops."

A man like me?  A person like you?

Yes.

That passage isn't about raising people from the dead.  It isn't about being fed by birds.  Don't break it up into little parts.  Read the passage in one setting.  It's all about one thing.

The prayers of a righteous person have great power.

James says Elijah is like you.

James says Elijah is like you.  I guess that means we should seek to be like him.

We don't live in a day that different from Elijah's.  In his day they had a little Ba'al worship here, a little Yahweh worship there, throw in some cult worship over here.  We live in similar times -- a little God pleasure here, a little horoscope there, some New Age here, and more.

But Elijah is simply praying according to God's Word.  He's just calling on the promises of the Father:
           'Take care lest your heart be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.  Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will shut up the heavens so there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit and you will perish quickly off the good land the Lord is giving you."

Elijah knew God's Word.  So he's a model for us.  Read, pray.  Read, pray.  Fill your life with the Word and with prayer and ask boldly for God to act for the glory of His name.

May the life of Elijah inspire us to pray Biblically and faithfully.  Pray for bold things.

And be blessed.