PREACHING ON GRACE

A Place of Grace  

I Kings 17:1-7                                                                   

God always works graciously with people who trust and obey Him.  Sometimes we think of grace only as a New Testament concept.  We know the word grace appears in nearly 120 verses in the New Testament.  However, the word grace also appears in the Old Testament in about 40 verses. 

  Not only does the word appear, but also we see evidences of grace on numerous occasions.  In this particular passage of Scripture we see God extend His grace to a prophet and a widow lady at Zarephath.  God’s grace in providing for these folks during strenuous times is overwhelming.

 It is a huge temptation to limit our thinking about grace to “church” matters.  However, grace is for every need in life.  It is for physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs.  The relief that grace brings from the burdens and pressures we face cannot be found any where else.

Something else about grace- it is not just for Bible characters.  Neither is grace something for those we consider stalwarts of the faith.  If you are a child of God- His grace is for you.

In order to fully understand what is about to take place in this great grace event, we must rewind a few months of time.  Israel has been mired in backsliding and rebellion against God.  Jeroboam had assumed the King over Israel. When he became the king over Israel- the divided kingdom- he did his best to make sure that Israel would turn her back against God.  He built 2 golden calves for them to worship (I Kings 12).  He did this knowing that if the people went to do sacrifice at Jerusalem, there hearts would be softened and wish to be reunited with Judah.  So he set up 2 religious centers of worship- one at Bethel and the other at Dan.

Let me digress just a little bit- do you know why the devil and his crowd places so many events on late Saturday night and on Sunday?  He is hoping to draw your allegiance away from God and the things of God.  He is hoping to pull you away from the things that are right.  If you are saved, If you really are a child of God, When you are around preaching and singing and fellowship with the saints- your heart should find comfort.  Your heart should find warmth.  Your heart should find a kindred spirit and desire to be around those things.

 But if the devil can pull you away- those things will seem distant. 

  Well, after Jeroboam (who reigned 22 years), his son Nadab reigned for two years. He did not change the direction that Israel was going.  He was just as wicked and heartless towards God as his father.

  Nadab is followed by Baasha who reigns for 24 years.   Baasha keeps the same direction and his son Elah reigns for two years.  Zimri, who was Elah’s captain of half his chariots kills Elah and sets himself up as king.  That lasted 7 days and then Israel killed him and made Omri the King. 

  Omri reigned as king for 12 years, but 6 of that was another divided kingdom.  By the time we get to Omri there was little spiritual progress beig made- ok there was no spiritual progress being made.   62 years and 7 days of wickedness.  62 years and 7 days of rebellion against the laws of God. 

  Oh, but the telling statement is made in verses 25 and 26 of I Kings 16.  One man had shown more evil in his 12 years than 4 others who had reigned 50 years and 7 days. 

  Hold on, we are just getting to the good stuff.  Ahab, the son of Omri.  The man that God records in his eternal word was the most evil king that Israel had ever experienced- Omri had a son named Ahab.  Ahab will reign for 22 years. (Makes you glad the longest a President can reign is 8 years.) 

Hold onto your seat.  Are you ready?  Take a deep breath.  Look at I Kings 16:30-33.  WOW!  You talk about some dark days for those that wanted to serve God.  You talk about some incredible oppression upon a land where according to the Bible there were a minimum of 7,000 God fearing people.

  Look at verse 34.  It seems to not make much sense, but it is a part of what is about to happen.  Hiel ,who was born in Bethel- which by this time had become the center for idolatry because of Jeroboam.  He made public his plan to rebuild Jericho.  In the process he loses at least two sons.  Keep your place here and turn to Joshua 6:26. 

  Why would verse 34 be so randomly put in this place?  Two reasons- first it was the fulfillment of prophecy.  Second, it helps bridge the gap between Chapter 16 and Chapter 17.  Elijah just appears on the scene and speaks to Ahab.  Let me conjecture.  If you do not agree with me about the scenario I will unfold, you will not hurt my feelings.  It is possible that Ahab and Elijah meet at Jericho.  It is possible that they engage in conversation where Elijah reminds Ahab of Joshua 6:26.  Perhaps, Ahab says I do not believe God would do this.  I think that you are wrong.

  So, God, speaking through Elijah states- Ahab, you have not seen the worst of it.  It is not going to rain again until I say it is.  Understand, God is not just judging Ahab.  God is judging a nation that has turned its back on God and allowed nearly 70 years of rebellion and wickedness.  

  Elijah delivers the message and in verse 3 is told to turn eastward to Cherith.  The brook Cherith is east of Jericho.  God sends Elijah to a place of grace.  He sends him to a place where he will take care of him.  Understand that I said- God sent him to a place of grace.  God sent him there to experience grace so he could in turn help someone else experience the same grace.  At the same time Elijah will move to the next grace in his life as he moves from grace to grace.

  If we are going to truly experience grace that transforms us into what God wants us to be, then we must be willing to go to the place of grace.  I am not saying that we volunteer- I am saying as God leads us we must be willing.

  Very quickly there are four things that are crucial to you and me understanding the place of grace. 

  I. It is a place of lost productivity.  (verse 1)

  No rain is one thing.  But no dew?  What God is symbolizing by these very real events is the spiritual condition of Israel.  There was not even a hint towards the things of God.

  But Elijah was not Israel.  Elijah was a prophet.  Elijah had been used of God behind the scenes.  He was faithful.  Now God is saying- Elijah go hide thyself.  From a fervent ministry to a recluse.  From a man of God seen in the streets to a man of God no where to be found. 

  In the place of grace there is lost productivity because God is working.  Every man God lifts up, he cuts down first.  Moses spent 40 years in the backside of desert.  David won over Goliath, then God spent time with him in a place of grace.  In the New Testament we have the examples of Paul and John the Baptist.  God will not use you to his glory unless you are willing to enter the place of grace, and there will be lost productivity.

  Why would God do that?  To strip us of pride.  To cause us to see we must have Him. 

  II. It is a place of limited provision. (4)

       There were 3 things that were limited:

  A.    His physical location.

  He was told to stay by the brook.  He could not go anywhere else.  He had to stay by the brook.

  B.     His material supply.

  God said that the water would come from the brook and the ravens would feed him everything else.  I personally believe the ravens gathered the food from Ahab’s table because he was feeding 450 prophets of Baal everyday.

  C.     His amount of human fellowship.

  In the place of grace it can seem as though no one cares.  It can seem as though there is not a friend in the world.  It can seem as though that God Himself does not care.

  As he is in this place of grace; this place where God is going to prepare him for greater things- the widow, the battle at Mt Carmel, the preparing of other prophets and especially Elisha- his provision is limited.  As a point to remember, verse 7 is looming in the background.  

 III. It is a place of learning patience.  (5-7)

  It may not seem like a hallelujah statement.  It may not seem like a wave the hankie and shout Bless the Lord and Praise His Holy Name.  But there is a wonderful statement in verse 7.  Note the wonderful phrase- the brook dried up. Can somebody shout Amen?  Can someone just get excited? 

  Preacher, you are nuts.  You are absolutely crazy.  Well, that’s beside the point. Listen to this- you may want to write this down.  All of the trials that God will put you through; all of the times that he places you in the place of grace; have a start date and an ending date.

  Day by day Elijah goes to the brook and finds it more and more difficult to drink.  Perhaps by the time God speaks to him again he is straining mud.

  God’s plan is seldom revealed in advance.  When you go fishing there is a time to let the fish nibble and then there is a time to yank the pole.  Too many times we miss out what God is teaching us in the place of grace because we yank instead of waiting. 

  IV. It is a place of lingering for the Lord to be revealed. (8)

  God is going to speak again and give Elijah clear cut direction.  In the place of grace- although it may not seem like it- God will speak again.  When He speaks, He will have the next place of grace.  The next assignment for life.

  As the days went by and the brook dried up and God did not speak- if Elijah was human- there were times of tears.  There would be times of despair.  There would have been times that he would have struck up a conversation with the birds.  But, through it all, God sustained him.

  The place of grace is where God trained him for the events in the rest of this Chapter

Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries