Scripture and Israel

I have just a few words today on something I was touched by while doing a little reading tonight. I was reading part of the account about Elijah's showdown at Mount Carmel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of the groves who ate at Jezebel's table (I Kin. 18:19). I'm not going to copy the story here, as most people are already acquainted with this famous event in the Bible. I simply want to show something here about the love of God, and about holiness. After all the people of Israel saw the failure of the prophets of Baal, as well as the victory that God gave Elijah; they were moved with faith and humility toward God: "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God" (I Kin. 18:39). So the people's hearts were moved toward God by the unspeakable miracle that God had wrought in their sight to show that Elijah was his representative, and that Elijah's God alone was God. It is what Elijah did immediately after this that really touched me with God's love and brought tears to my eyes: "And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there" (I Kin. 18:40). Yeah, I already know that many will say, "How does the killing of eight hundred and fifty men touch your heart, and how can you see the love of God in that?" It's like this: In that moment that the people's hearts had perceived who was really God, and their hearts were moved toward him, Elijah did the only thing that could be done to give the people the best chance of maintaining their renewed faith and humility. He had to remove all of the treachery, lying, and deceit from the midst of them; and that meant getting rid of the treacherous and lying 'prophets' that were among them, who had led them astray away from God for so long.

Putting those men to death was unavoidable because leaving them alive would have surely led everything and everyone right back to Baal worship. Those men were far too committed to the evil that they had practiced, to repent from their lies and treachery. But the general people of Israel on the other hand were able to be persuaded to acknowledge the reality of God, as well as the fallacy of Baal. It was in that moment of the people's faith being renewed that Elijah had to remove the evil influences that had previously driven them into massive confusion about who was really God. It was nothing but his love for God, and for God's people that motivated him to slay all of those false prophets. Elijah understood the reality and godly fear of the saying that tells us "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). This is the same understanding that the apostle Paul had when he judged the man in Corinth who was sinning without repentance: "And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (I Cor. 5:2,13). As Elijah had to judge the prophets of Baal in order to remove the wickedness from among the people of Israel, so must sin be judged among God's people today. Paul explained why sin has to be judged among the congregations of the Lord, and not left unchecked: "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened?" The lesson to be learned from the Corinthians is the same with Elijah, and that is that it's always harmful to the believer to be in company with any who are demonstrating their opposition to God with their sins and with their misguided thinking.

The apostle explained these things to the believers in Corinth in these words: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat" (I Cor. 5:11). He once again confirmed this in the same letter to Corinth: "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God" I Cor. 15:33,34). He addressed the issue again in his second letter to those in Corinth: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II Cor. 6:14-18). As it was with Elijah and the prophets of Baal, so it is today that it is God's love that would have us to not be a participant with the sins and unbelief of those who are committed to wickedness and refuse to repent. It is clearly the love of God that wants us to not be overcome by delusive, seducing spirits; because he doesn't want us to fall prey to the sins of others. The reason is obvious, as the following passage shows: "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them" (Eph. 5:5-7). "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess. 5:9). Amen.