Elijah — A Man of Faith

Ernst-August Bremicker

The prophet Elijah is one of the men of God in the Old Testament whose practical faith in God has been a guiding light for His people at all times, even up to the present day. His faith is recorded in the words: ‘As Jehovah the God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand’ (1 Ki. 17:1). Elijah lived in a difficult time of backsliding in Israel, even apostasy from God, and had to confront the godless king Ahab and his idolatrous wife Jezebel. Yet he knew that he was not standing before men, but before God.

This article considers four aspects of Elijah’s faith, namely his obedience of faith, his courage of faith, his prayer of faith, but also his failure of faith.

Obedience of faith

Faith and obedience go together. The Epistle to the Romans uses the term ‘obedience of faith’ twice: once at the beginning and once at the end (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). Without faith in God (both believing faith and the practical faith which trusts in Him at all times), there will not be real obedience that pleases Him. At the same time, without obedience, one cannot say that one has real practical faith. Hebrews 11:8 gives an example of this principle in connection with Abraham: by faith, he obeyed; and his obedience in the face of not knowing where he was going proved that he trusted God. Faith is the basis of our walk, obedience the practical consequence. Obedience is like the fruit that grows on the tree of faith. The believers in Thessalonica were engaged in the ‘work of faith’ as a result of turning to God in faith' (1 Thess. 1:3, 8). 

Elijah’s life was characterised by obedience. He followed God’s commands even when they may have seemed strange to him and he may not have understood the reasons for them. Immediately after using him for the first time, Gold told His servant to hide. Without any objection, Elijah went to the brook Cherith and was fed there by ravens. When the brook dried up and God told him to go to Zarephath to be looked after by a widow, he did so. And when God finally gave him the difficult task of returning to King Ahab, Elijah obeyed again. The consequences might have been unpleasant for him, but he did what God told him to do, without question and without hesitation. The secret to Elijah’s obedience was his unwavering faith in God.

Paul could testify that the knowledge of the obedience of the Christians in Rome had reached everyone (Rom. 16:19). Could the same be said of us? God gives us clear instructions in His Word. The Lord Jesus is not only our Saviour but also our Lord. We owe Him obedience, even in circumstances where we may not understand why He has given us particular directions. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and we can be confident that He always has the best in view for us. God did not disappoint His servant Elijah, and He will not disappoint us either if we trust in Him and have obedience of faith.

Courage of faith

God gave Elijah instructions that required extraordinary courage of faith. As an unknown prophet from the land of Gilead, he was to announce God’s judgment to the king of Israel (1 Ki. 17:1). Three years later, when he was probably ‘public enemy no. 1’, he was to return to the king (1 Ki. 18:1). Then, on Mount Carmel he stood all alone against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (ch. 18). Each step took courage, the latter especially. Elijah had this courage because of his faith in his God. As already stated, he knew that he was standing before Him, not Ahab or Jezebel. 

Similar courage of faith is seen in the three friends of Daniel when they stood before the angry king Nebuchadnezzar, who wanted to force them to prostrate themselves before his idol, and, undaunted, said: ‘If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king’ (Dan. 3:17). 

We also find the same courage in the apostles whom the Lord sent into this world as His witnesses. The same men who, after the crucifixion of the Lord, had shut doors for fear of the Jews (John 20:19), subsequently stand boldly and courageously for their Lord. Even though they would have expected persecution, imprisonment and even death, they would not be deterred from witnessing to the Lord. We live in much easier times today, yet we are often fearful of much less reproach from the world. The examples of these men from the Old and New Testaments should encourage us to stand up for our Lord, without fear, and manifest the same courage of faith.

Prayer of faith

Without prayer, a life of faith is impossible. Through prayer we are connected upwards to God, and have liberty to tell Him everything, but we also receive instruction and guidance. In addition, prayer is the hidden source of strength for us today, just as it was for the heroes of faith in the Old Testament.

Although he had the same passions and sentiments as us, Elijah was able to achieve much because he was a man of prayer, as confirmed in James 5:17. For example:

1. Elijah prayed that it would not rain — for three and a half years. He was so certain that God would answer his prayer that he went to King Ahab and announced this very judgment to him (1 Ki. 17:1). 
2. Elijah beseeched God to raise the dead child of the widow at Zarephath (1 Ki. 17:20). This prayer also involved boldness, for when had anything comparable ever happened? 
3. On Mount Carmel, Elijah cried out to God to cause fire to fall from heaven (1 Ki. 18:36–37). This too was a miracle, but one which Elijah knew would occur because God would use it to vindicate Himself and speak to the hearts of His people.
4. When the time came for the drought to end, Elijah prayed again. Once more, he did so with the firm conviction that God would hear his prayer. He even urged Ahab to hurry so that he would arrive home before the rain (1 Ki. 18:42–44). 

James refers to the ‘prayer of faith’ (Jas. 5:15). He then states that ‘the fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power’ (v. 16), and gives the example of Elijah’s first recorded prayer and God’s answer to it. This should encourage us to pray to God with true faith. When the apostles asked the Lord ‘give more faith to us’, He replied: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye had said to this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you’ (Luke 17:5–6).

Failure of faith

The Bible does not conceal failures of great men of God, even a man of faith like Elijah. Despite his obedience, his courage and his prayers, the day came when he looked upon himself and his enemies, and became weak. After the great victory on Mount Carmel, this hero of faith suddenly buckled. When godless Jezebel threatened him with death, he fled for his life, went into the desert and sat down in deep depression under a broom-bush (1 Ki. 19:1–4). He was close to despairing of his life. Although he prayed there, it was not a prayer of faith.

Who among us would dare to judge Elijah? That is not God’s intention in recording his failure. Rather, we are to learn from it. In particular, we see at least three reasons for the sudden change in Elijah’s life. First, he did not pray after hearing Jezebel’s threat. He no longer acted in dependence on God but followed his own thoughts. Second, he was occupied with circumstances and people and not with the God who has everything in His hands. Third, his thoughts were centred in himself and his work, as seen in his prayer under the broom-bush.

How often do we also fail in a similar way, including after the Lord has given us a victory of faith? Yet how encouraging it is to see that God did not leave His servant lying under the broom-bush. He came to him to bring fresh encouragement. This is how God wishes to act towards us today. He does not drop us because of our failures but wants to bring our hearts and eyes back towards Himself, so that we receive strengthened faith and go forward trusting in Him.

From: Truth and Testimony, 2023