The Promise

The Voice of Stern Rebuke

Picture: The Voice of Stern Rebuke 2TC 62.1

This chapter is based on 1 Kings 17:8-24; 18:1-18.

For many months God miraculously provided Elijah with food in his mountain hiding place by the brook Cherith. When the brook dried up because of the continued drought, God told His servant: “Arise, go to Zarephath [known in New Testament times as Sarepta]. ... See, I have commanded a widow woman there to provide for you.” 2TC 62.2

This woman was not an Israelite. She had never had the privileges that the chosen people of God had enjoyed, but she was a believer in the true God and had walked in all the light shining on her pathway. And now, when there was no safety for Elijah in Israel, God sent him to this woman to find refuge in her home. 2TC 62.3

“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink. ... Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’” 2TC 63.1

In this poverty-stricken home the famine was causing severe hardship, and the widow feared that she would lose the struggle to sustain life. But in her great need she bore witness to her faith. In response to Elijah’s request she said, “‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’ And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.”’” 2TC 63.2

No greater test of faith could have been required. Regardless of the suffering that might result to herself and her child, and trusting in the God of Israel to supply her need, the widow met this supreme test of hospitality by doing “according to the word of Elijah.” 2TC 63.3

Hospitality Rewarded

God wonderfully rewarded her faith and generosity. “She and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.” 2TC 63.4

“After these things ... the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. So she said to Elijah, ... ‘Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?’ 2TC 63.5

“And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ So he ... carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ... And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord. ... Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 2TC 63.6

“And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives!’ Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.’” 2TC 64.1

The widow of Zarephath shared her meager food with Elijah, and in return her life and that of her son were preserved. And to all who give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing. His power is no less now than it was in the days of Elijah. “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.” Matthew 10:41. 2TC 64.2

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2. In the pathway of His children our heavenly Father still places opportunities that are blessings in disguise, and those who improve these opportunities find great joy. “If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then ... you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:10, 11. 2TC 64.3

Today Christ says, “He who receives you receives Me.” No act of kindness done in Christ’s name will fail to be rewarded. And Christ’s care includes even the lowliest of the family of God: “Whoever gives one of these little ones”—those who are as children in faith and knowledge— “only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40-42. 2TC 64.4

Three Years of Drought

Through the long years of famine, Elijah prayed earnestly and waited patiently while the hand of the Lord lay heavily on the stricken land. As he saw suffering and need on every side, his heart filled with sorrow, and he longed to bring about a reformation quickly. But God was working out His plan, and His servant was to pray on and await the time for action. 2TC 64.5

The apostasy in Ahab’s day resulted from many years of evildoing. Step by step Israel had been departing from the right way, and at last the great majority had yielded themselves to the powers of darkness. 2TC 65.1

About a century had passed since Israel, under King David, had united in hymns of praise to the Most High in recognition that they depended entirely on Him for daily mercies. Then they had sung: 2TC 65.2

O God of our salvation, ...
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it. ...
You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance. Psalm 65:5, 8, 9, 11 2TC 65.3

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That He may bring forth food from the earth,
And wine that makes glad the heart of man.
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. Psalm 104:14, 15, 24 2TC 65.4

The land to which the Lord had brought Israel was flowing with milk and honey, a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. “The land which you go to possess,” He had told them, “is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares.” 2TC 65.5

The promise of abundance of rain had been given on condition of obedience: “If you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain.” 2TC 65.6

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest ... He [the Lord] shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14, 16, 17. 2TC 66.1

“If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes,” “your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 23, 24. 2TC 66.2

These commands were plain, yet as the centuries passed, apostasy threatened to sweep aside every barrier of divine grace. Now the prediction of Elijah was meeting terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was hunted. Many rulers had given their oath of honor that the strange prophet could not be found in their lands. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah and spared no effort to bring him within reach of their power. And still there was no rain. 2TC 66.3

The People Are Finally Ready for Reformation

At last “the word of the Lord came to Elijah ..., saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” In obedience to the command, Elijah set out on his journey. 2TC 66.4

About this time Ahab suggested to Obadiah, who was in charge of his household, that they search for springs and brooks in the hope of finding pasture for their starving flocks. Deeply concerned over the outlook for his household, the king decided to unite personally with his servant in a search for some favored spots where pasture might still exist. “Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.” “As Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, ‘Is that you, my lord Elijah?’” 2TC 66.5

During the apostasy of Israel, Obadiah had remained faithful. The king had been unable to turn him from his allegiance to the living God. Now Elijah honored him with a commission: “Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’” 2TC 66.6

Terrified, Obadiah exclaimed, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?” This was to invite certain death! “As the Lord your God lives,” he explained to the prophet, “there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here”’! And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me.” 2TC 67.1

With a solemn oath Elijah promised Obadiah that the errand would not be in vain. “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.” With this assurance, “Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him.” 2TC 67.2

In astonishment mixed with terror the king listened to Obadiah deliver the message from the man he feared and hated, and for whom he had searched untiringly. Could it be possible that the prophet was about to pronounce another woe against Israel? The king’s heart was filled with dread. He remembered the withered arm of Jeroboam. Ahab could not avoid obeying the summons, neither did he dare lift up his hand against the messenger of God. With a bodyguard of soldiers, the trembling monarch went to meet the prophet. 2TC 67.3

Brave Prophet, Guilty King

The king and the prophet stood face to face. In the presence of Elijah, Ahab seemed weak and powerless. In his first faltering words, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” he unconsciously revealed the inmost feelings of his heart and tried to blame the prophet for the heavy judgments resting on the land. 2TC 67.4

It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the disasters that come as the result of departing from the way of righteousness. When the mirror of truth is held up before those in Satan’s power, they become offended at receiving reproof. Blinded by sin, they feel that God’s servants have turned against them and are worthy of severest criticism. 2TC 67.5

Standing in conscious innocence, Elijah made no attempt to excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor did he seek to evade the king’s anger by the good news that the drought was almost over. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he fearlessly declared to the king that it was his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that had brought this terrible disaster. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah boldly asserted, “but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.” 2TC 68.1

Need of Reform Today

Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke, for terrible sins have separated the people from God. Unbelief is fashionable. “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14) is the language of thousands. The smooth sermons often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. The people are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s Word. 2TC 68.2

Many say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why did John the Baptist have to provoke the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking. 2TC 68.3

This is how those who should be guardians of God’s law have argued, till expediency has taken the place of faithfulness and sin is allowed to go unrebuked. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church? 2TC 68.4

“You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7. Words as plain as these that Nathan spoke to David are seldom heard in pulpits today, seldom seen in the public press. The Lord’s messengers should not complain that their efforts are fruitless until they repent of their desire to please others, which leads them to suppress truth. 2TC 68.5

It is not from love for their neighbor that ministers smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God’s ministers will speak the word given them, refusing to excuse evil. 2TC 69.1

If only every minister would show the courage that Elijah showed! Ministers are to “convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2, NRSV. In Christ’s name they are to encourage the obedient and warn the disobedient. Worldly considerations are to have no weight with them. They are to go forward in faith. They are not to speak their own words, but their message is to be, “Thus says the Lord.” God calls for people like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist, people who will bear His message regardless of consequences, people who will speak the truth though it requires the sacrifice of all they have. 2TC 69.2

God calls for men and women who will do faithful battle against wrong, warring against spiritual wickedness in high places. To such He will speak the words,“Well done, good and faithful servant. ... Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:23. 2TC 69.3