The Remnant

There's this amazing story in 1 Kings 18 that shows God's incredible power. It's the story of Elijah defeating the prophets of Baal. But that's not the story we're talking about today. Today we're talking about what happened next. After Elijah's great defeat he fled in fear. It's kind of funny and so very human. But it's still not the story we're talking about.

The story we are talking about is what happened next. After Elijah fled, the Lord gave Him shelter in a cave. The passage is 1 Kings 19:9-18. Most of the time when people study this passage they're talking about how God wasn't in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, God was in the quiet. There's another part of this passage though and it's about why Elijah was in the cave in the first place.

See, Elijah was depressed. Yes, he'd had a great defeat but there were 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah that ate at the queen's table alone. And who stood up to those 850 false prophets? Elijah. Just Elijah. Yes, of course he had God on His side but it was one man against all those others. After the defeat he had this time of depression and when God took him to the cave God asked him, "Why are you here Elijah?" And his response in verse 10 is something we too often overlook.

"I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away."

Elijah felt so alone. He believed that he was the only prophet of the Lord left. Then when God comes to Elijah in the quiet He asks the same question again. "What are you doing here Elijah?" And again he answers similarly in verse 14.

But the Lord sends him back out with instructions and then this encouragement in verse 18. "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

And that's the part I love so much. Right now people are struggling. Many have barely left their house in months. Many are angry. Many are scared and are searching for truth. They're are people who feel alone and this is such an amazing reminder that we are not.

We are not alone in this time of uncertainty. God always has remnant of believers that stay faithful to Him. Always. And in recent times it feels like many of those remnant have fallen away but still the faithful will remain. We are being refined by fire friends. So search your hearts and stay faithful to the Lord.