Published by I am reminded as I sit here that Elijah sat under a shade tree and said, “They have killed all the prophets and I am the only one left.” He was sitting down in discouragement, speaking about Jezebelle’s threats against him as if they were inevitable.
He had placed the threats of the Godless Queen above the power of the Lord Jehovah who had done many mighty works as the result of Elijah’s prayers. He knew God’s provision for him, he failed to see it in this situation. He was magnifying Jezebelle not God.
And God told him, “There are seven thousand that have not kissed the alters of Baal.” Very literally translated he was saying, “Elijah, you are not alone.”
I have often wondered why Elijah, the primary man of God to the nation had no idea these seven thousand faithful were there. You ever think of that? I know I ask unusual questions. Why did God have to tell him? Am I the only one who ever wondered about that? Let me give you a possible answer, the ones I see as I sit here.
Maybe they were the silent majority, sitting in the corner, quiet, trying to keep from being too noticeable to the world, not wanting to be noticed, “keeping a low profile”, however you want to describe it. So Elijah wasn’t aware they were there and he got this, “I’m alone and everyone is against me” syndrome.
Or maybe they were there but he didn’t see them. Maybe a couple of them had helped him in his last prophetic conference. Maybe one of them down the street even had up a “We Believe” sign in his front yard. But Elijah was so demoralized that he thought it was something someone forgot to take down.
Or maybe he had gotten a little bit of ego. Nobody else could do it as good as I can. So nobody else matters. Maybe he knew nobody else could prophesy as good as he could?
How many Elijah’s do we have today sitting under the Juniper? They are saying, “I’m alone, nobody cares about the things of God”. Is it because we aren’t saying, “I’m one of the seven thousand (or whatever number) that have not kissed the alters of Baal and I am here with you brother (or sister). Let’s get up and do it together.”
