Elijah Prays to Die

In this part of the sermon: The sermon opens by recounting Elijah's retreat after the triumph on Mount Carmel, driven by Jezebel's threat. Martin identifies physical drain, loneliness, blurred spiritual…

Martin clarifies the term 'broom tree' (juniper tree in some translations) as a common desert tree with large blossoms, providing rare shade, to help the audience visualize Elijah's setting.

And when he saw that, he arose and went for his life, and came to bear Sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. I use the term broom tree, and someone asked me what a prune tree was. I apparently did not say distinctly enough, broom.

1:39 - 2:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is enough. Why should I remain here any longer to witness the decline of thy kingdom? Therefore, take now, O Lord, my poor and troubled soul from me, for I'm not better than my fathers.

Martin quotes extensively from Krumacher's work on Elijah to vividly portray the prophet's emotional and spiritual state during his prayer, capturing its complex mixture of feelings.

What is he saying when he says, God, it's enough. Take away my life. I am no better than my father's. I would like to read from Krumacher's old standard work on the life of Elijah because I think he captures the spirit of the prayer of the prophet as embodied in these words.

7:59 - 8:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon explores the sequence after Elijah's prayer, noting his sleep as a retreat from reality. Martin emphasizes that this is the only recorded prayer of Elijah that God did…

Sleep is likened to a retreat from a discontenting reality, similar to how drink can be for a non-Christian, explaining Elijah's desire for sleep after his prayer.

At this point, sleep was not only a welcome rest for his body, but was in reality what it often is for us, a retreat from the world of reality with which we are very discontent. Sleep many times becomes to the Christian what drink is to the non-Christian. A retreat from the world of reality. I don't want to go on in this circle of circumstances.

12:46 - 13:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn the blessing of unanswered prayer, recognizing that God's refusal to grant certain requests can be for our greater good.

Martin contrasts an inglorious death for Elijah (found slumped and cold) with his actual glorious ascension in fiery chariots, highlighting why God did not answer his prayer to die.

What a terrible thing to have just sort of slipped out this way. And somebody come and find the prophet head slumped on his chest and touch him and find him cold. And say, well, there he is. Ran from that old wicked queen.

15:08 - 15:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of your supposed areas of strength, as these can become areas of weakness if God's grace is withheld.

Examples of Abraham's faith failing in Egypt and Moses' meekness leading to brashness are used to illustrate how even strong areas can become weaknesses.

failed him when he went down into Egypt we're all aware that Moses was called the meekest man of the earth and yet he was forbidden to go into the promised land because of brashness you bunch of scallywags you want me to bring water out of the rock boom God says alright no promised land for you meek man who bore some of the worst indignities from that crowd of people and bore it graciously one time says Lord blot me out before you ever bring judgment on them meek selfless and yet the area of his strength was the area of his weakness think of Peter we can go right through the scripture the stor...

18:09 - 19:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of your supposed areas of strength, as these can become areas of weakness if God's grace is withheld.

The story of Edinburgh Castle being captured through its supposedly strongest, unguarded approach illustrates the danger of neglecting perceived areas of strength.

failed him when he went down into Egypt we're all aware that Moses was called the meekest man of the earth and yet he was forbidden to go into the promised land because of brashness you bunch of scallywags you want me to bring water out of the rock boom God says alright no promised land for you meek man who bore some of the worst indignities from that crowd of people and bore it graciously one time says Lord blot me out before you ever bring judgment on them meek selfless and yet the area of his strength was the area of his weakness think of Peter we can go right through the scripture the stor...

18:09 - 19:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize the importance of physical balance (adequate sleep, food, exercise) for grappling with spiritual issues, as God has constituted the human frame in a specific way.

The angel 'smiting' Peter in prison is contrasted with the angel 'touching' Elijah, highlighting the different degrees of urgency and gentleness in divine intervention.

my heart the very presence of the angel was an assurance of the love and concern of God and secondly the way the angel treated him was an assurance of the love and concern of God I've been fascinated with this little word and the angel touched him verse five and then again verse seven and the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him and immediately my mind leaped way over the New Testament to a place where another servant of God was sleeping and needed to be roused by an angel remember the instance Peter's asleep in the prison but the Bible says that the angel came and what...

34:22 - 35:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize the importance of physical balance (adequate sleep, food, exercise) for grappling with spiritual issues, as God has constituted the human frame in a specific way.

Martin uses 'tortilla for the Spaniards, pancake for the Americans, and chapati for the Indians' to describe the fresh-baked cake, making the illustration culturally relatable.

firmness in Peter's case there was a time element so the Lord didn't have time to just gently touch him and have him tunnel up through he gave him the kind of whack that would bring him right up through into full consciousness real quick just as quick I'm sure as a sergeant's bark in a barracks there he touches him to awaken him and then when he comes to consciousness he sees in his head this cruise of water and he sees the steaming coals that have been made together into some kind of a little oven baking oven and there is a fresh baked cake some kind of a flat pancake like a tortilla for the ...

35:19 - 36:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize the importance of physical balance (adequate sleep, food, exercise) for grappling with spiritual issues, as God has constituted the human frame in a specific way.

Martin shares his personal experience of resolving 'demons of dopiness' and spiritual struggles through jogging, illustrating how physical well-being impacts spiritual state.

he eats he goes back to sleep awakens him again and he eats what's all this here for is this just filler so we'll have an extra paragraph in the bible no no all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine God is teaching us the doctrine of how he deals with his sinning servants and if their physical weariness and privation or deprivation for normal physical necessities has in any way contributed to that God does not bypass that God does not act as though the body and the spirit are separate entities the Lord's going to deal with his sin the Lord's going to probe his...

37:14 - 38:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Childhood God there's no explanation for the fact that you're sitting here tonight with any measure of grace than that Jesus is that kind of a tender savior how often have you been in Elijah and when it would have been e…

The figures of the bruised reed (a bent plant that could easily break) and smoking flax (a dim, smoky lamp wick) are explained to illustrate Christ's tender, preserving care for His struggling people.

seriously what scripture teaches agree that this angel of Jehovah is a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ himself he was the angel of the presence of God that was with the people of God in the wilderness and so what we have here is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus fulfilling that role of which the prophet Isaiah speaks in Isaiah chapter 42 and verse 3 the bruised reed he will not break and the smoking flax he will not quench I may have explained in other occasions that figure but since the audience changes and there's a turnover let me take a moment to explain it what is...

41:25 - 42:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Deal with one another in gentleness, especially those who are overcome and dejected, remembering how the Lord dealt with Elijah.

Christ's look to Peter after his denial is presented as an example of love, not rebuke, that broke Peter's heart, illustrating the power of gentle love in conviction.

for that and a place but listen when one who has given positive evidence of spiritual life is overcome and is under a juniper tree of dejection through any of these contributing factors that we've mentioned granted they have sinned and the sin needs to be dealt with and the conscience needs to be awakened but how did the Lord deal with his sinning servant he came to him in gentleness for the assurance of the love of God in spite of our sin is the surest way to break our hearts for our sin let me repeat that the assurance of God's love in spite of our sin is the surest way to break our hearts f...

46:27 - 47:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for the fruit of the Spirit, specifically gentleness, and wisdom to know how and when to exercise it, avoiding sinful tolerance or pharisaical condemnation.

The Lord preparing a meal for His dejected disciples on the shore is used as an example of Christ assuring His love and concern, mirroring God's care for Elijah.

and Peter went out and wept bitterly say how are you so sure well the first words we find him uttering with regard to Peter afterwards go tell the disciples and Peter I go before you into Galilee and then the Lord prepares a meal on the shore for his disciples what a wonderful way to tell them exactly what God told Elijah through the visit of the angel you fellas are dejected you want to quit you're going back to fishing he comes and invites them to a meal he plays host to them to assure them of his love and his concern and I plead with you brethren as God has spoken to my own heart about this...

47:55 - 49:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for the fruit of the Spirit, specifically gentleness, and wisdom to know how and when to exercise it, avoiding sinful tolerance or pharisaical condemnation.

The parable of the prodigal son is used as a 'beautiful illustration' of the father's unconditional love and running to meet his son, even in his sinful state, reflecting God's love for His fallen children.

we'll either excuse sin in our brethren when it needs to be rebuked or we'll draw robes around us in pharisaical smugness when we ought to be doing what the Lord did with his servant and so we need to cry to God oh God slay in me what is natural to my flesh and give me this grace and fruit of the spirit holy spirit gentleness and then give me wisdom to know how and when it should be exercised and so the Lord undertakes to pick up his servant who has fallen but since he is a true child of God he will not he cannot be utterly cast out the only reason any of us will persevere in grace is because ...

49:24 - 50:53 Read in full sermon