Life Is Unfair

Introduction

The year was 1986. The South was in the middle of the worst drought in years. Livestock was literally dying in the field. Lakes were so low that many were returning to lakes to look at dry lake beds hoping to find lost jewelry and other sentimental items. Farmers from Iowa and Ohio were shipping bales of hay to farmers in the South so that the livestock would at least have something to eat. In some cities, water was being rationed. Governments were asking people not to water their lawns or to wash their cars. Kilowatt usage was at a record high. In just one hot dry summer, life in the South was changed dramatically. Can you imagine what it would be like to go three years without rain? Summer would be miserable, but even winter would not be pleasant. No moisture whatsoever—no rain, no dew, no frost—nothing which would provide nourishment for the earth.

This is what God did to Israel during the days of Ahab. Ahab was one of the kings of the Northern 10 tribes. After Solomon, the nation of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms. The northern kingdom became known as Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah. Ahab reigned as king from 874–853 B.C., a span of 22 years. During his reign, Elijah was God’s prophet who at times goaded Ahab but always tried to point him to God’s will. Ahab married a woman named Jezebel. Jezebel was from Sidon and worshiped the god Baal. In Samaria, the capital city of Israel, Ahab constructed a temple and altar to Baal, and in time he began to worship Baal as well. Ahab did more evil than any other king before him. Thus, a strong prophet such as Elijah was dispensed to contest Ahab’s decisions and to point the way back to God.

The Story

Elijah appears in 1 Kings 17 without an introduction. We know little about him. In fact, other than the mention of the city where he is from, Elijah’s first words are of judgment against Ahab and the nation of Israel because of the worship of Baal. To appreciate this story a bit more, we need to understand that Baal was the god of rain and crops. It was believed that when it was the dry season, Baal was dead, and that he came back to life during the rainy season. Elijah’s announcement strikes at the heart of who Baal supposedly is. He is the god of rain, but the one true God is not going to allow it to rain for three and a half years. This is a showdown between God and Baal. Baal is going to be seen as having no power against the God of the universe. God sends Elijah to a brook in the Kerith Ravine. There, Elijah is fed twice a day by ravens. By going eastward, Elijah is able to avoid Ahab, and it is possible that this was close to his hometown. God sends him away to protect him and to give him some rest. But eventually the brook dries up, and Elijah is told to go to Zarephath, in Sidon.

Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, was from Sidon. Sidon was the home territory of Baal. God is going to defeat Baal on his home turf. God isn’t afraid of a fight. God will again provide for Elijah in the last place Ahab will look for him. God will take on Baal on his home turf and feed his man in hostile territory. Elijah approaches a widow who is down to her last bit of flour and oil. She is collecting sticks to make one last meal, then she and her son will wait for starvation to overcome them. Elijah asks for a drink of water and for something to eat. The widow is rightly hesitant, but Elijah assures her that God will not fail her. And having made Elijah something to eat, from that day forward she, her son, and Elijah had something to eat. There was always flour in the flour jar, oil in the oil jar, and water to drink.

Sometime later the woman’s son became ill. He eventually died. The woman verbally attacks Elijah. “Is this any way for God to repay one who has done what was commanded?” Elijah takes the boy’s lifeless body and three times he stretches himself out on top of this boy. After the third time, the boy’s life is restored to him. The mother is then convinced that Elijah’s God is greater than Baal and truthful. While I have told these stories factually, there are a number of things taking place that we need to know and understand in order to appreciate what God is doing in this text. While the spotlight is shining on Elijah, the truth is that God is the one who is doing the work behind the scenes. While no one gives God much credit for the events, he is the hero of this chapter and in fact of Elijah’s life.

Lessons

This chapter is about God. He is the hero. The events of this chapter are to make us realize that God is actively pursuing his purposes in this world. There are many things in this text that intrigue us but also make us ask questions. Why would God allow the innocent to suffer? Couldn’t God have punished Ahab directly rather than hurting the people of the kingdom? While these questions deserve an answer, they ignore the reality of who God is and what his purposes are. Jesus referred to this story in Luke 4:25–26. As Jesus pointed out, God is doing something intentional. Faithlessness in Israel was not just Ahab worshiping false gods—so were the people. And so God sends his prophet to a place to directly convince another about the one true God. In enemy territory, God takes on Baal and wins. Here is the point: when things are not going well, we ask the wrong question.

The widow’s son dies, and she is quick to ask the wrong question. Of course, she is hurt and grieving. We can be compassionate. But how quickly she has forgotten the grace of God in providing food for her son for some time. Just as quickly she ignores the mercy of God to focus on how God has let her down.

Like the widow, we may too quickly blame God for not following through to meet our expectations. The problem isn’t with God but with our expectations. If we follow God, things are supposed to be good. No. If we follow God, we find joy in knowing God is intentional. We live in a time of evil. But this is not new. Every generation has to deal with the presence of evil.

Bad things happen in this world, and as Christians we are not exempt. Death, disease, and suffering come to the believer as well. But as believers, we allow our light to shine. We grieve in hope. We suffer in joy, because we know that our God is greater than evil. God takes on evil in this world. He promises that the evil in this world will not have the final word. He promises that he will take the evil in this world and use it for our good. So let your light shine. The darker it gets, the more our lights reveal truth and hope and direction.

Let us not wring our hands in despair. Let us not abandon communities where evil is present. Even among evil people, there are those who are trying to raise families and trying to love God. Let your hope be ridiculed. Let your faith encourage. Our God is still at work in this world. He is still the hero of the humanity story, and we are blessed to be used by him and for him in a dark world.

The second lesson is that God wants obedience. Do you think God enjoyed punishing the land? Do you think God wanted to make people suffer? What God wanted more than anything was for Ahab and all of Israel to be obedient. Hasn’t that always been what God wanted? With Adam and Eve, the beauty of Eden and relationship with God is ruined by their sin. Did God enjoy giving them consequences of their sin? He wanted to be in relationship with them. God’s intent is not to destroy, but he does intend for his people to be obedient. King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22 is told that obedience is better than sacrifice. God has constantly called his people to be obedient rather than satisfying their own desires. Even God’s own son had to learn to be obedient (Hebrews 5:8). It is not any different from us. We, too, are called to obedience. God sent a famine over Israel because they refused to be obedient. This famine was a consequence of their sin. God still calls us to obedience. Have you obeyed God? Have you given your life to him? Do you still hold out hoping to get your way instead of listening to the Father?

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