ELIJAH: A New Generation of Leaders Today

A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS TODAY

Do you feel like Elijah? Have you been through highs, lows, and brokenness like him? Perhaps you feel that rather than qualifying you for God’s favor, your track record prohibits you from doing anything great for God. Can I encourage you? If you have been tested, broken, isolated, and alone with God, perhaps he has prepared you for the greatest of all ministry; ministering to the Lord (Acts 13:1-3).

Being at the end of yourself and totally dependent on God, eminently qualifies you for the first step of turning your world around; it makes you ready for God to reveal the secrets of his heart to you. If so, this is the most powerful, influential event in existence. Like Elijah, God wants to use you to hear his intimate secrets and plans. He then want you to proclaim the appropriate parts to his chosen people, and into the atmosphere of this world.

This is how Jesus puts it:

(Matthew 10:27 DKJV) “What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light: and what you hear [privately] in the ear, preach from the tops of buildings.”

In this passage, Jesus said that when he reveals something to us privately, if appropriate, we should proclaim it publicly. This is true of the word God whispered to Elijah. God revealed that Elijah’s mandate would be fulfilled and completed through three specific people: Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu. The anointing and prophetic power released in one private, secluded, inner conversation between God and Elijah, multiplied into a nation-rescuing revival. Wow! This really is the spirit and power of Elijah.

When the prophetic word and prophetic action of pouring oil were released on Jehu, we immediately see the spirit and power of Elijah at work; what God spoke through Elijah happened very quickly through this anointee. This confirms that personality, time, or generation does not restrain the Elijah-assignment. When God speaks his authoritative word—albeit still and small—he watches over that word to perform it (See: Jer. 1:12).

Despite God’s command being released in a still, small voice two generations earlier, so to speak, it did not go stale. When God’s time was right, the word that Elijah received in his ear was eventually “shouted from the rooftop.” This was first conveyed to his understudy, Elisha. He, in turn, transferred it to a servant of the prophets, a trainee. The new prophet spoke the message to Jehu in secret—whispered it in his ear in an inner room. Jehu’s companions, although initially skeptical of the prophet’s ministry, immediately complied with it when he declared it to them. Next, they were literally shouting it: “Jehu reigns!” (See: 2 Kings 9:1-13)

Once His word was released and declared in the earth, God watched over it and empowered Jehu to fulfill his purpose. God had designed, destined, prepared, and positioned Jehu to enact the assignment He had for him. What was that assignment? To destroy Baal worship from Israel, and to execute some other prophetic words God had sent.

We note that Jehu didn’t have the brokenness and intimacy with God that Elijah had, so he couldn’t receive the revelation and anointing directly. On the other hand, Elijah, Elisha, and the “son of the prophets” were not skilled and trained in war and military command like Jehu. They needed each other to complete God’s assignment.

From this story, we also see a perfect illustration of something the Holy Spirit said in the New Testament; God’s word is “incorruptible seed”:

(1 Peter 1:23 EMTV) having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

God’s word does not become genetically altered when transferred from person to person, like the deterioration in a “Chinese whisper.” The word—even when spoken by Elijah’s servant’s servant—still had all the authority of heaven behind it.

In truth, when that word and oil were released onto Jehu, the outcome was almost beyond description. He knew exactly what to do. He was the right man, in the right place, for the right job. Yet, he could not have achieved what he did without Elijah hearing God’s still, small voice first, the passion of Elisha, and the obedience of his servant—the son of the prophets.

The opening paragraph of John’s gospel can help us understand what was going on here; it reveals Jesus as the Living Word of God:

(John 1:1-4, 14 KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men … (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Here we see that God began, or initiated, things with his word. This is his pattern for working. For example, creation began with an image in God’s heart of what he wanted, but the action towards creating it began when he spoke those famous words, “Let there be light.”

God begins everything he does with his word. Therefore, his first step at removing Baal worship and restoring his people to true worship began with the word. This is where Elijah came in. He is the key to removing Baal worship, because he did the first and foremost thing. Elijah allowed God to train him, shape him, prepare him, position him, and eventually break him. Then he followed, as God led him to a secret place where he received something more powerful than military might, dynasties and monarchs, sweat or tears. The prophet Elijah took delivery of what comes first; “in the beginning was the Word.” He received, and took custodianship of, the pure word from God and allowed it to remain uncontaminated.

I believe Jesus that wants us all to understand this principle and the sequence of his process, as revealed in Elijah’s amazing story. When things go wrong, begin in the word until you hear God’s still, small voice. When facing challenges, ministry opportunities or dreams, begin in the word until you hear God’s still, small voice, and so on. God begins everything he does—including solutions to your challenges and problems—with his word.

A perfect Bible illustration of this is found in Esther. She needed to save her generation; so instead of trying in her own strength, she went before the king. We note that she risked her life to do this, as the only uninvited supplicants who would live to ask their request were the ones to whom the king held out his scepter. He accepted her. The whole outcome then came down to what the king said.

You see, because of the vast empire and military might of King Ahasuerus, the enacting of what he said was never a problem—only getting him to say it. When he spoke in her favor, it became law and the whole of his vast power and resources were available to back up that word. Esther began by seeking first a word from the king rather than trying to fight her people’s enemy in her own strength. Truly, the rescue of her generation began with a word from the king. In Elijah’s generation, the full rescue of his people from the ravages of their spiritual enemy, Baal, began with the word he heard from The King.

For us, this is saying that our first response to any situation, circumstance, or challenge begins with the written word. Find the passage the Holy Spirit leads you to—the right word, at the right time, as quickened to you by him. We then fully avail ourselves of our access to God—emboldened of course, by a mind renewed to the truth of his word. (Through his amazing achievements, our Lord Jesus made this access available, and the Holy Spirit exhorts us to come boldly to God’s Throne of Grace. The word “boldly” in this verse, means all outspoken frank and blunt confession of God’s word. )

(Hebrews 4:14-16 EMTV underline mine) Therefore having a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession. (15) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but having been tempted in all respects in quite the same way as we are, yet without sin. (16) Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We note the underlined words “confession” and “boldly.” Both these words remind us to approach God’s throne with his word in our mouth. Then in our “secret,” place with him; with our heart peaceful, open and honest before him, we hear his still, small voice. Once we have received his word—that is, once he has “given us his word”—we can be confident that he will watch over it to perform it (Jer. 1:12). All of heaven’s vast resources—angelic hosts, the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s name and authority etc.—are on standby to perform it. Once God has spoken, his incorruptible, eternal, authoritative word has been sovereignly released; nothing can reverse it, stop it, contaminate, or destroy it. God himself will watch over this incorruptible word to perform it.

As in Elijah’s case, the word of the still, small voice may not be fulfilled immediately (where we can witness it firsthand) or even in our lifetime. However, if God speaks, the most powerful, significant event in the universe has just taken place. No wonder his voice brings peace, assurance, faith, light, healing, and life.

By developing our own intimate, personal relationship with God, we can hear his voice in all situations. Then, like he did with Elijah, God can speak a word into our heart that releases and covers a new generation of leaders to enact God’s plan in our day and on into the future. Through our deep connection with God’s heart, Spirit, and word, we can then provide an ongoing covering for these new delegates—a sphere of gracious empowerment and protection where they can operate successfully to fulfill their assignment.