Jump Start # 3989
1 Kings 18:21 “Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people did not answer him a word.”
It is the most asked question every Sunday at the church house. It’s not about a passage. It’s not about doctrine. It’s not about how to live closer to Jesus. I hear this question every Sunday. I ask this question nearly every Sunday. Worship services end, and between a husband and wife THE question is asked, “Where do you want to go to eat?” And, most times, the same answer is given, “I don’t care.” Some suggestions are rattled off, most rejected until an agreeing compromise is found. Let’s go there to eat!
Making a decision—that’s hard for many people. In our verse today, Elijah dealt with people who couldn’t or wouldn’t make up their minds. The topic wasn’t where do you want to go to eat. It was about who is God. Who do you want to follow? Hesitating between opinions is how our verse puts it.
Others word this:
NIV: waver between two opinions
ESV: limping between two different opinions
CEB: hobble back and forth between two opinions
NLT: waver, hobbling between two opinions
No matter how it is worded, the outcome is the same. Israel couldn’t make up their mind. And because of that, they could not stand confidently, courageously, or steadfastly where they needed to be. Like the wind blowing the tops of a tree back and forth, so went their faith and convictions. Now Baal and Jehovah were not so similar that it was confusing. They were galaxies apart from each other. Baal was a made up god that was fashioned into an idol. The prophets and priests of Baal could control the people because they would make up what the god said. Jehovah had proven Himself. The plagues. The parting of the Red Sea. Jehovah had delivered a divine message that was written down. Israel knew specifically how to worship the Lord and how to walk with God.
But time had passed. Israel was living among the idols. A lot of false and fake things were being said. And, now the nation was confused. They didn’t know. They hesitated. They wavered. They hobbled back and forth.
And, the exact same thing happens to us today. When we are torn between Christ and the world, right and wrong, following our friends and the culture of today or the Gospel call, we hesitate. We waver. Our confidence flickers and instead of moving onward with the Lord, we stand looking back at what we have left behind.
Like the parable of the sower, we can start off with great gusto. But without depth, growth, we easily become withered by the blazing sun, chocked out by the weeds around us and never get very far with the Lord. For many a young Christian, this is their story. Challenged by university professors who mock the Bible, these young believers now hesitate. They are not so sure. Surrounded by those who have accepted the theories of the day, they are just not sure. And, instead of feeding their faith, they feed their doubts. They stop going to worship. They stop reading their Bibles. Their spiritual life limps as their mind races quickly to believe what everyone else is believing. And, just like ancient Israel, they cannot commit to a conclusion about God. They are just not sure anymore.
Minds that once knew, now question. Minds that once were sure, now are not so sure. And, what has happened is that they slowed down their spiritual journey and allowed the assumptions, fears and doubts of the world to take over what they once thought was true. Rather than finding answers, they have found questions. And, rather than turning to God’s word, they have read and embraced the popular ideas of today.
What did Elijah do with a hesitating nation? He didn’t wait for them to make up their minds. He proved. He brought powerful answers through a miracle that showed how lifeless, useless and worthless Baal was. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t listen. He couldn’t respond. There was nothing that came from Baal. But disproving Baal, didn’t prove Jehovah. So, Elijah prayed and God sent fire that convincing proved that He was God. The chapter ends with Israel making the loud declaration that Jehovah was God. The prophets of Baal were rounded up and put to death. The nation knew. There was no hesitating and no wavering.
From this we need to learn:
First, when we find ourselves going back and forth, we need to dive deeply into God’s word to shore up our faith and to become fully convinced. Drinking at the table of doubt with those who doubt won’t help us. Doubting Thomas was with the other apostles when the Lord appeared a week later. He wasn’t in a bar drowning his sorrows. He wasn’t with Jews who had mocked Jesus. He wasn’t with Romans who had killed Jesus. He was with fellow believers. You can imagine the questions he asked them. He fed his faith and not his doubts.
Second, we must not dismiss the questions that others raise. Let them ask the hard questions. Throw a fast ball right down the middle. The Bible can handle it. Don’t hide from hard things. Bible classes, home discussions, need to provide our young people the powerful answers that will prove to their hearts that God’s way is the only way.
Third, don’t be intimidated by those who throw darts at God’s word. Many can say all kinds of things in the absolute, but doesn’t mean they are right. Elijah wasn’t swayed. He wasn’t wavering. He knew and he was confident. That’s what we need from our spiritual leaders and teachers today. Absolute confidence. Unwavering faith. He was all in with God.
Giving evidence. Having the example of positive confidence. Standing solid on God’s word. Those are the things that lead to making a decision.
Roger