Get There
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Over the last several weeks we have been covering a range of topics regarding love and dating. I hope they have been a help to you and informative.
I appreciate that last week we were able to have other couples attend and share about their marriages and dating experience in a panel interview. It was really helpful for me in many ways.
Today we will be covering two questions which I feel can be answered in one lesson.
The two questions are:
What should I do when it is the right person and wrong time?
The second question is:
When do I know it is time to start dating?
Today we will look at Elijah to answer this question.
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
Why did God have Elijah go to the brook Cherith?
Because there would be no rain.
Did Elijah know how long it would not rain?
No.
I think Elijah only knew that it would be a long period time before it would rain again. Which would be according to the will of the Lord.
It should be noted that the cause of this draught was divine judgment from God against Israel for committing idolatry.
I want us to notice several things in this passage that I hope will help answer this question.
Notice...
The Place
The Place
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
God had instructed Elijah to go to a specific place, the brook Cherith. Not the Jordan river, not to deep creek lake or the Mediterranean sea. But this brook called Cherith.
Something interesting here that I did not notice before is that Elijah hid himself at the brook, obviously because Ahab and Jezebel would not be pleased by his proclamation of judgment since this would cause a devastating famine in the land.
The Person
The Person
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
What triggered this move to Zarephath?
God’s prompting.
Was it the woman or time that God used to have Elijah go to Zarephath?
Both.
God was going to use Elijah to minister to the woman and she would minister to him by sustaining him with the morsel.
I want us to notice something about this passage, Elijah needed the woman just as much as she needed Elijah.
Her role was that God was using her to sustain him during this period and his role was that God would use Elijah to spiritually minister to her and sustain her spirit.
Remember that she was ready to die and had come to the point that she was going to eat the cake and then die.
The Purpose
The Purpose
I want you to see God’s purpose in how God uses Elijah.
Did God use him in a miraculous way in which he performed miracles and signs?
Yes.
I think that is typically what we think about when we hear about Elijah, which is very true.
However we should consider how much of Elijah’s life and ministry revolves around God’s timing.
It first starts with God directing him to the brook, it is here that God provides a way for Elijah to be sustained and nourished.
Secondly it comes in the form of Elijah meeting the widow woman. Here God would not only sustain Elijah but now use him to minister to the woman. God has used this timing to not only prepare Elijah beforehand to trust in God’s provision but now it is a time for God to prepare him as a more effective servant of the Lord.
Third it comes in the form of Elijah overcoming the false prophets of Baal on mount carmel. This is a great victory that relied on God’s timing for the offering to be consumed and the destruction of the false prophets.
Fourth it comes in the form of Elijah fleeing from Jezebel and relying on God to sustain him for the forty days and forty nights journey to Mt. Horeb where God encourages Elijah.
What is the final way in which God’s timing plays a signifiant role in Elijah’s life?
When God takes him up in a whirlwind.
Finally it comes in the way in which God would take Elijah up in a whirlwind.
Now, what does all this have to do with whether or not it is the right person and wrong time and when I should start dating?
Well, God’s timing is perfect.
If it is the right person, then God’s timing would show that it is the right person.
God is not late or early, He is always on time.
I don’t think there is such a thing as the right person and wrong time, but only the timing that God has given to assure it is the right person or not.
Meaning is the timing is not the ‘right time’ then it is not the ‘right person’.
God always makes the timing the right timing.
Look at Jesus not only from the prospective of His birth, life, and death but in how He conducted His ministry.
Jesus was always at the right place but more importantly the time was always right.
Lazarus comes to my mind when I think of the words of Martha when she tells Jesus if He was there that Lazarus would still be alive. Many would probably think that Jesus was late to save Lazarus, and we would think such too if we did not have the bible to disclose the fact that Jesus would raise him from the dead.
How then can I know it is the right time to start dating?
When God gives you peace.
I use this passage a lot when people approach me about God’s will, since God will always prompt us in someway and then He will give peace with His prompting. Notice that Elijah never seemed to doubt that God would provide for him, most likely because he had God’s peace.
Continue to be faithful in what God has given you. Elijah did not try to leave the brook until God provided Zarephath. Sometimes we become to anxious and want things now. Be patient and wait on God.
How do I know the timing is right?
I think one of the great secrets to the Christian life is contentment. When we are content, God will often blessing exceedingly.