Elijah was a prophet of God. He exhorted the people to obey the law of God. One of his admonitions was addressed directly to the wicked King Ahab. Elijah warned him that punishment was about to come upon the country because of its sinfulness. There would be no rain for three full years—there would only be drought and hunger. God commanded Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith, out of which he could drink water. God also miraculously fed him because each morning ravens brought him meat and bread. This was the reason a sister in Christ—Pastor Olinka Kaňuchová from Zilina—brought water, bread and meat with her when she came to speak at the Lutheran Academy.
Pastor Kaňuchová (from the Lutheran Church in Žilina) came to speak at the worship service to third, fourth, and fifth grade students, about God’s exemplary servant, Elijah. This prophet lived in the period after the division of the kingdom of Israel. After the death of Soloman, the kingdom of Israel divided into two parts and God admonished people through the prophets. The prophets were zealous for the Lord and His laws. They proclaimed the punishment that God sent upon the nation for its infidelity, and exhorted those who did not respect God’s commandments. Among the prophets, Elijah excelled. He lived and worked in the northern kingdom, whose center was in Samaria, and he had favor with God—and therefore always had enough to eat and drink.
After such a severe drought, hunger occurred throughout the country. God sent Elijah to King Ahab to tell him that the Lord would soon send down the rain. King Ahab did not believe him—just as he did not believe in the one true God, the LORD, therefore breaking the 1st commandment. Instead, Ahab relied on other gods. Elijah, a man who wore a cloak of camel’s hair and a leather belt, prayed for rain and the Lord heard him.
He whose name means “God is my Lord,” called for the rain—and the rain came. It was a blessing that brought life!
Sister Olinka Kaňuchová reminded the children of another important fact—Elijah is a prefiguration of Christ. He was the servant of the one God, who is the Lord. “Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to die for all people.” Sister Olinka asked the children “Will the Lord be your only God, the only one you will serve?” I believe that the answer is ‘yes,’ and that our love for God will be reflected in our approach to other people. After all, “what we do for God, we do also for our brothers and sisters,” O. Kaňuchová added.
| The Lutheran Academy nurtures the development of some of Slovak´s most gifted young men and woman, preparing them to serve where God directs them. To learn more about supporting this work, contact CCE´s Director of Development, Sisa Schudichova, at sisa.schudichova@gmail.com |
