Then Elijah arose, a prophet like fire,
and his word burned like a torch.
He brought a famine upon them,
and by his zeal he made them few in number.
By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens,
and also three times brought down fire.
How glorious you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours? ....
You were taken up by a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with horses of fire.
At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined
to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury,
to turn the hearts of parents to their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
Happy are those who saw you
and were adorned with your love!
For we also shall surely live.
(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)
During Advent we shall look at the people, places and symbols that invite us to prepare for the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas. They will not necessarily occur in the right order! Today we look at 'Elijah'.
Today's reading from the Lectionary is from Ecclesiasticus, a book written at a time between our Old and New Testaments, and it concerns the Prophet Elijah who lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BCE. Along with Moses he ranks of great importance. His name means "Yahweh is my God", and he worked during the reign of two evil kings, Ahab and Ahaziah. Eliah argued strongly that there was only one God, and that was definitely not Baal. This brought him into direct conflict with the pagan Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab. When Elijah proclaimed a drought as God's punishment for the people's worship of Baal this resulted in a test of strength between Elijah (with Yahweh's help) and the 450 prophets of Baal. The outcome was a victory for Yahweh. But it is Elijah's words to the people: "If Yahweh is God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him," and his prayer, that rings like a clarion call down the centuries to us:
Elijah's deepest experience would take place when he learns that Yahweh is not in the storm, the earthquake, or the lightning, but in the "still small voice".
Today as we contemplate our relationship with God this Advent, we can learn a lot from Elijah about encouraging God to speak to us in the silence of our heart and mind, allowing Him to temper our pride and our conscience with His love.
Lord God,
ruler of the heavens and the earth,
we thank You for the Prophet Elijah
and for his confidence in You.
May we learn from him
that You are close to us at all times,
and speak to us in the silence.
As we prepare for Christmas
may we look at the world with fresh eyes,
and seek to take Your message of peace
to those who will listen.
Amen.
If you would like to read more about the Prophet Isaiah, look here:
Or listen to this children's action song that says it all: