Money and Materialism - Ahab and Elijah Part 1
Written by Ed Allen
Sunday, 22 July 2007 08:18
Sermon Notes
God doesn't mind prosperity – He just insists that we acknowledge where it came from and share it with others.
Psalm 104:10-14
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate–
bringing forth food from the earth:
Psalm 104 was written as a direct affront to the worship of Baal. Baal worshippers believed that it was Baal and not God who was responsible for rain and the harvest.
Ahab becomes king (1 Kings 16:29)
Ahab became king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) around 874 BC, after his father, Omri, died. Ahab followed his father Omri in worship of idols and other gods and went much further in the worship of Baal. Ahab's wife, Jezebel, was a big follower of Baal and even tried to have all of the Lord's prophets rounded up and killed. They were trying to kill the prophet, Elijah.
The Widow of Zarephath
After God using ravens to feed Elijah, God tells Elijah to go to a widow in Zarephath. Based on the language in the text, it appears that she was a believer in God. When Elijah asks her for some bread, she tells him that she is preparing the last of what she has (it is a time of extended drought) and after which, her and her son will die. Elijah tells her to go ahead and prepare him some bread and God will provide for her. She does as Elijah asks, and God miraculously provides for her and her son.
Confrontation of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel
Elijah challenges Ahab, Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal to see who is the real God. He tells them to meet on Mount Carmel (which is one of Baal's holy centers) and to set up two altars and see whether God or Baal will consume the sacrifice in fire.
The prophets of Baal are doing their typical dance all morning, but nothing happens. Elijah eggs them on sarcastically and says that maybe Baal is asleep or busy. So, nothing happens with Baals altar. Then Elijah has them pour water over God's altar and drench it multiple times. When Elijah then calls on the Lord, the Lord responds and consumes not only the sacrifice but also the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in fire. The people see that God is the true God and kill the prophets of Baal.
Through this, God gives a clear picture of how He feels about relying on anything or anyone other than God for your provision.
We see that Ahab was consumed with materialism and was willing to pursue any means (other than God) to satisfy his desire for prosperity.
What do we need to do to avoid materialism
1. Worship God and acknowledge that He is our provider
When the people saw that God was the real God, and the real provider, they fell prostrate and worshiped the Lord.
2. Make the changes in your life
We need to turn away from materialism. This may mean ‘doing violence’ to those things in your life that prevent you from following God. In other words, make the hard decisions and changes in your life that you need to. Get rid of stuff you don’t need or that get in your way of your relationship with God.