So far we have seen two principles regarding THE CAVE (the place where ministry becomes misery) from the life and ministry of Elijah. They are:
THE CAVE can become reality even to the most successful of pastors and ministry leaders! (December 15th's posting)
THE CAVE becomes even more possible after a great spiritual victory! (December 17th's posting)
Now we see principle #3 regarding doing ministry from within THE CAVE. Here it is:
"Entering THE CAVE is often a result of one person who opposes us!"
In Elijah's case it was the wicked Queen Jezebel. When I think of the story of Elijah, I like to call it by the title of the old Clint Eastwood western, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!" Here is how the characters breakdown:
The Good = Elijah
The Bad = King Ahab
The Ugly = Queen Jezebel
After Elijah's victory on Mt Carmel that we looked at in the last posting, King Ahab ran home and told his despicable wife, Jezebel, all that had happened at the hands of the Prophet Elijah. This resulted in Jezebel sending a message to Elijah threatening to kill him within 24 hours:
"Now Ahab had told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.'" (1 Kings 19:1-2)
Elijah had just taken on and killed 450 prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Yet now, he was letting one person who stood in opposition to him drive him from the mountain top of spiritual victory and into THE CAVE.
it's true - entering THE CAVE is often the result of one person who opposes us! I heard a preacher say the same thing one time only he put it like this, "There is always a Judas in your life and they are usually close enough to kiss you."
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