Romans 11:3 “Lord, they have killed our prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”?
It can sometimes feel lonely in a hostile world. It can feel as if you are the only one, or at least one of the few who are standing up for the Truth. The torrents of negative news and emotions, burning cities and multiple murders, weather ‘catastrophes’ and global upheaval. The list could go on and on.
So to stand for sanity and rational discussion is a rare commodity. Calm doesn’t make headlines. Peace accords don’t get coverage. Medical breakthroughs that could save lives get downplayed and ‘refuted’, all while chaos reigns.
Our text recalls the Prophet Elijah at one of his lowest points in his life. Everything seemed to be going against him and he was feeling alone and without support. He cries out to the LORD with His complaint, and the LORD answers him.
Elijah’s complaint is against the nation of Israel, his own nation. He starts with the fact that they have killed the prophets, of whom Elijah is one. They have come after the spokesmen for God. They didn’t like what the prophets have been saying, and they have systematically eliminated them. Elijah himself is on the run!
But the people have also torn down God’s worship altars. That may not seem like a big thing to us, but not having any place to fulfill what was their duty before the LORD hit at the very root and core of their religious practice. It would be like trying to play baseball without a baseball field, no diamond, no home plate, no bats, no gloves, not balls. Altars were the basic equipment for Hebrew worship.
So Elijah feels like he is the lone survivor, standing by himself in defense of the LORD. It appears to him that the tide has turned completely against him, and that he alone is faithful. All the news is bad news and he can’t stop the subscription!
Have you ever felt like everything was going against you? That is what Elijah felt. He even felt like the LORD had left him, even though he is voicing his complaint to the LORD. It is a paradox that even people today who don’t believe in God question God when terrible things happen, as though their non-existent god can rescue them.
But Elijah’s complaint isn’t the last word. Seven thousand have remained steadfast. Elijah is not alone in his pursuit of righteousness. They have not exchanged the glory of the One True God, for an idol made of wood, metal or stone. They have remained true followers of the LORD.
So why should we care about this? Paul’s point in bringing is this portion of Elijah’s story is simple: God’s grace carries the day. Just as Elijah and the seven thousand trusted what the LORD had said, and this resulted in grace being given to them, so both Jewish people and non-Jewish people stand before the LORD on equal footing. Grace!
Doing the right things can’t give us the entrance key to a relationship with God, only trusting Him provides that. Paul is arguing that all people must realize their own helplessness to save themselves through the actions they take. Everyone is disobedient. We are all under the penalty of sin.
But Jesus provided the way out of this dilemma. His life-giving sacrifice opened the door for everyone to be restored. Even those who have fallen away can return. They can change. They can trust the LORD again.
There is hope. We are not alone in our pursuit of God. There are others on this journey with us from every tribe and language, people group and backwater village. All are welcome to come the same way, though trusting what God has done on our behalf.
The Arnold Journey 