“And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.” (1Ki 18:39-40 AV)
When preaching this passage, I don’t think the people get enough credit. Yes, they were non-committal until they saw the fire from heaven come down. Yes, after they cleaned house, they eventually went back to the same sin. But at least they did right here with passion and conviction. To deliver the prophets of Baal to cruel execution cannot be understated. Reading it again, I am truly impressed with what the people did. Perhaps Elijah was equally impressed. Remember, when asked to pick a side, the people haulted between two opinions. They were what the Laodicean Church had become. They were lukewarm. And we know what God thinks of those who are neither cold nor hot. People like this make God puke! These people may have been lukewarm. But once the fire fell from heaven, they were moved to revival. For this, they need credit!
Maturity causes one to appreciate others and does not place unrealistic expectations upon them. A teacher may wish all her students were overachievers. A parent may wish he or she has the perfect child. A coach may hope his team was made of wholly of superstars. The reality is, the majority are average. The reality is most are non-committal until the time when it counts. One of my favorite movies is Support Your Local Sheriff starring James Garner. It is hilarious. The town is made up of weak-kneed men who will not stand up to a cruel and murderous family. As the plot comes to a crescendo, the town’s men are meeting to decide what to do. Do they stand and fight alongside the new sheriff? Or do they tuck tail and run? The meeting is rather amusing and, in the end, they vote to abandon the town to the sheriff. The daughter of the mayor is beside herself. She gives the men an ear full. As the gun fight starts, it is the sheriff, the deputy, and the mayor’s daughter. When the battle is finally won in the sheriff’s favor, it turned out some of the men had taken up well hidden positions and fought with the sheriff without him knowing of it. Rather than give them an ear full, he expressed gratitude at their willingness to do something.
No matter the commitment level, we need to be grateful for whatever another is willing to do. Even if it doesn’t seem like much, it is much! Even if the commitment came at the last minute and under favorable conditions, at least it came! Elijah never rebukes them for their delayed commitment. He never rebuked them for their reluctance to commit to the LORD unless the LORD did miracles first. Rather, the prophet was grateful for what they did because what they did was all they could do for the moment. Praise the LORD for whatever you do for His name’s sake. Many years ago, I resolved to have this attitude. Praise the LORD for whatever a soul can and will do. I will still push for more. But if we are not grateful for whatever someone does, they will never do anything! So, thank you for all that you do for the LORD. Thank you for your commitment regardless of when it came. Thank you for standing in the gap, no matter how long you can commit to it. Praise the LORD for you!
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