THE MIGHTY ELIJAH PART 4

 

When angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith on 21 September 1823, he told him of an important part of the restoration that will take place 13 years later. He told Joseph that the sealing power of the Priesthood will be restored to the earth by the very hand of Elijah the prophet who will ‘plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers’ (D&C 2:2)

This sealing power comes in two parts. The first part is the planting into our hearts the promises made to the fathers: “Who are the fathers? They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom the promises were made. What are the promises? They are the promises of a continuation of the family unit in eternity” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millenial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 267l; see also D&C 27:10; Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual commentary for D&C 2:2).

These eternal promises made to the fathers are known as the Abrahamic Covenant and they are:

1.       Abraham’s posterity would be numerous (see Genesis 17:5-6; Abraham 2:9; 3:14).

2.       His descendants would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood (see Abraham 2:9)

3.       Through the ministry of his seed “all the families of the earth would be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even life eternal” (Abraham 2:11)

4.       Abraham’s righteous descendants will inherit the earth. Following the Millenium plus ‘a little season’ the earth will die, be resurrected and become sanctified, immortal and an eternal state where the god-fearing and the righteous shall live as celestial beings with the Father and the Son forever and ever (D&C 88:14-26, 111; McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p 211)

“A person can receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant – even if he or she is not a literal descendant of Abraham – by obeying the laws and ordinances of the gospel (see Galatians 3:26-29; 4:1-7; D&C 84:33-40)”. (Gospel Topics, LDS Gospel Library: Abrahamic Covenant). This is called ‘adoption into the House of Israel’ by baptism.

The second part of Elijah’s sealing power is the turning of our hearts to our own ancient fathers. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve said that not only has God made these promises to the ancient patriarchs but that we “undoubtedly made them to our own lineal fathers and mothers, those who came to earth before the gospel was restored but whom we promised to provide its saving ordinances” (Christ and the New Covenant 1977, p. 297). This is done by proxy in the temples that are now on the earth.

So it is through this sealing power and the saving ordinances we provide for our kindred dead that we inherit the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. If not, the creation of this earth would be utterly wasted because a sealed, united, celestially saved family of God is the ultimate purpose of mortality and the creation of this earth. (see Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p 297-98)

The spirit of Elijah rests upon the human family today who are actively seeking their roots. Even the ones who don’t know why, will one day give thanks to the God of this universe who made the family ties eternal and preserved the love that binds us together, now and forever…..

Your life has come and gone

But your footprints remain

And your blood courses through my veins.

Because of God’s eternal grace

We will once again embrace.

I weep not that we are now apart,

For I carry you with me,

I carry you in my heart. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by AI)

THE MIGHTY ELIJAH PART 2

 

Elijah was called to preach repentance to one of the most evil kings of Israel.  Not only did King Ahab walk in the footsteps of his predecessor Jeroboam who turned Israel to idolatry but he did one better than that, he married Jezebel, the daughter of king of Sidonia, who worshipped Baal. Ahab turned worship of Baal into the state religion and 'did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him' (1 Kings 16:33)

 

Baal, a Phoenician deity of the Canaanites, worshipped as the god of storm who they believed had power over water, is mentioned in the Old Testament 58 times. Because the Canaanite vegetation was rich and the soil fertile, many Israelites were deceived into thinking the Canaanite god Baal regulated the water supply needed for the soil.

 

It is no wonder then that Elijah, as a fitting punishment to Israel who worshipped Baal believing he sent water to enrich their pastures and ensure their crops, sealed up the heavens for three and a half years. You would think that during three and a half years of drought, worshipping a god who was supposed to be a god of water and rain, Israel would come to their senses and realise they were on the wrong track but this did not happen. Sometimes I think we operate in mortality on the intelligence level called stupidity.

 

From the time of his proclaimed drought on the kingdom of Israel, Elijah was a wanted man and spent much of his time in hiding. So severe had the drought become that Ahab searched for him far and wide, among all nations, blaming him for the misfortune that had befallen his kingdom (1 Kings 18:10). All the nations and kingdoms Ahab searched had to swear an oath that they were not hiding him and whoever reported seeing him would be executed if Elijah was not there by the time Ahab's search party arrived (1 Kings 18:12).

 

Sealing the heavens began Elijah's life on the run dotted with miracles. He was guided in all his wanderings by the God of Israel who preserved his life. When the time came for God to show forth his power by lifting the drought, Elijah was instructed to return to Israel where he engaged in the most outlandish contest with the false prophets of Baal who failed to show forth his power in igniting the sacrifice they were offering.

 

And how did the priests of Baal do? Their greatest offering was cutting themselves ‘till blood gushed out upon them’ crying to their god for rain (1 Kings 18:28). One ancient author recorded a similar scene he observed in Gaza in Roman times:

 

“They danced along the streets to the sound of wild music, holding huge swords and bills, with whips for scouring themselves….they flew wildly one past the other: their heads sunk low towards the earth, as they turned in circles: their loose hair dragging through the dust. Presently they began to bite their arms, and next to hack themselves with the two edged swords they carried…..one of them, the leader in this frenzy, commenced to prophesy, with sighs and groans, lamenting aloud his past sins, which he would now avenge by the chastisement of his flesh. He then took the knotted whip and lashed his back, cutting himself also with his sword till the blood ran down.”  (Cunningham Geikie, Hours with the Bible, 3:399-400)

 

There is only one deranged entity who would inspire such an ungodly practice and persuade people of a sound mind to believe this could pass as a form of worship…..and we all know who that is.

 

Elijah, however, drew the hosts of Israel to him so they could properly see, repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down with 12 stones signifying the 12 tribes of Israel and saturated the wood and the sacrificial animal with four barrels of water, three times. He then appealed to Jehovah to show that He is the true God of Israel (1 Kings 18:37). Of course, the fire came down and consumed the whole altar with the surplus water that was in the surrounding trench (1 Kings 18:30-39). He then instructed the astonished Israelites to capture all 450 prophets of Baal, took them to the brook Kishon and slew them there (1 Kings 18:22,40). Now that’s a man of conviction!

 

Because of his un-daunting faith in the God of Israel, Elijah was blessed with power over water like Moses and Joshua and divided river Jordan prior to his ascension into heaven, never to taste death (2 Kings 2:6-11).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by AI)

THE ONE TRUE KING

Perhaps one of the saddest events in the history of Israel was the time they requested the cessation of judges and asked Samuel to appoint a king over them (1 Samuel 8:5). Samuel warned them that kings will among other things, evoke heavy tax burdens on them; conscript their children into his service and seize private lands (vs 11-17). Ancient Israel would not listen because they had become weak and sinful and were envious of surrounding kingdoms, even though their governments were wicked and oppressive.

And here is another example, like the sons of Eli, of how we can cause people to sin. Samuel had two sons who he appointed as judges in Beersheba. They too did not walk in their father’s footsteps but exploited their position with bribes and perverted judgment (1 Samuel 8:3). This is all the elders needed to use as a reason why Israel should be ruled by a king like the other nations (v 4).

Samuel was not pleased to say the least since all the evils and misfortunes which Israel suffered always resulted from their apostasy from their God. Their request for a king therefore was an outright rejection of the sovereignty of Jehovah, who had always proclaimed himself as their God and King and the House of Israel as His special people, above all people upon the face of the earth (Det 7:6; Exodus 6:7; 19:5; 33:16; Leviticus 20:26; Jeremiah 10:4).

Perhaps the most heart breaking words that came out of the Saviour’s mouth was His response to Samuel who had prayed about the matter: “Hearken unto the voice of the people…for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Imagine the heaviness of heart with which the Saviour would have uttered these words.

But as ancient Israel tragically sought to follow other nations, they became like other nations. We all know the ending to that. The downfall began with the very first king….Saul. Be careful what you want, for you will surely get it.

There was not among all Israel a goodlier person than Saul. He was honest, reliable, considerate of his parents and physically a potential hero and man of valour all Israel sought yet he too, like Samson became another tragedy. He was the lesson that Jehovan wanted to teach Israel about kings:

“Though Saul, had at first, a great regard for the law of Moses, and for God, yet ‘ the consciousness of his own power, coupled with the energy of his character, led him astray into an incautious disregard of the commands of God; his zeal in the prosecution of his plans hurried him on to reckless and violent measures; and success in his undertakings heightened his ambition into a haughty rebellion against the Lord, the God-king of Israel.” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 2:2:79; see also The Old Testament Student Manual Book 1, p 272)

Samuel anointed Saul to be ‘captain’ and not a king, even though he was later called such (1 Samuel 10:1). This should have served as a reminder that the Lord was still king…..only it didn’t.

The Lord knows us intensely and intimately. He has known us from the beginning and He knows who will fail him and who will serve Him to the end. Make no mistake about that. It should motivate us to follow closely our life’s plan so that in the end we won’t hear Him say: “You chose your own importance over Me, your God and your King”

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: King of Kings by Danny Hahlbohm)