BIBL 360 - Week Seven - Biographical Bible Study Elijah PDF

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Name: Carl Mohr

Chapter 17 - How To Study A Person in the Bible Biographical Bible Study Template

A Biographical Study of Elijah Instructions: For this assignment you will be studying the life of Elijah. What can be learned from Elijah when we methodically study his life using the technique of observation, interpretation, and application? Step One - Observation Select: Select a Character. For this assignment you will be studying Elijah Gather: Gather all the data. Find all of the Scriptures you can on Elijah. List and summarize your findings by chapter. Summarize by verse if it contains an observation crucial to the story. 1 Kings 17 1 Kings 18 1 Kings 19 1 Kings 21 2 Kings 1 2 Kings 2 Organize: Organize your findings. This organization should be built around as many of the items in this list as possible: Name, Birth, Family background, Early life and training, Conversion, Historical setting, Geographical movements, Sin, Spiritual life, Major Accomplishments, Death, Major Lessons. Name: Personal name meaning “my God is Yah.” �����: Tishbe of Gilead during the 9th century B.C. ������ ����������: Little was known about his birth, but his father was named Savah ����� ���� ��� ��������: He was able to give a prophecy to King Ahab because he listened to God. ���������� �������: Northern Kingdom of Israel (862-852 b.c.).

������������ ���������: 1 Kings 17—Jezreel, Cherith Brook, Zarephath 1 Kings 18—Jezreel, Mount Carmel, Kishon Valley, Jezreel 1 Kings 19—Jezreel, Mount Sinai, Abel-meholah 1 Kings 21—Jezreel 2 Kings 1—Jezreel 2 Kings 2—Gilgal, Jericho, Jordan River, Heaven ��������� ����: Listened to God: 1 Kings 17:1,14,24; 18:1,38; 19:5,7,9,11,15-18; 20:17-19,21-24,28-29; 2 Kings 1:3,15; 2:2,4,6 Prayed to God: 1 King 17:20-21; 18:36-37; 19:4,10,14 Expressed Faith in God: 1 King 17:13; 18:21,27; 19:4; 2 Kings 1:10,12 Sin: Able to be arrogant by believing he was the only prophet left for God’s anointment (1 Kings 19:10,14). ����� ���������������: 1. Elijah’s first biblical achievement is his prophecy to King Ahab about a coming drought (1 Kings 17:1). 2. Elijah prayed for God to bring a widow’s son to life (1 Kings 17:21) 3. Elijah proved the LORD to be the true God (1 Kings 18:38-39). 4. He prophesied the end of drought (1 Kings 18:40-41). 5. He gave Elisha his spirit and role of God’s prophet (2 Kings 2:8-11). �����: Taken from the LORD into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Consult: Consult secondary sources. What do our various Bible study tools help us understand about Elijah? • Elijah appears as a champion for faithfulness to the covenant with God. • Elijah was a miracle-working prophet who remained faithful to God despite being persecuted. • The era of Elijah's ministry was one of the great challenges within Israel and with surrounding nations. • Elijah has been called the grandest and the most romantic character that Israel ever produced. • His life is best understood when considered from four historical perspectives that at times are interrelated: his miracles, his struggle against Baalism, his prophetic role, and his eschatological relationship to Messiah. Determine: Choose a primary passage. Choose one passage that seems to best summarize the life of Elijah. Provide a detailed and through rationale for this determination. Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your

prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too” (1 Kings 19:10,14). Elijah had faith in the LORD which gave him the Spirit to serve for God. The people of Israel had fallen and begun to ignore the law, losing all righteousness. The begun killing prophets, dropping alters to see and to hear God. Elijah was one that was persecuted but he trusted God and allowed God to use him by intervening with his children. He wasn’t the only prophet left either; God disclosed that 7,000 others roamed the Earth that he could anoint. Step Two: Interpretation 1. State the teaching principles. Ask yourself, “What does the life of Elijah have to say that is useful for Christian living and for the church in general?” List and explain at least five principles that you can draw from your study of Elijah. Be sure to use the secondary sources you worked with in the consultation section in order to fully develop your explanations. 1. ���� �������� �� ��� ����. “Faithfulness” is an element of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). God had faith and trusted Elijah because he knew how His plan would come simply by commanding him, which would bring other prophets like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:11). We as people must trust in the Lord, having faith that He is perfect, and his word is true. We walk by faith and our trust in the Lord not upon our own understanding. (2 Corinthians 5:7). Elijah’s life was like the psalmist’s praise that stated the Lord’s word is the light that guides him on the right path as he listened more to God (Psalm 119:105). Our relationship includes us staying faithful as an act of commit toward our love for God (John 14:15). 2. ���� ������� ���� �� ��� ����. Worshipping false gods is an offense to God. It is a breaking of a commandment (Exodus 20:3). Making disciples of a false god is a false testimony (Exodus 20:16); it would also be a way to murder by causing a person to sin (Exodus 20:13). By worshipping a false god, you may lose your fear in God, which constrains your behavior to sin (Exodus 20:20). Worshipping false gods is also the foolish loss of faith in God who is righteous for our salvation (John 3:16). All idols, images, words, and conceptualized beliefs are made of lies unless their producers were inspired by the Holy Spirit (Genesis 6:5; Exodus 20:4; Psalm 116:11). Elijah repeatedly warned his nation of their worship to false gods for their hope to survive. 3. ���� �� ��� ����. We are to be humbled because of the perfection of our God; he is the only true good (James 4:10). Our relationship with his starts and is built upon having faith and trusting in him to do anything he desires. He brings the Holy Spirit to live within us and set our

hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22). The widow in 1 Kings 17 prayed to God by questioning if she should repent, and Elijah prayed to God by asking God if the son was a part of His plan. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah prayed to God to illuminate His presence and give his nation more spiritual hope. During 1 Kings 19, Elijah prayed to God to present his faith to God though he felt shame, and in return, God showed Elijah that He had a prospect for him 4.. ������ �� ��� ����. In order to listen to God, one must have faith in God believing that by His power and only His power can the true goodness be done. The nation of Israel was down to the earth which was why the people of Israel were only listening to itself being deceived into false gods. They had made idols and in turn idolized their own views toward a false god (1 John 4:5-7). Elijah had the Spirit of truth in him, which is how he was able to listen to God (1 John 4:7). If we love God, we try keep His commands though no one would be perfect and would be able to do this (John 14:15). However, we cannot keep his commands if we are not listening to his Word. We understand his Word and can listen through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Galatians 1:12). Through listening to God’s Word Elijah told the truth of his prophecies. God’s love of Elijah gave him purpose and hope which resulted in ascension to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). 5. ���� � �������� ��� ��� ����. God had told Elijah to make a disciple, to train him and raise him up in prophetic ministry. (1 Kings 19:16,19-21). Elisha held Elijah’s spirit to commit to God after Elijah ascended into heaven (2 Kings 2:14-15). The great commission was given by Jesus to his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So, they would teach everything he had commanded of them. (Matthew 28:16-20). In order to make a disciple, we need to preach and live out the gospel (Mark 16:15). The performance of the Great Commission for the LORD is how faith is kept alive (James 2:14-26). Making a disciple is expressing your commitment to God by having a relationship with the Lord God almighty. Understanding that without him you are separated from anything truthfully good. (Psalm 16:8-11; Romans 8:28). 2. State your conclusions. Taking the main point of what you have learned, write a concluding statement of interpretation that summarizes the main teaching of the person. In other words, in light of your findings, what do you think is the major teaching point in the life of Elijah? Elijah was taught by God that the Lord is worth listening to because He provides for His followers (1 Kings 17). Elijah was sustained by the grace from the resurrection. God’s provision to Elijah gave him faith in the Lord, which in turn sealed the Spirit in Elijah to give the commitment to express that the Lord is the one true and only God to follow (1 Kings 18:37). Elijah and God’s relationship is an illustration of how the Church and Jesus have a relationship intimately. Jesus’ provision of spiritual nourishment to the church by the gospel gives faith to His church that leads to salvation, the special revelation. Step Three - Application

State and explain five application principles from your study of Elijah. They may be related to the principles you listed earlier in this exercise as “teaching principles.” Try to personalize them. If necessary, you may use the structure of the four relationships of life in order to structure your application principles. 1. � ���� ���� ������ ��� ��� Lord. God always has more power and wisdom than humanity does (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). I must never believe that I am the only one anointed, which God must only rely on me to do the ministry. If I believe that God must only need me then I am deceiving myself with an image of myself, a false testimony of the Word, and a lack of faith in God. This in turn I begin to idolize myself and think that I am capable to do good even when in truth I can’t. Every time I feel my heart with these lies, I take pride in myself sharing the same realization later that I cannot do anything good without God. 2. � ���� ����� ��� ���� ��� ��� Lord. Elijah started his trust in the Lord when he was directed to go to Cherith Brook and Zarephath (1 Kings 17:2-16). He also had trust in the Lord praying over the resurrection of the widow’s son that God would provide. (1 Kings 17:21). God also protected Elijah because of his trust in God (2 Kings 1:9-12). I must continue to trust in the Lord even when bad situations arise in my own life. They may appear bad on the surface level, but I know my God is bigger than my circumstance and that He can turn my situation into a good one. 3. � ���� ���� �� ������� ��� ��� Lord. Elijah shed light on the revelation of God to Ahab’s kingdom to give spiritual hope to Israel (1 Kings 18:37). Jezebel threatened Elijah, but Elijah did not curse her, instead he loved her (1 Kings 19:2). After significant sin against Naboth, God had Elijah inform King Ahab (who called Elijah his enemy) about his dynasty’s doom (1 Kings 21:20-24). Elijah warned Ahaziah about his coming death (2 Kings 1:6,16). Elijah warned about God’s power to the two units of soldiers who did not fear God (2 Kings 1:10,12). Though all the opportunities came for him to not only fear those who persecuted him but also resent them he chose to love them instead. He knew that this was the most good that he could do to please the Lord which was to love those who hated him. That’s how I need to live my life loving those who hate me by showing them the same grace God gives me. 4. � ���� ��� �� ��� ���� ����� �� ��� �� �� � �������� ����� ��� Lord. Heavenly soldier meaning a person who fights for the goodness of God through faith alone not by his own power but God’s. Elijah was a model soldier for God. Elijah was strong in the LORD with His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). God provided Elijah with hope to stand against evil (Ephesians 6:11). Elijah’s struggle was not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Elijah had the breastplate of righteousness over his heart by giving a prophecy of God’s love to the dynasty that opposed him (Ephesians 6:14b). By putting on the armor of God Elijah was made powerful but without God’s power he was nothing and he understood that. When

I’m in places of power or authority I have to put on the whole armor of God and trust in his prevision that I am nothing without him. 5. � ���� ���� �� ����� ���� ���� ����� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� God gave us his word so that we may in turn read it and internalize the material that is within it. His word is final and has full authority. God sent Elijah’s provisions not from where he was but from where he commanded him to be. There were moments when Elijah would not have been fed of bread if he did not listen to God (1 Kings 17:3,9, 19:5,7). The true provision for Elijah was the Spirit in his heart that gave him the inspiration to hear God in divine grace, which gives commands in righteousness that brings hope for the material provisions but more importantly the eternal love (John 14:15). Jesus said, “…no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). I must trust in the Lord our God and his words and coming to him through his son Jesus is the way to have a relationship with him. What one action can you take this week to apply one of these principles in your life? Be detailed and specific. Remember, this should not be so general it could fit with any number of Biblical characters. Specifically connect this action to your study of Elijah. I can share the wisdom that God gives me about the gospel of Jesus with believers to live out the words that come from the mouth of God. Elijah was a prophet who spoke the truth to others with the Spirit in him. As a youth pastor part of my work is to speak and disciple to people younger than me and teach them of the gospel and the works of Jesus. Starting with the importance of his Word. Allowing them to understand the Great Commission of Matthew 28 and them following suit with it after being raise into their own purpose that God has for them. Sharing the Word of God with other is exactly how God wants his believers to be. To be so eager to share the good new of Jesus with other. Elijah had a mission to share God with others....