“Loneliness / Isolation”
The Savior for Suffering Sinners
1 Kings 19:1-18 / April 1, 2020
Elijah just had one of the best days of his life. The Lord God allowed Elijah to overcome 450 prophets of Baal in a battle of the “gods.” The Lord showed His glory and might over Baal and his false prophets. Elijah was given a resounding victory by the Lord.
The next day was the worst day of Elijah’s life. Queen Jezebel put out a contract on Elijah’s life. She wanted the Lord’s prophet dead. Elijah ran for his life. Along the way Satan worked on the Lord’s servant to shake his faith, to convince him that he was indeed all alone, perhaps even that God Himself had left him.
It should not surprise when a great moment of joy in the company of saints is followed by a lonely walk in darkness or despair. The last thing the Devil wants is our joy, our faith, and our confident hope in the goodness of God our Father. The Devil gets an evil Jezebel to go after Elijah and he’ll get an evil Jezebel to come after you. What “better” way to bring you down than to suffer bodily or emotionally at the hands and voice of another person?
In suffering the Devil wants us alone – like Elijah. He wants to isolate the Lord’s sheep, get us away from the flock, and think we are on our own. A lone sheep is easy prey for that prowling lion. The Devil wants us to believe that we are helpless, that we’re the only one who has ever suffered, that God is far away. He keeps driving our thoughts and feelings further and further from the Lord God, looking to self alone, not seeing anyone around us, especially the Lord.
Elijah was a lowly prophet and Queen Jezebel was a mighty ruler. That also isolated Elijah. Jezebel ruled the land. Elijah was a puny preacher. Sadly, evil seems to be a temptation of those with power. After all, who’s going to stop them? That leaves us even more alone when we suffer. Elijah may have been helpless by himself against Queen Jezebel. But the Lord was not helpless and Elijah was not alone. Although Elijah thought he was the only one left who loved the Lord there were 7000 other worshippers of the Lord he could not see. The Lord did not leave Elijah helpless. He provided Elisha, and Jehu, and Nimshi to also work for the Lord against Jezebel and her husband Ahab. The Lord delivered all this comfort to Elijah through His Word – His still small voice.
Whatever has happened to you or wherever you have run in fear, you are not alone. God promises that there is nowhere you can go where He is not with you. Jesus said He will be with you always. You also are accompanied by an unseen army – the angel host of heaven and the angels that God has charged with looking over you in particular.
Then there is Christ’s church – some of which is unseen (in heaven) and also that which is seen (your local congregation). There you will find brothers and sisters who will pray for you and stand by your side. They will be the hands of Christ to hold you and the voice of Christ to comfort you. There Jesus will come to you with His Word of forgiveness, life, and hope. There Jesus will be with you in His body and blood – the same body and blood by which He took on all your enemies and won. You are God’s child in Christ and your Father will never forsake one of His own. You have Christ’s blood on that.
In all the history of the world there has been only one man who was truly alone and apart from God. That man was also true God. That man was Jesus of Nazareth. At the cross, when He carried our sins, Jesus of Nazareth was all alone – forsaken by His Father. That is the punishment for sin. God will completely and finally forsake sinners on the last day who do not believe in Christ. Those who believe in Jesus, on the other hand, will finally see on that day that they were never alone. Christ was alone, God forsaken on the cross, so you would never be alone.
When the Devil brings you all kinds of “evidence” trying to convince you that there is no help for you and that you are on your own, when you suffered at the hands of some “Jezebel” hold Jesus before the Devil and tell him to get out of your face. You have a Father in heaven who will never leave you, a brother in Christ who laid down His life for you, the Holy Spirit who brought you into God’s family the church. You have the angels watching over you and the company of your brothers and sisters with you in the faith. You are not alone, ever, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
O Lord God, sometimes the best of days can be followed by the worst of days. We can enjoy the company of our families and then find ourselves alone in our troubles. Teach us through Elijah that we are never alone. You have called us to be your own through our baptism into Christ. You have given us your Word. You created the angels to have charge of us. You have brought us into the family of your church and surrounded us with brothers and sisters in Christ. Forgive us for not believing that the only One who was ever truly alone was Your Son Jesus Christ. On the cross He was God-forsaken, abandoned by You because He bore our sin to take our punishment. If You would leave Your Son alone so that You could take hold of us, surely You will never leave us or forsake us. By the working of the Holy Spirit through His Word and the Sacraments help us to believe that You never leave us alone. In the name of Jesus. Amen.