{"id":62697,"date":"2019-09-10T15:18:15","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T12:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62697"},"modified":"2023-04-05T17:16:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T14:16:04","slug":"a-different-kind-of-prophet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-different-kind-of-prophet\/","title":{"rendered":"A Different Kind Of Prophet"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[858,384,401,390],"acf":{"old_id":"62697","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33992,"related_cahpter":"304","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Whose legacy is all about feeding the hungry, caring for the widow, and sustaining life","content":"

From the start, Elijah presents a different kind of prophet than what we are used to. Moses, of course, is the ultimate and with him they broke the mold. But since then, prophets have brief, cameo roles. They appear, say something specific, and then we don\u2019t hear from them again. Perhaps in really special cases, we listen in as they offer a second prophecy (recall Ahiyah of Shilo, anyone?). Throughout the Books of Kings we will witness swarms of nameless prophets, and false claimants to the title. But Elijah is different than what we\u2019re used to. He\u2019s bigger than all that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elijah\u2019s story starts in the middle. No real introduction, no birth and childhood stories, we launch instantly into his struggle against Israel\u2019s most evil power couple, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Even his name, Elijah, tells us what the theme of this struggle will be: \u201cYah is my God.\u201d At this point in Israel\u2019s history, the existence of monotheism is what\u2019s at stake. Others run after a host of idolatrous gods and goddesses, their priests far outnumber the servants of God, and their willingness to spill blood and crush opponents is without limit. Into this struggle, Elijah will throw his full weight, launching an enterprise that continues to this very day.<\/span><\/p>\n

So we\u2019re very interested in how he establishes his credentials. What kind of God is he serving? What are the core values of this Oneness he seeks?<\/span><\/p>\n

Significantly, his first encounter is with a starving widow. God commands Elijah to find her and feed her. Widows in antiquity were among the bottom of the social heap, powerless and lacking connections. So the first thing we learn about Elijah\u2019s God is that God\u2019s concern starts from the bottom up: widows matter no less than kings. Elijah performs two miracles on her behalf: producing water for her and her family, and then multiplying loaves of bread so they have ample food to eat. Apparently, this God of monotheism is committed to feeding the thirsty and the hungry.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it doesn\u2019t stop there. The God of Israel is also the God of life. After a short while, the widow\u2019s boy grows ill and appears to die. When she confronts Elijah, his immediate response is to take the child\u2019s lifeless body into his embrace, to cry out to God, and then to perform the miracle that restores the child to vigor and health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sustenance, nourishment, life. Those are the priorities of this unique God. And that elusive uniqueness deserves our devotion to this day. We too must remain the people whose faith culminates in feeding the hungry, caring for the widow, and sustaining life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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