Numbers 11.29
“Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
As we study Elijah, it is important to make the connection between Elijah’s ministry as a prophet and our role as agents of the kingdom of God in our time and place in history. God wants all His people to be prophets and agents of the truth. We are called to be catalysts for the Kingdom of God, whenever and wherever we are.
With that in mind, here is a key lesson from the life of Elijah: God has given every believer a “prophetic” sphere of influence. While we are not called to be prophets in the exact way as Elijah, we nevertheless play a prophetic role in our time and place in history. The Lord has given each of us a platform, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards and use our platform to represent the truth and love of the kingdom of God.
This is precisely what happens in the New Covenant. When we trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit works within us for transformation and he works through us for proclamation.
Let me say it again: The Spirit works within us for transformation, and the Spirit works through us for proclamation. God has given us the task of communicating God’s truth to the people around us. We are agents and ambassadors for Christ, and we have been chosen to speak truth and challenge people to be reconciled to God. This is a prophetic role.
Consider what the angel of the Lord said to Zechariah, the priest who was the father of John the Baptist:
“The angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John … he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.‘” (Luke 1.13-17)
Sound familiar? John was filled with the Holy Spirit (we are also), and he proclaimed the kingdom of God (which we are also commanded to do). The angel said John would “go in the spirit and power of Elijah” and appeal to people to repent and believe in Jesus (which we are also commissioned to do).
The picture seems clear. We have been given the Holy Spirit. We are ambassadors for Christ who have been called to go in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to the people of our generation.
Like Elijah, we know that God lives, and we stand before Him (1 Kings 17.1). And our standing with God—our relationship with Jesus—means that whatever platform we have been given is an opportunity and responsibility to display truth through our actions and speak truth in our words.
So today, walk in the spirit and power of Elijah. Be salt and light. Be an ambassador for Christ. Be a catalyst for the kingdom of God whenever and wherever you are.
Coram Deo
