Day 167: Viaticum

1 Kings 19:1-8 Fearing for his life under Jezebel’s threat, Elijah fled to the wilderness in the land of Judah and prayed for a natural death. His forty days and nights in the desert is a type of the forty days and nights that Christ would spend in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry, and the miraculous feeding by an angel is a type of the Eucharist (TYPOLOGY X 2!!) The number forty in Scripture is symbolic of a long period of preparation for a special task. (CCC 332, 2583)

Ch 19:9-18 In this scene, God was not present in his traditional kinds of theophanies (a visible manifestation to humankind of God), from which Elijah hid in the rock; rather, he manifested himself in “A STILL, SMALL VOICE.” It was a sign of things to come in which God’s Word and inspiration would come largely through less spectacular means and eventually through Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God made flesh. The Lord sent Elijah back into the wilderness with instructions to anoint kings for Syria and Israel as well as to anoint Elisha as a prophet to Israel.

Seven thousand: God indicated that there was a significant population of Israel that had remained faithful despite Ahab’s idolatrous practices. (CCC 436, 2583)

Ch 19:19-21 The immediate willingness of Elisha to follow Elijah and leave everything behind points to Christian discipleship in which “no one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62). True discipleship requires complete detachment from all things and a complete subordination and dedication to the fulfillment of the will of God. (CCC 2427)

Ch 20:1-21 The greed of King Ben-hadad led to war with Israel, and Ahab, despite his sins, had the Lord on his side according to an anonymous prophet.

Ch 20:22-43 Returning with a new strategy, the Syrians attacked but were defeated by Israel’s forces. Ahab reached an agreement with Ben-hadad that spared the Syrian leader’s life. However, a prophet proclaimed that Ahab’s life would be required of him for not consulting the Lord before deciding Ben-hadad’s fate after the Lord had delivered him into Ahab’s hands.

2 Chronicles 20:1-37 The king petitioned God to allow Judah to fight against the triumvirate that was about to attack, and God consented on the condition that the soldiers of Judah simply stand by and watch. As they did, the three invading armies turned on one another and annihilated each other. The statement in this chapter about the high places remaining (cf. 20:23) seems to contradict an earlier statement about the high places being removed (cf. 17:6), but the two are NOT in contradiction: the pagan artifacts were removed from Judah but were not destroyed in the Northern Kingdom.

Song of Solomon 6:1-3 The bond of marriage is permanent, lasting until death. This relationship established by God is so intimate that the spouses belong to each other: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” (CCC 796, 1605, 1616, 1646, 2335)

Ch 6:4-13 The lover sings the praises of his beloved’s beauty, comparing her even to Tirzah and Jerusalem, the respective capitals of Israel and Judah. This image suggests that the bride is as beautiful as the Promised Land that the people of Israel had sought in earnest for so long. Once found, their happiness was made all the more sweet given the many challenges and hardships preceding its discovery.

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)

The Fall of Israel

• Even after the amazing events of Mount Carmel, Ahab’s heart, like Pharaoh’s, remains hard.

• He remains loyal to Jezebel, who in turn promises to kill Elijah.

• In spite of this, God delivers the Syrian army threatening Israel into the hands of Ahab.

• Ahab, however, fumbles this victory by disobeying God, giving the leadership of Israel’s enemy Syria a new lease on life (1 Kgs 20).

• This fumble and Ahab’s sins will bring a violent judgement upon Ahab, Jezebel, and their entire family.

(*Walking With God: A Journey Through The Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)

• Ok, Golly!

• A LOT of reading today!

• It was so good, though, wasn’t it?

• We are coming to the end of 1 Kings

• We have the story in 1 Kings Ch 19 of Elijah, who is fleeing from Jezebel

• Keep in mind that right after God’s victory through Elijah over the 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, what happens?

• Elijah flees from Jezebel and gets to this place and is so discouraged

• Elijah is so discouraged after his victory, he even recognizes his own WEAKNESS

• He says in 1 Kings 19:4, “...It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.”

• There is an element of HUMILITY he has

• He is not riding high after this victory over the prophets of Baal

• He seems like his weakness is on display to himself

• So what happens?

• After his victory, he asks the Lord to let him die

• This is SO INTERESTING

• After some DEFEATS

• After moments of INCREDIBLE HUMILIATION

• After moments of INCREDIBLE EMBARRASSMENT

• There are times where a person does not want to be seen

• There are times where a person does not want to be talked to

• There are times where a person wishes he/she was dead

• BUT…

• There are also times after INCREDIBLE VICTORY

• When it seems there are NO MORE BATTLES TO FIGHT

• Elijah’s ministry is ALMOST OVER

• He will do a few more amazing things, don’t worry

• The BIG BATTLE is done

• At the beginning of a person’s life, they think that there are so many battles to fight, victories to accomplish, things to do (places to see 😉)

• There are also people at the midpoint or end of life who think that there are no more battles to fight, the big moments are behind them

• That can be incredibly discouraging to their hearts

• One wonders if that is what’s happening with Elijah at this point

• But here is what God does…

• In that moment of Jezebel trying to kill Elijah

• In that moment of Elijah wondering if he should go on

• God tells Elijah, “Arise and eat!”

• God gives him BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY

• This is what happens to US

• We might think that our best days are behind us

• But what does God tell us?

• God tells us to “Get up and eat”

• One of the things God tells us to get up and eat is the BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY

• In Catholicism, we have something called VIATICUM

• VIATICUM is the LAST TIME a person receives the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist

• People in nursing homes, hospitals, or when they are sick can receive VIATICUM

• VIATICUM means “food for the journey”

• The declaration of God to Elijah is, “YOU ARE NOT DONE!”

• That is what we are saying to all the men and women who are receiving the Eucharist for the LAST TIME

• YOU ARE NOT DONE

• THIS LIFE ON THIS WORLD MIGHT BE COMING TO AN END

• BUT GOSH…

• THE LORD HAS SO MUCH FURTHER FOR YOU TO GO

• That is the GREAT NEWS

• There is going to be a time in our lives where our best days are behind us

• What do we have to look forward to?

• GOD!!!

• GOD HIMSELF!!!

• ETERNITY WITH HIM!!!

• That’s one of the reasons as Christians we NEVER HAVE TO BE DISCOURAGED

• We never have to experience what Elijah experienced

• Even though it is NORMAL for us

• It is NORMAL for us to say, “I had this big victory and now I have the letdown. What’s next?”

• The Lord says, “No. Get up and eat. There is something more. You have places to go.”

• Oh the places you’ll go!!!

• After this, Elijah goes to Mt. Horeb and meets the Lord Himself

• There is the STORM

• There is the STRONG WIND

• There is the EARTHQUAKE

• There is the FIRE

• AND YET…

• God wasn’t in ANY OF THOSE THINGS

• God was in the STILL, SMALL VOICE

• There is SO MUCH GOOD IN THAT

• When we realize what God is doing in ALL OF OUR LIVES is speaking to us IN A STILL, SMALL VOICE

• We want God to speak to us with a MEGAPHONE, perhaps with a BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTION

• Oftentimes, God speaks to us in the QUIET

• BUT...

• Our lives are filled WITH SO MUCH NOISE, that we do not HEAR HIS VOICE

• So let that be a reminder

• TURN DOWN THE MUSIC

• TURN DOWN THE NOISE

• SO WE CAN HEAR HIS VOICE

• ENJOY THE SILENCE!!

• That’s part of this Bible in a Year Podcast, isn’t it?

• It’s us saying, “God, I know you want to speak to me. I know you are speaking to me. So let me listen to your Word and turn off the other things, and listen to THIS so I can hear your voice.”

• So just a reminder, all this is happening in the Northern Kingdom

• Well, except for when Elijah is on Mt. Horeb (aka Mt. Sinai)

• So Elijah heads back up north to Damascus

• He anoints Hazael to be the King of Syria

• He anoints Jehu to be the King of Israel (Northern Kingdom)

• He anoints Elisha to be his successor as Prophet of God

• Elisha has this call from Elijah

• The call is pretty weird where Elijah throws his cloak over him and walks away

• Elisha runs after Elijah and asks to kiss his mom and dad away

• Elijah tells him to go back

• Elisha goes back and kills the oxen, boils them, and serves them to the people to eat

• Basically, Elisha is burning his bridges

• Elisha couldn’t go back to being a farmer

• He is now a disciple of Elijah

• This is pretty hardcore and intense

• We will learn more about Elisha in the days to come

• 1 Kings 20 we have Ahab in the Northern Kingdom of Israel who works with Syria to defeat their enemies

• God is giving them directions

• God is helping him achieve victory

• BUT…

• Ahab is NOT a good king (He wasn’t even a good sailor, he couldn’t even catch that elusive white whale!! 🤓🤪)

• Ahab gives Ben-hadad, the King of Syria, MERCY

• HE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT

• God chastises him for showing mercy to his enemies through a prophet

• Ahab returns to his house resentful and sullen

• We will find out the rest of Ahab’s story tomorrow

• 2 Chronicles is happening in the Southern Kingdom of Judah

• Jehoshaphat took down the temples and asherim, sources of idolatry

• God is defending the people of Judah and Jerusalem against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir (Seirarites?? 🤔)

• God tells to go out there and pray, they don’t even have to fight

• God is going to FIGHT FOR THEM

• The Moabites and Ammonites turn on the people of Mount Seir

• Then the Moabites and Ammonites turn on each other

• All the people of Judah have to do is pick up the spoils

• That is SO POWERFUL for us as well to have that clear sense of “THE LORD FIGHTS FOR YOU. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KEEP STILL.”

• “STAY HERE AND I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU.”

• DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE READ THAT IN EXODUS 14:14?? Go back and read Day 35 for a refresher 😉

• Stick with it!!

• PRAY FOR FR. MIKE

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you thanks and we give you praise for this opportunity to just enter into the history of the kings, the history of the chronicles, the history of the family of Jesus, the history of the people you have chosen with their flaws and their faults, with their disasters and with their victories. Because we know that you are the God of our flaws and the God of our faults. You are the God of our disasters and you are the God of our victories. And so we give our hearts to you this day and every day. Please receive them. Please receive our lives, our victories, and our defeats, our flaws, and everything we are. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”