There can be too much rainfall & not enough rainfall as both can create awful & potentially hazardous conditions — too much rain can result in flooding, which by themselves can destroy a complete harvest or seedlings; not enough rain can result in drought, which is a condition where there is little to no ground water in reserve to utilize for plants & other vegetation. Moreover, rainfall is necessary to sustain humans & animals as each require the necessary amount of water in their system to sustain & maintain life. It almost seems inconsequential to us in these modern times to talk about rainfall because we believe there is plenty of it — what is the worry about floods, drought, famine, & groundwater shortage, when we live in a society free of such concerns? Until, the recent headlines in The New York Times & The Wall Street Journal have all cited concerns about the lack of rainfall in recent years.
Furthermore, according to The New York Times article in August 21, 2021 :
“The latest map from the drought monitor shows that 90 percent of what it considers the West — California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana — is in drought. Conditions are “severe” or “exceptional” in about half of the region. Colorado, Wyoming, Southwestern Texas and North and South Dakota are also affected.”
And this from The Wall Street Journal in August 16, 2021:
“The federal government has declared the first-ever shortage of water on the Colorado River, triggering cutbacks in several states that will hit farmers particularly hard during a drought that has punished the Southwest with little letup since the turn of the century. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made the declaration Monday after forecasting that Nevada’s Lake Mead, the river’s biggest reservoir, would remain below 1,075 feet above sea level—the mark previously set to trigger mandatory cutbacks—through at least early next year. As of Monday, Lake Mead measured 1,068 feet, the lowest since the reservoir was created by construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The bureau estimates the level will dip further to 1,066 by Jan. 1 next year.”
We are living in unprecedented times, my fellow Brothers & Sisters. And this doesn’t even include the wildfires raging in the West nor the increase in hurricanes we have had in the past two years. What to make of all of this?
First, this is not unusual — there have been times like these in the past; not recent past but Biblical past.
Second, there is accruing evidence of man-made impacts to climate & the degradation of our natural resources.
Third, the answer to those man-made impacts is the result of the sinfulness of humankind — our pride in taking from the earth & believing for so long that that would not degrade our planet; our pride that we could live so long on the earth believing that such natural resources would continue in perpetuity; our pride in depraving other animals of the same natural resources & thereby neglecting & abdicating our responsibility to be caretakers of this earth.
Ever since the Fall of Man in Genesis 3, there have been wanton irresponsibility, carelessness, & human sinfulness that have brought the degradation of our planet with us. And thus, we should not be shocked. We should be ashamed what our actions have wrought upon the earth!
There is a limit to our time on earth & earth itself will not last. Therefore, let us turn our eyes upon Him & unto His Face that will grant some mercy & reprieve from our restless hearts lest we be buried under false hope & devastating news of further destruction & catastrophe.
1 Kings 18:43-45
43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
This little interlude occurs after the great battle on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Ba’al & the Prophet Elijah. Three times he had the servants pour water upon his altar & three times they acted upon his request. Then Elijah called upon Yahweh God — The God of Abraham ( Our God the Father ); The God of Isaac ( Our God the Son ); The God of Jacob ( Our God the Holy Spirit ) — to call the people of Israel into remembrance & reminiscence. And thus the fire of heaven was such that it scorched everything upon the altar including drying up the water in the trench that surrounded the altar.
The Lord God wanted the people to see not only THAT He alone was God. He wanted to declare HOW He is God — the declaration upon the altar makes plain that there exists no other being beside God. He requires a sacrifice of such divine proportions that could equate to His Power & His Glory. The Fire from heaven is both a demonstration of His Justice & His Mercy all at the same time. It is because of His Justice that forces us to look upon Him as both the reason for our fear & the answer to our fear. His Mercy, frees us from God’s dispensing His almighty wrath upon us & onto someone else who has the power to withstand such divine magnificence.
And thus the water poured upon the altar is that representation of Christ. He is the water that is poured out for us. And He alone stands face to face with God the Father receiving from Him what we justly deserve. THAT is mercy. And with that dawns a new beginning — renewal & recompense. But even better, Newness of Life!
THAT is what the interlude in 1 Kings 18:43-45, means — take note that after this climactic battle the rains began to fall upon Israel once again. The rain signify new life that will be created upon the water’s flow. And they demonstrate to us how salvation works in the sight of this awesome spectacle. The power that withheld the rains from falling; the power that engulfed the altar & the water that surrounded it; the power that sent the rains to begin falling again upon the land, is & always shall be the same power that transforms hearts of stone into hearts of flesh; that transforms dead souls into live souls; that indwells every believer through the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is the same power & the glory of the same power that dwells inside of us. And that glory is demonstrated refreshingly upon the believers, who hold onto this truth for themselves individually. But it becomes an ever-increasing glory that engulfs everyone when the believers join heart to heart with each other & with their Christ to hold to the responsibility to be responsible caretakers of all that God created upon the face of the earth. And to do for it that which cannot do for itself because of the dawning of the Fall of Man, the entire creation is groaning for the Sons & Daughters of God to show themselves at such a time as this & to speak for creation upon the Lord God, who created it in the first place.
That we should love & be compassionate toward our spouses, our families, our loved ones, our career, our places of business, & our church — these are generally what we pray & think about foremost. But I plead as an extension of the lesson of 1 Kings 18:43-45 — to pray fervently with our hearts content that the rains will fall to bring renewal & the newness of life — both figuratively & literally. To restore our hearts with joy of new rain but also to restore our livelihoods through the rains that are so badly needed both in this country & throughout the world.
