Preaching on defeat

One of my goals when I preach is to take an idea and think about how my audience would not have heard it preached like that before. Usually, that just means I do my homework and provide some exegesis and that satisfies my creativity and my desire for something fresh. So few pastors take the time to read and study.

So, this week, I'm preaching on Elijah in 1 Kings 19. I love the story of Elijah, but it is somewhat difficult to preach because there is just so much there. Following the prophets of Baal confrontation in chapter 18, Elijah hits the bottom. In the end of chapter 18 we see that he is curled up in a little ball unable to even look to see if the rainclouds are coming. One commentator says that he is in a state of intense prayer. I see him more like Rainman with his knees to his chest rocking back and forth trying shut out the world. Been there, done that. Also reminds me of Don Chafer song, Leave Me Alone on the album Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth. The song lyrics:

Turn out the lights
Close the door
I’ll not be taking visitors anymore

Shut off the power
Take down the sign
And let the machine answer the line

CHORUS
Leave me alone
Not because I’m angry
Just because I need to hear myself breathe
And be alive
And wonder why she’s gone

Since I was a boy
Always her voice
Was ringing in the air around our home

How still the air
Winter is here
But missing is her warm familiar tone

It is a pretty powerful song about the death of his mom.

So, I see this story of Elijah and I hear this song playing. Melancholy. Depression. Despair. Defeat. Elijah has been enormously successful in his career, he singlehandedly confronted the prophets of Baal and the powerful King Ahab of the northern kingdom, and yet he is still depressed and still feels the need to run away. I don't really get that. I think he would be on cloud nine soaking up the affirmation of his success. If I read the chapter before (1 Kings 17) I read about how Elijah correctly prophesies a drought (which is an affront to Baal- the Phoenician storm god); how he flees but is fed by ravens; how he gives a woman an unending jar of oil and flour to make bread; and how he raises that woman's son from death. Then he goes on Mt. Carmel for the showdown, and wins. Pretty successful guy.

But then he changes. He has to flee once again and finds himself in a deep depression, and what I would describe as he feels defeated, which could be debated on whether or not he really is defeated. He then goes off into the desert and reenacts the Exodus story: runs into the desert, prays for death (Nm 11:5), is provided food, eats unleavened bread, goes to Mt. Horeb, goes into a cave and has a theophany (Ex 33). Sounds familiar, a little too familiar. It reminds me of how God has always been a savior, especially to those who are down and out.

Then comes the theophany. A mighty wind. An earthquake. A fire. YWHW is not in any of those forces of nature, those signs of judgment. Then comes the "sound of sheer silence." Oxymoron- sound of silence? Almost as if God is present even in absence. That's powerful!

If I think about Elijah's life, I am struck by how this experience came here in his life. Why did this powerful theophany occur here, and not in the "victorious" moments of his life? Not in the "wins." I'm not sure I understand that, except that it seems entirely consistent with Scripture.
God chose Israel. Weak. Little. Insignificant. Slave nation. Unfaithful. Israel. He didn't chose the "winners" in Egypt, he chose the losers in Israel. God came as flesh, Immanuel, in the darkest of times for the Hebrews. Not in times of independence and wealth, but while they were under the control of the most powerful empire ever. On top of that, Christ did not achieve our salvation through means of victory, but through means of defeat. Through destruction. Through death. Through obedience to authorities who had no authority over him. In this way he overcame death and sin. Victory was won through the strangest way. It was won through death and defeat. Victory was won in a way that makes me very uncomfortable.

Major implications to this. How can I align myself with the culture of winning? Our culture is bred to accomplish and overcome. Afterall, survival of the fittest. I must be the fittest in order to survive. I must be great an makes others weak. I must win at the expense of another. Even the way I understand God, better come through my winning, my achievement, my accomplishment to not sin or to glorify him with what I can do. I must be the champion in order to glorify God, or even to approach him. Can God accept me and be pleased with me, when I am defeated? When I am in despair? When I am depressed?

This is exactly what Elijah teaches. God comes to us when we are at the bottom. When we are hungry and not full. When we are weak and not strong. When we are humble and not proud. This is the gospel. This is the gospel that brings freedom and brings new life. That in him, my life is totally changed. The pressure of measuring up and "winning" is gone because in Christ my victory is won and now I don't have to wonder what to do when I am not victorious. Can the grace of God spread even to me?