A Lack of Faith?
As believers, we often see a depressed Christian, or even an unhappy Christian, as an oxymoron. There must be something lacking in their spiritual life. When I have voiced my own struggles with depression, other well-meaning Christians have asked, “But doesn’t Scripture tell us to be joyful in the Lord?” This kind of reminder comes from a reductive explanation for the root cause of depression: If only you had more faith, you wouldn’t feel so depressed. It is easy to use this thinking on ourselves to conclude that if we are depressed, we just don’t believe enough in God’s power to heal us. But a lack of faith is not the cause of depression for those in Scripture. In previous weeks, we picked up the story of Elijah at his worst suicidal moment, but how did he find himself in this position? Was it because he did not have enough faith? Was there some major weakness or deficiency in his faith-walk that led him to struggle with depression?
As believers, we often see a depressed Christian, or even an unhappy Christian, as an oxymoron. There must be something lacking in their spiritual life. When I have voiced my own struggles with depression, other well-meaning Christians have asked, “But doesn’t Scripture tell us to be joyful in the Lord?” This kind of reminder comes from a reductive explanation for the root cause of depression: If only you had more faith, you wouldn’t feel so depressed. It is easy to use this thinking on ourselves to conclude that if we are depressed, we just don’t believe enough in God’s power to heal us. But a lack of faith is not the cause of depression for those in Scripture. In previous weeks, we picked up the story of Elijah at his worst suicidal moment, but how did he find himself in this position? Was it because he did not have enough faith? Was there some major weakness or deficiency in his faith-walk that led him to struggle with depression?
Elijah’s story appears in the book of First Kings. First and Second Kings are the chronicles of the kings of Israel that came after David. First Kings begins with the reign of Solomon, David’s son. Elijah’s story begins several hundred years after Solomon. In the intervening years, the united nation of Israel that Solomon ruled has been divided into two nations: Judah in the south and Israel in the north (not to be confused with the united nation that encompassed the geography of both Judah and Israel). Now the nation of Judah housed the temple in Jerusalem so Jeroboam, Israel’s first king, made two golden calves and proclaimed them to be Israel’s gods. He set up altars for these calves in Bethel and Dan (cf. 1 Kings 12:25-30). As the Bible so succinctly puts it, “this led to sin.” Even though Israel was founded upon this idolatry, Judah had its own kings that led their people further into idolatry as well. The rest of First and Second Kings vacillate between recounting the reigns of Judah’s and then Israel’s kings. Some of these kings did what was right in the LORD’s sight; others led their people into service of false gods. The first time we meet Elijah is in the court of King Ahab:
“In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him…
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’
So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. ”
The king of Israel during Elijah’s day was pretty much the worst. King Ahab didn’t just “unintentionally” perpetuate Jeroboam’s idolatry; he encouraged it. He built altars for Baal and Asherah poles to worship the Canaanite goddess, Asherah. During a time when Israel was questioning whether their God was truly active and alive, Elijah stood up to his king and proclaimed that he had heard from God. The God of Israel is alive. Elijah stands in His Presence, in the presence of the true King, and that King has the power to withhold rain from the nation of Israel until Elijah says otherwise. Elijah boldly took a stand against his culture to make this proclamation, and then he faithfully followed God’s directions to a place of refuge for him to reside during this famine. Because Elijah was obedient to God’s command, God provided food for him through His command of ravens. Already we see God intervening in Elijah’s life in powerful and miraculous ways to provide for his physical needs. And we see Elijah responding without hesitation or fear to do what God asks of him.
“After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.’ So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
The famine was severe in Samaria. Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord and took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets. Ahab said to Obadiah, ‘Go throughout the land to every spring and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.’ They divided the land between them in order to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, ‘Is it you, my lord Elijah?’
’It is I,’ he replied. ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”‘
But Obadiah said, ‘What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, “He is not here,” he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.
’Now you say, “Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here!’” But when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord may carry you off to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth. Wasn’t it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets? I hid a hundred of the prophets of the Lord, fifty men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water. Now you say, “Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here!’” He will kill me!’
Then Elijah said, ‘As the Lord of Armies lives, in whose presence I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab.’
Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, the one ruining Israel?’
He replied, ‘I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals. Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.’”
During three years of famine, in which Elijah was hiding in the Kerith Revine or helping the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:5-24), Ahab has been relentlessly sending out messengers to search for Elijah. Ahab refused to take responsibility for his own sin in leading Israel further into idolatry. Instead, he accuses Elijah of being “the one ruining Israel.” The Hebrew word for ruin here (ʿākar ) means “to entangle, put into disorder, bring disaster, or throw into confusion.” (HALOT, s.v. “עכר.”) To Ahab, Elijah instigated this disaster of famine against Israel. Elijah turned the tables on Ahab’s accusation. Ahab (and his whole family!) have thrown Israel into confusion by following Baal and abandoning the LORD. Elijah’s zeal for the LORD gave him the courage to tell the king to his face that he is the problem.
Here are a couple of things we can glean about Elijah from these scenes of his early ministry:
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Elijah’s prophecy of famine was based on standing in the presence of the LORD, and it would not end except at Elijah’s command. Elijah was confident that God would be faithful not only to continue this disaster, but also to listen and answer Elijah’s prayer when it was time to end the famine.
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Every time God asked Elijah to do something, he responded in obedience immediately. He went where God led him and spoke the words He commanded. Elijah had grown in his faith enough to trust and respect God’s word. He was not a new convert, who was still green behind the ears. He was a man of God, firmly rooted in his faith.
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The king’s servant, Obadiah, addressed Elijah with respect as “my lord.” When Elijah told Obadiah to go and get Ahab, Obadiah believes Elijah’s oath when he swears that he will not go anywhere. Obadiah’s respect for Elijah stretched his faith beyond his fear of the king. Elijah was a man who strengthened the faith of others.
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Elijah stood up to his earthly king to condemn his idolatry. He was zealous for the LORD to be worshipped again in Israel, even if that meant he risked his own life. He wasn’t meek or apologetic about it either. He was blunt in telling Ahab clearly that his idolatry caused this famine. Elijah’s confidence that God was behind him made him audacious enough to do the right thing even when it stepped on other people’s toes.
Elijah was a man of strong faith, obedient to the LORD, someone who stood in God’s Presence and confidently opposed an idolatrous culture. I find comfort in the fact that someone of Elijah’s faith could still get depressed. It shows us clearly that depression is not due to lack of faith. Let me say that again: Your depression does not disqualify you from a close relationship with God. Those feelings of sadness and emptiness do not signify that you are a failure at being a Christian, or that all your previous acts of obedience were pointless, or that your faith is deficient. Elijah’s life teaches us that depression can and does happen to believers. It even happens to obedient, mature believers—the leaders that we look up to for guidance, people that are close to God. Today, if you should start to shame yourself spiritually for your depressive feelings or to internalize the thoughtless comments other believers have made to you in their ignorance, remind yourself of the truth that even strong believers struggle. “This feeling is not a barometer of my faith.” It’s okay if you’re just telling yourself this and you don’t really believe it yet. I am praying that God will plant this truth deep in your soul by the end of our study.