Elijah - his names means 'He is My God', his life tells of a story of a man who trusted God the the face of great wickedness and evil in His generation.
Tish - bible dictionaries say that Tish means 'stranger', alternative hebrew renderings of his initial discription include the following: 'he was a stranger of the strangers in Tish'. Implying he was someone who did not fit into mainstream society.
God's prophets are mostly strangers in a strange land - more at home with heavenly realities than on earth, to which he was finally taken up to dwell bodily. God must have been so pleased with the man. 'Wholly pleasing Him and being fruitful in every good work'.
Being a prophet is a lonely business. No one will understand you but God because you have become so one with God's agenda, God's heart, and face the brunt of rejection of people on earth of God's ways.
John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
Somehow prophets cannot fit, do not receive a welcome in their own cultures and households in which they grow up in-they see the evil in it and cannot bear to conform to its evils - the natural reaction of the majority of course is darwinian - if you cannot get with the program, you will be eliminated. Kill or be killed - the law of the jungle, a survival game, but the prophet refuses to march according to the drumbeat of the world, he hears the word and culture and music of another realm- heaven, and marches to that drumbeat, in direct opposition and contradiction to culture.
The prophet does not follow the values of a material society. Where most will value material comfort or possession, the prophet is likely to be consumed with a passion to accumulate heavenly treasure, even to the endangering of his/ her own life. -See John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle etc. A prophet will likely find pleasure in living in heavenly vision and friendship with God's living presence.
Mark 6:4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
If you father a prophet son, most likely you will think it a curse more than a blessing - no honour for your child from you the father- if the parent does not know God's ways. 'how can my child survive this world?' 'dont worry God will take care of Him it might be a hard path but a glorious one...'
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account/ For my sake. (implying a strong friendship with God Himself) 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
1 Samuel 8:7
7And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
Rejection is common. The prophet thus must find his refuge and welcome primarily in the presence of God to which the prophet seeks and finds as a refuge from the hurt of rejection, and give him the strength in the love and affection of the Father, the welcome of God, 'being highly favoured in Christ' experiencing the favour and love of God which is available in Christ. Then He goes back into a hostile world and bring God's word against a rejecting opposing public. Jesus frequently was found in prayer, drawing strength from His Father.
Matt 11:17
'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
The verse represents the earth's rejection of John the baptist & Jesus' ministries - an Elijah ministry - which was annoited to challenge and break the whole system, values and idolatries of the nation.
Tish - speculated to be upper Galilee (near to where the disciples are from) a place later known for an adaptive and changable people who were adaptable to new trade influences etc, rebellions and uprisings etc. A people of mobility. He was a mobile prophet, willing to go when God would say go, moving from place to place like Paul the missionary.
From which he moved into Gilead - bible dictionaries say was famous for a medicinal balm, an medicinal oil which had medicinal properties - representing the healing touch or annoiting of God. 'the balm of gilead'.
Given authority over all Israel (not Judah) to challenge wicked principalities and powers
Made strong in waiting upon His presence like the prophet Samuel, in his boyhood and Joshua and Moses and David, who all preferred the presence and atmosphere of God's holy presence than on earth. ' better is one day in your courts'. Waited in the desert and trusted in God.
Fed upon God Himself whom fed the man everyday, 'give us this day, daily bread, daily strength', a friend of God - he experienced his awesome loving kindness in the wilderness. Feeding upon God day and night gives us strength. -Meat the strong meat of the word - the spirit is 'living water' to the soul, these foods makes a man steely strong to do His work.
Saw the heavenly throne of God as more powerful and iminient and immediate than King Ahab's throne and army, thus was given the word of the lord, and authority flowing from God's throne to challenge the king, without fear. 1 Kings 17: 'God before whom I stand' to challenge the kingship which had become corrupt. Standing before God's presence gave him boldness.
He was given authority over the weather (drought) and elemental fire from heaven.
Fully obeyed with full courage - though sometimes trembling fear, empowered by visions of heaven - saw heavenly chariots before they arrived on scene - took heavenly realities as realities did not doubt but acted fully on God's word and obeyed his voice. This was the source of his mighty spiritual authority - full obedience to the word and heart of God.
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