Faith in the Face of Apostasy: The Gospel According to Elijah & Elisha

'That is, the Bible is concerned to make God known.' p 124 Whatever Calvin's contribution to theology, it would do him justice to remember that he was not in favor of Gregorian chanting, priestly incantations or musical accompaniment; icons, paintings and relics be forbidden; religious symbols such as crosses, candles and incense be removed from the order of worship - all in an attempt to reduce the emotionalism and mysticism bound up in the spiritualism of the Catholic, and found in most false religions. Still, Calvin marked and re-introduced the fundamental importance of appreciating the OT revelation: 'Let us then lay it down confidently as a truth which no engines of the devil can destroy, that the OT... was not confined to earthly objects, but contained a promise of spiritual and eternal life.' John Calvin, Institutes 2:10:23 Christians today have been equally guilty in applying certain selections of the OT revelation to themselves, as well as introducing the possibility of wilfully rejecting much thereof. This negligibility has been the cause of much division, none more harmful to gospel interests in interpretation. As a corrective, the unity of Scripture and the relationship between the OT and the NT is set forth as the major objective in this study series, the first of which being by the late Raymond Dillard, Professor at Westminster. Israel, as the theocracy, was to function as a material witness to Yahweh amongst the nations. A reversed tendency, however, is noticeable throughout their biblical history: 'Israel had always been in danger from the gradual assimilation of Canaanite religious influence into the worship of Yahweh. The religious practices of the Canaanites continually threatened to infiltrate and adulterate the proper worship of God in spite of the strong warnings in the Law and the prophets.' p 4 Therefore, faith in the OT was understood as uncompromising faithfulness to Yahweh. As Deuteronomic history, The Book of Kings exhibits how the office of king and prophet form a vital link between Moses' careful instructions for their rule as set in the Law, and how their obedience or disobedience evokes the divine pleasure or displeasure. 'The entire section of the Elijah and Elisha narratives is introduced by the statement that Ahab exceeded all other kings in his wickedness.' p 8 Our growth in faith in the face of apostasy and insurmountable adversity often requires a personal dimension introduced by testing and shaped through trial. This provides the interpretive grid whereby we may be expected to shake off our trust in worldly means, and turn in faith to God. The word of the LORD came to Elijah, and that provision of grace was sufficient to see him through and prepare Elijah for the confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel. 'The prophet retains the right to censure the king on God's behalf, should that be needed.' Michael Williams, Far As The Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story Of Redemption p 180 God was preparing to show I

This book has a lot in common with the other book I recently reviewed, Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World by Professor Schwab. Just like Professor Schwab's book, the book is an excellent examination of how the Old Testament can reach out and teach those of us living in the world of the New Testament, as we wait eagerly for the Day of the LORD. The book involves an examination as to the importance of Elijah and Elisha, how these Prophets of the LORD spoke to those who would be reading Kings and Chronicles (that is, the exiles in Babylon), and what they mean in how these two point toward John the Baptist (Elijah) and Jesus Christ (Elisha). Like a lot of people, before I started my seminary studies, I really had a hard time exploring the Old Testament. The Old Testament was a vast land of symbols, characters, and history, a lot of which almost seems burdensome in comparison to, say, reading the Gospels and Hebrews. I am happy to say I was wrong, the OT is vital for our studies of understanding God's history in terms of our history. Professor Dillard's book talks about how we as Christians must face apostasy. Today this apostasy can be seen in materialism and liberalism--from the love of money to the love of simplified religion (I point toward Marcus Borg and ex-Bishop Spong, two men whom are doing their best to destroy God's eternal truth, though, like Ahab and the Baal priests, they wont destroy God's truth). Now I will admit that the book is not an all encompassing book that explores having an Elijah and Elisha attitude toward apostasy (such as, say, how would we Christians meet the apostasy of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code), but then again (besides the fact that Dan Brown's book was written after the authors untimely death) the best defense is a good offense--instead of reading paragraph by paragraph from people like Dan Brown and arguing from their p.o.v, turn around and read the Bible and see how God Himself answers those who fling apostasy around. If you want the truth, read the truth in the Bible and study hard God's amazing rulership and God's reaction toward evils. I think that you the reader, the Bible student, will have a lot gained from understanding Professor's Dillard's message in this book.

The late Dr. Dillard was professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. This is concise, sharp exegesis of these narratives from I and II Kings. Don't expect exhaustive verse-by-verse technical commentary. Dillard is interested in grasping the big message of each text, interpreting it theologically, relating it to Christ and applying it practically. His applications are often biting, striking for the heart. Along with Dale Ralph Davis, this was the most helpful I found in my studies of Elijah and Elisha.

Raymond Dillard has written an outstanding study of the Elijah and Elisha narratives. It is to the point and well prepared. A great study for teachers, students, pastors or anyone wanting to connect Old Testament writings with today's world.