Behold, There Ariseth A Little Cloud Out Of The Sea, Like A Man’s Hand

[Posted by permission. Chippenham Old Baptist Chapel.]

Sermon preached at Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham by Mr. G. D. Buss on Lord’s Day morning, 23rd July, 2017

“And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” 1 Kings 18, part of verse 44.

What a remarkable man, by grace and grace alone, was Elijah the Tishbite! This man had the immediate ear of almighty God in two ways. First, he had His ear as a hearer. Often the Word of the Lord came to Elijah and immediately the dear man obeyed. Friends, where does that leave you and me? The Word of the Lord came to Elijah, and he goes to Cherith. The Word of the Lord comes again to him, and he goes to Zarephath. Again, and again we find that expression: “the Word of the Lord came to Elijah,” and the dear man of God obeys. Now, if you have the same grace that Elijah had, there will be that in you that will also seek to be obedient to the Word of God. In the Epistle of James, we read of forgetful hearers. They are described as a man looking at himself in a glass (a mirror). For a minute he recognizes what he sees. But then he goes away, and, in a few moments, he has forgotten what he has seen. Many people are like that when reading and hearing the Word of God. For a moment they recognise its truth. Perhaps inwardly they even say: ‘Amen. Yes, that is right.’ Then they go away and forget what they have seen and what they have heard. ‘Oh!’ says, James, be “not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work.” Elijah was not a forgetful hearer. Elijah was a “doer,” not by his own strength, not by his own merit and not by his own energy; it was the grace of God that was in him that was exceeding abundant. And, the God of Elijah still lives to enable you and me; poor sinners that we are, by grace to obey, the holy, inerrant, infallible Word of God.

The second thing in which this dear man was pre-eminent was prayer. If ever there was a man who knew how to use that wonderful means of grace, it was Elijah. He prayed a most strange prayer: that it should not rain for a period. What a strange thing to pray for! He was praying for judgment; he was praying for divine discipline. He recognised that Israel had sunk to such a low ebb and knew that the only thing that would awaken the nation would be a period of divine discipline and divine chastening. He hoped that it would be as was penned later, in Laodicea’s connection: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

So, Elijah, as God’s mouthpiece, pronounced what he had prayed for: that it would not rain. And, it rained not for a period of three years and six months. In our context this morning hour, Elijah prays again, and the rain returns. We will come back to that in a moment. In the previous chapter, he prays for the bringing back to life of a child who had died, and then in this chapter he prays for fire to come down from heaven to consume the water-sodden sacrifice. And so, we go on. Oh, this man of prayer! Friends, Elijah is to be envied. Oh! If we had Elijah’s faith and Elijah’s grace, we would know that ‘there are more things wrought by prayer than this world dreams of!’ Elijah is faced with utter impossibilities. He was a lonely man walking a lonely path, but his weapon was prayer and his food was the Word of God. With those two sustaining things; prayer and God’s Word, the dear man went on his way.

In that previous chapter there is much instruction leading us to the subject. Three years and six months had passed. First, we find Elijah at Cherith with the ravens feeding him, bringing him bread and flesh morning and evening, the little brook Cherith sustaining God’s dear servant. Then we have that mysterious case of the woman at Zarephath, beyond the borders of Israel, sustaining him. God multiplied the oil and the meal day by day, so she could do what God commanded her. Friends, if God commands, God gives the resources, God gives the strength, God gives the wisdom and God gives the grace. And that dear woman proved it. When her son was restored from death, she said to Elijah: “Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”

Then, the Word of the Lord comes to Elijah. “Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.” Friends, from a human point of view, it would have been much easier for Elijah if the Lord had put it the other way. ‘I will send rain upon the earth, then go show thyself to Ahab.’ That would have been much easier wouldn’t it? But Elijah’s faith had to be tried in this matter. He was to go and show himself to Ahab first. Remember, Ahab had been searching and scouring the land, and the lands round about, to find this man whom he thought was troubling Israel. And now Elijah had to go and meet him face to face! This needed great grace. Sometimes, friends, the Lord may lay upon you that which seems impossible. You wish the Lord had worded it some other way. But the Lord has not made a mistake; no mistake whatsoever.

And so, Elijah goes and meets Obadiah, and through Obadiah, he meets Ahab and then we read of that amazing scene at the top of Carmel. There God vindicated his servant against the prophets of Baal. They danced upon their idolatrous altar, blood pouring down their bodies as they called out until the evening: “Oh Baal hear us.” But, “there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” Then the twelve stones were brought to make up a new altar. The bullock was laid on it, water poured upon it to make sure there was no counterfeit. Then Elijah prayed “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.” And so, the fire descended from heaven and licked up the water and the dust from the altar, and the people fell on their faces crying. “The LORD, He is the God; the LORD, He is the God.” The prophets of Baal were dealt with. But, dear friends, still there was no rain.

Now, Elijah was no fatalist, and I hope you are not either. Friends, if you have the grace of God in your heart you will be putting matters to prayer; those things that God has promised to do for you. Had Elijah been a fatalist, he would have said: ‘Well, the Lord has promised rain, so I can now sit down and idly wait for it.’ But, he gets on his knees and prays. And there is an example for you and for me. God is not dependent on our prayers, but, on the other hand, He has said “I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.” You may be waiting for the Lord to do something for you. He may have given sweet intimation it will be so; He has promised it. Friends, if that promise has come from the Lord, it will put you on your knees. You may say: ‘Lord, do as Thou hast said and appear for me in the way Thou hast promised to. Show Thyself to be that One who is prayer- hearing and prayer-answering.’ I say again: a promise from the Lord brings forth prayer. And, it will bring forth praise in due season because every Holy Ghost wrought prayer has a Holy Ghost wrought answer, and every Holy Ghost wrought promise has a Holy Ghost wrought fulfilment of that promise. Praise will go up God-ward for the mercy and favour He has shown to unworthy sinners in His name.

So, Elijah sent Ahab away to eat and to drink. Ahab goes to his own company: that idolatrous company, the company of his idolatrous wife. No doubt he surrounded himself with counsel from his friends and discussed the matters of the day. No repentance, no confession, no godly sorrow and no weeping over the way, that as a king, he had brought such reproach on his nation! But Elijah goes on his knees. But before he sent Ahab away he said: “There is a sound of abundance of rain.” Discernment! Friends, in many ways in our generation we lack men of discernment; people who understand the signs of the times, who weigh things up according to God’s word and prayerfully lay matters before Him. They are the ones who have the mind of the Spirit and the mind of the Lord in matters. May God give us each more discernment. We need it, we all need it; pastor and people alike.

Elijah had discernment. He discerned there was “a sound of an abundance of rain.” We will examine what he meant in a moment, but just take that point and lay it to your heart. Has God given you discernment? “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” The discernment of the world is false. It is folly. You need the Lord to show you the way. You have just been singing that beautiful hymn:

“Though we walk through this wilderness 

God’s promise is our stay;

His goodness He will make to pass 

Before us in the way.

That was in answer to the words of Moses in Exodus: “Shew me now Thy way.” The Lord said: “I will make all My goodness pass before thee.” That was a wonderful answer.

So dear friends, you may be needing discernment this Sabbath morning in your path. “Shew me now Thy way.” Well, the Lord gave Elijah the answer. He discerned that there was “a sound of an abundance of rain.” Now, mind you, there was not yet a cloud in the sky. There had been no dew that day as there had not been for three years and six months. No drops of rain and no rumbles of thunder, as it were, in the distance! It was as it had been for three years and six months: a sky without clouds, the burning sun beating down on the parched earth. To the human eye, there was no difference whatsoever. Yet this dear man discerned something was going to happen. On what grounds did he discern it? From what God had told him. “Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.” He had the authority of God’s Word to rest on and to believe that what God had said would surely be done.

I think of the apostle Paul in the shipwrecked boat when God promised him that they would all get safe to land. “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Paul was a man of discernment, wasn’t he? He discerned it was unwise to leave the haven, but the centurion listened to the master and the owner of the ship and thought they knew better. They soon proved Paul knew best! You see, Paul had discernment. May God give us discernment; we need it to understand our pathway. We need it to understand why matters are as they are. “Shew me wherefore Thou contendest with me,” said Job. We need discernment to know where we have gone wrong, where we need repentance, where we need confession and where we need more mercy. ‘Lord, show us the right way to go. Show us how to go humbly and dependent upon Thee; seeking wisdom from above, strength from above and grace from above.’ Oh, do seek discernment! I keep coming back to it this Sabbath morning. The Lord knows why. I leave that between you and the Lord.

So, there is “a sound of abundance of rain.” God had promised it, and Elijah knew God was faithful to His word. He had proved it at Cherith, he had proved it at Zarephath and he had proved it on Mount Carmel. Now Elijah goes back to this faithful God, he gets on his knees and he prays. He is praying for rain. He is praying unto the Lord to send rain. On what ground is he praying? What foundation is there for his prayers?

First, he is literally bowing himself down on that parched earth; that earth that had been devoid of rain those three years and six months. Even in that sense Elijah is saying, ‘Lord, look at this need; the earth is crying out for rain!’ And perhaps your heart is crying out like that this Sabbath morning. The psalmist says: “My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.” Are you a parched one this Sabbath morning? Even your very condition seems to be a prayer. ‘Look on it, Lord: here is a scene of great need and great want. Look on it, Lord, and attend to the need.’ The Lord says: “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” God can do that.

The second ground upon which Elijah prayed was for the honour and glory of God. He had told Ahab what God had said to him; that rain was coming. He had told this ungodly king that rain was going to descend upon the face of the earth. He knew the Lord’s name and His honour was at stake. He did not speak rashly, and he was not interpreting God’s word in his own carnal way. God had assured him, and God had given him that discernment of what was going to take place. On that authority he had told Ahab that rain was coming.

Thirdly, Elijah could also have said (and he was not in any way boasting of himself), ‘Lord, I have done as Thou hast commanded me. I have gone and shown myself unto Ahab. Thou didst promise that if I was able to do that, Thou wouldest send rain. Lord, do as Thou hast said.’ And no doubt this dear man also prayed in a personal way. ‘Lord, Thou art my God. Thou art my Father and Thou art my Friend. Thou art the One who bade me go in this lonely path. To whom else can I go but Thee? Lord, hear the cry of the destitute and regard the cry of this poor man; this poor man who is crying.’ David said: “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”

At first, there is no answer. Elijah’s faithful servant goes up to the top of the hill, Mount Carmel, and looks towards the Mediterranean Sea. He scans the horizon and the sky. “There is nothing.” Three disappointing, discouraging words: “There is nothing.” Do you know what that is? You come to the Word of God to find a word of direction, comfort or hope, but nothing seems to strike you. You get on your knees and ask for God’s help, but you don’t even seem to get the access you want! “There is nothing.” You come to God’s house and hope that perhaps something will be said, read, sung or spoken that might reach your case, but, no – “there is nothing.” Oh! These are barren times and testing times for God’s people! They are trying times; “there is nothing!” What then was Elijah to do? Give up praying? Abandon his hopes? No! “Go again seven times” – seven, of course, being a perfect number in the Word of God. It reminds us that there is a time set for God to hear and answer our prayers. There may be many times yet that you will have to go up and down the mount and declare “there is nothing.” But:

“A time He has set to heal up your woes,

A season most fit His love to disclose;

And till He is ready to show His good-will,

Be patient and steady, and wait on Him still.”

J. Berridge

Go again. Keep going, dear friends. Keep knocking, keep seeking and keep asking. Go again seven times on this ground: “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” “The destitute” are those who have nothing. That is what destitution is. “There is nothing.” Perhaps you feel in yourself and your circumstances that “there is nothing.” Like poor Jacob you seem to feel: “All these things are against me.” “Go again;” “go again seven times.”

Up and down the mount went this faithful servant of Elijah, and not one of those times was wasted. There was exercise for the servant as well as for Elijah, who, all the while was wrestling with his God. Then the seventh time the servant returns with tidings. “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” The point I want to make this Sabbath morning is this. Do not despise “the day of small things.” It was only a little cloud and they needed a heaven full of clouds; but it was God’s cloud. Remember that! God can do great things through little means. Think of the five thousand who were fed on the shores of the lake of Galilee! “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes.” ‘Oh!’ say the unbelieving disciples, “what are they among so many?” We might say, ‘It is only a little cloud, Lord, and there is need of a much greater cloud than this!’ “Bring them hither to me,” says the dear Saviour. What a difference it made!

So, a little cloud arose. I do admire Elijah’s faith. He did not say, ‘You had better go up and down the mount a couple more times just to be sure.’ No. He knew God had created that little cloud and it was the earnest, we might say, the foretaste and the promise of many more clouds yet to arise out of the sea and bring the rain which was so much needed. My point at this moment, friends, is this: Do not despise “the day of small things.” True, you want more; more grace, more hope, more love and more faith. But do not despise what the Lord has already done for you. Do not despise the beginning that has made you a praying man or a praying woman. Do not despise that word; that one word upon which your hope is resting and wrestling on with, this Sabbath morning. Do not despise it. No. If God has given it to you, it will bear rich, noble fruit in due season.

Now, look at this in three ways. First, compare Elijah and this little cloud to Ahab feasting with his friends in their ungodly way. The psalmist tells us about this. “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.” Friends, there are some here this Sabbath morning that would agree with me in this, that one single smile from their Saviour outweighs all that this world could ever give them. It would be heaven on earth if they heard the Saviour say this morning:

“I love thee well, my child.”

Or, “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

J. Berridge

“But what call we small things – sin’s whole cancelled sum? ’Tis greater than all things, except those to come.” J. Hart

That is a great thing. It is an immense thing! It may be just one short sentence, one loving smile or one precious kiss of divine love. But that is to be envied far, far more than anything that this world could ever give you.

“Were I possessor of the earth, And called the stars my own, Without Thy graces and thyself, I were a wretch undone! I. Watts

Oh that you might not be that ‘wretch undone’, friend! May God preserve you from being that ‘wretch undone.’ This world can only suffice your natural desires while you live in it. It can do nothing for you beyond the grave! You need something done for you beyond the grave! The “little that a righteous man hath” will last beyond the grave. It will outlive time and will stand by him in eternity. Yes. So, here is the first thing for Elijah: the “little that a righteous man hath.” His answer to prayer, and the word of the Lord to him “is better than the riches of many wicked.”

Secondly, I think of God’s servant, Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel lived in times not unlike Elijah’s. They were just as discouraging and disappointing in many ways. Zerubbabel was commanded to rebuild the temple. Remember the first temple, Solomon’s temple, was a magnificent temple. It was the envy of the world. The Queen of Sheba and others came to view it. Israel was at its zenith then. And, naturally speaking, it has never been so great since; not as a nation. True, my dear friends, there was wrought within the boundaries of this second temple such a wonderful work that will make eternal rejoicing. That was something different, the finished work of Calvary. But, so far as Solomon’s temple was concerned, it was a magnificent building. But that temple was razed to the ground by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans.

Then, according to God’s promise, after seventy years the captivity was turned, and they went back home. Hundreds and thousands of captives returned to rebuild Jerusalem. One thing they were commissioned to do was to rebuild the temple. It was a much smaller temple. You will remember that when the foundation was laid, as you read in the book of Ezra, the young ones, who had never seen Solomon’s temple, were full of joy and were singing praises to God, which was quite right for them to do so. The older men, who had seen the former temple and compared the new one with the old one, wept because it was so much smaller and so much meaner! We read in Zechariah: “For who hath despised the day of small things?” It was not to be despised. That temple was being erected at God’s command, though it was smaller, naturally speaking. It had an honour that Solomon’s temple never had, for within the sacred precincts of that new temple, walked the dear Saviour himself! What an honour! What an honour, dear friends!

You may live in a very mean abode. Most of us, bless God, have very comfortable homes. But does Christ walk in them? That is a question, isn’t it? Our dear late friend John Shiles, had on the wall as you went into his house at Rooks Nest Farm, these words written on a plaque on the wall:

‘Christ is the Head of this house,

The unseen Guest at every meal,

The unseen Listener to every conversation.’

And I tell you, dear friends, in that home it was so. Is it so in your home? Is it so in mine? Well, the great point I want to make this Sabbath morning is despise not “the day of small things.” There was once a godly woman who lived in what we would call a hovel in one of the highland cities in Scotland. She was very poor. She only had a little bit of bread and some water to drink. One day her minister was walking past her home and she was giving thanks to the Lord for her meal, which many would have despised. He heard her say: ‘All this, and Christ!’ It was the ‘and Christ’ that made it sweet. And that is what makes it sweet to God’s dear people; ‘and Christ.’ Despise not “the day of small things.”

We read of another time in Zerubbabel’s life when the unbelieving Jews and the Samaritans were despising the smallness of the foundation of this second temple. They had hindered the work, and even God’s people grew lethargic. ‘Zerubbabel don’t despise it! The Lord is watching over it. It will grow!’ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it.” “He shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” The Lord is not despising it! There is a word for some of you this Sabbath morning. You may feel despised and forgotten by all. But, dear friends, if the Lord does not despise you, you have all that you need.

“Poor though I am, despised, forgot, 

Yet God, my God, forgets me not; 

And he is safe, and must succeed,

For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.”

Oh, believer! Rest there; rest in the unchanging faithfulness of your God.

“When all around my soul gives way, 

He then is all my hope and stay.”

“A little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” My third point is this. Why like “a man’s hand”? Firstly, it was to remind Elijah that the Lord was conscious of the needs of mankind. He is their Creator, they are His creatures and He is not unmindful of their needs. A man’s hand would also be a reminder that the Lord had used his servant Elijah; this man who had stood alone, this man who said later: “I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD.” ‘Elijah! You have despised the day of small things. You would be surprised to know who else there is.’ “Seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.” Elijah could have said: ‘Lord, but where are they? They have been silent.’ ‘Yes, Elijah. They may have been silent, but they are still Mine. I have reserved them, and I have preserved them. You are not to despise the day of small things.’ I think, dear friends, that even now, in this dark and barren day in which we are living, we would be surprised how many believers there really are in these islands of ours. I think there are more than we realise. There may be many of the Lord’s hidden ones. True, it would be a mercy if they came out of their holes, as it were, and confessed their Saviour openly. But, nonetheless, “The Lord knoweth them that are His.” Does He know you?

Think of Nathaniel under his fig tree. I think godly scholars tell us that the fig tree is rather like the weeping willow in its structure. You could hide yourself inside it, so no one could see you. It was Nathaniel’s closet, but the Lord saw him there. “When thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Has He seen you under your fig tree: your secret religion? Your public religion is before others this morning. You have gathered here this morning, and that is right. We have not forsaken “the assembling of ourselves together.” The Word of God commands it. So far you are right, but further than this you yet must go! What is your secret religion? What are you before the Lord in secret when there is no other eye around but God’s and no other ear around but God’s? What are you in secret? What does the Lord know of you then? Oh! Examine your heart, dear friend.

Elijah had much secret religion, of that I am persuaded. He was often on his own anyway, wasn’t he? “A little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” When Elijah heard that there was a little cloud, he says: ‘That is enough for me. My God can create a heaven full of clouds if He has created this one cloud.’ He tells his servant, “Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” Ahab hitches his horses to his chariot and hastens off. It was seventeen miles to Jezreel! The amazing thing was the Lord’s servant Elijah ran before him. Apparently, those chariots could be driven at forty miles an hour at their fastest, but Elijah, strengthened by the Lord, ran ahead of them. “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only,” said the psalmist. Friends, when the hand of the Lord is upon His people, there is nothing that they cannot do that God commands them. But, without His hand, how weak we are! Elijah proved that in the very next chapter, did he not? Jezebel threatens. Elijah hastens into the wilderness and hides under a juniper tree. It was not quite the same as Nathaniel under his fig tree was it? “Take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” ‘Lord, there is no point me carrying on. Let me give up, as it were, this work. Let me die and not live. Take me home, Lord, where I know I will be in Thine immediate presence.’ This was a prayer the Lord did not answer, wasn’t it? Friend, the Lord always has some better thing for his people than they can often imagine.

“To praying souls He always grants 

More than they can express.”

J. Newton

And so, it was with Elijah. The Lord had ordained that he should be taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. He was to be translated; rather like Enoch was. How different to what Elijah was asking for! Sometimes the Lord does not answer our prayers in the way we think He should, but you can be sure the answer He gives is always the best. He always gives the best to praying souls. Leave Him to give the answer. Do not tell Him what He must do; lay your case at His dear feet.

“He engaged to manage all, 

By the way and to the end.”

Let me now just return to the disappointment there was at first. There was the empty sky; the unanswered prayer. ‘Elijah, you have a companion. He is called Jeremiah.’ You read in Jeremiah’s Lamentations these poignant words: “Also when I cry and shout, He shutteth out my prayer.” Oh! Poor Jeremiah! He had sunk down in the dungeon out of sight of men! But he was not out of sight of God. Jeremiah felt abandoned and he felt desolate. In some little measure, he drank the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings that were yet to come.

In the depth of His agony Christ cried: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” There are many reasons why these things are recorded. First, Elijah had a companion in tribulation. Secondly, there is One who has drunk this cup more deeply, even the dear Saviour. And, remember this, Jeremiah’s prayer was heard and answered. He was brought up out of the horrible dungeon. God raised up Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, to bring Jeremiah out. Oh! How much more was the dear Saviour’s prayer answered when He drained that cup of wrath and when the last drop of the curse had been removed! Then the darkness lifted, fellowship with His dear Father was restored and His work was done.

You dear friends here who are crying out and still there is no answer, the word of God is very clear. “Go again seven times.” May the Lord help you to continue “instant in prayer.” “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” But, when you get on your knees to pray, ask the Lord to teach you how to pray and what to pray for. When he teaches you that, you can be sure you will have an answer that is for the glory and the honour of His dear name and for the good of your never dying soul. Never, ever, limit what God can do. Never limit Him, because, dear friends, there is nothing impossible with God.

“When most we need His helping hand, 

This Friend is always near;

With heaven and earth at His command, 

He waits to answer prayer.”

J. Swain 

Even your prayer, poor destitute sinner this Sabbath morning; even your prayers that seems so feeble! Just a sigh, just a groan, just a tear; even your prayer! He waits to be gracious. He has marked your prayer.

He has treasured it, and

“A time He has set to heal up your woes,

A season most fit His love to disclose;

And till He is ready to show His good-will, 

Be patient and steady and wait on Him still.”

May God add his blessing.

Amen.