Elijah runs in front of Ahab’s chariot during a Thunderstorm
Who remembers the Bible story about a thunderstorm, and where a man ran faster than horses?
Who was this man? Answer: Elijah
We all have been in a thunderstorm. Do you know when thunderstorms happen most often? They happen mostly in the spring and summer and late in the day or evening. A thunderstorm starts with moisture in the clouds.
Today I will tell you how this thunderstorm started.
“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. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” 1 Kings 18:44
The thunderstorm started with a tiny cloud that grew and grew and grew until the heaven was black with clouds and strong winds. King Ahab was riding in his chariot going to Jezreel. The rain soaked him, the wild wind ripped his clothes, and the crashing thunder scared his horses.
Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning in the darkness and the king saw a man running as fast as the horses.
“And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” 1 Kings 18:46
Elijah wasn’t afraid of the lightning. Lightning is very dangerous. It is a flash of electric power caused by a thunderstorm. Lightning kills many people every year but Elijah was safe.
God helped Elijah and answered his prayer. God will also answer our prayers if we are faithful and obedient. This is my wish and prayer. AMEN!!
Sarah Newby
Sodom and Gomorrah
Another significant weather event in the Bible is the fire and brimstone that consumed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom and Gomorrah were two very beautiful cities in the land of Canaan. Sister White writes that Sodom was set in a plain which was “‘as the garden of the Lord’ in its fertility and beauty.” A lot of beautiful trees and flowers grew in this valley. Trees that bore fruit were abundant in this lush paradise. The palm trees, the olive trees and the vines grew and flourished. The harvests were bountiful and filled with plenty. Without much toil, the people of the two cities were able to satisfy their needs and even exceed them. This gave way to laziness, pride and luxury. The desire for pleasure made the people do many evil and wicked things.
Labour was given from God as a blessing. Labour keeps the mind from wandering; Satan has a hard time entering into the working mind. But if people stop working and become lazy, then Satan has a much better chance of influencing them to do sin. This is what happened to the inhabitants of these cities. Satan was able to tempt them much easier. Many abominations and evil deeds were being done in these cities. This is what brought about their destruction.
When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded with him not to destroy the city if he found fifty righteous people in the city. God promised that He wouldn’t. But Abraham doubted that there would be that many righteous people so he lowered it to forty. God promised He wouldn’t destroy the city if He found forty-five righteous people. Abraham lowered it to forty. God agreed. Abraham went even lower, this time to thirty, God still agreed not to destroy the city if He found thirty righteous people. Abraham kept lowering the number of righteous people until he reached ten righteous citizens. God agreed not to destroy the city for ten people’s sake.
Ten righteous people could not be found. Two angels went into the city, disguised as men, to warn Lot of the impending doom of the cities. They ordered him and his family to flee the city and to not look back. While the angels were in his house, a mob gathered at Lot’s front door. They began a riot and planned to attack the two visitors. Lot went out to plead with them but they turned on him and only by the power of the angels, who blinded the men, was Lot saved.
The next morning, Lot, his wife and his two daughters fled the city. As the fire came down from heaven and began to consume the plains and the city itself, Lot’s wife stopped and turned around to get one last glimpse of the place she called home. Immediately she turned into a pillar of salt. She could have not turned back and lived, but yet she loved the city so much that she have to look back, and thus she perished. Lot and his two daughters however, did survive. They fled into the mountains where they would be safe from the fire and brimstone that would consume Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the whole plain the cities were situated in.
Our world is getting more and more evil as the days go by. Soon the whole world will have to be cleansed by fire and brimstone from heaven, and the fire from inside the earth. It is my wish and prayer that we may not be part of the evildoers that will burn for their sins. Amen.
Michael C. Newby
Conclusion
We have read several stories about weather or natural events that have occurred in the Bible. All of the events occurred on a large scale. There are other familiar weather occurrences recorded in the Bible such as the flood that covered the whole earth and the drought that crippled Egypt and the surrounding area for seven years. All these wonders of nature have occurred be-cause of God. God had a purpose in making all these events happen. The flood was to purge the earth of the terrible sins and abominations that were happening in the whole world. The thunderstorm brought rain for the dry and parched land of the Israelites. The seventh plague of Egypt, which made hail fall down on the Egyptians and their crops, was to make Pharaoh let the Israelites free. All these epic wonders of nature have had a purpose.
Although, there are many other natural events that have occurred in the Bible, there are many others that the Bible says are yet to come. We are in the last days, and as we look at our world more closely, we see how much environ-mental damage has occurred. The weather patterns have changed; we have more and more large earthquakes every year, the hurricanes and tornadoes have become more frequent and violent, even the ocean and its currents have changed. These are signs of Christ’s soon coming. As the number of these natural disasters climb we should not be surprised. The world will be in chaos when Christ comes. Even more chaos than it is in now.
Let us remember, brothers and sisters, that God has a purpose for everything. All these natural disasters that have come and are still coming are just signs that Je-sus’s second coming is near. Let us prepare for His coming, so that we may all meet in heaven. This is my wish and prayer. Amen.
Matthew Romero