“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.” (1 Kings 18:18)
Expanded Passage: 1 Kings 18:17-21
A local nonprofit environmental group recently confronted a major industrial plant about high numbers of certain contaminants in groundwater around the facility versus what was being taken upstream. The water sampling clearly indicated a violation of statewide clean water regulations.
However, the company’s public relations team quickly reversed the narrative, attempting to undermine the nonprofit’s intentions in sharing the data and addressing the pollution it indicated.
In today’s reading, Ahab similarly tried to deflect blame for Israel’s drought- and famine-infused issues. Instead of accepting responsibility—that his evildoings as king and his nation’s falling away from God led to these consequences—Ahab suggested that Elijah was the one behind it all.
Leaders are constantly under fire for the decisions they make, and people are notoriously quick to pass the blame on someone (anyone) else. Elijah’s response is notable. He didn’t mince words, but simply redirected the conversation back at Ahab and his family in a way that didn’t provide much wiggle room to the contrary.
Elijah’s quick-yet-clear redirect contains a certain wisdom and boldness that suggests he knew he was abiding in God’s truth. When we similarly feel stuck in the middle of an otherwise unwinnable game of passing the blame, it is essential to make sure we seek God’s truth and stand firmly on that solid ground.
Stand firmly on God’s truth, especially when others attempt to pass blame.
John Zaktansky is the youth group leader at Port Ann Wesleyan Church in central Pennsylvania and oversees youth ministry at an annual family camp.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
