Subtitle: The Exterminator Of The Evil

Text: 1:1-15

INTRODUCTION

This continuation of the last week’s message was borne by the need to sustain the prayer attitude that the Lord is getting us into.

 

In that message (Part 11a), we generally saw the God of Elijah as One that exterminates ie wipes out, destroys or completely gets rid of the evil as evidenced in our text. It was also shown that He sometimes employs the evil to deal with the evil (cons. 1Kgs.22:20-23).

 

It has however been observed that often a time God’s people being ignorant of God’s on going operation against the activities of the wicked, suddenly get impatient, lose hope and get into depression or despair (Hos.4:6, Isa.35:3-4). At other times, their ignorance leads them into actions that counter the Lord’s set strategy against the works of the wicked, which countering the effects that the Lord had set in motion to deal with the evil, which then becomes counter productive or even calamitous (cons. 2Chro.35:20-25).

 

Therefore, we shall briefly examine some ways that the divine One employs to exterminate (the) evil.

Direct warning or intimidation of the oppressor (Gen.20:1-3, 31:24, Ps.105:15)

Creating confusion or an obstacle to frustrate the activities or plans of the evil (cons. Gen.11:1-9, 2Chro.20:22-24, Job 5:12)

 

Terrifying the adversary (2Kgs.7:6-7, Prov.28:1)

 

Exposure of the conceived plans so as to abort them or entrap the agents (cons. 2Kgs.6:8-12)

Arrest and conversion of the salvable (cons. Acts 9:1-6)

Termination of life of the recalcitrantly stubborn (cons. Ex.14:23-28, Prov.29:2, Acts 12:20-23)

 

The Lord may choose to employ one or a combination of these ways to tackle a problem.

 

Now, as we consider the socioeconomic state of our nation: the thriving of evil; the slaughtering of the innocent thereby prematurely rendering children fatherless and women, widows; the snatching away of children/babies who are used for ritual purposes; the unchecked fraud in the polity; the embezzlements and impoverishment of the masses; the rising of infamous men seeking positions of leadership; the lack of care for patients in the hospitals; the break down of the educational sector etc.; we must therefore go to God in prayer asking for justice and extermination of evil (Gen.9:5-6, Ex.21:12,14, Ps.11:3, Prov.29:2, Jer.33:3)

 

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