“THE FAITHFUL 7,000 IN ISRAEL: WHERE ARE THEY?”

Bosun Emmanuel

19th June, 2020

If there is one account in the Bible that Nigerian Christians relish and gleefully share, it is the story of Elijah in the Presence of God at Mount Horeb. In that encounter, Elijah lamented before God that he was the only one left of the prophets in Israel and God had to correct him that He still had 7,000 faithful men who refused to bow the knees to Baal. It was clear that God was very proud of them. These were the remnants in the land. Every country has them. Nigerian Christians are proud of them.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is cause for serious concern to notice that the 7,000 strong army of the Lord made no visible impact in the land. As a matter of fact, by the time Elijah came out of hibernation, some of the servants of the Lord were hiding in caves, fed with bread and water by Obadiah, the servant of the king. Granted then, there was no visible spiritual leadership, but when Elijah returned from his sojourn by the brook Cherith and in Zarephath, they would have heard that Elijah was back. Obadiah would have told them when he took their next meal to them. Why did they not come out?

Please, try and imagine what should have happened in Israel on the day that Elijah encountered the 850 false prophets of Baal and the groves on Mount Carmel. He was the only prophet who stood for the Lord. Meanwhile, God had 7,000 faithful men in Israel and some were hiding in caves. Satan had only 850 false prophets who were bold to stand for the devil while God had 7,000 men who were afraid to come out and stand for God. No wonder the revival lasted only ONE DAY! One of the wonderful interventions of God on earth could not be sustained beyond one day because the “faithful men” were hiding.

There were more righteous people in the land than the wicked. However, while the wicked were bold to stand to defend their wickedness, the righteous were too timid to defend their righteousness. The same situation seems to be repeating itself today in the Church.

Elijah prayed a 25 second prayer and fire fell from God in broad daylight. Israel fell to it knees and proclaimed “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God”. The revival had started. Unfortunately, the army of the Lord that was meant to carry the revival fire was nowhere to be seen. They were hiding. The revival did not go beyond one day. Even if God should send fire down today into Nigeria, the people who are supposed to carry it, where are they?

Imagine what would have happened if 7,000 men had stood behind Elijah as he entered into Jezreel. Would Jezebel have been able to intimidate him? Even if Elijah wanted to run, it would have been impossible because he would have had to go through 7,000 men. Elijah himself would have been compelled to stand. On that day, the evil throne of Ahab and Jezebel could have been overthrown and a faithful leader could have risen in the land and the two kingdoms could have been reunited under the reign of Jehovah. Unfortunately, the “faithful” remnants were hiding in caves, waiting for bread and water.

Consequently, the northern kingdom existed for a total of 290 years and had 19 kings. Not one of them was Godly; no, not one. They were all evil. They all worshipped the calf set up by Jeroboam the son of Nebat at Bethel and Dan. Eventually, God had no other option but to destroy the nation and scatter the people. Till today, no one knows where they are on earth. Their presence and identity was completely obliterated by God.

The question then is, of what use are the remnants if they cannot stand for truth and righteousness? If the faithfulness of the remnant is only demonstrated inside his closet, then of what use is his faithfulness to God? Is the faithfulness of the remnant required inside his closet? Jesus said no one lights a candle and hides it under a bushel but places it on a stand to provide light for people. Is remnant still considered remnant if his light is not shining? Is remnant still considered faithful if his light is shining only for himself and not to confront the darkness that is engulfing the world?

I am asking these questions because some Christians in Nigeria confirm there are remnants in the land. Thank God they are there. Amongst them are the intercessors who are faithfully praying. But, is it only prayers the remnants are called upon to do? We also have remnants in banking industry, Legal profession, security units, market place, in the Universities, hospitals, even amongst the politicians. There are faithful ones in this country who have never bowed the knees to Baal nor kissed it with their mouth. But, where are they when the land is in distress? Where are the remnants in the other spheres of the society? The intercessors are doing their work. Where are the others?

Of what use are the remnants when evil has multiplied in the land? Jesus Christ asks, of what use is salt when it has lost its savor. Where were the remnants when charlatans and scoundrels took over the sanctuary of God? Where were the remnants when, in the household of God, election was shamelessly rigged and delegates were stupendously bribed to vote illegitimate candidate to sit in the sanctuary of the Most High? Where were the remnants when the image that provoke to jealousy was set up in the temple? In Hosea 8: 4 God laments, “They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not:”

Those who rig elections cannot claim to be ordained by God. I say that again, those who rig elections cannot claim that God ordained them to hold office. It is not right for a man to seek to impose himself on God. Allow God to choose His man. Asking for peace without instituting righteousness is making mockery of God and His moral and spiritual standards. There can be no peace without righteousness. Isaiah 32: 17 makes clear that the effect of righteousness is peace. The end of righteousness is peace. If Christians want peace, they must return to righteousness.

There are too many evils going on in the land. The remnants should speak up. Inside the Church they should speak for truth and righteousness. There is a saying that as the Church goes, so goes the nation. The Church must stand in righteousness for the nation to receive healing.

The remnants should organize wherever they are, come together and speak for truth and righteousness. In the banking industry they should organize. In the legal profession should organize and advocate for truth and righteousness. In the security units, Universities, in the market place, as well as in politics, the remnants should boldly come forth, organize and promote truth and righteousness.

It is not sufficient to only pray for God to come and help. Faith without works is dead. If God has to come to sort out the problems in the Nigerian Church, all of us Christians would be very unhappy. We can only pray that God will have mercy and give us more time and stir people who are supposed to speak to do so in order to prompt those who are expected to take action to act. We better sort this situation out ourselves. God warned in 1 Cor. 11: 31 that if we would judge ourselves, He would not judge us. If we wait for Him to come and judge us, we would be very unhappy.

WHY WERE THE REMNANTS HIDING IN THE CAVES?

Under king Ahab, the remnant was afraid of being smitten with the sword. In our generation, the remnant is afraid of being smitten by tongues of men. The Nigerian remnant is not afraid of being killed, he is afraid of losing reputation and recognition amongst men.

A Christian brother once told me that he spent a long time building a good reputation for himself and he does not want to lose it by getting involved in this thing you are doing. A sister wrote and said no one wants to get involved in what you people are doing. And, what are we doing? We are simply speaking the truth and resisting unrighteousness in the body of Christ. All the people objecting are considered part of the “remnants”. Unfortunately, they carefully choose the battle that they will fight for the Lord. If the battle is such that it will affect their reputation and recognition amongst men, they will not touch it.

The Nigerian remnants don’t want men to call them bad people so they give room for evil to thrive in the Church which spills over into the land. They multiply faith without works, forgetting that faith without works is dead. They keep quiet when they should speak; silent when they should rebuke. Consequently, evil continues to gallop in the land, unchallenged, unhindered.

Elijah was so sure he was the only one left of the prophets of the Lord. Only God could have persuaded him that there were other 7,000 faithful in Israel. I pray that this will not be the case of the Nigerian Church.

There are two things the remnant should remember:

1. It is God Who gives a man good name. Gen. 11 tells us of men who gathered to “make us a name”. God came down and scattered them. Till today, no responsible parent would name his child “Nimrod” nor would anyone call his community “Babel”. Meanwhile, in Gen. 12, God called another man and told him to come and He would make him “a great name”. Till today, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are striving to claim they are descendants of this man. Parents are falling over themselves to name their sons Abraham. It is God Who gives a man good reputation. Your responsibility is to do His will.
2. If the remnants in Nigeria claim Jesus as Lord, they should remember that the Master made Himself of “no reputation” therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him a Name above every other name. Anyone who approaches God with the mindset of keeping his reputation would lose it. “He who keeps his life would lose it.” Mark 8: 35 Remember, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8: 38.

Why am I saying all these? Nigerian remnants should not be timid like the 7,000 in Israel who, though they neither bowed the knees to Baal nor kissed it with their mouth, they did not make any visible impact in their generation. The northern kingdom of Israel was totally wiped out. Meanwhile, at a point it had 7,000 faithful men. It is not “wisdom” to keep quiet when evil is multiplying in the Church and in the land. It is timidity. Do not permit evil to intimidate you. God has not given you the spirit of fear.

These things that I am saying are to encourage the remnant to be bold and stand for God in their generation. Evil seeks to intimidate the righteous so that it can have its way. Do not permit evil to intimidate you. “Greater is He Who lives in you than he that is in the world.”

It is time for the manifestation of the sons of God. Organize yourselves and stand for truth and righteousness. You would discover that the only battle you really need to fight is the battle for truth and righteousness inside the Church.

Once the Church is in right standing with God, Nigeria is delivered. The problem is inside the Church. The solution is in the hands of the Christians.

God bless you.

God bless Nigeria.