More Bible Examples of the Law of Confession
David W Palmer
(1 Kings 17:1 MSG) And then this happened: Elijah the Tishbite, from among the settlers of Gilead, confronted Ahab: “As surely as God lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand in obedient service, the next years are going to see a total drought—not a drop of dew or rain unless I say otherwise.”
To the casually observing natural man, this has to be one of the most outlandish, ridiculous statements of over-exaggerated arrogance that has ever been claimed by a human being. Saying that the rain will stop unless “I say otherwise” is a claim against all scientific evidence, historic precedent, and common sense. To our scientific, logical Western mindset, it seems beyond ludicrous for a man to think he can change all the forces of natural weather patterns by simply speaking. After all, the tiny vibrations in the air from a human voice is merely a minuscule variant within the vast atmospheric conditions. But it was true; Elijah was merely confessing what God told him to say. The words he spoke were spirit, and God’s spiritual power certainly did affect the weather. Furthermore, the plight of future precipitation definitely depends on what God says.
Thankfully, drought is not the default setting of God’s words over the world’s weather:
(Acts 14:16–17 NLT) “In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, {17} but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”
Despite God’s written word confirming that his default it good, fruitful seasons, there are times when God calls for a drought … to wake people up:
(Deuteronomy 28:15, 22 NLT) “But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: ... {22} The LORD will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die.
God warned that a variation to his desire for normal, fruitful seasons, “drought”—a change in the climate—would come as part of the curse; it is waiting to ruin the lives of those who step out of God’s covenant conditions and from under his covering through disobedience.
Elijah was merely articulating what God was saying in his authority. God was applying to Ahab the consequences that he warned of in Deuteronomy. Incited by the devil’s deadly influence through Jezebel, Ahab had foolishly disobeyed God and thus led his nation out from under God’s covering protection and into the curse. He led them headlong into drought and disaster.
God was using Elijah as a mouthpiece to announce what he was saying—as preempted in his written word / covenant document. In other words, God was speaking through his prophet to tell this king what he was leading his nation into—unless he repented and corrected the errors of his ways. He didn’t listen to God; the drought came. Eventually, Ahab and his people relented a little, and God sent rain at Elijah’s words:
(1 Kings 18:39, 41, 44–45 NLT)
Today, I encourage you to confess God’s truth without wavering. Speak to change what appears to the natural man. Speak creatively and in line with what God says … no matter what. Be like Elijah and confess God’s word—applying his written word and showing how it applies to today’s circumstances. He merely pointed out that Ahab and his kingdom were simply reaping what they had sowed in their anti-christ type of rebellion against God … a climate that wasn’t God’s blessed best.
