Tag: palin

James 5:18 – The Rainmaker’s Prayer

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the land produced its fruit.

Truth to Learn

Fervent prayers from a humble, submitted servant are powerful.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “again” is palin, which is most likely derived from palē, meaning “to shake” or “to vibrate.” It is the notion of back and forth motion which repeats itself. Hence, palin means that something has been repeated or done again.

The word “rain” in this verse is from the Greek noun hueton, meaning a rain shower. This is a different word from the one translated “rain” in the previous verse; that one was the verb brechō, which means “to moisten” or “to make wet,” as by rain.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse talks about how Elijah prayed again (after the 3 ½ years) and it began to rain. The point from the previous verse is that he was a righteous man and that he prayed energetically, or earnestly. Let’s see what that looks like – 1 Kings 18:42-46:

And Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he stretched himself out on the ground and put his face between his knees.

And said to his servant, "Go up now, look intently toward the sea."

So he went up and looked intently and said, "There is nothing."

And he said, "Go back" seven times.

It came about at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is coming up out of the sea."

And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare and go down, so that the rain shower does not stop you.'"

And it came to pass in the meantime, that the sky became black with thick clouds and wind, and the rain was heavy. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.

Although we are not told what the words of his prayer were, notice these characteristics:

  • Elijah’s position – one of humility and intensity.
  • His persistence – he told his servant to go check seven times. He didn’t give up.
  • His faith – Once the first little cloud appeared he knew what was coming even though it hadn’t rained for 3 ½ years!
  • The results – Not just a little rain.

Do these things characterize your prayers?

One word of caution – Often after such a spiritual victory we are physically and spiritually weak. We need to be extra careful when we see God’s victory in our lives that we don’t stumble and become afraid like Elijah did. Read about it in 1 Kings 19:1-13.

 

Application

When you pray, do you pray with unwavering faith, as we were instructed in James 1:6, 7? And, do you pray fervently and persistently from an attitude of humility like Elijah? May God grant to you and to me prayer lives that are as energized and as effective as Elijah’s.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 3:20 – God’s Way, Not the World’s

and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

Truth to Learn

God’s way is the only way to present God’s truths.

Behind the Words

The word translated “again” is palin. This is probably derived from pale, which refers to a back-and-forth struggle. Palin means “again” or “once more.”

Thoughts” is from dialogismos, which is made up of dia, meaning “through” but used here as an intensifier and a form of logidzomai (from which we get our English word logic), meaning “to reason” or “to consider.” Hence, dialogismos refers to the notion of “thinking through a plan or scheme.”

The word “futile” is translated from the Greek word mataios, which refers to activity that has no purpose (it is meaningless) or that is useless or futile.

Meaning Explained

Paul now employs another quotation from the Old Testament. It is Psalms 94:11, which says:

The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

If you look at the context of this quotation, you will see that the writer is talking about the LORD’s vengeance against proud and wicked men. It starts off with:

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs— O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. LORD, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? They utter speech, and speak insolent things; all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. (Psalms 94:1-4)

This is a very apt description of the teachers in the church in Corinth who had adopted the methods of the sophists in order to attract the admiration of those they were teaching. If you look at the verses immediately following the one Paul quoted here, it says:

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. (Psalms 94:12-15)

Those people in the Corinthian church who knew their Scriptures would have immediately recognized what Paul was saying. This is a poignant criticism aimed directly at the teachers. It is as if Paul were saying to them, “If you know your Scripture, you will recognize what God says about those who follow the ways of the world. Such methods of teaching are useless and only God’s ways and God’s truth will prevail.”

Application

You who teach God’s word, do not rely on your speaking skills or worldly methods when you teach other Christians. Rely on God’s truth, presented in a plain and simple manner letting God produce the fruit and He will get all the praise and glory.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved