A prophecy was given 400 years before it was fulfilled. A prophet would come and restore families. He would declare the Lord’s coming. It wouldn’t be Elijah himself, but someone bold and confident like him. One that the people would respect.
Moses’ and Joshua’s wilderness training took place before their leadership did, but Elijah’s was in the middle. What then was the significance of his time in the desert?
He was on the run. He was away from everything he knew. He was Hebrew by lineage, Egyptian by adoption, and torn between the two. Now he was away from it all. Everyone and everything familiar was gone. The guilt of the murder was on his hands. What was going to happen next?
Then Jesus grew up. Moments of His childhood gave glimpses into His abilities. The Father was teaching Him. Holy Spirit was working in Him. Then came the day. The day that would spark the beginnings of it all.
“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance”