DiggingTheTrench

What is a trench with regard to being a Christian?

Elijah was caught up in a show down between him—a prophet of God—and the prophets of Baal.  The future of his nation was hanging in the balance.  Either Israel was going to return to the Lord, or they would continue on the path of destruction to follow Baal – a false god.  

Only a demonstration of the power of each god would determine the direction of the nation.  So Elijah threw down the guantlet.  He challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to build an altar, put wood on the altar, place a sacrifice on the altar, and then whichever god answered with fire to consume the sacrifice would be proven to be the one true god.  

The prophets of Baal went first.  They built the altar, put on wood, then the sacrifice.  They danced, chanted, shouted, worshipped, cut themselves, danced more, for hours and hour.  Baal did not respond.  

1Kings 18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah prayed.  

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

So why is the trench so important?  Check this out…

Revelation 22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

So the river of God pours out from His throne.  Lining the river is the tree of life with fruit and leaves for the healing of the nations…for every tribe and tongue…for everyone.  

Trench – (Hebrew – teâlâh) – a channel (into which water is raised for irrigation); also a bandage or plaster (as placed upon a wound):—conduit, cured, healing, little river, trench, watercourse

Notice the two meanings of trench.  The first is a little river or channel for irrigation (coming from a river) and the other is healing.  That points directly to the river flowing from the throne of God with healing for the nations.  

In other words, Elijah was prophesying the confrontation between the world and the kingdom of God.  In his confrontation is a picture of our lives in Christ.   

The prophets of Baal made an altar of stones.  They placed the sacrifice but no wood, no trench, no water, and…no fire. 

Then Elijah begins:

Altar – Elijah builds with 12 stones; representing all of Israel.  

Wood – He carefully arranged the wood between the altar and the sacrifice.  It is the wood that makes the sacrifice acceptable to the altar.  It is the wood that consumes the sacrifice. 

Sacrifice – the ox – The ox represents the work—represents what we do.

The water – represents the Word being poured over everything.  Jesus is the Word become flesh.   

The fire – represents the all-consuming yet never destroying nature of God.  It is what makes the sacrifice desirable. 

The trench – This is the digging of the trench.  It is the removing of the earth to allow a place for the water to gather.  It is the preparation of the earth (the believer) to receive the fire.  It is the place in the earth for the water to accumulate.   The trench encompassed the altar, wood, and sacrifice.  The trench held the water. 

The digging of the trench is the right preparation of the disciple of Jesus for the assignment of God.  

So practically, what is Digging The Trench – DT²?

DT²– Digging The Trench is a forty minute class designed to help the believer prepare their life for the assignment that God has for them.  Preparation is necessary.  Right preparation is crucial. 

These are some of the topics that you will be rightly prepared:

Born-again? – What makes me part of the kingdom of God?

Can I talk to God? – How do I talk to God?  How does He talk to me? 

The Book – Rules? Rites? Regulations?  Or something else?  What is the practical role of the Bible in my life? 

Family, friends and foes?  What do I do with my family, friends, and foes change since I am a Christian? 

Think, think, think – How do I keep my head on straight being a Christian? 

Who’s Who? Who am I to God?  Who is God to me? 

Pissed?  What do I do about that? Understanding the trap of offense and bitterness

Do I kiss?  Do I tell?  What do I do about romantic relationships in my life? 

Living The Kingdom Life?  

Assignment?  What assignment? – What do I do from here?