1 Kings 19:9

7 And the¹ angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and ^aforty nights as far as ^bHoreb, the mountain of God.

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 So he said, ^a“I have been very ^bzealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and ^ckilled Your prophets with the sword. ^dI alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

God’s Revelation to Elijah

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand ^aon the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord ^bpassed by, and ^ca great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire¹ a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he ^awrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. ^bSuddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 ^aAnd he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; ^aand when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does 1 Kings 19:9 Mean?

1 Kings 19:4-15

While pitying himself, Elijah asks for death, saying, "It is enough! Now LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" His situation reveals several problems that can fatigue and erode our attitudes: He presumes the outcome, focuses on the problem and himself, and becomes physically exhausted. God provides the solutions to alleviate self-pity: Pray for God's help, rest, find a new focus and new expectations, repent of sins, and take obedient action. When Elijah crawls into his shell, God commands him to get up and get moving. He wants Elijah to choose godly action based on obedience rather than inaction based on his emotions. Genuine repentance and a clear view of our true condition, not a distorted one, fights self-pity.

Martin G. Collins
Overcoming (Part 10): Self-Pity

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God’s Revelation to Elijah

What Does 1 Kings 19:9 Mean?

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