2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, a“So let the gods do tome, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a1 broom tree. And he aprayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an1 angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on1 coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
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 Lordcame 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 Lordbpassed by, and ca great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lordwas not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lordwas not in the earthquake;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lordwas 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?”
14aAnd 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.
16 Also you shall anoint aJehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And bElisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
17aIt shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will bkill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, cElisha will kill.
18aYet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, band every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Follows Elijah
19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke ofoxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his amantle on him.
20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, a“Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”
The pressures placed on us are no different in principle from what God put Elijah and Jeremiah under. Their examples leave no doubt about their humanity. Their discouragement proves that, for a while, running back into the world seemed attractive to them too. Know this, however: His servants endured and overcame because of God's patience, faithfulness, and power. Given all the depressing things that happen in this world, it is easy to think that we would be better off never having been called. But God reminds us that He is continuously judging those in the world as He oversees the purpose toward which He is guiding His servants.
Do we believe that in God's promises we are given the certainty of salvation if we remain faithful? If we believe, it gives us hope and joy. It is when we doubt that the level of temptation to flee rises. Yet, unlike them, we know the rest of the story. God did not abandon them; they survived and will be in God's Kingdom.
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.
The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.
Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.
