1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19:1

7. Elijah’s Flight to Horeb (19:1-18)19:1-4 When Ahab told Jezebel of the defeat and death of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, she swore that she would slay Elijah within a day. Then the prophet whose faith had gained such a mighty victory the previous day lost courage. He ran for his life from Jezreel, south across the land to Beersheba, about one hundred miles away, at the southern boundary of Judah. Leaving his servant at Beersheba, Elijah continued south a day’s journey into the wilderness. At length he rested under a broom tree, despondent, defeated, and depressed. 19:5-8 It is interesting to notice God’s treatment for this severe depression: rest; food and drink; more rest; more food and drink. Thus fortified, the prophet traveled in the strength of that food 200 miles in forty days and . . . nights to Mount Horeb (Sinai), where God had given the law to Moses. 19:9-14 There in a cave . . . the LORD dealt with him. In a self-righteous spirit, Elijah protested his own faithfulness and denounced the children of Israel. He said in effect that he was the only one who had remained true to the Lord. God then commanded him to stand on the mountain of the law, but Elijah did not obey. We know this because later (v. 13) he went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. In rapid succession the mountains were visited by a great . . . wind, an earthquake, and a fire.

These violent storms must have reminded Elijah of his harsh, censorious spirit. None of them brought him out of the cave. Finally, after the fire the prophet heard a still, small voice. It was this gracious voice of the Lord which brought him to the entrance of the cave. There he again exalted himself as God’s sole remaining witness. George Williams comments: Had his heart not been occupied with self, he would have learned that tempests, earthquakes and fires cannot accomplish what the gentle voice of love can. He should have recognized that there was no difference between his heart and that of the nation; and, that as coercion failed to make him leave his cave, so it failed, and must fail, to compel men to leave their sins. 19:15-18 It seems that Elijah’s usefulness as a servant of God suffered when he adopted this attitude of self-importance. God told him to return north to the Wilderness of Damascus, where he would conduct three anointings: (1) He would anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. The disobedient nation of Israel would be punished by this king. (2) He would anoint Jehu to be king over Israel. Jehu would execute God’s judgment on the house of Ahab. (3) He would anoint . . . Elisha as his own successor. This would teach him that he was not indispensable. These three men would execute God’s judgment on idolaters in Israel (v. 17), but the Lord would leave seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal or kissed him.

1 Kings 19:19

8. Elijah’s Appointment of Elisha (19:19-21)19:19 Elijah traveled north to Abel Meholah, in the Jordan Valley near Beth Shean. There he found Elisha, a farmer plowing in the field. The fact that Elisha had twelve yoke of oxen indicates that he was not poor. He was probably plowing with one yoke and his servants with the other eleven. Elijah threw his mantel on Elisha, a sign that Elisha was to be his successor. 19:20, 21 Elisha asked permission to return home and make a farewell feast for his family. Elijah gave consent but warned him not to forget what had just happened to himi.e., how Elijah had anointed him. After a sumptuous feast, Elisha arose and followed Elijah and became his personal servant. Elisha’s request to say goodbye to his parents sounds dangerously like that of a would-be disciple whom Jesus pronounced unfit for the kingdom (Luk_9:61-62). The difference is that in Elisha’s case it was a no-nonsense decision to sever ties immediately, whereas in the other case it was a delaying tactic and an excuse.