“1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belonged 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 a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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: 13 and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.”
Golden Text: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Ps. 37:7.
Suggestive Questions.
(1) When Ahab returned from the terrible scene on Mount Carmel, what did he tell Jezebel? V. 1. (2) Then what word did Jezebel send to Elijah? V. 2. (3) How was Elijah affected by this message? V. 3. (4) From Beer-sheba where did he go? What request did he make? What reason did he give for this request? V. 4. Note 1. (5) What occurred as he slept under a tree? V. 5. (6) As he awoke and looked around, what did he see? And what did he do? V. 6. Note 2. (7) What did the angel again do? V. 7. (8) What was the effect of Elijah’s eating and drinking the second time? V. 8. Note 3. (9) What did he do when he came to Horeb? What word of the Lord came to him there? V. 9. (10) What was Elijah’s reply? V. 10. Note 4. (11) What command did he receive? What great phenomena did he witness? Vs. 11, 12. (12) When Elijah heard the voice, what did he do? What was said to him there? V. 13. (13) What plea did Elijah make in behalf of his course? V. 14. (14) Upon what mission did the Lord then send him? V. 15. Note 5. (15) What further commission was given him? V. 16. Notes 6, 7.
Notes.
1. Elijah’s flight is an instance of human weakness, showing that, notwithstanding his great faith and unusual courage, he was not infallible. “The just shall live by faith,” and when faith fails, even for a moment, the flesh becomes weak. Elijah had bravely faced the king in his wrath, had faced and defeated all the priests and prophets of Baal in whom the king and queen trusted, and then became frightened at the words of the queen herself, and fled to the wilderness. There is every reason for constant watchfulness; for the enemy is always on our track, looking out for moments of weakness. However, we may always claim the consolation of the Saviour’s assurance to Simon, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” Luke 22:32.
2. The Lord did not desert his servant because he failed at a critical moment in the contest with the enemy of God, but treated him very tenderly. His impulsive prayer that he might die was not granted; the Lord was not through with his services yet. It would be well if men would be as considerate of those who make mistakes. God met his discouraged, fleeing prophet with the physical succor and spiritual encouragement which he so much needed.
3. The distance from Samaria to Beer-sheba is about ninety-five miles, and from there to Mount Horeb (or Sinai) is about two hundred miles. So that the strength which Elijah received from the food which the angel gave him was sufficient not merely to enable him to live, but to endure a long, hard journey.
4. Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17), so we need not be surprised that he had a moment of discouragement when he saw the degeneracy of the church, and thought that his labors were of no avail. On the other hand, there is in his experience a lesson of hope for us. Altho he sought the solitude of the wilderness, and even death, God had something better for him. The commander of an earthly army would have put him to death just then as a base deserter, but “the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation.” 2 Peter 3:15. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” Ps. 103:13, 14.
5. ‘Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.’ Here is an illustration of the fact that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” Dan. 4:17. Syria was a heathen kingdom, yet God appointed its king, and appointed a cruel heathen king. Nor did the Lord interfere in the matter of the laws of that kingdom, that they should be favorable to the cause of His worship; no, He appointed Hazael to be king, knowing that he would treat Israel in the most cruel manner. See 2 Kings 8:7-15. He was to be an agent for the punishment of Ahab and Israel.
6. Jehu was anointed king of Israel for the special purpose of destroying Baal-worship and the house of Ahab, who, at the instigation of his wife, Jezebel, had broken down the altars of the true God and set up the worship of Baal. See 2 Kings 9:1-10; 10:6, 7, 11, 18-28.
7. The anointing of Elisha is described in 1 Kings 19:19-21. Elijah found him “plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again; for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”
