And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
Ahab parted from Elijah at the gate of Jezreel, went inside his palace, and told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and that report set in motion Elijah's flight and testing. All he told was Elijah's whole work at Carmel of standing alone for God before the king, the nation and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, proving Jehovah the Creator to be the true God, leading the people to confess and return, slaying the idolatrous prophets in judgment, and praying for rain to end the famine as the reward of right-doing. Ahab had been convinced by the miracle, but his conviction failed before his idolatrous wife, who held more power over him than God did, so hardened and defiant Jezebel refused to see God's hand, was infuriated, and threatened Elijah with death like the prophets he had slain. Though Elijah had stood boldly before Ahab and cast down idolatry, he lost hold on trust in weariness and fear, fled hunted for his life until he wished to die, and cut short the greater victories God had prepared, yet God did not forsake him in the wilderness but preserved him and took him to heaven. The history teaches God's people in trial and danger to trust the Lord and not fear, and proves that even one favored and entrusted by God can sink and fall into error, to warn against disobedience and to encourage the fallen that by grace they can take heart and conquer.
Report at Jezreel Palace
Ahab parted from Elijah at the gate of Jezreel and went within to the shelter of his palace, and there he told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. That report of the wonderful events of the day set in motion Elijah's flight and the testing that followed his victory. It begins the account of his fearful trial after God had helped him defeat Baal's prophets, for her threat upon hearing it led him to flee.
All that Elijah had done was his whole work at Carmel after standing alone for God. He had set apostasy before the ten tribes and called them to humble their hearts and turn to the Lord. He had faced King Ahab and the whole nation with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, and by marvelous displays and wonderful exhibitions of divine power had proved that Jehovah the Creator of heaven and earth is the true God and Elijah His chosen messenger. He had led the people to confess sin and acknowledge the God of their fathers as the living God after they declared their allegiance, had denounced coming judgment, and had executed Heaven's judgments by slaying the idolatrous false prophets with the sword. He had announced and prayed for the withdrawal of the curse and the renewal of temporal blessings, with rain as the promised reward of right-doing that ended the famine.
Ahab had been convinced by the miracle, but his conviction lasted only until he told his wife, whose influence over him outweighed the convincing evidence of God's Spirit. God would have been with Ahab if he had walked in heaven's counsel, but he married a woman given to idolatry, and the unconsecrated idolatrous Jezebel had more power over the king than God had. She led him into idolatry, and with him the people. When God sent Elijah to Israel with warnings and threatenings, neither king nor people heeded him, but looked upon him as a messenger of evil. When at last God sent drought upon the land as judgment, the people did not discern its object and humble their hearts. Jezebel said Jehovah's prophets had brought the calamity upon them and that there would be no rest or prosperity until they were put to death, so anger was aroused against the men God had sent to entreat repentance, many holy men died for their testimony, while Elijah was preserved by a miracle of divine power to proclaim warnings before king and queen which Ahab then carried to Jezebel.
Jezebel was hardened and impenitent in sin and bold, determined and defiant in idolatry. She became infuriated at the report of the day's displays of God's power and the killing of Baal's prophets. She refused to recognize in Carmel the overruling providence of God. With hatred shared by Baal's priests, she boldly declared that Elijah should die and should not live, threatening him with the fate of the prophets he had killed and putting his life in danger. News of the warning spread through the land, stirring fear in some and anger in many.
Elijah's Fearful Flight
1 Kings 19:1 begins the account of Elijah's fearful trial after victory, setting the scene for Jezebel's rage and his flight for his life into the wilderness. Ahab's report of what Elijah had done, including the death of Baal's prophets, brought Jezebel's threats that drove the prophet to flee.
Though he had stood undaunted and boldly before Ahab, faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, helped cast down idolatry, and seen rain end the famine, Elijah fled Jezebel's threats in weariness, weakness, and exhaustion. He had to flee from place to place to save his life, hunted like the wild beasts to be destroyed. Danger and exhaustion brought him to bitter disappointment and a wish to die, to flee into the wilderness and ask to die.
Although he had courageously done God's work and stood long and valiantly for the right, he lost courage when he failed to keep trusting God amid threatening circumstances. When strength failed and faith let go its hold upon God, even one who had stood boldly before Ahab and Israel could be overcome in the time of greatest weakness when weakness and fear took hold. Satan used and exploits that weakened human condition to tempt and distress him and to shake confidence in God.
His failure of faith and retreat cut short the work he had begun and turned him away from the greater victories God had prepared for him. His retreat showed the weakness of his present position compared with the place of trust and service God wanted him to occupy, so God directed him to appoint another prophet in his place. Yet God marked and recognized his faithful service and did not forget or forsake him in danger. He did not leave him to die alone in discouragement in the wilderness, but preserved him and took him up to God's presence in heaven.
Lessons for Times of Trial
The history that opens with Ahab carrying to Jezebel the report of what Elijah had done, including the slaying of the prophets, becomes the account of Elijah's discouragement and flight for his life after her threat, and in his danger, exhaustion, bitter disappointment and wish to die he learns in his greatest weakness to trust God even under forbidding circumstances. God's people facing difficulty, trials and danger must therefore trust in the Lord rather than human wisdom, remain faithful in the way of duty and not let fear discourage them. They are to wait patiently and pray with confidence in God, who will defend them and display His power. Nor should others take over the burdens God means each person to bear or stand between God and those He is trying to reach.
When Jezebel heard that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, her oath put his life in danger and began his fearful trial. Yet God did not forget or forsake him under that threat. His experience assures God's people that they are not abandoned or forgotten when threatened by enemies.
That sinking of Elijah's strong spirit under temptation proves that a man favored by God and entrusted with great responsibility could be overcome by temptation and fall into error just as people do now. Its record stands faithfully told with the sins of Noah, Lot, Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon, Jonah, Peter, and Paul and Barnabas. Together they require strict obedience to God's law and warn against disobedience and its sure punishment. They also encourage desponding hearts that through God's grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor, take heart again, rise above evil nature, and conquer.
Ahab parted from Elijah at the gate of Jezreel, went inside his palace, and told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and that report set in motion Elijah's flight and testing. All he told was Elijah's whole work at Carmel of standing alone for God before the king, the nation and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, proving Jehovah the Creator to be the true God, leading the people to confess and return, slaying the idolatrous prophets in judgment, and praying for rain to end the famine as the reward of right-doing. Ahab had been convinced by the miracle, but his conviction failed before his idolatrous wife, who held more power over him than God did, so hardened and defiant Jezebel refused to see God's hand, was infuriated, and threatened Elijah with death like the prophets he had slain. Though Elijah had stood boldly before Ahab and cast down idolatry, he lost hold on trust in weariness and fear, fled hunted for his life until he wished to die, and cut short the greater victories God had prepared, yet God did not forsake him in the wilderness but preserved him and took him to heaven. The history teaches God's people in trial and danger to trust the Lord and not fear, and proves that even one favored and entrusted by God can sink and fall into error, to warn against disobedience and to encourage the fallen that by grace they can take heart and conquer.
Report at Jezreel Palace
Ahab parted from Elijah at the gate of Jezreel and went within to the shelter of his palace, and there he told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. That report of the wonderful events of the day set in motion Elijah's flight and the testing that followed his victory. It begins the account of his fearful trial after God had helped him defeat Baal's prophets, for her threat upon hearing it led him to flee.
All that Elijah had done was his whole work at Carmel after standing alone for God. He had set apostasy before the ten tribes and called them to humble their hearts and turn to the Lord. He had faced King Ahab and the whole nation with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, and by marvelous displays and wonderful exhibitions of divine power had proved that Jehovah the Creator of heaven and earth is the true God and Elijah His chosen messenger. He had led the people to confess sin and acknowledge the God of their fathers as the living God after they declared their allegiance, had denounced coming judgment, and had executed Heaven's judgments by slaying the idolatrous false prophets with the sword. He had announced and prayed for the withdrawal of the curse and the renewal of temporal blessings, with rain as the promised reward of right-doing that ended the famine.
Ahab had been convinced by the miracle, but his conviction lasted only until he told his wife, whose influence over him outweighed the convincing evidence of God's Spirit. God would have been with Ahab if he had walked in heaven's counsel, but he married a woman given to idolatry, and the unconsecrated idolatrous Jezebel had more power over the king than God had. She led him into idolatry, and with him the people. When God sent Elijah to Israel with warnings and threatenings, neither king nor people heeded him, but looked upon him as a messenger of evil. When at last God sent drought upon the land as judgment, the people did not discern its object and humble their hearts. Jezebel said Jehovah's prophets had brought the calamity upon them and that there would be no rest or prosperity until they were put to death, so anger was aroused against the men God had sent to entreat repentance, many holy men died for their testimony, while Elijah was preserved by a miracle of divine power to proclaim warnings before king and queen which Ahab then carried to Jezebel.
Jezebel was hardened and impenitent in sin and bold, determined and defiant in idolatry. She became infuriated at the report of the day's displays of God's power and the killing of Baal's prophets. She refused to recognize in Carmel the overruling providence of God. With hatred shared by Baal's priests, she boldly declared that Elijah should die and should not live, threatening him with the fate of the prophets he had killed and putting his life in danger. News of the warning spread through the land, stirring fear in some and anger in many.
Elijah's Fearful Flight
1 Kings 19:1 begins the account of Elijah's fearful trial after victory, setting the scene for Jezebel's rage and his flight for his life into the wilderness. Ahab's report of what Elijah had done, including the death of Baal's prophets, brought Jezebel's threats that drove the prophet to flee.
Though he had stood undaunted and boldly before Ahab, faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, helped cast down idolatry, and seen rain end the famine, Elijah fled Jezebel's threats in weariness, weakness, and exhaustion. He had to flee from place to place to save his life, hunted like the wild beasts to be destroyed. Danger and exhaustion brought him to bitter disappointment and a wish to die, to flee into the wilderness and ask to die.
Although he had courageously done God's work and stood long and valiantly for the right, he lost courage when he failed to keep trusting God amid threatening circumstances. When strength failed and faith let go its hold upon God, even one who had stood boldly before Ahab and Israel could be overcome in the time of greatest weakness when weakness and fear took hold. Satan used and exploits that weakened human condition to tempt and distress him and to shake confidence in God.
His failure of faith and retreat cut short the work he had begun and turned him away from the greater victories God had prepared for him. His retreat showed the weakness of his present position compared with the place of trust and service God wanted him to occupy, so God directed him to appoint another prophet in his place. Yet God marked and recognized his faithful service and did not forget or forsake him in danger. He did not leave him to die alone in discouragement in the wilderness, but preserved him and took him up to God's presence in heaven.
Lessons for Times of Trial
The history that opens with Ahab carrying to Jezebel the report of what Elijah had done, including the slaying of the prophets, becomes the account of Elijah's discouragement and flight for his life after her threat, and in his danger, exhaustion, bitter disappointment and wish to die he learns in his greatest weakness to trust God even under forbidding circumstances. God's people facing difficulty, trials and danger must therefore trust in the Lord rather than human wisdom, remain faithful in the way of duty and not let fear discourage them. They are to wait patiently and pray with confidence in God, who will defend them and display His power. Nor should others take over the burdens God means each person to bear or stand between God and those He is trying to reach.
When Jezebel heard that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, her oath put his life in danger and began his fearful trial. Yet God did not forget or forsake him under that threat. His experience assures God's people that they are not abandoned or forgotten when threatened by enemies.
That sinking of Elijah's strong spirit under temptation proves that a man favored by God and entrusted with great responsibility could be overcome by temptation and fall into error just as people do now. Its record stands faithfully told with the sins of Noah, Lot, Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon, Jonah, Peter, and Paul and Barnabas. Together they require strict obedience to God's law and warn against disobedience and its sure punishment. They also encourage desponding hearts that through God's grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor, take heart again, rise above evil nature, and conquer.