I Kings 18: 41- And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
After Elijah told the king that rain was coming, he got down and prayed to God.
I Kings 18:42-43- So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
Elijah told his servant to go look and let him know when he saw something. Then Elijah prayed again. He kept praying until the Lord answered his request. This teaches us something about God- first, He wants us to pray about things even when we already know His will in the matter; and secondly, He wants us to continue to pray until He answers our requests.
I Kings 18:44-46- And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
When Elijah heard that there was a little cloud, he knew that the answer was coming. He told his servant to tell the king to hurry up and get home. Apparently, fire falling from heaven didn't teach the king that what Elijah said would happen would come to pass. The king was lolly-gagging.
As the king was preparing to leave, the sky grew black, the wind started to blow, and the lightening and thunder shouted that the Lord was sending a storm!
Elijah ran so fast that he beat the king's chariots back to the city of Jezreel. He was waiting there at the city gates when the king pulled through to go to his home.
The king went straight to his palace and told his wicked wife all that had happened. And this made her angry!
I Kings 19:1-2- And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 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.
The wicked queen, Jezebel, sent a message back to Elijah that she was going to kill him. She must have been quite a terrible person, because Elijah believed her. Even though he had seen God feed him by birds, and multiply the oil and meal at the widow's house, though he had prayed and watched as God answered with fire from heaven and rain to end the draught, he was afraid of the threat that this wicked woman had made.
I Kings 19:3-4- And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 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.
Elijah ran to another city, left his servant there, and then went further. He sat down under a tree and prayed that the Lord might kill him. Wow! Jezebel must have been the most wicked, evil woman of her time to have frightened this mighty prophet this much!
As Elijah was praying under the tree, he fell asleep.
I Kings 19:5- And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
God wanted Elijah to know that He wasn't finished with him yet. He wanted to show Elijah that He would take care of him. God sent an angel to feed Elijah. Elijah ate, slept, and then awoke again to the angel's meal a second time. God knew that Elijah needed strength to go on his journey.
I Kings 19:8- 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.
Those two meals gave Elijah enough to travel for 40 days! He traveled to Horeb- this is the mountain that Moses struck and gave the Hebrew children water from a rock. It is in the same area where God had given Moses the 10 Commandments. Perhaps, Elijah thought that this was the best place to speak to God.
I Kings 19:9- 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?
God wanted to know why Elijah had run so far. Was it because God didn't know why Elijah was afraid? No. God knew. He just wanted Elijah to tell Him what was troubling him so that God could help him to understand.
I Kings 19:10- And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD 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.
Elijah told God that he had done all that was asked of him. He let God know that he felt alone. Elijah felt that he was the only one doing God's work, and now the wicked queen wanted to take his life.
God was going to try to show Elijah that he wasn't alone- that God was always with him even when he couldn't see or feel HIs presence.
I Kings 19:11-12- 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: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
God called Elijah out of the cave and sent a strong wind, and an earthquake, and a mighty fire, but God wasn't in any of those powerful displays. After all these wonders, Elijah heard a still, small voice. A quiet voice, almost like a whisper. If Elijah weren't listening he may not have even heard it. God was showing Elijah that even when He seemed quiet, He was there.
I Kings 19:13- 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?
Again, God wanted Elijah to look deep inside and see what the true problem was. But, Elijah had given up.
I Kings 19:14- And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because 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.
God wasn't mad at Elijah for being afraid. He wasn't upset that Elijah was talking back to Him. He only got upset when Elijah refused to see what God was trying to show him. God was upset that Elijah was giving up!
I Kings 19:15-16- And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
Elijah was given some last commands- anoint a Syrian king, anoint a man to replace the wicked Ahab on his throne, and anoint a prophet to take Elijah's place as God's spokesperson.
Elijah didn't seem to care that God would be with him no matter what. And so, God was going to replace Elijah.
I Kings 19:17-18- And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
God told Elijah that He was going to punish the wicked. He let elijah know that there were 7,000 people in Israel who loved God and served Him. Elijah wasn't alone, God knew how many others there were that took a stand against the false idol, Baal. He saw all the wickedness that cruel Queen Jezebel had committed and He was going to send justice for her crimes! But, Elijah wouldn't be around to see it.
I Kings 19:19-21- So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was 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.
God had used Elijah greatly, but Elijah had given up. Now, God was going to train a new man to take his place. And this man would do twice the miracles that Elijah had done.
Elijah went and found his replacement. He wasn't happy about God's decision, but he knew to obey. God was going to leave Elijah around long enough to train this new prophet, Elisha.
