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 belongeth 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 as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. 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 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: and after the fire a still small voice.
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?
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.
15 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:
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.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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?
21 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.

1And Ahab told Iezebel all that Eliiah had done, and withall, how hee had slaine all the Prophets with the sword.

2Then Iezebel sent a messenger vnto Eliiah, 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.

3And when he saw that, hee arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Iudah, and left his seruant there.

4 But he himselfe went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a Iuniper tree: and hee requested for himselfe that hee might die, and sayd, It is enough, now O Lord, take away my life: for I am not better then my fathers.

5And as hee lay and slept vnder a Iuniper tree, behold then, an Angel touched him, and sayd vnto him, Arise, and eate.

6And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coales, and a cruse of water at his head: and hee did eate and drinke, and laide him downe againe.

7And the Angel of the Lord came againe the second time, and touched him, and sayd, Arise, and eate, because the iourney is too great for thee.

8And hee arose, and did eate and drinke, and went in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God.

9 And he came thither vnto a caue, and lodged there, and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

10And hee sayd, I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of hostes: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant, throwen downe thine Altars, and slaine thy Prophets with the sword: and I, euen I onely am left, and they seeke my life, to take it away.

11And he sayd, Goe forth, and stand vpon the mount before the Lord. And beholde, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong winde rent the mountaines, and brake in pieces the rockes, before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the winde: and after the winde an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12And after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice.

13And it was so, when Eliiah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entring in of the caue: and behold, there came a voice vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

14And he sayd, I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of hostes, because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant, throwen downe thine Altars, and slaine thy Prophets with the sword, and I, euen I onely am left, and they seeke my life, to take it away.

15And the Lord sayd vnto him, Goe, returne on thy way to the wildernesse of Damascus: and when thou commest, anoint Hazael to be King ouer Syria.

16And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to bee king ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah, shalt thou annoint to be Prophet in thy roume.

17And it shall come to passe, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay.

18Yet I haue left me seuen thousand in Israel, all the knees which haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth which hath not kissed him.

19 So hee departed thence and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and hee with the twelfth: and Eliiah passed by him, and cast his mantle vpon him.

20And he left the oxen, and ranne after Eliiah, and said, Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee: and he said vnto him, Goe backe againe; for what haue I done to thee?

21And he returned backe from him, and tooke a yoke of oxen, & slew them, and boyled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eat: then he arose, and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him.

I == 1st Kings 18:40

II == Ruth 1:17 ; 1st Kings 20:10 ; 2nd Kings 6:31

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Num 11:15 ; Jon 4:3 , 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == Ex 3:1 ; 34:28 ; Deut 9:9 , 18 ; Matt 4:2

 

 

 

X == Num 25:11 , 13 ; 1st Kings 18:4 , 22 ; Ps 69:9 ; Rom 11:3

 

 

 

XI == Ex 24:12 ; Ezek 1:4 ; 37:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == Ez 3:6 ; 1st Kinigs 19:9 ; Isa 6:2

 

 

XIV == 1st Kings 19:10

 

 

 

XV == 2nd Kings 8:12-13

 

XVI == 2nd Kings 9:1-3 ; Luke 4:27

 

 

XVII == 2nd Kings 8:12 ; 9:14 ; 10:8 ; 13:3 ; Hos 6:5

XVIII == Hos 13:2 ; Rom 11:4

 

XX == Matt 8:21-22 ; Luke 9:61-62

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == 2nd Xam 24:22

 

 

 

 

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done that he had put all the prophets to the sword.

2 Jezebel then sent a messenger to Elijah and said, "May the gods do thus and so to me if by this time tomorrow I have not done with your life what was done to each of them."

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life, going to Beer-sheba of Judah. He left his servant there

4 and went a day's journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: "This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

5 He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.

6 He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again,

7 but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, "Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"

8 He got up, ate and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

9 There he came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?"

10 He answered: "I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."

11 Then the LORD said, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD - but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake - but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake there was fire - but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.

13 When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"

14 He replied, "I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."

15 "Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus," the LORD said to him. "When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.

16 Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you.

17 If anyone escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill him. If he escapes the sword if Jehu, Elisha will kill him.

18 Yet I will leave seven thousand men in Israel - all those who have not knelt to Baal or kissed him."

19 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.

20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you." "Go back!" Elijah answered. "Have I done anything to you?"

21 Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

 Five mistakes Elijah made after Jezebel’s threat in verses 1-18.
1. He was not thinking realistically. God was just as powerful as sending rain etc.
2. He separated himself from others. Gehazi was gone and he was lonely.
3. He was caught up in the aftermath and let down after a great victory.
4. He was physically exhausted after the preceding incidents.
5. He submitted to self pity. “Only one”, had set an unrealistic standard for himself.

v 1-3. When Jezebel, chief princess of the Tyre god Baal, heard what Elijah had done, she sent him a message with an oath to kill him within 24 hours. He fled as fast as he could clear to southern Judah, some 125-150 miles, where he left his servant.

v 4-7. Going beyond Beer-sheba another 15 miles or so to a secluded place, he sank exhausted and asked for the Lord to take his life. He felt he had been no more successful than those before him in stamping out Baal worship. Remember that after a mountain top experience, discouragement and defeat can easily follow. While he slept, the Lord sent an angel to prepare him a meal and water, not once, but again after more rest, so he would have the strength to continue his journey. The angel was probably in the form of a man and woke him with a gentle touch. (Didn’t thank angel)

v 8. To Horeb, where God had revealed Himself to Moses and Israel, was about 200 miles. He could easily have gone in 14 days, but he probably wandered aimlessly and elusively until he ended up there. (Total from Murray to way beyond Minneapolis)

v 9,10. While he was holed up in a cave having a pity party, the Lord asked him what he was doing there. He complained that he had been zealous for the Lord, but he was the only one left and they were seeking him.

v 11,12. After the wind, earthquake and fire, God sent a (still small voice, sound of a gentle stillness) gentle breeze the contrast making him realize he was in the presence of God. Angels also cover their faces before God, Isa. 6:2.

v 13,14. With that realization, he covered his face and went out to wait for God to act. God asked the same question as earlier and Elijah answered the same self centered way as he had before, showing that he still felt the same way.

 

 

 

v 15-17. God did not rebuke him, but dealt with him kindly, and to show He was not through with him, gave him more jobs to do, but in a less spectacular way. He was to go clear back beyond where he had started, to Damascus. Then he was to anoint Hazael king over Syria, Jehu son of Nimshi (not son of Hanani) king over Israel, and Elisha to take his place. In answer to complaint of v 10 and 14, all three of these men chosen by God would complete the purge of Baal worship Elijah had started. Actually he only anointed Elisha, and through him Hazael became king, and one of Elisha’s associates anointed Jehu. Elisha became a close personal friend to Elijah, and In view of those things, it is unfair to say God cast him aside for his lapse.

v 18. God also dealt with Elijah’s personal feelings in a gentle way, as he revealed that there were 7000 other faithful ones in Israel who had not bowed to Baal or kissed the emblems of idolatry. This encouraged Elijah, and the whole account should encourage us, that he was a man of like passions as we are, James 5:17.
Elisha was wealthy with 11 ox drivers ahead of him. Elijah’s action gave him his choice. Elisha returned to make a farewell sacrifice and feast of his oxen to family and friends, perhaps lasting a week or more, before following Elijah.