When Ahab finally met up with Jezebel and told her everything Elijah had done, 1 Kings 19:1. it appears that Jezebel had a more domineering character than Ahab. After hearing the report, Jezebel is now determined that she wants to kill Elijah, 1 Kings 19:2.
It’s incredible to think that after everything that God had done through Elijah, most of Israel repented and turned back to God, 1 Kings 18:30-40, but Jezebel totally refuses to repent. She is so blinded by the truth, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and instead of repenting, she takes her anger out on Elijah.
We must understand that Elijah thought he was the only true prophet of God at this time, he didn’t know that seven-thousand others didn’t bow down to Baal, 1 Kings 19:18, and so, it’s understandable that Elijah ran for his life from Jezebel at this time.
He, therefore, ran away to Beersheba, which was ninety-five miles from Jezreel for several days, 1 Kings 19:3. He is obviously feeling very low and very tired, 1 Kings 18:46, and because of this, he almost contradicts himself with his prayer request.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Elijah did not feel himself safe until he was beyond the territory of Judah, for Ahab might demand him of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 18:10, with whom he was on terms of close alliance 1 Kings 22:4. He, therefore, proceeds southward into the desert, simply to be out of the reach of his enemies.’
He had just ran for his life from Jezebel but now he’s asking God to take his life. Notice that Elijah came to a ‘broom bush and prayed that he might die’, 1 Kings 19:4. This is what Jonah did too, Jonah 4:3, and just like the case of Jonah God didn’t grant Elijah’s request to die. Notice the angel touched him twice, 1 Kings 19:5 / 1 Kings 19:7.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The friendly ministration of angels, common in the time of the patriarchs, Genesis 18:2-16 / Genesis 19:1-22 / Genesis 28:12 / Genesis 32:1 / Genesis 32:24-29, and known also under the Judges, Judges 6:11-21 / Judges 13:3-20, was now extended to Elijah.’
After being prompted to eat twice by an angel, 1 Kings 19:5-7, and after the angel miraculously makes and supplies food for him, Elijah took the forty-mile trip from Hebron to Mount Sinai, 1 Kings 19:8. He then goes into a cave and spent the night,’ 1 Kings 19:9 / Exodus 33:22. It appears that God always sends great men of faith to deserts to enjoy the tranquillity the desert offers but also to prepare them for a great movement which is coming up. He did this with Moses, Exodus 2:11-15 / Exodus 2:16-25 / Exodus 3:1-15 / Exodus 3:19-20, Jesus, Matthew 4:1-11, and Paul, Galatians 1:11-18.
After spending some time in the desert, being prepared by God for what was coming up, God asked him, what he is doing there? 1 Kings 19:9. This tells us that Elijah has a mission ahead of him but that mission wasn’t to be in the desert. Elijah explains to God how he was zealous for the Lord but Israel has gone from bad to worse, 1 Kings 19:10.
He again feels that he is all alone, 1 Kings 19:10 / 1 Kings 18:22, and he’s possibly thinking that the restoration of Israel should happen straight away, but as we all must learn, great things often take a great deal of time, and in God’s timetable, Ecclesiastes 3:1 / Habakkuk 2:3. God tells him to stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by, 1 Kings 19:11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God was now treating Elijah nearly in the same way that he treated Moses; and it is not unlikely that Elijah was now standing on the same place where Moses stood, when God revealed himself to him in the giving of the law, Exodus 19:9 / Exodus 19:16.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind and after the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake, 1 Kings 19:11. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire and notice, after the fire a ‘gentle voice’ spoke to Elijah, 1 Kings 19:12. Some translations use the words, a ‘still small voice’.
We learn here that God doesn’t need to appear in great physical events such as earthquakes and fires in order to start His work. His power can be concealed behind a whisper. God wanted Elijah to know that while force and spectacular demonstrations are sometimes necessary, God’s real work is accomplished by the ‘still small voice’ calling men to do God’s will.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It appears that the passing by of the Lord occasioned the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire but in none of these was God to make a discovery of himself unto the prophet, yet these, in some sort, prepared his way, and prepared Elijah to hear the still small voice.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It appears that another instruction to be derived from the contrast of the wind, the earthquake, and the fire with the ‘still small voice’, is that many of the problems related to God’s dealings with his rebellious human children cannot be solved quickly. Elijah demanded an immediate solution to the problem of idolatry.’ He demanded of the people, much the same prompt decision as did Joshua, who said, ‘then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve’, Joshua 24:15, but neither Joshua nor Elijah could force the issue to a conclusion in one day, or even in one generation. The nearly infinite patience with man’s sins is a mark of God’s love of the human creation.’
Elijah heard it, pulled his cloak, Matthew 3:4, over his face, Exodus 3:6, and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave and then a voice asks him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 1 Kings 19:13. He repeats what he said earlier, how he was zealous for the Lord but Israel has gone from bad to worse, and he feels that he is all alone, 1 Kings 19:14 / 1 Kings 19:10.
There’s no to waste sulking around in the desert, God has work for Elijah do to and it begins with anointing three people to be anointed, Hazael, 2 Kings 8-9, Jehu, 2 Kings 9:20 / 2 Chronicles 22:7, and Elisha, 1 Kings 19:15-16.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is almost the only place where we hear of the anointing of prophets, 1 Chronicles 16:22 / Psalms 105:15.’
There is now a great change coming but sadly it wouldn’t come in Elijah’s lifetime. The time was coming when all the kings of Israel and Judah would change, there’s a time coming when God’s leading prophet would change from Elijah to Elisha, 1 Kings 19:16. God tells him that Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu, 1 Kings 19:17.
God tells Elijah that He ‘reserve seven thousand in Israel’, 1 Kings 19:18. Later in the New Testament the apostle Paul referred to this passage as proof that despite the general apostasy of the whole of Israel, God still retained the loyalty of seven thousand persons who had not bowed the knee to Baal, Romans 11:4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Seven thousand is a perfect number and probably should be understood as a larger but indefinite multitude. This is the beginning of the doctrine of the ‘Righteous Remnant’ which receives so much attention in Isaiah, Isaiah 6:13 / Isaiah 10:20-23.’
He didn’t know that seven-thousand others didn’t bow down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him, 1 Kings 19:18. The worship of Baal not only included throwing kisses at the idol but also included literally kissing the idol itself, Hosea 13:2 / Job 31:26-27.
After leaving Hebron, Elijah finds Elisha who was ploughing with twelve yolk of oxen, 1 Kings 19:19. Interestingly, God didn’t send Elijah to a city but to a field to find his successor. It appears that Elisha was a farmer, who knew how to work and prepare the fields.
If anyone knows about patience and preparation work it’s the farmers, Ecclesiastics 3:1-2. Elijah approaches Elisha and throws his cloak around him, 1 Kings 19:19 / 2 Kings 2:9-12. This was symbolic of Elijah anointing Elisha to come to follow him.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Either this was a ceremony used in a call to the prophetic office, or it indicated that he was called to be the servant of the prophet. The mantle, or pallium, was the peculiar garb of the prophet, as we may learn from Zechariah 13:4, and this was probably made of skin dressed with the hair on, 2 Kings 1:8. It is likely, therefore, that Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha to signify to him that he was called to the prophetic office.’
It appears Elisha knew exactly what was happening, as he asks to say goodbye to his mother and father by kissing them, 1 Kings 19:20 / Luke 9:61-62 / Luke 14:25-35. When Elijah tells him to go back and asks, what have I done to you? 1 Kings 19:20, he’s basically giving Elisha permission to go back to his parents. He’s telling Elisha that he doesn’t want to put any pressure on him, it’s his choice to do so, in order to fulfil his calling as a prophet.
Elisha goes to his parents, takes his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and then he burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate, 1 Kings 19:21. Notice that Elisha became Elijah’s servant, 1 Kings 19:21 / Galatians 6:6. Although we read more about Elijah in 2 Kings 2:1-12, this in effect was the end of Elijah’s ministry as God’s prophet.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Elisha returns to his oxen and labourers. He indicates his relinquishment of his home and calling by the slaughter of the particular yoke of oxen with which he had himself been ploughing, probably the best beasts of the twelve, and by burning the ‘instruments,’ the ploughs and yokes, both made of wood. Next he feasts his people to show his gratitude for his call, Elijah apparently remaining the while and then, leaving father and mother, cattle and land, good position and comfortable home, Elisha became the ‘minister’ to the wanderer, Exodus 24:13 / Joshua 1:1.’