Elijah Flees From Jezebel

Topic: Fear
Passage: 1 Kings 19:1–7

August 21, 2022

Commentary

 

 

Jezebel had not been on Mount Carmel and only heard what her husband reported to her (vv. 1-5). Elijah’s treatment of her prophets made her very angry, so she sent a message to him that she was going to kill him within 24 hours in retaliation for his slaughtering of the 450 prophets of Baal. Upon receiving this warning Elijah was terrified. This seemed strange after all the boldness he had just demonstrated but evidently his fear came from the power Jezebel possessed.

 

Rather than resting in God for His protection as he had for the past three and one-half years, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way across the kingdom of Judah to the southern town of Beersheba.

 

Still fearful he might be discovered by Jezebel’s spies he told his servant to stay behind and watch while he traveled alone one more day’s journey (about 15 miles) into the Negev desert. Finally he sat down under a broom tree (a desert bush that grows to a height of 12 feet and provides some, though not much, shade) and rested. He was so discouraged he prayed that he might die.

 

Elijah woke at the touch of a divinely sent messenger (vv. 6-8). This angel woke Elijah, perhaps after he had slept for some time, and urged him to eat some food, since the journey he had ahead of him would require much energy. Moses and the Israelites had traveled in that wilderness for 40 years, sustained by the manna God had provided for them and learned lessons of His faithful care and provision. Now Elijah would traverse the same desert for 40 days and nights, sustained by the bread God provided and would learn the same lessons. A direct trip from Beersheba to Mount Horeb (the ancient name for Mount Sinai would have taken Elijah only about 14 days on foot (a distance of approximately 200 miles).

 

Application

 

 

Elijah had forgotten the lessons God had been teaching him at Zarephath, and Carmel. His eyes were on his circumstances rather than on the Lord. Exhausted and discouraged, Elijah lay down and fell asleep. Lord help me to not soon forget the lessons you have taught me and become discouraged.

 

1 Kings 19:1– 7 (NET)

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”

3 Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. Suddenly an angelic messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. 7 The angel of the Lord came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”

Elijah Flees From Jezebel

Topic: Fear
Passage: 1 Kings 19:1–7

May 6, 2022

Commentary

 

 

Jezebel had not been on Mount Carmel and only heard what her husband reported to her (vv. 1-5). Elijah’s treatment of her prophets made her very angry, so she sent a message to him that she was going to kill him within 24 hours in retaliation for his slaughtering of the 450 prophets of Baal. Upon receiving this warning Elijah was terrified. This seemed strange after all the boldness he had just demonstrated but evidently his fear came from the power Jezebel possessed.

 

Rather than resting in God for His protection as he had for the past three and one-half years, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way across the kingdom of Judah to the southern town of Beersheba.

 

Still fearful he might be discovered by Jezebel’s spies he told his servant to stay behind and watch while he traveled alone one more day’s journey (about 15 miles) into the Negev desert. Finally he sat down under a broom tree (a desert bush that grows to a height of 12 feet and provides some, though not much, shade) and rested. He was so discouraged he prayed that he might die.

 

Elijah woke at the touch of a divinely sent messenger (vv. 6-8). This angel woke Elijah, perhaps after he had slept for some time, and urged him to eat some food, since the journey he had ahead of him would require much energy. Moses and the Israelites had traveled in that wilderness for 40 years, sustained by the manna God had provided for them and learned lessons of His faithful care and provision. Now Elijah would traverse the same desert for 40 days and nights, sustained by the bread God provided and would learn the same lessons. A direct trip from Beersheba to Mount Horeb (the ancient name for Mount Sinai would have taken Elijah only about 14 days on foot (a distance of approximately 200 miles).

 

Application

 

 

Elijah had forgotten the lessons God had been teaching him at Zarephath, and Carmel. His eyes were on his circumstances rather than on the Lord. Exhausted and discouraged, Elijah lay down and fell asleep. Lord help me to not soon forget the lessons you have taught me and become discouraged.

 

1 Kings 19:1– 7 (NET)

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”

3 Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. Suddenly an angelic messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. 7 The angel of the Lord came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”

Elijah Flees From Jezebel

Topic: Fear
Passage: 1 Kings 19:1–7

October 20, 2019

Commentary

 

 

Jezebel had not been on Mount Carmel and only heard what her husband reported to her (vv. 1-5). Elijah’s treatment of her prophets made her very angry, so she sent a message to him that she was going to kill him within 24 hours in retaliation for his slaughtering of the 450 prophets of Baal. Upon receiving this warning Elijah was terrified. This seemed strange after all the boldness he had just demonstrated but evidently his fear came from the power Jezebel possessed.

 

Rather than resting in God for His protection as he had for the past three and one-half years, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way across the kingdom of Judah to the southern town of Beersheba.

 

Still fearful he might be discovered by Jezebel’s spies he told his servant to stay behind and watch while he traveled alone one more day’s journey (about 15 miles) into the Negev desert. Finally he sat down under a broom tree (a desert bush that grows to a height of 12 feet and provides some, though not much, shade) and rested. He was so discouraged he prayed that he might die.

 

Elijah woke at the touch of a divinely sent messenger (vv. 6-8). This angel woke Elijah, perhaps after he had slept for some time, and urged him to eat some food, since the journey he had ahead of him would require much energy. Moses and the Israelites had traveled in that wilderness for 40 years, sustained by the manna God had provided for them and learned lessons of His faithful care and provision. Now Elijah would traverse the same desert for 40 days and nights, sustained by the bread God provided and would learn the same lessons. A direct trip from Beersheba to Mount Horeb (the ancient name for Mount Sinai would have taken Elijah only about 14 days on foot (a distance of approximately 200 miles).

 

Application

 

 

Elijah had forgotten the lessons God had been teaching him at Zarephath, and Carmel. His eyes were on his circumstances rather than on the Lord. Exhausted and discouraged, Elijah lay down and fell asleep. Lord help me to not soon forget the lessons you have taught me and become discouraged.

 

1 Kings 19:1– 7 (NET)

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”

3 Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. Suddenly an angelic messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. 7 The angel of the Lord came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”