1 Kings Chapter 19 verses 1-18
1 Kings 19:1–18
1 Kings 18 ends the story of Elijah and the battle of the prophets. Elijah has just facilitated God’s sign in lighting the drenched altar, and then killed the prophets of Baal.
Right off the bat, we have Ahab living up to his pattern. He tells Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including killing the prophets, but the scripture doesn’t show Ahab responding with repentance or acknowledging what God had revealed. Jezebel is already a worshipper and powerful supporter of Baal, and when Ahab brings her the story of what Elijah did, she vows to have him killed in retribution within a day.
Elijah obviously is scared for his life and books it out of there.
The scripture says he went to Beersheba in Judah, which illustrates that he traveled a great distance from Jezreel in the north to the far south of Judah. He leaves his servant there and continues past Beersheba into the wilderness, where he eventually comes upon a juniper tree and sets up shop. It is under this juniper tree that Elijah is faced with his frustrations and feelings of failure. This part reminds me of the times where I have no reason to doubt myself, punish or hurt myself, but I don’t feel good enough. I feel unworthy, like a failure, despite my progress and achievements.
Elijah had just faced off against false prophets, and from what he could tell, nothing had changed. He felt alone, isolated, victorious, but targeted. When God placed him on the path to challenge the idolaters and their gods, I imagine Elijah felt hopeful and confident that, having the true God behind him, he would prove something and things would change. That’s not really how it works in the world, though. People don’t usually see and learn a truth and immediately accept it. They typically fall back on what was comfortable previously, justify it, and reject the truth.
And that’s kind of what Elijah does. He wins for God, then hears he may die because of that win, so he runs away and asks God to let him die because he isn’t better than his fathers. He is doubting himself and basically saying to God, “I’m not worthy of even this life You have given me.”
But God is patient with Elijah, and He lets him rest beneath the tree. The angel wakes him later, and Elijah is restored with food and drink, and he sleeps again. God is showing that He knows what Elijah faced and is facing, in the world and within himself. He doesn’t shame him, chastise him, or put him down. He first restores him and his strength, restoring his basic sense of safety and self-control.
Twice he sleeps, and twice he eats, before setting off on a 40-day-and-night journey to Horeb, the mountain of God, which is understood as Mount Sinai, the same place where Moses encountered God. Forty days is often used in the Bible around testing, preparation, and major change, and this fits here too because Elijah is on the cusp of another revelation from God.
It mirrors a lot of people’s lives, I think, where we do things we think are right or that move us in the right direction, but when things don’t go right, I know for myself, I beat my mind up. I could always do better or be better, and it’s hard to see the good, the change, or the progress I make. The negativity infects me and hides the positive from my rational mind.
God asks Elijah what he is doing there, and Elijah just kind of matter-of-factly complains: I did the work, I did Your work, and I’m the only person standing up for You! I’m going to be killed for it now!
But God already knows what happened. He is helping Elijah face and express what he believes so that his perspective can be corrected and he can continue in God’s will. God asks him twice, and Elijah gives almost the exact same answer twice, because, like us, Elijah is human and can get stuck inside his fear and his limited view of things.
It’s kind of like when God asks Cain where his brother is. God already knows, but He still makes Cain face the question. We are expected to make choices that lead toward God and His grace, but we can’t be expected to always make the right choices. We have to learn to face the frustrations and beliefs that tell us we are failures or worthless. When Elijah thinks he’s the only one left, all alone in his reverence for God, God reveals that He has preserved seven thousand people in Israel who haven’t bowed to Baal. Elijah is not alone.
So the wind tears into the mountain, then there is an earthquake and a fire, but the Lord is not in those powerful and dangerous events. After the chaos, Elijah hears the still, small voice. When Elijah hears it, he covers his face. God doesn’t get hung up on Elijah’s doubt, self-hate, or fear. God simply gives him another step, the next obedient and righteous movement in His will.
Elijah clearly felt overwhelmed from the altar battle and afraid after Jezebel’s promise to kill him, but God restored him. He gave Elijah purpose, and purpose is part of healing. Having something good and righteous to do with your mind and body helps soothe and align the soul.
And I personally am very aware of how often God doesn’t just take away despair and pain. He usually gives us the tools to see and understand the pain, process and reject the despair, and continue forward with hope. Hope is part of being faithful to the Father.
The way God keeps asking Elijah what he’s doing, the way He doesn’t attack him for running away, the way He restores him with food, water, shade, and sleep, and gives him strength for his journey to Horeb—there is a ton of evidence in this chapter of God’s patience and consistency. In my opinion, these are evidence of how we know and remember that we can trust and rely on God when His will feels out of reach or invisible in our daily struggles.
We can’t see all the things God is working on, even in our own lives. Our perspectives are much smaller than His efforts, and His efforts are endless!