1 KINGS LESSON 25


     We will begin this lesson in I Kings 19:1 "And Ahab told Jezebel
all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets
with the sword."

     Ahab is so excited about the presence of the LORD coming down and
consuming the sacrifice with fire, that he tells Jezebel at the first
opportunity. You would believe that such an account of the majesty of
God would cause her to stop and think of her error in having these
false prophets of Baal. Of course, Ahab is claiming this victory for
Elijah.

     I Kings 19:2 "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."

     Instead of her accepting Elijah as the man of God, she sends him
word she intends to kill him. She is taking revenge for the death of
the prophets of Baal. She made a bad mistake in her reply, when she
says, if she does not kill him, for the same thing to happen to her.

     I Kings 19:3 "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."

     Fear entered into Elijah, and he ran for his life. He knows just
how ruthless this Jezebel is. Beer-sheba was now part of Judah. It had
been Part of Simeon's holdings before. It appears, that Elijah had
carried a servant with him, and left him in Beer-sheba.

     I Kings 19:4  "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."

     Elijah is human, and he is tired of running and fighting. He
desires to die and be with the LORD. Almost everyone who has ever done
anything for the LORD has felt this same despair. Just because the
calling is of God under inspiration, does not keep someone from
feeling weary in the flesh. He had fled into the wilderness to get
away from the rejection he had encountered. The juniper tree protects
from the wind and the sun. It gives a nice shade and a place to rest.
We will find that Elijah never really dies, but is transported into
heaven without going the way of the grave. I see in this despair, a
tired man who feels he had failed God.

     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 is a very present help to those who do His will. He is with
Elijah, and sends an angel to minister to him. Probably, one of the
reasons Elijah was so tired, was because he had not taken the time to
eat. When we are tired things look much worse, than they do after we
are rested.

     I Kings 19:6 "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."

     Again, God had sent him miracle provisions. Now, that his hunger
is taken care of, he lays down to rest again.

     I Kings 19:7 "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."

     He was, probably, so tired at first that he ate very little. Now,
he is told by the angel, to eat heartily for the journey is hard.
Angels are ministering spirits sent by God to help His children.

     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."

     Elijah ate and drank as he had been instructed to. This food and
drink must sustain him for forty days and nights. Forty, throughout
the Bible, speaks of a time of trials and testing. Moses had gone
forty days and nights, when he went on the mountain to get the Ten
Commandments. Jesus was tempted forty days and nights, also. There are
few who can truly fast for that length of time with no food or water.
Mount Horeb was known as the Mount of God, because of the law of God
received there. Horeb and Sinai are the same place.

     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?"

     Elijah had run to safety from Jezebel. There were so many caves
in the area, that it would have been difficult for them to find him.
Of course, the LORD knows where we are, and what we are doing at all
times. He knows that Elijah was in the cave. I do not agree that God
was angry with him, as some of the scholars do. He had not disobeyed
God.  He had done exactly what God had asked him to do. I believe this
was a comforting Word from God, and not a reprimand. We all get weary
in our labors and our battles with the enemy. Sometimes, we too want
to run and hide. This just shows that Elijah was human.

     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."

     This is Elijah's reply to the LORD. He had boldly gone before the
prophets of Baal, even though there had been 450 of them. He had
proclaimed God to the whole land. His despair is because he believes
he is the only one left who truly believes in God. He ran, because
Jezebel had given orders to kill him. He had not run from the job God
had given him. He ran, after he completed it.

     I Kings 19:11 "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:"

     The strong wind has been mentioned many times in connection with
the LORD. We know the rushing mighty wind brought the tongues of fire
that sat on them at Pentecost. We, also, know that it was not unusual
for the LORD to be associated with an earthquake. At Mount Sinai, we
had seen this. On this particular occasion, the LORD was not in these.
The forces of nature are generally so magnificent, that they cause
people to bow to the LORD.

     I Kings 19:12 "And after the earthquake a fire; [but] the LORD
[was] not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."

     Our God is a consuming fire. Elijah had experienced that at Mount
Carmel. He is a still quiet voice to bring peace to Elijah, here. I
have discovered that the LORD is whatever we need at the time of our
crises. Elijah had been a teacher of the people through signs and
wonders. God had shown him signs and wonders here, as well. Zechariah
4:6 "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of
the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by
my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

     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?"

     Elijah was aware that you could not look upon God and live. He
wraps his face with his mantle. All of the violent wind, earthquake,
and fire cause Elijah to stay in the cave until it is over. He comes
out, when he hears the still quiet voice. This is the same question as
earlier. The difference is the first time the Word of the LORD came to
him. This time it is the audible voice of God.

     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."

     Elijah is feeling futility in telling these idolatrous people of
the LORD. He believes that all he had done was wasted. He could not
understand Ahab allowing Jezebel to try to kill him, after he had been
present at Mount Carmel. Elijah wants to do God's will, but he has
lost confidence in his own ability to change things. God was showing
Elijah in the wind, earthquake, fire, and the still quiet voice that
God works in many different ways. More people are won to the LORD by
peaceful measures, than by wars.

     I Kings 19:15 "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:"

     The physical anointing of Hazael is not mentioned elsewhere. If
Elijah did this, he did it in private. This could have been the LORD's
way of telling Elijah that Hazael was His choice to lead Syria at this
time. God raises up men of all kinds to do the job He has for them to
do at the time.

     I Kings 19:16 "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."

     This could be like the private anointing of David. It does not
have to be mentioned specifically in the Bible, for it to have been
done. I believe Elijah did just as he was commanded of God to do. It
was the will of God for Jehu to be king of Israel. Sometimes, God uses
evil men to carry out His will. God does not make them evil. They are
already evil. God just uses them. Elisha followed Elijah and served
him for about ten years. He was in training, watching everything that
Elijah did. "Elisha" means my God is salvation. The Scripture above
does not mean that Elisha is to immediately take over from Elijah, but
when Elijah ceases to prophesy, Elisha will begin.

     I Kings 19:17 "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."

     We see, in this,  that God had established Hazael to destroy the
children of Israel, who had completely turned away from God. His sword
was a physical sword, which killed the people. Elisha was a prophet of
God, and he did not physically kill the people. Elisha's sword was the
Word of God. This is speaking of slaying their beliefs with the Word
of God. Elijah had complained that the entire nation had followed
false gods. This, probably, is to reassure him that God knows about
all of that, and has it under control.

     I Kings 19:18 "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."

     All true believers in Christ can relate to Elijah, here.
Sometimes, we, too, wonder just how many other true believers are out
there. There are others, just as there was with Elijah. God reassures
Elijah that there are 7,000 that still believe. This is a small
percentage of the mass of the people. These represent the remnant, who
had never stopped worshipping God. They had not followed the ways of
the masses. They had never bowed to Baal. It appears, it must have
been the custom to kiss the hand of the idols. Sometimes, they even
kissed the idols on the mouth. This was their way of showing great
admiration for the idol.

     I Kings 19:19  "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."

     Even though Elijah had been afraid of Jezebel and ran to the
cave, he came out on command of God and immediately sought out Elisha.
As he passed by Elisha plowing in the field, he threw his mantle upon
him. This was a call for Elisha to follow him. This was saying,
someday you will take my place as prophet.

     I Kings 19:20 "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?"

     Elisha undoubtedly had heard of Elijah. He must have greatly
admired him. He, perhaps, knew what was meant by the mantle of Elijah
being thrown upon him. He wasted no time. He came immediately to
Elijah, and then asked for permission to go back and tell his parents
bye. Elijah had done what the LORD wanted him to, but he had not asked
the young man to give up his family to follow him.

     I Kings 19:21 "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."

     It is strange for a man plowing a field to kill the oxen, he was
plowing with, and use the wooden part of the plow to cook the oxen.
This farewell dinner he prepared was, also, a sign that he would no
longer be behind a plow. He had burned the plow and killed the oxen,
which broke all ties with his old life. He made a quick, but thorough,
decision to follow Elijah and serve him. We will find later that he
serves him and learns from him 10 years, before he takes his place as
priest.
















                        1 Kings 25 Questions


1.  Who did Ahab tell about the happenings at Mount Carmel?
2.  What Did Jezebel do, when she heard of this?
3.  What is the terrible mistake she made in her answer?
4.  Where did Elijah run to for safety?
5.  Where did he leave his servant?
6.  Why did he choose a juniper tree to rest under?
7.  What did Elijah ask God to do for him?
8.  What does the author see in Elijah's despair?
9.  Who came and ministered to Elijah, while he was under the juniper
    tree?
10. What had the angel brought to Elijah?
11. What did the angel say to Elijah, when he touched him the second
    time?
12. The food he ate sustained him ________ days.
13. Mount Horeb was known as the mount of ______.
14. Horeb and ______ are the same.
15. Where did Elijah hide?
16. What does the fact that Elijah wanted to run and hide show us?
17. What question did the LORD ask Elijah?
18. What answer did Elijah give him?
19. Why is Elijah in despair?
20. What were some of the things that passed by Elijah, and God was
    not in them?
21. What was God in?
22. Our God is a __________ ______.
23. Why did Elijah wrap his face in his mantle?
24. Who had Elijah lost confidence in?
25. Who was Elijah to anoint king of Syria?
26. Who shall he anoint to be king of Israel?
27. Quote 1 Kings chapter 19 verse 17.
28. How many were left, that had not bowed to Baal?
29. What unusual thing did Elijah do, that showed Elisha would be the
    prophet to follow Elijah?
30. What did Elisha do, immediately?
31. What did he ask permission to do?
32. What did the burning of his plow and the killing of the oxen show?
33. How many years did Elisha follow Elijah?