In 1 Kings 17, Elijah confronted a wicked king with the truth from God that judgment had come upon the land in the form of a severe drought. God then sent Elijah away for 3 ½ years where He miraculously provided for him with unclean birds and a foreign widow. God also used Elijah to provide for this poor widow and her son, even raising the boy from the dead.
In chapter 18, Elijah returned to Israel to judge and confront Ahab and the Baal worshipers. In an awesome display of God’s power, Elijah showed that the God of Israel was the one true God. Elijah had the false prophets killed, then prayed for the Lord to send rain, which he did. Elijah was so excited by this tremendous victory that the Bible tells us in 1 Kings 18:46 that he ran all the way back to Jezreel, a distance of some 20-30 miles.
But instead of a hero’s welcome for turning the people back to the one true God and ending a severe drought, Elijah is instead met with the news that Jezebel is determined to kill him. Instead of basking in the glow of a great victory, Elijah instead has to flee to the southernmost part of Judah where he finally sits down under a broom tree and asks God to take his life.
Elijah experienced the depths of fatigue and discouragement just after his two great spiritual victories. Often discouragement sets in after great spiritual experiences, especially those requiring physical effort or involving great emotion. In 1 Kings 19:4 Elijah says what we have all said at one time or another “I have had enough”.
This morning, we will wrap up our study of Elijah by looking at 1 Kings 19. Praying everyone has a blessed week.
In Christ,
Gary T.