Elijah—a Time To Flee, To Learn, And To Return Series

Introduction: Sometimes after a positive experience, something awful comes along. These could be trials; they could be threats; they could be any number of things but one thing is for sure: the one who is going through it, probably wishes “I don’t want to go through this!”

Elijah had a set of experiences that he probably wished he didn’t have to go through but he endured through it all. Proving he was as human as we are, we’ll see a few of his emotions as we study this chapter.

1 A Time to Flee

Text: 1 Kings 19:1-8, KJV: 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 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. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 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. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 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. 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. 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

The events of chapter 18, the contest at Mount Carmel, were probably still fresh in Elijah’s mind while he and his servant were resting at Jezreel. Elijah had sent his servant to warn Ahab, king of the Ten Northern Tribes, that a downpour was coming and that he should get moving. Then Elijah had run before Ahab and his chariot all the way from Mt Carmel (implied) to Jezreel (see 1 Kings 18:45-46). That was a distance of perhaps 15-30 miles, depending on where they actually departed and arrived (per an on-line map at https://bibleatlas.org/full/jezreel.htm).

I’ve never been much of a runner, myself, and would think long and hard about running even one or two miles, even in my youth! Now imagine. let’s say, a 20-mile run, in the dark, and during what some would call a blinding rain. Elijah was probably trying to get some rest after all this while Ahab was telling his wife, Jezebel, all about what had happened the day before.

And Jezebel was furious! It’s bad enough she was a thorough, out-and-out heathen, she also sent one of the most threatening messages any man has ever received. Jezebel’s message in sum was, “The same thing you did to my prophets, I’ll do to you, tomorrow about this time (paraphrased)’.

I personally would not have wanted to be the messenger whom Jezebel sent! I mean, he didn’t have a whole lot of options: if he didn’t deliver the message, Jezebel could and probably would make his life absolutely miserable. If and when he reached Elijah, he may have heard about the fire falling from heaven—and figure, “I may be the next to be burned up!” (That did happen some years later, when Ahab’s son sent two squads of 50 men to arrest Elijah!)

Now, if Jezebel intended to scare Elijah, that tactic worked, Splendidly. I remember reading a message by the late Dr. Oliver B, Greene in which he wrote he would rather have over a dozen lions and tiger each coming after him instead of one evil woman! Elijah may have well felt the same way. He likely knew, or at least had heard, about all she had done to God’s true prophets in the Northern Tribes.

As a result of this message, threat, whatever anyone wants to call it, Elijah either yielded to fear or decided to take the safest course—he ran for dear life! From Jezreel he ran to Beersheba, one of the southernmost parts of all Israel, and left his servant there. But he didn’t stop there, at Beersheba; instead he went another day’s journey into the wilderness. No doubt he was worn out, physically and emotionally, but he found a “juniper tree” and slept there. Hastings’ Dictonary of the Bible mentions that this tree may well be one of the broom trees which grow in that part of the world, reaching a height of 7 to 8 feet according to (https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hastings-dictionary-of-the-bible/juniper). Plenty of shade, then, so he could get plenty of rest!