Elijah flees from Jezebel 1 Kings 19:1-18
19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs 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 broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a] 13 And when Elijah heard it,he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
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After Elijah killed hundreds of the Baal prophets after the account on Mount Carmel where Elijah shows the prophets of Baal that the only living god is Jehovah. With Ahab seeing the incident, he then told of the massacre to Jezebel. She then sends a messenger to Elijah, confronting and making death threats.
Jezebel claimed that she would kill Elijah. But why didn’t she send troops instead of only a messenger? Just like the enemy’s accusation. They are all false and without power. What makes us think that it is more powerful than us? Without knowing the Word, one could fall, but there is a remedy and that is the power of Jesus!
All of this happened at Elijah’s spiritual peak, whenever there is about to be victory, watch out because that’s when the enemy is going to hit you the hardest, why? Because it is of God, anything that God gives you the enemy wants to take it away, he wants your life to be miserable.
Where will faith lead you? It led Elijah into a cave. But before we start pointing fingers at Elijah. Let’s examine ourselves. When we don’t get what we want, do we pout or jump up and down? No one likes playing the waiting game, I know I don’t. What about the job offer that never came up or you are still there at that place of employment but yet the position never came open. What is it in your life that has made you been in the cave. Is it fear?
ENEMY’S THREATS ARE EMPTY
Once we start to learn his strategy of how he works against the believer, we have a better understanding how to come against him. Only with the Word, the Bible is our only line of defense; to quote and to know scripture. When Jesus was tempted, did He just walk away? Or just tell the Devil “leave me alone”? No, He used the Word. We are called to contend with the faith but yet without knowing the Word how do we stand firm in the Word of God? We won’t be able too. God has defeated the enemy, it is our duty to be firm in the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ and not fall.
This is why we must have a continued deposit of the Word of God and not lean on our own understanding. We may think we know it all but when the enemy comes are we going to ignore the temptation or the circumstance or call on God for the wisdom that we can only achieve from and that is the Word of God.
2. THE EFFECTS OF FEAR
Fear always leads one away from the Will of God
Faith always lead one toward the Will of God
Fear will hold you back
Faith will push you forward
Fear isolates
Faith motivates
Fear steals your joy
Fear condemns you
Elijah was lodged in a cave; fear isolates the believer thinking that it is impossible to get out of. It makes you think about the current situation that is at hand. Why did I do this? Or Why do I have to go through this.
When we let fear control our life instead of faith. The outcome isn’t going to be great. Trust in God.
1 John 4:18
8”There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
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