1 Kings 19:1-21

19:2-3 | Elijah had just stood on Mount Carmel and withstood 450 prophets of Baal, and he had outrun Ahab to Jezreel. But the news that Jezebel was coming, he ran as fast and as long as he could. For a moment, Elijah forgot all that God had done and acted in fear rather than faith.

19:4-8 | This journey should have taken, at most, a day and a half. Instead, God spent forty days and nights preparing Elijah, as He did so many other servants of His (Gen. 7; Deut. 9; Num. 13; Matt. 4), including Moses – twice (Ex. 24;34).

19:4 | Elijah did not really want to die; he was just despondent and in need of rest and sustenance. Christians should be glad for the prayers that God does not answer, and thankful that He sifts through their prayers, interpreting their real needs and longings.

19:5-7 | God provided for Elijah’s physical needs before meeting his spiritual and emotional needs. It has been suggested that what happened to Jesus after His temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:11) was very much like what happened when the angel ministered to Elijah.

19:8 | Mount Horeb (Sinai) is where Moses received his commissioning at the burning bush (Ex. 3), and where Moses smote the rock and water miraculously came out. More importantly, on this very mountain where God instructed Moses regarding the formation of Israel, He instructed Elijah about the reformation of Israel.

19:9-21 | In answering God’s question, Elijah did what discouraged people do: he selectively – and inaccurately – reported the facts, magnifying the problem and minimizing the good. In this case, he underestimated the strength of God and overestimated the strength of the enemy. Yet God would minister to him through: (1) the demonstration of His presence, (2) the small voice, (3) the new assignment, (4) the assurance that there were still many who were like him, and (5) the supply of a ministry partner and friend.

19:11-13 | God used three signs that traditionally accompany His presence – wind, earthquake, fire (Ex. 40:38; Zech. 14:4-5; Acts 2:2-3) – to communicate to Elijah on the mountainside. His presence in the still small voice suggests that God work s in gentle ways as well as powerful ways.

19:15-16 | God would assign three men to complete what Elijah had begun in removing Baal worship from Israel, One of them, Elisha, would be God’s answer to the solitary Elijah’s need for a friend. Elisha’s name means “God Saves.”

19:19-20 | The mantle, or cloak, was an outer garment that was symbolic of the prophet’s office. Elisha wholeheartedly followed Elijah, pausing only to make a break with his old life by kissing his father and mother and destroying the yoke of oxen that were his livelihood.