19:1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword.
Queen Jezebel did not have the opportunity to see her 450 Baal priests get humiliated and executed.
19:2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”
Elijah was a protected prophet of God. Jezebel would not be able to kill Elijah unless God allowed her to do so. Therefore, Jezebel sent messengers instead of assassins, hoping to intimidate Elijah.
19:3 Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there,
Beer Sheba is 150 miles away from Samaria. Many commentators call Elijah a coward for running away, but he was not afraid to walk into the king’s court and take on the most evil king and queen in history. Nor, was Elijah afraid to take upon 450 Baal priests all by himself at Mount Carmel.
19:4 while he went a day’s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.”
Notice that Elijah was not afraid of death. He was frustrated, because he had just given the most powerful apologetic demonstration of God in history, and he saw no conversions, no repentance, and no return to Jehovah. He was hoping that King Ahab and Queen Jezebel would repent and return Israel to the worship of the one true God. Instead, Jezebel attempted to kill a prophet who had brought divine communication and demonstration directly from God. It was against the Mosaic Law to commit suicide. Therefore, Elijah asked God to take his life.
19:5 He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden an angelic messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
The Hebrew word for “an angelic messenger” is מַלְאָךְ֙ (malak). There is no definite article, nor is it a construct noun with Jehovah, so this was not the Angel of the Lord, as some commentaries suggest. Elijah had just taken on Satan himself via the 450 Baal prophets, so he was physically, mentally, and spiritually fatigued. Elijah was not rebuked for running away from Jezebel. Instead, the angel from heaven came to encourage and strengthen him. The angel came in the appearance of a man. After being tempted by Satan directly, Jesus was also visited by angels.
19:6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more.
The angel prepared a meal for Elijah and then allowed him to get more rest. When one is depressed or involved in spiritual warfare, then rest, proper nutrition, and spending time with God through bible study is the best way to get back into the angelic warfare.
19:7 The Lord’s angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”
The Hebrew for “the Lord’s angelic messenger” is מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְהוָ֤ה (melek Jehovah), with no definite article. Therefore, this is not the angel of the Lord. The angel prepared Elijah for another divine journey.
19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Israel was fed supernaturally by manna during the Exodus. Moses was sustained for forty days and forty nights by Jehovah while he was receiving the Mosaic law on Mount Sinai. Elijah ate the supernatural food of the angel. It gave him enough energy to travel forty days and forty nights without feeling fatigue. Mount Horeb was another name for Mount Sinai, which was about 200 miles from Beer Sheba.
19:9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
Jehovah visited Elijah at night and asked him why he was spending the night in the cave.
19:10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”
Elijah offered his complaint to Jehovah. Elijah had been a loyal prophet and delivered God’s message, but the message was not accepted. Israel refused to keep the Mosaic Law. They tore down the altars of the one true God. They killed the prophets with the sword. Elijah complained that he was the only prophet left, but they wanted to kill him as well. Elijah had given a supernatural message to Israel, but the non-elect would always reject it. Jesus experienced this same reaction during his Capernaum and Galilee ministry.
19:11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.” A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Jehovah asked Elijah to go on top of Mount Sinai. This was the same place where Moses received the Mosaic Law. Moses saw the back of Jehovah pass by. Elijah was going to be given a similar experience.
A powerful wind passed by Elijah, but this was not Jehovah. An earthquake passed by Elijah, but neither was this Jehovah.
19:12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.
A powerful fire passed by Elijah, but this was not Jehovah. Then, a soft whisper passed by Elijah. Many English translations called it a “small still voice.” The Hebrew word is דְּמָמָ֥ה דַקָּֽה (dmamah daka), meaning a “small silence.”
God does not always work with big powerful miracles, like He did at the Exodus and at Mount Carmel. Most of the time, He works in small silence. Jehovah was about to use Elijah in a less dramatic way. The small silence of God is just as powerful of a testimony and just as effective of ministry as the miracle of fire from heaven. The small silence is God’s preferred method of operation.
Some charismatics claim that “a small still voice” was leading them to perform a service for the Lord. Then, they follow the instincts of their totally depraved nature. This is not the meaning of this verse. The meaning of this verse is that God performs His will through “small silence.” He performs His will by little things that sometimes are not seen or heard. It is important to remind the reader that the doctrine for the modern church age is found in Paul’s letters. The Old Testament is not modern Bible doctrine for the modern local church. The Old Testament was recorded history of how God was working in prior dispensations. The Old Testament was an example for Christians throughout history.
19:13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
God asked Elijah again, “what he was doing on top of the mountain.”
19:14 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”
Elijah repeated his earlier complaint.
19:15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.
Jehovah was going to use Elijah as his “small silence” to get rid of Baalism in Israel. First, he was going to anoint Hazael as King of Syria.
19:16 You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet.
Jehovah would use his “small silence” to anoint Jehu as the King of Israel and Elisha as the new prophet of Israel to replace Elijah.
19:17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword.
There were three steps to God’s “small silence.” First, Elijah himself would personally anoint Elisha as a prophet. Second. Elisha would anoint King Jehu of Israel and King Hazael of Syria. Third, King Hazael of Syria would kill the Baal worshipers in Israel. If any of the Baal worshipers escape, then King Jehu would kill them. If any escape from King Jehu, then Elisha himself would kill them.
19:18 I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.”
There was a remnant of 7,000 believers in Israel that Elijah did not know. Jehovah knows everyone of them by name. because He chose them before the foundations of the world were created. He planted them in Israel during this time so that He could sanctify them and glorify His own name. Jehovah has always had a remnant of Jewish believers all through history.
19:19 Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him.
Elijah found Elisha plowing in a field. Since Elisha possessed twelve oxen, then this was a very large piece of property. When Elijah threw the prophet’s mantle on Elisha, then he was transferring his office to Elisha.
19:20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you.” Elijah said to him, “Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?”
Elijah understood the symbolism of the transfer of the prophet’s mantle. He asked for permission to show proper respect to his family before his departure.
19:21 Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the meat over a fire that he made by burning the harness and yoke. He gave the people meat and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and became his assistant.
Elijah departed from his family by making an offering to Jehovah which pointed to Christ. He also prepared a large barbecue feast for his family.