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Text: 1 Kings 19
Elijah leaves the country in discouragement (vss 1-4)
- Elijah comes off a massive victory for the LORD, but his efforts aren’t going to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
- Elijah heads south to Judah, essentially leaving the north country.
- Even worse, GOD’s efforts aren’t going to be enough to turn the hearts of the people.
- Depression leads to
- Isolation (vs 4)
- Personal demands that aren’t Godly demands (vs 4)
- Cynical of God’s help (vss 4-9)
- Not the emotional energy to have real conversations.
God helps him quit (vss 5-8)
- Elijah is heading to Mount Sinai, where the Lord originally spoke to the nation. And there he is either quitting or giving up.
- The wild thing about this is that the Lord helps him get there.
God asks Elijah what the plan is now (vss 9-18)
- What doest thou, Elijah?
- The Lord speaks in a small voice.
- The Lord’s plan is made in private with his servant.
- God’s people are in some ways a bigger group than we would like to think. Romans 11:3-5 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Discouraged (vss 19-21)
- Elijah only does one of the things God asks him to do. Elisha ends up anointing Jehu in 2 Kings 9, and Hazael in 2 Kings 8.
- Elijah’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it even when anointing Elisha.
- Notice that in the next chapter Elijah is absent, but a prophet is still sent to Ahab.
- But the LORD picks back up with Elijah in 1 Kings 21 in the matter of Naboth’s vineyard.
