Inspiring Example

All I can say is Jezebel must have been some kind of thug girl.  When she vowed revenge on Elijah, he ran to the wilderness in fear.  He begged God to die.  But God sent His angels to minister to him instead.  To fortify him for the journey ahead.  Elijah is like so many of us, after we have this moving experience with the Lord, a great spiritual victory if you will, become depressed and let down because real life and problems intrude on our relationship with God and we feel the separating.

God asks Elijah a question.

[1Ki 19:9 ESV] 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?"

Elijah responds.

[1Ki 19:10 ESV] 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."

So God requests that Elijah go stand on Mt. Horeb.

[1Ki 19:11-12 ESV] 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.

God asks him again, "what are you doing here Elijah?"

Elijah responds the same.

[1Ki 19:14 ESV] 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."

Ahh, Elijah feels alone and afraid of what might happen.  He forgets that God is with him, protecting him.

God tells him:

[1Ki 19:18 ESV] 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."

Even when we are doing great things for the Lord and in close relationship with Him, our view is quite myopic; usually not past the end of our nose.  While we are not good at seeing the bigger picture, God is.  God wasn't only working through Elijah, He was arranging many details for what was to come next.

Elijah was a great prophet.  The portion of his testimony in 1 Kings is amazing and inspiring.