Request your free, three-month trial to Tabletalk magazine. You’ll receive the print issue monthly and gain immediate digital access to decades of archives. This trial is risk-free. No credit card required.
Try Tabletalk NowAlready receive Tabletalk magazine every month?
Verify your email address to gain unlimited access.
Moments come in the world of sports that leave you asking, How did this happen? Imagine that a baseball team blows a six-run lead in the ninth inning. How could such an abrupt shift from victory to defeat take place in so little time?
The same question comes to mind when we approach the opening of 1 Kings 19. In the previous chapter, Elijah had just prayed for fire from heaven, had defeated the false priests of Baal, and had them all struck down. Elijah then prayed for water, and the Lord sent water after all the years of drought. The Lord then sent Elijah to Jezreel, and Elijah arrived more speedily than Ahab on his chariot. The plot of chapter 18 sets us up for Elijah’s victory lap, as he approaches Jezebel at Jezreel.
But then chapter 19 begins, and we find an abrupt shift from victory to defeat. After Ahab tells Jezebel what has happened in verse 1, Jezebel responds to Elijah with a terrible threat in verse 2, and immediately fear grips Elijah in verse 3. We are told that “he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life.” By verse 4, Elijah either has given up or is suffering from severe depression. Either way, he asks the Lord to take away his life. What, then, are we to do with this abrupt shift? As the chapter goes on, we can learn two useful lessons. First, no matter how strong we are, we all will face difficulties. Second, no matter how greatly we struggle, the Lord never forsakes us.
Elijah’s transition from strength to weakness between chapters 18 and 19 is certainly a lesson for each of us as Christians. Whether we are working on the mission field, serving as an officer in a church, or caring for our families in our daily Christian lives, we must realize that there will be good times and bad times. We must not allow the wonderful heights in our pilgrimage to convince us that no more bad days are in store. Nor should we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by difficult seasons. Our Lord is with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us.
God’s faithfulness is on display throughout this chapter. After Jezebel’s threat in verse 1, we hear from the Lord in verses 5–21. He watches over Elijah with preservation, faithfulness, and assistance. Twice, an angel is sent (vv. 5, 7) to give Elijah sustenance and to encourage him to arise and continue his journey. For forty days and forty nights (sound familiar?), Elijah is preserved in his journey in verse 8. We also see the Lord’s faithfulness, when He meets with Elijah (vv. 9–18). Twice Elijah laments that God’s people have forsaken His covenant (vv. 10, 14), and yet the Lord remains faithful. The Lord meets with Elijah, as He met with Moses (vv. 11–13). Furthermore, the Lord promises to send Elijah assistance from Hazael, Jehu, Elisha, and seven thousand who will not bow to Baal. Therefore, whether we read these words in a season of joy or sorrow, it is good to see that our faithful God will never forsake us.