Elijah Flees to Horeb
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
It is amazing how easy it is to become discouraged and to run away from God's best just because of the difficulties ahead. Elijah should have been ecstatic with what the Lord was doing and how God was using him. But opposition came in the form of a godless woman named Jezebel. Elijah was afraid. Elijah ran for his life. Elijah went into the wilderness. Elijah prayed for death to come.
First, Elijah was looking at people and not at God. He was looking at the failures of his ancestors who, after all, were only men and women. Often times the people, whom God has called to do great things, experience the power of God, but then start looking at how impossible the task is. They forget that God is our enabler, God is our supply, and God will carry us through in His purpose.
Second, we need to know that God will show up at the right time, with just what we need for that moment, and will strengthen us. The angel appeared to Elijah and told this depressed and defeated man to "Get up and eat." When Elijah woke up there was bread and a jar of water there. This was the same God who fed the children of Israel in the desert with the mana bread and the water that flowed from the Rock that followed them. God will show up on time with what we need, when we need it.
Third, this was repeated. The angel returned to repeat the command. But this time he said something we all need to know. "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you."
If God has called you to do something great then you need to know that "the journey is too much for you." BUT, God will make this journey possible because He will supply your need. Verse 7 says he ate again and that "Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights ..." This text reminds me of the Last Supper. Following that time of intimate communion the disciples, depressed and dismayed, were able to travel to Galilee where they spent the next 40 days with Jesus before returning to Jerusalem to plant the church.
Fourth, the text says "So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night."
Are you running from God's Purpose in your life? God is able to strengthen you if you will have communion with Him. Go to the mountain of God. Go to a place where God is. Go and find a hiding place in God. Find shelter in God. Get into the place where God can speak to you. This is not the end. It is just a place in the journey.
Read the whole chapter.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings+19&version=NIV
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
It is amazing how easy it is to become discouraged and to run away from God's best just because of the difficulties ahead. Elijah should have been ecstatic with what the Lord was doing and how God was using him. But opposition came in the form of a godless woman named Jezebel. Elijah was afraid. Elijah ran for his life. Elijah went into the wilderness. Elijah prayed for death to come.
First, Elijah was looking at people and not at God. He was looking at the failures of his ancestors who, after all, were only men and women. Often times the people, whom God has called to do great things, experience the power of God, but then start looking at how impossible the task is. They forget that God is our enabler, God is our supply, and God will carry us through in His purpose.
Second, we need to know that God will show up at the right time, with just what we need for that moment, and will strengthen us. The angel appeared to Elijah and told this depressed and defeated man to "Get up and eat." When Elijah woke up there was bread and a jar of water there. This was the same God who fed the children of Israel in the desert with the mana bread and the water that flowed from the Rock that followed them. God will show up on time with what we need, when we need it.
Third, this was repeated. The angel returned to repeat the command. But this time he said something we all need to know. "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you."
If God has called you to do something great then you need to know that "the journey is too much for you." BUT, God will make this journey possible because He will supply your need. Verse 7 says he ate again and that "Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights ..." This text reminds me of the Last Supper. Following that time of intimate communion the disciples, depressed and dismayed, were able to travel to Galilee where they spent the next 40 days with Jesus before returning to Jerusalem to plant the church.
Fourth, the text says "So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night."
Are you running from God's Purpose in your life? God is able to strengthen you if you will have communion with Him. Go to the mountain of God. Go to a place where God is. Go and find a hiding place in God. Find shelter in God. Get into the place where God can speak to you. This is not the end. It is just a place in the journey.
Read the whole chapter.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings+19&version=NIV