1 Kings 19:14 (RSV) 14He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
Saint Paul admonishes you and I to avoid thinking too highly of ourselves but “with sober judgment.” Elijah began to fall into the trap that is so easy to do. He went from seeing himself as a great man of God, to the only person on the face of the earth who was serving God.
Now his life was threatened and he was afraid to die. So he ran away. When he stopped he sat under a Juniper tree. It was a dry place located in the most southern part of Judea. He went as far away from the threat as possible. Commentators debate his motivations. Some say he wanted to die, while others say he wanted to be spiritually renewed. Most translate the pertinent phrase in verse four, “that I might die” but it would also be rendered, that God might “take charge of my life.”
He goes into the dessert hills alone. Seeking solitude is a terrible mistake in times of stress. That he left the Northern Kingdom Israel and traveled to the most southern part of the Southern Kingdom of Judea indicates that it was not merely for political reason he left. He could have sought the protection of the King of Judea but he did not. His was not a tactical retreat. I think he was worn out, mentally spent. His relationship with God was so strained that he wanted to die.
What did God do? He sent an angel to minister to Elijah. God first gave him sleep. Then the angel prepared a meal for him, so he would have strength to travel to Mt. Horeb. There he found a cave. God showed him his place. He confronted him with the absurd claim that he was the only one who was living for God. Elijah was depressed because he thought too highly of himself. This led to loneliness and isolation. This led to a false view of reality.
God makes Elijah a mentor to Elisha. He prepares the younger prophet to take his place. Finally, this man who wanted to die is not allowed to die. He is taken directly to Heaven in a whirlwind of fire.
I think we each are visited by a discouragement from time to time. God is so understanding and so good in such times to provide for our most practical needs – sleep and food. Then, in due time, God restores order to our lives.
Bear patiently your exile and the dryness of your mind. The time will come when I will make you forget these painful moments and you will enjoy inward quietness. I will open the Bible for you and you will be thrilled by your new understanding of my truth.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
Loneliness is the first thing that God’s eye nam’d not good.
John Milton (1608–1674)
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