Devotionals

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1 Kings 19

Here is something for us guys to ponder: a godly coward. Some of like to think we are so brave and bold, especially when we have the Scriptures with their veracity and have all kind of knowledge about how we can prove Jesus really rose from the dead.

It seems intriguing, when we look at the Jews and what they venerate. When one looks at their history, or their accounting of it we find two prophets that keep being mentioned. One is Moses, because of the exodus of the Hebrews and the Law. The other is Elijah because of his boldness and political victories with Judah’s enemies.

Elijah is almost like a Jewish Bruce Willis. One can almost imagine him flying in through a window on a rope brandishing his sword (a machine gun if they had one then). Remember his greatest victory, killing 850 prophets, 450 of the god of Baal, and 400 of Asherah.

So imagine one guy against 850 men. Even if with some help, that exploit is a pretty amazing thing to overcome so many men. Of course then, Elijah just could not be afraid of any obstacle or enemy, right?

Wrong! In the next chapter we find hothead Jezebel, a woman, threatening Elijah by saying she was going to kill him the same way he killed her prophets. Does he stand up to her: no, he runs! According to the text after he runs from Carmel to Jezreel, then after Jezebel’s threat to Beersheba to drop off his servant. Jezreel and Beersheba are about 30 miles apart, but then he runs a full day (8-12 hours) into the wilderness. That is anywhere from 45 to 75 miles distance, after walking from Beersheba.

Now stop and think of this, he kills maybe over 800 prophets and stays, but runs from one woman a distance of around 100 miles. Something does not add up. Is it not like a man to be so inconsistent in character? He had to be really frightened to run such a distance, almost seeming in a blind state because he runs to a wilderness. This sounds like a man who has lost his mind, doing something that makes no sense, like many of us when we are terrified. James rightly states that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” So since he is a prophet of the Biblical God, what does that God do about him?

Does He get bent? Does He give up on Elijah?

Actually God does something very intriguing, even encouraging about His prophet. He sends an angel, not to say something to him, but to send him some food. This makes a great deal of sense because Elijah acts and talks like a man that is afraid and depressed. He is almost suicidal talking about death. He sleeps a lot, something someone might do when they are depressed. I have heard psychiatrists tell me that depression is anger turned inward. I rather see depression coming from fear, as I have known so personally, even recently. I have often gone from fear right into depression. Sometimes my depression lets me forget to do certain simple every-day things like eating. So God sought to meet Elijah’s basic needs: sleep and food. It seems the food has supernatural qualities because Elijah lives on it for the next 40 days, the distance he further covers. The next place he goes to is a place of significance for a descendent of Hebrews: Mount Horeb, which is a summit of Mount Sinai, where Moses and the people of the Exodus went. He seems to be looking for something of spiritual significance. Many depressed people need to look for something bigger than themselves because depression can come from a loss of perspective or purpose. I know that too well myself.

Then He seeks to meet Elijah’s spiritual needs of a depressed man, first by allowing him to continue his journey to Horeb. Ending up in a cave he spends the night as if he is waiting for something, which is a pretty good idea when one is depressed. What matters is what one is waiting for. After a whole night, probably a seeming long one, Elijah hears a voice, God’s, saying something simple and searching,

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

His prophet’s response is the words of a depressed man, very self-centered. He is suffering from “I” disease. “I have been very zealous”, “I alone am left,” “they come to take my life”. Depression is a problem of selfishness, compounded by a self-absorbed frame of mind. What is needed is for Elijah to look beyond himself, hence the question. “What are you doing, Elijah? Do you realize what you are doing? Do you see where you are taking yourself? Where did your depression take you? How did you end up in this desert?” Elijah’s cave is an indication of who he is at the time, a man withdrawn to himself. So God tells him to step out and look. Depression needs a renewed perspective, a start-over.

Elijah does not respond so quickly, even with all he sees: winds breaking rocks, an earthquake and fire. It is wondrous to note that apparently Elijah can tell there is a separation of the natural act from the supernatural Actor. God was not in those things, like a person sticking his finger in a glass of water to stir it. He stirred the water, but he was not in the water.

God repeats His question again. Here it states that God speaks in “a still small voice.” It is the voice of a friend who is very patient and sensitive. I do not know about you, but when I am discouraged the last thing I need is someone spouting off at me in anger or frustration. 1 Thessalonians says to comfort the fainthearted and uphold the weak. The Lord seems to be practicing what He is preaching. It maybe like if a believer ends up in a place he has no business being, only to be stumbled across by a fellow-believer asking the same thing, “What are you doing here?” only we might wonder what the second believer is doing there as well. But it is not beneath the Lord to pursue His own, like a loving Father.

All this happens, only to have Elijah make the same statements. He has not changed his perspective yet, even with the power of the Lord shown before him. In seeming continuing patience God quietly assigns more work for His prophet. He knows Elijah needs purpose, something to do for the Lord. That is the answer for a God’s children; to work for their God. He seems to know that Elijah will respond to it and continue on because he does exactly that. The Lord is also quick to point out that Elijah is not alone as he thought he was, because He tells him that there are others also working for the same Being. Depressed people need to be reminded they are not alone.

Even spiritual people get depressed. Read the Psalms of David, many of which sound like a man who cannot see beyond himself, a depressed individual. Many times David realizes he needs to look to the Lord or, “hope in God.”

So even bold Elijah “wimped out”; it took the Lord to remind him who he was. It seems God let the prophet see His power, to remind him of Mount Carmel. Depressed spiritual people need help in recalling who they are working for. We need to see Who is bigger than us, yet not so big on Themselves to speak like a Friend. God says nothing that is like a rebuke but simply gives Elijah a new set of orders and sends him off.

God met Elijah right where he was, without reproach. He met him according to his need.

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