“When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: ‘May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.’ Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, travelling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough Adonai,’ he said. ‘Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.’ Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, ‘get up and eat!’ He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of Adonai came again and touched him and said, ‘get up and eat some more or the journey ahead will be too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of YAHVEH. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But Adonai said to him, ‘what are you doing here, Elijah?’ Elijah replied, ‘I have zealously served Adonai Elohim Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars and killed every one of Your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me, too.’ ‘Go out and stand before Me on the mountain,’ Adonai told him. And as Elijah stood there, Adonai passed by and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, ‘what are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied again, ‘I have zealously served Adonai Elohim Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars and killed every one of Your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me, too.’ Then Adonai told him, ‘go back the same way you came and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.” (1 Kings 19:1 – 15) We learn from Elijah that sometimes the most crushing desperation follows closely upon the most inspiring elation. Elijah had just experienced the crowning moment of his career. YAHVEH and he had faced down Baal and his prophets so that the cult of Baal was decimated. As a result, the rains came to end three years of drought. After the victory, Elijah had run seventeen miles in front of Ahab’s chariot. He was to say the least, feeling good! Here is a lesson learned from the living of life, even the living of life under YAHVEH: when you feel good, watch out, lest you find yourself feeling bad! Why? Because there is always a Jezebel around the next bend. Elijah felt the assault of Jezebel following YAHVEH’s victory. What did he do? He did what many people of faith have done when the going gets tough: he ran. He got out of town fast and went all the way to Beersheba, about 130 miles from Jezreel. Earlier, Elijah ran 17 miles out of exhilaration and under inspiration from YAHVEH; now he flees 130 miles out of fear and under threat from the enemy. As is usually the case, Elijah’s fleeing made him feel no better; indeed, he ran right into isolation. He felt all alone. He wanted to die. It was just too much, he had concluded. We conclude similar things sometimes. In the midst of such conclusions, we need an awareness of the same things of which Elijah needed an awareness.

1.) We need an awareness of the leadership of YAHVEH. Sometimes this leadership is experienced in dramatic ways and sometimes in not so dramatic ways. It is reported rather matter-of-factly in the above text, but Elijah’s journey demonstrates the dramatic leadership of YAHVEH. After his 130-mile journey from Jezreel to Beersheba, Elijah went on a journey to Mount Horeb in the strength of a YAHVEH-provided meal. This experience should have reminded Elijah of something he had already seen: YAHVEH can do great things to get someone to the position in which the person needs to be to serve YAHVEH. We need to be ready for the overwhelming leadership of YAHVEH. Sometimes though, we miss the leadership of YAHVEH because we are waiting for the dramatic and YAHVEH is speaking through the quiet. This truth was communicated to Elijah by the passing by of the strong wind, the earthquake and the fire, in none of which Adonai was found. Rather, Adonai was found in the still, small voice. It was that voice that called Elijah forth and spoke to him. Elijah’s experience offers a paradigm to us. First, he had success in serving YAHVEH, winning a great victory. Second, he knew the oppressive threats of the enemy. Third, he ran. Fourth, he was sustained and nurtured by YAHVEH and led in marvellous ways, the significance of which even he may have missed. Fifth, he heard the noise of inner battle as YAHVEH tried to communicate with him. Sixth, he was able to hear the still, small voice of YAHVEH only in the deathly silence that followed the wringing experiences of life. Can you hear the voice of ELOHEINU? Can you listen for His leadership? You are not alone; YAHVEH is trying to lead you beyond the desperation of your isolation.

2.) We need an awareness of the Will of YAHVEH. When Elijah first got to Horeb,
YAHVEH asked him what he was doing there. That’s interesting, considering that YAHVEH had led him there. YAHVEH knew what was going on, but YAHVEH wanted Elijah to acknowledge it and face up to it. YAHVEH wanted Elijah to get to the point where he could comprehend YAHVEH’s will and then do it. So Elijah answered with a lament: “I have been very zealous for Adonai, the King of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” Then, after all the phenomena that occurred, concluding with the still, small voice, Elijah responded to the same question with the same lament. Elijah seemed to be stuck in one gear, although we cannot tell whether his attitude had changed. This much is clear: YAHVEH twice asked Elijah for his reading of the situation and Elijah twice gave it to YAHVEH. What was undoubtedly in Elijah’s mind was a desire to know what YAHVEH was going to do to help him out. So what did YAHVEH say? “Go.” That was YAHVEH’s answer! “Go.” “Go get to work, do what I need you to do. Stop feeling sorry for yourself; remember that I am YAHVEH, remember that you serve Me and get out there and do what I tell you to do.” But that first word is so important: “Go.” Might that be what YAHVEH is saying to you? You find yourself feeling desperately alone. You have done your best; you have even had some victories won through you, but now you are on the run and you feel as though there is nothing you can do. You are straining to hear the still, small voice of YAHVEH. You may be shocked to hear YAHVEH saying, “Go!” But that may be a huge part of the answer for you. YAHVEH may be saying, “Get up and go. Do My will!”

3.) We need an awareness of the people of YAHVEH. The same old song gets old after a while and Elijah was hung up on one verse of one song. We heard him sing it on Mount Carmel: “I, even I only, am left a prophet of Adonai” (18:22). He sang it even though Obadiah had reminded him of one hundred other prophets of Adonai who were alive. Now on Horeb, he sings it twice: “I alone am left.” So Adonai reminded Elijah, “I will leave seven thousand in Yisrael, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” Seven thousand! Elijah was not alone. He was not even one of one hundred. He was one of seven thousand! You see, sometimes isolation is a reality. But other times it is only a feeling. Elijah felt alone, but he was in fact not alone. YAHVEH had many other people who were faithful and who no doubt felt much of the pain that Elijah felt. When you feel the desperation of isolation then, it is not time to shut yourself further off. To the contrary, it is time to seek out the other people of YAHVEH and to be a part of that community. We are all in this together. We need each other. YAHVEH has given us as gifts to each other. Do not deny yourself the gift of fellowship, companionship, common calling, support and community. Do you feel all alone? Remember: YAHVEH will lead you, YAHVEH will help you get on with His work and He will enable you to see the other people who are there with you and for you. You are not alone. YAHVEH is with you. The people of YAHVEH are with you. Sometimes you will feel the desperation of isolation. At that time, as at all times, it is time to turn to YAHVEH and to the people called by His Name.

Love in Yeshua
Be blessed and stay blessed!
Have a joyful day and remember to thank Yahweh יהוה for it!