So Ahab ate and drank—but Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and cast
himself upon the earth with his face between his knees, and he said to
his servant: "Go up now and look towards the sea."
And the servant returned, saying he could not see anything.
Then Elijah said: "Go—" seven times. And when he came back the seventh
time, he said he could see a little cloud in the sky, no bigger than a
man's hand.
So Elijah hurriedly sent a message to the king, to prepare his chariot,
and get to his home quickly, or the rain which was coming would stop
him!
And as he spoke, the heavens became black with clouds, and there was a
great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he ran before Ahab's
chariot, right to the entrance of Jezreel.
But when Ahab told his wife, the wicked queen, Jezebel, that all her
prophets were dead, Jezebel sent a message to Elijah that she would
kill him, as he had done the prophets of Baal, by that time the next
day!
And now, Elijah, who had been so wonderfully strong and full of faith
for this great scene, fled for his life when he heard the threat of
Queen Jezebel!
Hungry, thirsty, tired-out, he fled till he had passed Beersheba, and
had gone a whole day's journey into the desert, before he felt he might
be safe from Jezebel! Here he cast himself under a juniper tree, and
asked the Lord to let him die!
Poor Elijah! For one brief moment his faith failed him! If God had
answered his prayer, Elijah would have missed the great honour of going
up to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire without death at all!
And let us pause here, just to think for a moment about our own prayers.
It seems to me that we are encouraged to tell God everything; and then
we are wise to leave the choice with Him: asking Him to do that which,
in His wisdom and love, He knows to be best for us.
So the poor wearied Prophet prayed that he might die; and then
overpowered with fatigue, he fell asleep. And meanwhile God was
preparing for him, while he slept—as He does so often for His faithful,
and sometimes faithless, children—and behold! An angel touched him, and
said to him: "Arise and eat!"
And when he looked up, there was a little cake of bread, freshly baked,
and a cruse of water standing ready by his pillow!
And he ate and drank; and then, still so weary that he could hardly
hold up his head, he slept again!
Then the angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him, and
said: "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee!"
Oh, the compassion of God, Who knows just how we feel! So Elijah
obeyed; and he went in the strength of that food, for forty days and
forty nights, till he reached Horeb, the Mount of God, where he found a
cave and lodged there.
By and by he heard a Voice from the Lord speaking to him, and it said:
"What doest thou here, Elijah?"
Then Elijah said: "I have been very jealous for the Lord, but now the
Children of Israel have forsaken my God, and I, even I, am the only one
left, and they are going to kill me!"