But it is quite otherwise he is neglected whom God honoured no respect is paid to him, nor care taken of him, nor any use made of him, but, on the contrary, the land of Israel, to which he had been, and might have been, so great a blessing, is now made too hot for him. One would have expected, after such a public and sensible manifestation of the glory of God and such a clear decision of the controversy depending between him and Baal, to the honour of Elijah, the confusion of Baal's prophets, and the universal satisfaction of the people-after they had seen both fire and water come from heaven at the prayer of Elijah, and both in mercy to them, the one as it signified the acceptance of their offering, the other as it refreshed their inheritance, which was weary-that now they would all, as one man, return to the worship of the God of Israel and take Elijah for their guide and oracle, that he would thenceforward be prime-minister of state, and his directions would be as laws both to king and kingdom. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die and said, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life for I am not better than my fathers. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. Elijah's Flight from Jezebel (906 B.C.)ฤก And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. How his hands were strengthened, at his return out of banishment, by the joining of Elisha with him, ver 19-21. How he conversed with him, and manifested himself to him ( ver 9, 11-13), heard his complaint ( ver 10-14), directed him what to do ( ver 15-17), and encouraged him, ver 18. How he was met, in his banishment, by the favour of God, his covenant-friend. How he was driven into banishment by the malice of Jezebel his sworn enemy, ver 1-3. When people will not learn it is just with God to remove their teachers into corners. In this chapter we have him again absconding, and driven into obscurity, at a time when he could ill be spared but we are to look upon it as a punishment to Israel for the insincerity and inconstancy of their reformation. We left Elijah at the entrance of Jezreel, still appearing publicly, and all the people's eyes upon him.