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Commentary on 1 Kings 19 verses 1–8
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. 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. 1. Ahab incensed Jezebel against him. That queen-consort, it seems, was in effect queen-regent, as she was afterwards when she was queen-dowager, an imperious woman that managed king and kingdom and did what she would. Ahab's conscience would not let him persecute Elijah (some remains he had in him of the blood and spirit of an Israelite, which tied his hands), but he told Jezebel all that Elijah had done (Kg1 19:1), not ton convince, but to exasperate her. It is not said he told her what God had done, but what Elijah had done, as if he, by some spell or charm, had brought fire from heaven, and the hand of the Lord had not been in it. Especially he represented to her, as that which would make her outrageous against him, that he had slain the prophets; the prophets of Baal he calls the prophets, as if none but they were worthy of the name. His heart was set upon them, and he aggravated the slaying of them as Elijah's crime, without taking notice that it was a just reprisal upon Jezebel for killing God's prophets, Kg1 18:4. Those who, when they cannot for shame or fear do mischief themselves, yet stir up others to do it, will have it laid to their charge as if they had themselves done it. 2. Jezebel sent him a threatening message (Kg1 19:2), that she had vowed and sworn to be the death of him within twenty-four hours. Something prevents her from doing it just now, but she resolves it shall not be long undone. Note, Carnal hearts are hardened and enraged against God by that which should convince and conquer them and bring them into subjection to him. She swears by her gods, and, raging like one distracted, curseth herself if she slay not him, without any proviso of a divine permission. Cruelty and confidence often meet in persecutors. I will pursue, I will overtake, Exo 15:9. But how came she to send him word of her design, and so to give him an opportunity of making his escape? Did she think him so daring that he would not flee, or herself so formidable that she could prevent him? Or was there a special providence in it, that she should be thus infatuated by her own fury? I am apt to think that though she desired nothing more than his blood, yet, at this time, she durst not meddle with him for fear of the people, all counting him a prophet, a great prophet, and therefore sent this message to him merely to frighten him and get him out of the way. for the present, that he might not carry on what he had begun. The backing of her threats with an oath and imprecation does not at all prove that she really intended to slay him, but only that she intended to make him believe so. The gods she swore by could do her no harm. 3. Elijah, hereupon, in a great fright, fled for his life, it is likely by night, and came to Beer-sheba, Kg1 19:3. Shall we praise him for this? We praise him not. Where was the courage with which he had lately confronted Ahab and all the prophets of Baal? Nay, which kept him by his sacrifice when the fire of God fell upon it? He that stood undaunted in the midst of the terrors both of heaven and earth trembles at the impotent menaces of a proud passionate woman. Lord, what is man! Great faith is not always alike strong. He could not but know that he might be very serviceable to Israel at this juncture, and had all the reason in the world to depend upon God's protection while he was doing God's work; yet he fled. In his former danger God had bidden him hide himself (Kg1 17:3), therefore he supposed he might do so now. 4. From Beer-sheba he went forward into the wilderness, that vast howling wilderness in which the Israelites wandered. Beer-sheba was so far distant from Jezreel, and within the dominion of so good a king as Jehoshaphat, that he could not but be safe there; yet, as if his fears haunted him even when he was out of the reach of danger, he could not rest there, but went a day's journey into the desert. Yet perhaps he retired thither not so much for his safety as that he might be wholly retired from the world, in order to a more free and intimate communion with God. He left his servant at Beer-sheba that he might be private in the wilderness, as Abraham left his servants at the bottom of the hill when he went up into the mount to worship God, and as Christ in the garden was withdrawn from his disciples, or perhaps it was because he would not expose his servant, who was young and tender, to the hardships of the wilderness, which would have been putting new wine into old bottles. We ought thus to consider the frame of those who are under our charge, for God considers ours. 5. Being wearied with his journey, he grew cross (like children when they are sleepy) and wished he might die, Kg1 19:4. He requested for his life (so it is ion the margin), that he might die; for death is life to a good man; the death of the body is the life of the soul. Yet that was not the reason why he wished to die; it was not the deliberate desire of grace, as Paul's, to depart and be with Christ, but the passionate wish of his corruption, as Job's. Those that are, in this manner, forward to die are not in the fittest frame for dying. Jezebel has sworn his death, and therefore he, in a fret, prays for it, runs from death to death, yet with this difference, he wishes to die by the hand of the Lord, whose tender mercies are great, and not to fall into the hands of man, whose tender mercies are cruel. He would rather die in the wilderness than as Baal's prophet died, according to Jezebel's threatening (Kg1 19:2), lest the worshippers of Baal should triumph and blaspheme the God of Israel, whom they will think themselves too hard for, if they can run down his advocate. He pleads, "It is enough. I have done enough, and suffered enough. I am weary of living." Those that have secured a happiness in the other world will soon have enough of this world. He pleads, "I am not better than my fathers, not better able to bear those fatigues, and therefore why should I be longer burdened with them than they were?" But is this that my lord Elijah? Can that great and gallant spirit shrink thus? God thus left him to himself, to show that when he was bold and strong it was in the Lord and the power of his might, but of himself he was no better than his fathers or brethren. 6. God, by an angel, fed him in that wilderness, into the wants and perils of which he had wilfully thrown himself, and in which, if God had not graciously succoured him, he would have perished. How much better does God deal with his froward children than they deserve! Elijah, in a pet, wished to die; God needed him not, yet he designed further to employ and honour him, and therefore sent an angel to keep him alive. Our case would be bad sometimes if God should take us at our word and grant us our foolish passionate requests. Having prayed that he might die, he laid down and slept (Kg1 19:5), wishing it may be to die in his sleep, and not to awake again; but he is awakened out of his sleep, and finds himself not only well provided for with bread and water (Kg1 19:6), but, which was more, attended by an angel, who guarded him when he slept, and twice called him to his food when it was ready for him, Kg1 19:5, Kg1 19:7. He needed not to complain of the unkindness of men when it was thus made up by the ministration of angels. Thus provided for, he had reason to think he had fared better than the prophets of the groves, that did eat at Jezebel's table. Wherever God's children are, as they are still upon their Father's ground, so they are still under their Father's eye and care. They may lose themselves in a wilderness, but God has not lost them; there they may look at him that lives and sees them, as Hagar, Gen 16:13. 7. He was carried, in the strength of this meat, to Horeb, the mount of God, Kg1 19:8. Thither the Spirit of the Lord led him, probably beyond his own intention, that he might have communion with God in the same place where Moses had, the law that was given by Moses being revived by him. The angel bade him eat the second time, because of the greatness of the journey that was before him, Kg1 19:7. Note God knows what he designs us for, though we do not, what service, what trials, and will take care for us when we, for want of foresight, cannot for ourselves, that we be furnished for them with grace sufficient. He that appoints what the voyage shall be will victual the ship accordingly. See how many different ways God took to keep Elijah alive; he fed him by ravens, with multiplied meals - then by an angel - and now, to show that man lives not by bread alone, he kept him alive forty days without meat, not resting and sleeping, which might make him the less to crave sustenance, but continually traversing the mazes of the desert, a day for a year of Israel's wanderings; yet he neither needs food nor desires it. The place, no doubt, reminds him of the manna, and encourages him to hope that God will sustain him here, and in due time bring him hence, as he did Israel, though, like him, fretful and distrustful.
“The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ ” Elijah was sleeping under a tree. Now an angel came to him and woke him up (sleep was weighing him down because of his fatigue, affliction and discouragement) and provided him with strength and comfort through the meal that he prepared for him. The nourishment of the prophet consisted of bread baked in the ashes and his drink of water. “And he said, ‘The journey will be too much for you,’ ” that is, “you will not escape the affliction which you fear, through your death, as you believe, but through your flight. Therefore the journey is too long for you, and it is not like going to Cherith, a place close by. Rather, you are leaving for a distant location among foreign people where you will get peace and prosperity. That is why, until you are allowed to do so, you must eat and drink and prepare yourself to be strong enough for a long journey, because in a barren and desert land, you will not find any food.”Allegorically the bread baked in the ashes, which the vigilant [the angel] offers to Elijah, has two different meanings: on the one side, it immediately shows the toils of penitence which the ashes symbolize perfectly, since they are a figure of mourning and of a contrite heart; the unleavened bread soaked in ashes and the water are also the food of the poor and the miserable. But we can say, with greater accuracy, that they are figures of all the righteous, for whom the providence of the Creator has established a course of life in the paths of privation. Therefore he leads them through much suffering, privation of food and a severe fast in order to purify them completely from all the filth of earthly things. Then he guides them to the mountain, which is the perfection and the accomplishment of the saints.
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SUMMARY
After his monumental victory on Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah experienced profound physical and emotional collapse, fleeing into the desolate wilderness from Queen Jezebel's death threat. Overwhelmed by despair and wishing for death, he sought refuge under a broom tree, where he succumbed to utter exhaustion. This pivotal verse marks the tender beginning of God's direct intervention, as an angel gently awakens him with a touch and a simple, life-giving command to eat, initiating a process of divine sustenance and restoration for His weary servant.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices that enhance its impact. Irony is strikingly evident in the stark contrast between Elijah's recent display of immense power on Mount Carmel—where he called down fire from heaven—and his current state of utter helplessness and despair under a tree, highlighting the profound human frailty even of God's mightiest prophets. The Symbolism of the juniper (broom) tree is powerful; it represents a place of desperate refuge and despair, yet it paradoxically becomes the unexpected site of divine encounter and tender care. The angel's Divine Intervention is a clear deus ex machina, a direct and miraculous act by God to rescue His servant from the brink of death and despair, emphasizing His active presence and personal concern for His people even in their darkest moments. The simple, direct commands ("Arise and eat") also contribute to the narrative's Conciseness and impact, focusing on immediate needs and practical provision, underscoring God's practical and compassionate approach to human suffering.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This passage profoundly illustrates God's compassionate care for His servants, even when they are at their lowest point of despair and exhaustion. It challenges the notion that spiritual strength precludes human weakness, demonstrating that God understands and ministers to physical and emotional needs as foundational to spiritual well-being. The divine provision of rest and food, delivered by an angel, underscores God's active involvement in the lives of His people, not just in grand miraculous displays, but in the tender, personal details of their suffering. This intervention is not a rebuke but an act of grace, designed to restore and re-equip Elijah for his continued prophetic journey, revealing a God who intimately cares for the whole person.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Elijah's experience under the broom tree offers a timeless lesson in human vulnerability and divine compassion. It reminds us that even the most spiritually robust individuals are susceptible to burnout, fear, and despair. God does not condemn Elijah for his weakness but meets him precisely in his brokenness, providing basic physical needs—rest and nourishment—before offering any further spiritual guidance or mission. This teaches us the critical importance of self-care, acknowledging our limits, and allowing ourselves to receive help, whether from God directly, through supportive community, or even professional assistance. In a world that often glorifies relentless striving and productivity, this passage serves as a powerful counter-narrative, affirming that sometimes the most spiritual act is to rest, to be still, and to allow God to minister to our deepest needs, trusting that His provision is sufficient to renew our strength for the journey ahead. It encourages us to embrace our humanity, knowing that our weaknesses do not disqualify us from God's care but rather invite His tender and powerful intervention.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Elijah under a juniper tree, and what is its significance?
Answer: Elijah was under a "juniper tree" (more accurately, a broom tree, Hebrew rotem) because he had fled into the desolate wilderness, utterly exhausted and despairing after Queen Jezebel threatened his life. He sought refuge and wished for death in this remote, barren place (1 Kings 19:3-4). The broom tree is common in desert regions and provides sparse but crucial shade, symbolizing a place of temporary, desperate refuge. Its significance lies in its transformation from a place of despair and isolation into the unexpected locus of divine intervention. It highlights that God meets us precisely where we are, even in our lowest and most desolate moments, turning a place of collapse into a site of compassionate care and renewed hope.
What is the significance of the angel's touch and command?
Answer: The angel's touch (Hebrew: naga') is highly significant because it represents a direct, tangible, and personal act of divine care. It's not a distant voice or a grand display, but an intimate physical contact that breaks through Elijah's profound isolation and despair. This gentle touch initiates the process of divine provision, emphasizing God's tender concern for His weary servant. The angel's command, "Arise and eat," is equally significant in its simplicity and practicality. It prioritizes Elijah's immediate physical needs—rest and nourishment—before any spiritual instruction or rebuke. This demonstrates God's understanding of human frailty, recognizing that physical restoration is often a prerequisite for spiritual and emotional recovery. It underscores that God cares for our whole being, not just our spiritual state, and provides for us holistically.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The divine provision for Elijah under the broom tree profoundly foreshadows Christ's compassionate ministry to the weary and broken. Just as God sent an angel to physically nourish Elijah, Jesus, the Bread of Life, continually offers spiritual and physical sustenance to those who are exhausted and despairing. In the wilderness, Elijah was sustained by miraculous food; similarly, Jesus fed the multitudes in the wilderness, demonstrating His power to provide for every need (Matthew 14:13-21). More deeply, Christ embodies the ultimate divine care, inviting all who are "weary and heavy-laden" to come to Him for rest for their souls (Matthew 11:28-30). His own experience in Gethsemane, where an angel strengthened Him in His agony (Luke 22:43), resonates with Elijah's encounter, revealing God's unwavering commitment to sustain His servants through their darkest trials. Ultimately, the angelic provision for Elijah points to Jesus as the one through whom God fully provides for our deepest needs, offering not just physical sustenance but eternal life and spiritual renewal through His body and blood, the true bread from heaven.