Prophet on the run

1. Prophet on the run 1 Kings 19:1-9

2. No Sugar Coated Heroes • The Bible tells us: • Noah = built an ark vs. Noah got drunk and was exposed before his sons. • Abraham = great father of faith vs. twice he lied about his wife Sarah in order to save his own skin. • Jacob = his great exploits of faith vs. he cheated his brother Esau and others during his lifetime. • Moses = parting of the Red Sea vs. murdered Egyptians and how he struck the rock in defiance of the Lord’s command and was denied entrance into the Promised Land. • David = great victory over Goliath vs. his adultery / murder of Uriah the Hittite. • Peter = he walked on water vs. three times denied the Lord. • When the Bible paints the picture of its great heroes, it does not just use the light colors of victory and happiness and joy. It also paints the full portrait with the dark colors of sadness, difficulty, depression, defeat, sin and temptation. That is certainly the case when we come to the story of Elijah.

3. 1 Kings 19:1-9 1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”  3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

4. 1 Kings 19:1-9 All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.     And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

5. The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat • Recap: • 850 to one (450 prophets of Baal/400 prophets of Asherah) • The prophets of Baal danced/ moaned/ groaned/ prophesied / cut themselves = nothing. • Elijah prayed a simple prayer asking God to demonstrate his mighty power that the hearts of the people might be turned back to the Lord. • Fire from heaven came down • “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” • Prophets of Baal were slaughtered • The rains came after 3+ years • The story ends with Ahab telling Jezebel all that had happened – this story begins here. • Elijah runs south to Mount Horeb (a.k.a Mount Sinai) – battling depression (vs. 3,4)

6. Elijah’s Condition Examined • “Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ’May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them’” (vv. 1-2). • How does Elijah respond to Jezebel’s threat? • He was gripped by fear and doubt (v. 3) • He reacted impulsively - ran north into the desert • He wanted to be alone (v. 3) – he left his companion behind when what he needed was to be surrounded by those who cared • He allowed himself to be controlled by dark thoughts (v.4) • John the Baptist = New Testament equivalent • Out of Prison (John 1:29) vs. In Prison (Matthew 11:3)

7. Elijah’s Condition Diagnosed • Three things have happened to Elijah to bring him to this breaking point. They can also happen to us. • First, he was overstrained mentally. It is possible to be under so much pressure for such a long period of time that the spring of life is wound so tightly that eventually it must break. • The late Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys, was fond of saying “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” • You are not as smart as you think you are, and neither am I. • You are not as clever as you think you are, and neither am I. • You’re not as resourceful as you think you are, and neither am I. • You’re not as good under pressure as you think you are, and neither am I. • You’re not as strong as you think you are, and neither am I. • You’re not as wise as you think you are, and neither am I. • Elijah was overstrained mentally. He had pushed himself until he could push no longer.

8. Elijah’s Condition Diagnosed • Three things have happened to Elijah to bring him to this breaking point. They can also happen to us. • Second, he was exhausted physically. • Jesus told his disciples to “Come apart and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31 KJV) • Vance Havner was fond of saying, “If we do not come apart and rest awhile, we will simply come apart.” • There is a time when you need to get up and go to work, and there is a time when you need to lay down and take a nap. • Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. (vs. 5-6)

9. Elijah’s Condition Diagnosed • Three things have happened to Elijah to bring him to this breaking point. They can also happen to us. • Elijah was out of touch spiritually. Verse 3 says that “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” • The Hebrew text contains a phrase that disappears in some modern translation – “and when he saw” • His mind is overstressed. His body is physically exhausted. And now his eyes are off the Lord and they’re on his circumstances. • When he was on the mountain, all he could see was God. • But now in his state of emotional exhaustion, he sees Jezebel, he hears Jezebel, and where normally he would have stood his ground, he turns pale, runs for cover, keeps on running, and doesn’t stop till he ends up in a cave on Mount Sinai hundreds of miles away.

10. Conclusion • So this is where we will leave the mighty prophet of God for the moment. He cowers in a cave, wishing to die, feeling utterly alone, lost in his own despair. But as we will see next time, God is not through with his servant yet. Though he ran as far and as far as he could, Elijah could not outrun the Lord. God has much more work for him to do so Elijah can’t stay in the cave forever. Though he made many mistakes, he is still God’s man.