Eliyah Runs Away From Izevel's Wrath

1 Melakhim 19: 1-8 reads, "19:1Ach'av told Izevel all that Eliyah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 19:2Then Izevel sent a messenger to Eliyah, saying, 'So let the mighty ones do to me, and more also, if I don't make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.' 19:3When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Be'er-Sheva, which belongs to Yahudah, and left his servant there. 19:4But 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 Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.' 19:5He lay down and slept under a juniper-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, 'Arise and eat.' 19:6He looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and laid him down again. 19:7The angel of Yahweh came again the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.' 19:8He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Chorev the mount of the Mighty One."

Yahweh Did Not Listen to Eliyah's Prayer that He Die

It should be noted that Yahweh DID NOT LISTEN to Eliyah's prayer to him that Yahweh takes away Eliyah's life! It should therefore be noted that Yahweh does not always listen to all of the prayers of his prophets!

Instead, Yahweh responded by sending him to Chorev, his mountain. In other words, Yahweh does according to his will, not our will. When it was Yahweh's will to declare to the widow in whose house Eliyah lodged, and to the rest of mankind in due course, that he indeed is Yahweh, and that Eliyah was his servant, he raised the woman's child from the dead, and gave him life again. When it was Yahweh's will to declare himself, again, as Yisrael's Mighty One, to turn the hearts of the Yisraelites again to himself, and away from Baalim and Asherahs, and to affirm Eliyah as his servant, he sent down fire from heaven, and consumed the sacrifice.

But when Eliyah prayed to Yahweh a prayer that was not in harmony with Yahweh's will, Yahweh did not do as Eliyah sought. Instead Yahweh gave him instruction concerning what next he was to do, and strengthened him appropriately to ensure that he so did what he was to do. It should therefore be noted that Yahweh answers only according to his will in any matter at any time. It is irrelevant whether the person making a request to him is his prophet or not. His will prevails.

Eliyah at Chorev, Yahweh's Mountain

1 Melakhim 19: 9-18 reads, "19:9He came there to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, and he said to him, 'What do you here, Eliyah?' 19:10He said, 'I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the Mighty One-Tzva'ot; for the children of Yisra'el have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.' 19:11He said, 'Go forth, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.' Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. 19:12And after the earthquake a fire; but Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice. 19:13It was so, when Eliyah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, there came a voice to him, and said, 'What do you here, Eliyah?' 19:14He said, 'I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the Mighty One-Tzva'ot; for the children of Yisra'el have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.' 19:15Yahweh said to him, 'Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Dammesek. And when you come, you shall anoint Chaza'el to be king over Aram; 19:16and Yahu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Yisra'el; and Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-Mecholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your room. 19:17It shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword of Chaza'el shall Yahu kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Yahu shall Elisha kill. 19:18Yet will I leave me seven thousand in Yisra'el, all the knees which have not bowed to Ba`al, and every mouth which has not kissed him."

What Was in Eliyah's Heart

Based on Eliyah's replies to Yahweh it appears that it was in Eliyah's heart to turn the children of Yisrael back again to Yahweh's covenant.

Yahweh Preserves the Righteous

It should also be noted that Yahweh preserves the righteous. For he reserved for himself seven thousand people in Yisrael who had remained faithful to him, and had not prostituted themselves in serving Baalim or Asherahs.

Yahweh Understood Eliyah's Frail Human Condition

It should also be noted from 1 Melakhim 19: 16 that Yahweh indeed heard a portion of Eliyah's prayer. For even though he refused to take away his life, he nevertheless informed him that there was coming a time when he would no longer bear the burden of his prophetic office. For he instructed Eliyah to anoint Elisha in Eliyah's stead. Yahweh therefore understood the burden of Eliyah's prophetic office, and set about to reduce it. But his manner of reducing Eliyah's burden was according to Yahweh's design, and not according to that Eliyah had proposed in his prayer to him. For Eliyah sought to rest from his labours immediately. But Yahweh instructed him on a planned resting from his labours, for he instructed him to anoint Elisha in Eliyah's stead.

It should therefore be noted that it is Yahweh's will that rules. But he also understands the frail condition of humans, and makes appropriate allowance for the frail condition of humans when his will is being performed.

Distinction Between "the Word of Yahweh" and the "Voice" Eliyah Heard

It should be noted from 1 Melakhim 19: 9 and 1 Melakhim 19: 12-13 that there is a distinction between "the word of Yahweh" and "the still small voice" that Eliyah heard. For before Eliyah "heard" the still small voice the word of Yahweh had already "come to him" and given him Yahweh's words. Later, when he heard the still small voice he received again the same words he had received a short while before by the word of Yahweh.

It should be noted that "the word of Yahweh" IS NOT "heard" with the ears, as "voices" are heard with ears! "The word of Yahweh" is communicated DIRECTLY INTO THE MIND, without hearing of ears, or seeing of eyes, or touching with any part of the body. The word of Yahweh is communicated directly into the mind independently of the five human senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell!

It should also be noted that the word of Yahweh is SEPARATE FROM human thoughts. For human thoughts come from the human mind. But the word of Yahweh is put into the human mind by Yahweh's Spirit, and Yahweh's Spirit is external to the human mind!

Eliyah Casts His Mantle on Elisha

1 Melakhim 19: 19-21 reads, "19:19So he departed there, and found Elisha the son of Shafat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Eliyah passed over to him, and cast his mantle on him. 19:20He left the oxen, and ran after Eliyah, and said, 'Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.' He said to him, 'Go back again; for what have I done to you?' 19:21He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Eliyah, and ministered to him."

It should be noted that when Elisha realised that his work of ploughing in the field had been superseded by the work Yahweh had set for him he simply left his work, and even did away with the tools he used for his work. His work had now come to an end. He was now commencing a new work of working for Yahweh!

Achav Covets Navot's Vineyard

1 Melakhim 21: 1-29 reads, "21:1It happened after these things, that Navot the Yizre`eli had a vineyard, which was in Yizre`el, hard by the palace of Ach'av king of Shomron. 21:2Ach'av spoke to Navot, saying, 'Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seem good to you, I will give you the worth of it in money.' 21:3Navot said to Ach'av, 'Yahweh forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.' 21:4Ach'av came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Navot the Yizre`eli had spoken to him; for he had said, 'I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.' He laid him down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 21:5But Izevel his wife came to him, and said to him, 'Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?' 21:6He said to her, 'Because I spoke to Navot the Yizre`eli, and said to him, "Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it." And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.' 21:7Izevel his wife said to him, 'Do you now govern the kingdom of Yisra'el? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Navot the Yizre`eli.' 21:8So she wrote letters in Ach'av's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the Zakenim and to the nobles who were in his city, and who lived with Navot. 21:9She wrote in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and set Navot on high among the people. 21:10And set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, "You did curse the Mighty One and the king." Then carry him out, and stone him to death.' 21:11The men of his city, even the Zakenim and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Izevel had sent to them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 21:12They proclaimed a fast, and set Navot on high among the people. 21:13The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. And the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Navot, in the presence of the people, saying, 'Navot did curse the Mighty One and the king.' Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones. 21:14Then they sent to Izevel, saying, 'Navot is stoned, and is dead.' 21:15It happened, when Izevel heard that Navot was stoned, and was dead, that Izevel said to Ach'av, 'Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Navot the Yizre`eli, which he refused to give you for money; for Navot is not alive, but dead.' 21:16It happened, when Ach'av heard that Navot was dead, that Ach'av rose up to go down to the vineyard of Navot the Yizre`eli, to take possession of it.

21:17The word of Yahweh came to Eliyah the Tishbi, saying, 21:18'Arise, go down to meet Ach'av king of Yisra'el, who dwells in Shomron. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Navot, where he is gone down to take possession of it. 21:19You shall speak to him, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, Have you killed and also taken possession?" You shall speak to him, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Navot shall dogs lick your blood, even your own blood."' 21:20Ach'av said to Eliyah, 'Have you found me, my enemy?' He answered, 'I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh. 21:21"Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ach'av every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Yisra'el. 21:22And I will make your house like the house of Yarov`am the son of Nevat, and like the house of Ba`sha the son of Achiyah for the provocation wherewith you have provoked me to anger, and have made Yisra'el to sin." 21:23Of Izevel also spoke Yahweh, saying, "The dogs shall eat Izevel by the rampart of Yizre`el. 21:24Him who dies of Ach'av in the city the dogs shall eat; and him who dies in the field shall the birds of the sky eat." 21:25(But there was none like Ach'av, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Izevel his wife stirred up. 21:26He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amori did, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Yisra'el.) 21:27It happened, when Ach'av heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 21:28The word of Yahweh came to Eliyah the Tishbi, saying, 21:29'See you how Ach'av humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil on his house.'"

Yahweh's Tender Mercy

Yahweh's tender mercy should be noted. For despite Achav having sold himself to do evil in the sight of Yahweh, under the stirring of his wife Izevel, when he humbled himself before Yahweh, Yahweh forgave him facing the evil pronouncement on his family. Yahweh postponed the calamity on his family, such that it would come about after his death.

It should therefore be evident that Yahweh desires that our hearts be turned to him. That we abandon any false mighty ones that we follow, and follow fully after him, upholding in our conduct all his words, including his covenant. We should also humble ourselves before him and conduct our affairs in humility. For when we do so he forgives our iniquity and imparts life to us.

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© 1998, Isaac Aluochier, All rights reserved. Published by Servants of Yahweh, P O Box 44848, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. E-mail: servantsofyahweh@serveyahweh.org. Permission is hereby GRANTED to reproduce this and other publications in the Servants of Yahweh web site, http://www.serveyahweh.org, unless otherwise stated.