1 Kings 19 ~ he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree

1 Kings 19

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.

And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.


Sitting under a tree. These exceedingly hot days of Texas had me thinking about Abraham dwelling voluntarily under the huge Oaks of Mamre. Jesus told Nathaniel, He had seen Nathaniel under the tree in the first chapter of John's Gospel. Nathaniel replied that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus said a seed of faith grows in to a huge tree where the birds of the field would gather in the branches. Stories of inner reflections. Becoming prayer. This is where relationship begins and dwells.

We remember the Prophet Elijah with so many amazing stories of faith. Yet Elijah did not dwell in abundance. His Works from God came from famine, drought, a cave. The earthquake, the fire and the whisper are about HIM. Not Elijah. The abundance of Elijah are the Works of God, not Elijah's abundance.

In complete contrast, Elisha is found plowing with twelve oxen. This is abundance. Try to find a photo of someone plowing with twelve oxen on the internet - you can't find that photo. We love to compare and contrast the two e-guys. The truth is we all have gifts and abilities. It's the Father who encourages us to use our abilities to grow into the fruit He provided us to be.


Psalm 29
A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.


We could go into a study comparing and contrasting Elijah to Elisha. This just isn't needed. The miracle is part of Psalm 29. Elisha could have seen HIM in the earthquake or in the fire. It would be the way He chose to reveal Himself to Elisha. Like David.

2 Peter 1:21
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Isn't it a fact, we are told the Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit. We have to walk with faith saying to ourselves, this is true. We never are explicitly told. The work actually is HIS.

All of these gifts are HIS. We don't ever see Elijah saying I'm better than Elisha, we only see a human story of Elisha praying fervently - give me twice the Holy Spirit. Why? Elisha was probably worried he would muck things up.

Ephesians 3:18
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The miracle is to see - God sees us completely. Transparently. Trans Parently. And He chooses to Love us.


1 John 4:19

We love him, because he first loved us.

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