“Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a
jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.”
Elijah had just seen an incredible victory by God. It was a serious mountain top
experience. Apparently though, it did
not produce the reaction he was expecting from the leaders and people in the
northern kingdom. Elijah became
discouraged. When we get discouraged and
frustrated, typically the next thing to come along is a pity party. "Elijah failed in the very point at
which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is
the wisest man who proves himself to be the greatest fool; just as the meekest
man, Moses, spoke hasty and bitter words. Abraham failed in his faith, and Job
in his patience; so, he who was the most courageous of all men, fled from an
angry woman." (Charles Spurgeon)
This angry woman, Jezebel, wanted Elijah dead within 24 hours, or she
swore her gods would kill her. Think
about it, these were empty threats against her own life, since God had just
proven through Elijah that her gods do nothing.
But, scripture tells us, Elijah ran for his life. Ironically though, when he gets all by
himself in the wilderness, he tells God he has had enough and he prayed to
die. “The work was stressful,
exhausting, and seemed to accomplish nothing. The great work on Mount Carmel
did not result in a lasting national revival or return to the Lord. Perhaps
Elijah had especially hoped that the events on Mount Carmel would turn around
Ahab and Jezebel and the leadership of Israel in general. If so, Elijah forgot
that people reject God despite the
evidence, not because of the
evidence. When Elijah examined the
apparent failure of his work, he instinctively set the blame on his own
unworthiness. It was because he was a sinner as the rest of his ancestors that
the work seemed to fail.” (David Guzik) The
pity party is on, and now Elijah lay down to sleep, maybe hoping he would die
in his sleep.
This is where the angel prepares food for Elijah and wakes
him up to eat and drink. We have such a
good God, mighty to save. Instead of
answering Elijah’s discouraged, pity driven prayer, God lovingly restores
Elijah’s physical well-being. God will
correct Elijah’s attitude, but first God gently tends to Elijah’s immediate
need. Twice Elijah is told to eat this
cake from the angel. And he is told that
he must have strength for the coming journey.
It was some amazing cake because, we are told by scripture, Elijah had
no need for food for 40 days as he wandered through the desert to the mountain
of God at Horeb.
Now God questions “What are you doing here?” But Elijah answers ‘why’ he is there, not
‘what is he doing.’ In Elijah’s answer,
we see the pity party in full, with facts twisted out of proportion. “So he
said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of
Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your
prophets with the sword, I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’”
(1 Kings 19:10) Now God tells Elijah to
stand on the mountain, very likely the same place God passed by Moses. Elijah goes but he does not hear God’s voice
in the strong wind, or in the earthquake, or in the fire, but in a still small
voice. But it was the same question,
which Elijah still did not answer properly.
Our gracious God did not reprimand Elijah but rather gave him
instructions on what to do next. What
was Elijah doing in the cave? The answer
is: nothing. God still had work for him – but God
patiently helped restore Elijah. After
giving specific instructions to Elijah about his assignment, God finally
corrects Elijah. “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not
bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings
19:18) “Even in the worst of times, God
will not leave Himself without a remnant and a witness. When we feel isolated
and all alone, we aren’t. God is at work
in hearts that we never see.” (Charles
Stanley)
"Elijah said, 'It is enough,' yet it was not enough
even for his own enjoyment, for the Lord had more blessings in store for him .
. . It was so with Elijah, for he was to have that wonderful revelation of God
on Mount Horeb. He had more to enjoy, and the later life of Elijah appears to
have been one of calm communion with his God; he seems never to have had
another fainting fit, but to the end his sun shone brightly without a cloud. So
it was not enough; how could he know that it was? It is God alone who knows
when we have done enough, and enjoyed enough; but we do not know." (Charles
Spurgeon)
Not only did God say ‘no’ to Elijah’s prayer to die, but God
took Elijah before he died! I thank God
for this passage in scripture, because we can see that when things do not work
out for God like we thought they would, we can remember it is not about us and
what we think – God must have something else in mind. His ways are not our ways, and we need to
trust Him with that. Keep that in mind
next time you get discouraged. And pray
for the lay leaders of your church, and your pastor, especially if he has had a
mountain top experience. It is at this
point, when he may have been expecting one thing, and in his exhaustion only
sees failure, he needs the encouragement from the flock and strengthening from
your prayers. Get together with some brothers and sisters in church, take him some angel food
cake, and remind him of this passage. Confirm to him that God has more for him to enjoy!
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
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