1 Kings Chapter 19

Elijah Flees to Sinai

¹ Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah had done, and how he’d killed the prophets with the sword. ² She sent a messenger to Elijah, “The gods do so to me and more, if I don’t make your life like theirs by tomorrow at this time.” ³ He fled for his life to Beersheba in Judah and left his attendant there. ⁴ He went on a day’s journey into the open country and sat down under a juniper tree, “That’s enough, Yahveh. Take my life. I’m no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ He lay down and slept under the tree, and an angel touched him, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked and at his head was a loaf of bread baked on hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and lay back down. ⁷ An angel of Yahveh came a second time and touched him, “Get up and eat some more, or the trip will be too much for you.” ⁸ He ate and on the strength of that food went for 40 days to Horeb/Sinai, the mountain of God. 1 Kg 19:1-8

Yahveh Speaks to Elijah

⁹ He came upon a cave and stayed there, and a message from Yahveh came to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ He said,

“I’ve been zealous for you because Israel has abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to kill me.”

¹¹ He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in my presence.” Yahveh was passing by! A gale was tearing the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces in Yahveh’s presence, but Yahveh wasn’t in the wind. After the wind an earthquake came, but Yahveh wasn’t in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, fire came, but Yahveh wasn’t in the fire. After the fire the sound of a gentle whisper came. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. A voice came to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”     1 Kg 19:9-13

¹⁴ He said,

“I’ve been zealous for you because Israel has abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to kill me.”

¹⁵ Yahveh told him,

“Go back on the road to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram, ¹⁶ anoint Jehu Ben-Nimshi king of Israel, and anoint Elisha Ben-Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ The one that escapes from Hazael’s sword, Jehu will kill, and the one that escapes from Jehu’s sword, Elisha will kill. ¹⁸ I’ll preserve 7,000 in Israel, who haven’t bowed to Baal and haven’t kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

¹⁹ He left and found Elisha plowing with 12 yokes of oxen; he was with the twelfth. Elijah went over and threw his mantle on him. ²⁰ He left the oxen and ran after Elijah, “Let me kiss my parents. Then I’ll go with you.” He told him, “Go on back, but think about what I’ve done for you.” ²¹ He went back, took a yoke of oxen, sacrificed them, and boiled their meat with the yokes. He gave it to the people to eat. Then he got up and followed Elijah as his assistant.               

1 Kg 19:14-21