1 Kings 19 Study Notes: Elijah at Horeb and the Call of Elisha
Threatened by Jezebel, Elijah flees into the wilderness and asks to die, but an angel feeds him for the journey to Horeb. There the LORD speaks in a quiet voice after wind, earthquake and fire, sends him to anoint new leaders, reveals a faithful remnant, and Elisha leaves his plow to follow.
General
How did the LORD care for Elijah as he lay asleep in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:5-8)?
Answer: An angel woke him twice and gave him bread and water
God did not rebuke Elijah; He fed him. An angel woke him with a touch and told him to rise and eat, and next to him he found freshly baked bread and water to drink (19:5-6). Elijah ate and slept again. The LORD’s angel came a second time, telling him to eat because the road ahead was more than he could manage otherwise (19:7). Sustained by that meal, Elijah traveled for forty days and nights until he came to Horeb, God’s mountain, also called Sinai (19:8). The LORD knows the weakness of His people and pities them (Psalm 103:13-14), gives strength to the weary (Isaiah 40:29-31), and sends angels to minister to His own (Hebrews 1:14).
- 1 Kings 19:5-6 (BSB)“Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.”An angel wakes Elijah and gives him bread and water.
- 1 Kings 19:7-8 (BSB)“A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”The angel of the LORD returns, tells him the journey ahead is too much for him, and the food sustains him forty days to Horeb.
- Psalm 103:13-14 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”The LORD’s compassion toward the weak is shown in this gentle care for His exhausted servant.
- Isaiah 40:29-31 (BSB)“He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”God gives strength to the weary, as He strengthened Elijah for his long journey.
- Hebrews 1:14 (BSB)“Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people, as the angel served Elijah.
Theological
What provision does the LORD make for Elijah in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:5-8)?
Answer: An angel woke him twice and gave him bread and water
The LORD’s response to Elijah’s despair is physical care: an angel wakes him and provides bread and water (19:5-6), and the LORD’s angel returns a second time, acknowledging that the journey is too great for him (19:7). Sustained by that food, Elijah travels forty days and nights to Horeb, God’s mountain (19:8). The episode displays the LORD’s compassion toward frail servants (Psalm 103:13-14), His renewal of the weary (Isaiah 40:29-31), and the ministry of angels to the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14).
- 1 Kings 19:5-6 (BSB)“Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.”An angel wakes Elijah and gives him bread and water.
- 1 Kings 19:7-8 (BSB)“A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”The angel of the LORD returns, tells him the journey ahead is too much for him, and the food sustains him forty days to Horeb.
- Psalm 103:13-14 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”The LORD’s compassion toward the weak is shown in this gentle care for His exhausted servant.
- Isaiah 40:29-31 (BSB)“He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”God gives strength to the weary, as He strengthened Elijah for his long journey.
- Hebrews 1:14 (BSB)“Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people, as the angel served Elijah.
General
What did Elijah pray as he sat alone in the wilderness beyond Beersheba (1 Kings 19:4)?
Answer: That the LORD would take his life, since he was no better than his fathers
Leaving his servant at Beersheba, Elijah walked on alone for a full day into the desert, sat down in the shade of a desert shrub, and asked to die. He told the LORD it was enough and asked Him to take his life, saying he was no better than his ancestors (19:4). Elijah’s despair was real, and the LORD did not condemn him for it. Moses (Numbers 11:14-15) and Jonah (Jonah 4:3) prayed similar prayers when overwhelmed. God’s response in the following verses is gentle care, because the LORD shows tender mercy to His people and remembers that they are dust, meaning weak and frail creatures (Psalm 103:13-14).
- 1 Kings 19:4 (BSB)“while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.””Under a broom tree in the wilderness, Elijah asks the LORD to take his life.
- Numbers 11:14-15 (BSB)“I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me. If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.””Moses, overwhelmed by the burden of the people, likewise asked God to take his life.
- Jonah 4:3 (BSB)“And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””Jonah also asked the LORD to take his life, showing that such prayers appear in the lives of other prophets.
- Psalm 103:13-14 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”The LORD has compassion on His people because He knows their frame and remembers they are dust.
Theological
What does Elijah pray in the wilderness beyond Beersheba (1 Kings 19:4)?
Answer: That the LORD would take his life, since he was no better than his fathers
Alone in the wilderness, Elijah sits beneath a broom tree’s shade and asks the LORD to take his life, confessing that he is no better than his fathers (19:4). His despair is real, and similar prayers came from Moses (Numbers 11:14-15) and Jonah (Jonah 4:3). The LORD’s answer is not rebuke but provision, reflecting the compassion of One who knows our frame (Psalm 103:13-14).
- 1 Kings 19:4 (BSB)“while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.””Under a broom tree in the wilderness, Elijah asks the LORD to take his life.
- Numbers 11:14-15 (BSB)“I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me. If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.””Moses, overwhelmed by the burden of the people, likewise asked God to take his life.
- Jonah 4:3 (BSB)“And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””Jonah also asked the LORD to take his life, showing that such prayers appear in the lives of other prophets.
- Psalm 103:13-14 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”The LORD has compassion on His people because He knows their frame and remembers they are dust.
General
When the LORD asked Elijah what he was doing at Horeb, what did Elijah answer (1 Kings 19:9-10)?
Answer: He alone was left of the faithful, and they were hunting him too
Elijah spent the night in a cave at Horeb, and the LORD asked him why he was there (19:9). Elijah answered that he had burned with zeal for the LORD, but that the Israelites had abandoned God’s covenant, pulled down His altars and killed His prophets; he alone was left, and now they wanted to kill him as well (19:10). A covenant is the binding relationship God established with Israel, and Elijah’s complaint is that the nation had broken it. He had said something similar on Carmel (18:22). Paul quotes this complaint in Romans 11:2-3, describing it as Elijah pleading with God against Israel, and then gives God’s reply.
- 1 Kings 19:9-10 (BSB)“There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.””In a cave at Horeb the LORD asks Elijah why he is there, and Elijah says he alone is left of the LORD’s faithful prophets.
- Romans 11:2-3 (BSB)“God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?”Paul quotes Elijah’s complaint against Israel, that the prophets were killed and he alone was left.
- 1 Kings 18:22 (BSB)“Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”Elijah had already told the people on Carmel that he was the only prophet of the LORD remaining.
Theological
How does Elijah answer the LORD’s question at Horeb (1 Kings 19:9-10)?
Answer: He alone was left of the faithful, and they were hunting him too
To the LORD’s question about why he is at Horeb (19:9), Elijah pleads his zeal for the LORD and indicts Israel for forsaking the covenant, tearing down the altars and killing the prophets, concluding that he alone remains and is being hunted (19:10). The claim repeats his words on Carmel (18:22). Paul cites the complaint as Elijah’s plea to God accusing Israel (Romans 11:2-3) before quoting the divine answer about the remnant.
- 1 Kings 19:9-10 (BSB)“There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.””In a cave at Horeb the LORD asks Elijah why he is there, and Elijah says he alone is left of the LORD’s faithful prophets.
- Romans 11:2-3 (BSB)“God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?”Paul quotes Elijah’s complaint against Israel, that the prophets were killed and he alone was left.
- 1 Kings 18:22 (BSB)“Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”Elijah had already told the people on Carmel that he was the only prophet of the LORD remaining.
General
After Elijah put his cloak on Elisha, what did Elisha do before following him (1 Kings 19:19-21)?
Answer: Killed his own oxen, cooked them, and fed the people
Elijah found Elisha plowing with twelve pairs of oxen, he himself driving the last pair, and as Elijah went by, he cast his cloak over him, a sign that Elisha was being called to take up the prophet’s work (19:19). Elisha ran after him and asked first to say farewell to his parents with a kiss, and Elijah told him to return, asking what he had done to him (19:20). Elisha then slaughtered his own pair of oxen, used the plow equipment as firewood to cook the meat, and fed the people with it. Then he left to follow Elijah as his servant (19:21). By destroying his oxen and their gear, Elisha left his old livelihood behind. Like Joshua, who served Moses before succeeding him (Exodus 24:13), Elisha began by serving, and like the disciples who abandoned nets and everything else to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:20; Luke 5:11), he left his old work behind for good.
- 1 Kings 19:19 (BSB)“So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.”Elijah finds Elisha plowing and throws his cloak around him.
- 1 Kings 19:20-21 (BSB)“So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.”Elisha asks to say goodbye to his parents, then slaughters his oxen, feeds the people and follows Elijah.
- Exodus 24:13 (BSB)“So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.”Joshua served as Moses’ attendant before succeeding him, a pattern like Elisha serving Elijah.
- Matthew 4:20 (BSB)“And at once they left their nets and followed Him.”The first disciples left their nets at once to follow Jesus, a like readiness to leave their work.
- Luke 5:11 (BSB)“And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.”The disciples left everything to follow Jesus, as Elisha left his oxen and plow.
Theological
What does Elisha do after Elijah casts his cloak on him, before following him (1 Kings 19:19-21)?
Answer: Killed his own oxen, cooked them, and fed the people
The cloak cast over Elisha while he plows marks him for the prophetic office (19:19). After asking leave to bid his parents farewell (19:20), Elisha slaughters his two oxen, burns the plowing equipment to cook the meat, feeds the people, and goes after Elijah as his attendant (19:21). The act renounces his former livelihood. His apprenticeship parallels Joshua’s service to Moses (Exodus 24:13), and his readiness anticipates the disciples who left nets and everything to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:20; Luke 5:11).
- 1 Kings 19:19 (BSB)“So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.”Elijah finds Elisha plowing and throws his cloak around him.
- 1 Kings 19:20-21 (BSB)“So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.”Elisha asks to say goodbye to his parents, then slaughters his oxen, feeds the people and follows Elijah.
- Exodus 24:13 (BSB)“So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.”Joshua served as Moses’ attendant before succeeding him, a pattern like Elisha serving Elijah.
- Matthew 4:20 (BSB)“And at once they left their nets and followed Him.”The first disciples left their nets at once to follow Jesus, a like readiness to leave their work.
- Luke 5:11 (BSB)“And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.”The disciples left everything to follow Jesus, as Elisha left his oxen and plow.
General
When Jezebel heard what had happened on Carmel, what did she do, and how did Elijah respond (1 Kings 19:1-3)?
Answer: She swore to kill him within a day, and he fled in fear
Ahab reported to Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including his slaying of every one of the prophets (19:1). Instead of turning to the LORD after Carmel, she sent Elijah a message swearing by her gods that within a day she would take his life as he had taken theirs (19:2). Terrified, Elijah fled to save himself, going south as far as Beersheba, a town in Judah (19:3). The prophet who had stood alone before 450 prophets of Baal now fled from one queen. Scripture is honest that the fear of people can trap even God’s servants (Proverbs 29:25), and that the answer to fear is trust in God (Psalm 56:3-4). James reminds us that Elijah shared our human nature (James 5:17).
- 1 Kings 19:1-3 (BSB)“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!” And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,”After Ahab reports Carmel to Jezebel, she vows to kill Elijah within a day, and Elijah flees to Beersheba.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man is a snare, the very danger Elijah falls into after Carmel.
- Psalm 56:3-4 (BSB)“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The psalmist answers fear with trust in God, the response Elijah struggles to make here.
- James 5:17 (BSB)“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”James reminds readers that Elijah was a man just like us, which helps explain his fear after so great a victory.
Theological
How does Jezebel react to Carmel, and what is Elijah’s response (1 Kings 19:1-3)?
Answer: She swore to kill him within a day, and he fled in fear
Informed by Ahab of everything Elijah had done, including the killing of the prophets (19:1), Jezebel, far from repenting, swears by her gods to kill Elijah within a day (19:2). Elijah, afraid, flees south to Beersheba to save himself (19:3). The narrative is candid about the frailty of the prophet immediately after his greatest public vindication. Fear of people ensnares (Proverbs 29:25), faith answers fear with trust (Psalm 56:3-4), and James’ reminder that Elijah shared our nature (James 5:17) fits this scene as well as Carmel.
- 1 Kings 19:1-3 (BSB)“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!” And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,”After Ahab reports Carmel to Jezebel, she vows to kill Elijah within a day, and Elijah flees to Beersheba.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man is a snare, the very danger Elijah falls into after Carmel.
- Psalm 56:3-4 (BSB)“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The psalmist answers fear with trust in God, the response Elijah struggles to make here.
- James 5:17 (BSB)“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”James reminds readers that Elijah was a man just like us, which helps explain his fear after so great a victory.
General
When the LORD passed by on the mountain, what came after the wind, the earthquake and the fire (1 Kings 19:11-12)?
Answer: A still, small voice
The LORD told Elijah to go out onto the mountain, for He would pass by (19:11). A powerful wind tore at the mountains and broke the rocks, yet the LORD was absent from it; an earthquake followed, and He was absent from that too; then a fire, and again He was absent. Last of all, once the fire had passed, a quiet, gentle voice was heard (19:11-12). Horeb was where God had once descended in fire and shaking (Exodus 19:18), and where He had passed by Moses while sheltering him in a crevice in the rock (Exodus 33:22). The LORD did not show Himself in the wind, earthquake or fire; after them came the quiet voice, and then the LORD spoke to Elijah (19:13).
- 1 Kings 19:11-12 (BSB)“Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.”The LORD passes by: a great wind, an earthquake and a fire, but the LORD is not in them; then comes a still, small voice.
- Exodus 33:22 (BSB)“and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.”At the same mountain the LORD had put Moses in a cleft of the rock while His glory passed by, the event this scene recalls.
- Exodus 19:18 (BSB)“Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”When the LORD came down on Sinai, the mountain was wrapped in fire and shook, the kind of display Elijah sees here without the LORD being in it.
Theological
What follows the wind, earthquake and fire when the LORD passes by at Horeb (1 Kings 19:11-12)?
Answer: A still, small voice
The LORD announces that He will pass by (19:11). A violent wind, an earthquake and a fire follow, and each time the text states that the LORD was absent from it; after the fire comes a quiet, low voice (19:11-12). The setting deliberately recalls Sinai, where the LORD descended in fire and quaking (Exodus 19:18) and passed by Moses in the crevice of the rock (Exodus 33:22). What follows is the LORD’s spoken word to Elijah (19:13).
- 1 Kings 19:11-12 (BSB)“Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.”The LORD passes by: a great wind, an earthquake and a fire, but the LORD is not in them; then comes a still, small voice.
- Exodus 33:22 (BSB)“and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.”At the same mountain the LORD had put Moses in a cleft of the rock while His glory passed by, the event this scene recalls.
- Exodus 19:18 (BSB)“Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”When the LORD came down on Sinai, the mountain was wrapped in fire and shook, the kind of display Elijah sees here without the LORD being in it.
General
True or False: When the LORD asked Elijah a second time what he was doing there, Elijah gave a new and different answer.
Answer: False
This is false. When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he wrapped his cloak over his face and moved to the cave’s entrance (19:13). Like Moses at the burning bush, who hid his face because he feared to look upon God (Exodus 3:6), Elijah covered himself in the LORD’s presence; no one may look on God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20). The LORD asked the same question a second time, and Elijah repeated his earlier answer word for word: his zeal for the LORD, Israel’s unfaithfulness, and his claim that he alone was left (19:14; compare 19:10). The LORD then responded with new commands and a promise (19:15-18).
- 1 Kings 19:13-14 (BSB)“When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.””Elijah covers his face with his cloak at the cave’s mouth, and when asked the same question, he gives the same answer.
- Exodus 3:6 (BSB)“Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”Moses hid his face at the burning bush because he was afraid to look at God, a response like Elijah’s covering his face.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””No one can see God’s face and live, which explains why those who meet Him cover their faces.
Theological
True or False: When the LORD asked His question a second time, Elijah gave a different answer from his first.
Answer: False
This is false. Elijah veils his face with his cloak and stands at the cave’s mouth (19:13), a response to the divine presence like Moses’ at the bush (Exodus 3:6), since no one may see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20). To the repeated question he gives an identical answer (19:14; compare 19:10). The LORD answers not with argument but with a renewed commission and the revelation of the seven thousand (19:15-18).
- 1 Kings 19:13-14 (BSB)“When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.””Elijah covers his face with his cloak at the cave’s mouth, and when asked the same question, he gives the same answer.
- Exodus 3:6 (BSB)“Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”Moses hid his face at the burning bush because he was afraid to look at God, a response like Elijah’s covering his face.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””No one can see God’s face and live, which explains why those who meet Him cover their faces.
General
What did the LORD tell Elijah about the faithful in Israel, and how does Paul apply it in Romans 11 (1 Kings 19:18)?
Answer: He had kept 7,000 from Baal; Paul sees a remnant elected by grace
Elijah thought he was the only faithful one left, but the LORD said He had kept back seven thousand in Israel who had never knelt to Baal or kissed him (19:18). The faithfulness of these people was not Elijah’s achievement, nor did it rest on their own strength; the LORD Himself had preserved them. Paul quotes this reply, in which God says He reserved them for Himself, and applies it directly: just so, in his own day God has kept a remnant, meaning a faithful portion, chosen by His grace (Romans 11:4-5). This is election, God’s free choice of His people, and Paul says that because it rests on grace, it does not rest on works (Romans 11:6). The Lord knows His own even when His servants cannot see them (2 Timothy 2:19).
- 1 Kings 19:18 (BSB)“Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.””The LORD tells Elijah He has kept seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal.
- Romans 11:4-5 (BSB)“And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul quotes God’s reply to Elijah and applies it to a remnant chosen by grace in his own day.
- Romans 11:6 (BSB)“And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”Paul adds that if the remnant is chosen by grace, it is not by works.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.””The Lord knows those who are His, as He knew the seven thousand when Elijah could not see them.
Theological
What does the LORD reveal about the seven thousand, and what doctrine does Paul draw from it in Romans 11 (1 Kings 19:18)?
Answer: He had kept 7,000 from Baal; Paul sees a remnant elected by grace
The LORD corrects Elijah’s isolation: He has kept back seven thousand in Israel who never knelt to Baal (19:18). The preservation is God’s own act, and in Paul’s citation of the divine answer God says He reserved them for Himself. Paul then draws the parallel explicitly, that in his own day there is likewise a remnant elected by grace (Romans 11:4-5), and he excludes works as its ground (Romans 11:6). Paul thus reads this Old Testament passage as an instance of unconditional election, God’s choice resting on His grace rather than on anything in those He chose. The Lord knows His own (2 Timothy 2:19), even when the prophet could see no one.
- 1 Kings 19:18 (BSB)“Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.””The LORD tells Elijah He has kept seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal.
- Romans 11:4-5 (BSB)“And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul quotes God’s reply to Elijah and applies it to a remnant chosen by grace in his own day.
- Romans 11:6 (BSB)“And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”Paul adds that if the remnant is chosen by grace, it is not by works.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.””The Lord knows those who are His, as He knew the seven thousand when Elijah could not see them.
General
Whom did the LORD tell Elijah to anoint to succeed him as prophet (1 Kings 19:16)?
Answer: Elisha son of Shaphat
The LORD sent Elijah back with a new task. He was to anoint three men: Hazael to rule Aram, Jehu son of Nimshi to rule Israel, and, as prophet in his own place, Elisha son of Shaphat, whose home was Abel-meholah (19:15-16). To anoint means to pour oil on someone to set them apart for a task God gives. The LORD added that judgment on Israel’s idolatry would come through all three, so that those who escaped one would fall to the next (19:17). Elijah was not alone and his work was not over; God had already chosen his successor. The LORD rules over the rise and fall of kings, even foreign ones (Daniel 2:21; Psalm 75:6-7).
- 1 Kings 19:15-16 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.”The LORD sends Elijah to anoint Hazael over Aram, Jehu over Israel, and Elisha to succeed him as prophet.
- 1 Kings 19:17 (BSB)“Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.”Hazael, Jehu and Elisha will each carry out judgment on those who escape the others.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and sets them up, including foreign kings like Hazael of Aram.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”It is God who judges, bringing one down and lifting another up.
Theological
Whom is Elijah commissioned to anoint as his prophetic successor (1 Kings 19:16)?
Answer: Elisha son of Shaphat
The LORD’s commission names three agents: Hazael to rule Aram, Jehu son of Nimshi to rule Israel, and, as prophet in Elijah’s place, Elisha son of Shaphat, whose home was Abel-meholah (19:15-16). The three will be instruments of judgment on apostate Israel, each finishing what the previous one leaves (19:17). Elijah’s complaint of isolation is answered with a provided successor, and God’s sovereignty over the thrones of both Israel and Aram is asserted (Daniel 2:21; Psalm 75:6-7).
- 1 Kings 19:15-16 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.”The LORD sends Elijah to anoint Hazael over Aram, Jehu over Israel, and Elisha to succeed him as prophet.
- 1 Kings 19:17 (BSB)“Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.”Hazael, Jehu and Elisha will each carry out judgment on those who escape the others.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and sets them up, including foreign kings like Hazael of Aram.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”It is God who judges, bringing one down and lifting another up.