Learning From Elijah

The prophet Elijah has long been an inspiration, albeit an intimidating individual, for me. (The intimidation may come from years of Christian cartoons depicting him as a very authoritative, somewhat angry and aggressive man. I don’t know why that is the preferred representation.) A giant in the faith, Elijah’s supernatural feats include, but are not limited to: raising a boy from the dead,^[1] calling down fire from heaven to consume a water-saturated alter,^[2] outrunning horse-drawn chariots,^[3] and even ascending to heaven in a whirlwind.^[4]With feats like these, how can you be anything but inspired? Inspirational—without a doubt. Relatable, however, is a more challenging application of his life for me. After all, Elijah’s exploits are legendary and mine are … well … they’re less so.

Be that as it may, when I stop comparing the circumstances of our lives and engage with Elijah’s humanity, vulnerably displayed in his story, I find insight and wisdom strikingly applicable to my own faith journey. If you’ve spent any significant time in Sunday School or Children’s Church, you probably know the story of Elijah’s showdown with Ahab, Jezebel and their idolatrous prophets. After God humiliates the other prophets by consuming the saturated alter with fire, (and then has those prophets killed) He uses Elijah to bring an end to a 7-year drought, and then supernaturally empowers Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot. This was a big win. Like a really big win. Or so we would think. But something interesting happens to Elijah after these miraculous victories. Jezebel threatens to kill him and Elijah flees.

But he himself went on 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 he said, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.

I Kings 19:4

It is easy, at first glance, to dismiss Elijah here as being a tad melodramatic. After all, he just participated in some of the most memorable miracles in Biblical history, what does he have to be so upset about?? The footnote in my study Bible gives a little clue to Elijah’s emotions. The author writes: 

“In spite of Elijah’s great triumph in the trial at Mount Carmel and the dramatic demonstration that Elijah’s God is the Lord of heaven and earth and the source of Israel’s blessing, Jezebel is undaunted. Hers is no empty threat, and Ahab has shown that he is either unwilling or unable to restrain her. Elijah knows that one of the main sources of Israel’s present apostasy is still spewing out its poison and that his own life is in danger … Elijah concluded that his work was fruitless and consequently that life was not worth living. He had lost his confidence” ^[5]  

Even after he won this incredible victory, he was like, “We still didn’t win?! All that for nothing God, it didn’t work. The people are still rebellious and so all I’ve done is pointless.” While most of us would view bringing down fire from heaven as a phenomenal accomplishment, (how many of us have wished for that kind of power?) Elijah saw his actions as fruitless and just wanted to give up and die. Why? Because his objective wasn’t the miracles: his goal was to change the hearts and minds of the people. Jezebel’s death threat, and the people’s assumed cooperation with her plan, had him utterly defeated because it revealed that his goal wasn’t accomplished. Elijah’s objective, the motivation behind his sacrifices and feats in opposition to the enemy, was to show the people who their God truly was and convince them to turn their hearts back to Him. But because that didn’t happen, even in the face of an awesome display of God’s majesty, Elijah felt like a failure.

Now, I want you to remove the context of this situation from your mind for a minute—not to diminish its significance in any way, it’s legendary for a reason, but to help us see how often we too arrive at the same place Elijah did, for the same reasons. Our lives rarely experience nation-altering battles with world leaders and their minions. (I say rarely, because some of you may actually be out there kicking butt and taking names at this level.) But we can, perhaps, relate to that feeling of making a huge investment in something (or someone) or pursuing cherished dreams and then experiencing the deep despair of unrealized goals or unfulfilled desires. Proverbs 13:12 says that “When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing …” (TPT). I think it’s safe to say, Elijah felt depressed. And I also think it’s fair to say that when, no matter how spectacularly we have tried to achieve our goals, things still fall through, fail or disappoint, we can feel the same heaviness of “fruitlessness” and despair Elijah did.  

Another point I find interesting in Elijah’s moment here is how contradictory his emotional response is from what an outsider might assume his reaction should be. If Elijah had gone to a group of friends in this emotion, I can guess at the encouragement they would’ve offered. Something like, “Why so down E-man? Dude, do you remember what you just did out there? For real bro, you crushed it! No need to feel so down, you’re basically a superstar, so own it man and be proud of yourself.” (Yes, this is exactly how it sounds in my head.) The evidence of the circumstances makes it very difficult for those of us observing the situation to understand how Elijah could be so depressed. There’s a gap in empathy because Elijah appears to have won. When those around us analyze and evaluate our circumstances as successful or label us as accomplished, it will be difficult for them to comprehend how we could feel disappointment. This is why it is not only important to know others by the heart, but to also know ourselves in the same way. I’ve sat with those who have been in this frustrating mental conflict where they feel discouraged and down, but can easily label their lives as “successful.” Then they condemn themselves for being discouraged. They say things like, “I have nothing to complain about, I don’t know why I’m not okay.” Friends, know the true desires of your heart so you can identify why you feel fruitless or disappointed.

Which leads me to another insight from Elijah’s journey: true contentment and peace will only come when I am living out my God-given purpose. Elijah was a prophet, commissioned by God to speak for Him and encourage the people of Israel to turn their hearts toward God. Elijah understood his purpose. As a result, anything less felt like failure. External (or worldly) measures of success will never bring satisfaction if they don’t also align with our God-given purpose. If you’ve attained everything in life you thought you wanted, and it still doesn’t satisfy, look deeper. There is likely a more noble, God-inspired dream in your heart worth pursuing. Conversely, if you are a person who has bravely followed your heart and made the investment and sacrifices necessary, cooperating with God’s design for your life, remember that there can still be set-backs and discouragement. Even the mighty Elijah experienced it. It’s okay if others don’t understand. And it’s okay if you find it challenging. The rest of Elijah’s story helps us see how God meets us in that place. 

First, God sustains us.

He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” Then he looked and behold, there at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a hoar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 

1 Kings 19:6-7

I’ve heard wonderful messages about how God met Elijah’s physical needs in this moment and how important it is for us to do the same for ourselves. Elijah was worn out: he experienced a huge physical output. The Lord met him there and took care of him. We are physical beings (as well as soulful and spiritual) and that piece of ourselves needs care and attention too. I agree wholeheartedly. The point can also be applied more generally though. In whatever weakness we experience, and no matter our distress or defeat, God meets us there and sustains us. He has exactly what we need to both recover and prepare for the next process…

Yes, it was likely that Elijah was physically tired. But God seemed to think he had a lot left to give because Elijah eats two meals before he must travel up a mountain without food for forty days. 

So he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

 I Kings 19:8

It is important to take care of your whole self: body, soul and spirit. God understood Elijah needed rest and food and provided that for him. However, you may also find God graciously sustains you in and past limits you think you have. After everything Elijah had just done, he had more to do. The more included a forty day and forty night fast while trekking up a mountain to meet God. Alignment and cooperation with God’s purpose for your life may require doing hard things like going the extra mile even when you feel like a loser. Take heart, He will sustain you in all that He requires of you.

Second, God is patient to continually purify our desires and enlighten our perspective.

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your alters and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 

1 Kings 19:9-10

Elijah was discouraged that the people didn’t turn their hearts back to God, even though God displayed His mighty hand and proved His superiority. As a result, Elijah wanted God to use that same strength to fix the problem and annihilate the people. Elijah’s despair convinced him that the situation was hopeless. His solution then, was to wipe everybody out, including himself, because things weren’t going to get better.

Can anybody else relate to the whole give-up-and-start-over feeling that comes with despair? When dreams aren’t realized, it’s totally natural to feel as if it’s all a lost cause and you just need to throw in the towel and find a new dream. I think defeat shrinks the imagination and limits our ability to consider alternate solutions. We believe quitting is the only option because we can’t see our way forward.

But again, God.

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking 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. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

Before I discuss my interpretation of the Lord’s behavior here, I have to give a shoutout to Eli in this moment. The man knew His God. He knew when and where God showed up and wasn’t distracted or confused by all the crazy happening around him. I desire to be that attuned to His voice and presence. It also shows me that intimate communion with God does not guarantee a life without discouragement or despair. Elijah knew his God well and his emotions still tanked. On the flip side, his example also shows me that experiencing those emotions doesn’t negate our faith. In his pit, Elijah still knew God’s presence. He found God in the midst of his negative emotion.

Back to the Lord’s object lesson. 

God first displays His strength to Elijah in ways that Elijah is familiar with—amazing influence over the natural world. God reinforces that He is, in fact, capable of wiping Elijah and everyone else off the face of the earth. He is fully capable of accomplishing what Elijah deems necessary. In the end though, He shows up in a place of quiet communion. In effect, He says to Elijah, “I know you think that Me destroying everything is the only way, but it’s not. I don’t want to use destruction to resolve the problem of My people. I want to coax them to Me gently.” The vision and the purpose remain, to turn the hearts of the people back to God. However, God wants Elijah to understand the method to accomplish the mission looks differently than what he assumes. Unfortunately, Elijah’s response to God’s object lesson is, to me, the most heart-breaking and convicting piece of the whole story.  

Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons if Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your alters and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

I Kings 19:14

We see that Elijah answers God’s repeated question with the same answer. Which means that his opinion and attitude didn’t change—he missed the point of the lessen. And I know we would want to flatter ourselves in thinking that if we encountered God’s instructions in such a profound way (when was the last time God shook a mountain to get your attention?) there’s no way we would miss it. But, again, when I see Elijah’s humanity at work here, I can quickly recognize times in my own life where I was equally guilty of the same mistake. His first problem is the posture he takes towards God. 

When Elijah went out to meet God, he wrapped his face in his cloak. Several commentaries claim he covered his face as an act of reverence and in the awareness of his own inferiority and imperfection. His inability to receive the redirection God offers, however, tells me he wasn’t really postured in humility. I think he was hiding behind his position. What I mean by that is, his cloak (sometimes called a mantle) was a physical representation of the calling on his life. If people saw the cloak, they knew he was a prophet. I see Elijah’s actions here as a form of self-protect and justification. It’s as if he’s reminding God, “Remember, you made me the prophet, so it’s your fault I’m here,” while simultaneously holding onto his attitude that the people are jerks. Elijah clings to the same solution, that the people deserve wrath and ruin, and covers himself with the mantle of God to justify his position. 

Oh do I ever empathize with Elijah here! I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve resisted God’s correction, stubbornly holding onto my own ideas and opinions while also blaming God for the problem. The complication is, we can’t receive correction and new vision when we cling to our negative emotion. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not suggesting we dismiss or minimize those emotions. That won’t do us any good either. They must be acknowledged or “owned” if you will, because you can’t get rid of something that doesn’t belong to you. Elijah did step one and two well; he fully acknowledged the depths of his despair and he allowed the Lord to sustain and strengthen him. But at the next step, the one where God brings resolution by offering to trade us our sorrow and hopelessness for new hope, new vision, and new understanding, Elijah failed to move forward. He refused to make the exchange.    

Elijah’s story changes after this experience. God still honors him in a way few claim—he is taken to heaven in a whirlwind, never to experience natural death. But it is after this moment that his retirement plan is laid out and preparation to pass his mantle to another, Elisha, gets underway. I can’t help but wonder if there would’ve been a new season for him, had he been willing to catch a new vision? 

I speculate and ponder the idea of a different narrative for Elijah, mostly for my own benefit. How many opportunities have I missed because I resisted God’s correction and/or redirection? Or, how often have I been too ashamed of my own negative emotions to take ownership of them? How many times have I missed His sustaining grace because I tried to hide my problem from Him? I cannot relate to Elijah’s purpose in life, to his call to battle horrendous evil through astonishing miracles and help turn the hearts of a rebellious people back to their God. But I do find wisdom and comfort in his emotional journey. And I am inspired not only by his successes—to believe that men can do amazing things with God—but also by his failures. I want to have the courage to shed self-protect and yield to the gracious exchange and growth my Father in heaven offers through His discipline. 

Hebrews 12:6-12 offers great advice regarding the subject of God’s discipline for His children. Verse 10 reads:

Our parents corrected us for the short time of our childhood as it seemed good to them. But God corrects us throughout our lives for our own good, giving us an invitation to share his holiness.   

Hebrews 12:10

Receive and embrace the invitation friends, it’s worth it.  

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^[1] 1 Kings 17:17-23

^[2] 1 Kings 18:19-38

^[3] 1 Kings 18:46

^[4] 2 Kings 2:11

^[5] Seiss, Joseph A. New American Standard Bible Study Bible. Zondervan, 2000.