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Then as he lay and slept under 
a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, 
Arise and eat. 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. And the angel of the Lord 
came back the second time and touched him and said, Arise and 
eat, because the journey is too great for you. So he arose and 
ate and drank, and he went in the strength of that food forty 
days and forty nights, as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 
And there he went into a cave and spent the night in that place. 
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, 
What are you doing here, Elijah? 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. Then he said, Go out and stand 
on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, 
and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke 
the rocks in pieces 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. And after the earthquake, a fire. 
But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small 
voice. So it was when Elijah heard it 
that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood 
in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him 
and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I 
have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, because 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. Then the Lord said to him, Go, 
return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you arrive, 
anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu, the 
son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. And Elisha, the son of Shaphat, 
of Abel, Mahola, you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It 
shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will 
kill. Whoever escapes the sword of 
Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved 7,000 in 
Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every 
mouth that has not kissed him. So he departed from there and 
found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke 
of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah 
passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen 
and ran after Elijah and said, Please 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? So Elisha turned 
back from him and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them 
and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave 
it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah 
and became his servant. Well, the three broad strokes 
in this particular passage are found in verses 1 to 8. We see 
the flight from Jezebel. In verses 9 to 18, we see the 
revelation at Horeb. And then in verses 19 to 21, 
we see the call of Elisha. And when we saw the flight from 
Jezebel, we noticed the particular occasion. It was the aftermath 
of the contest at Carmel. God the Lord consumed with fire 
the bull that Elijah had offered up, and then God sent rain to 
correct the problem of the drought. But nevertheless, we see that 
Jezebel continues to reject and resist. She remains the power 
behind the throne. We will see that as we move through 
in the exposition of 1 Kings. So Elijah has every reason to 
believe that at least on the surface, the things that he had 
seen in terms of the contest at Carmel and the end of the 
drought had not worked in terms of producing national repentance. 
They had indeed responded properly when God came with fire to that 
particular bull. But as we move on, it seems the 
case that their status quo in Israel. In fact, at Naboth's 
vineyard, it's very simple, very easy for Jezebel and Ahab to 
turn the hearts of men to rule in their particular favor. What 
Elijah, no doubt, is concerned with is that the continual trajectory 
of Israel is on a collision course with Baal-worship. And so, Ahab 
told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and then Jezebel sent 
a messenger to Elijah, essentially saying that, I'm going to kill 
you. Now, note in verse 3, it says, when he saw that, he arose 
and ran for his life. Now, I think that this is a proper 
translation. I think those versions that say, 
and he was scared or he was afraid and then he ran, probably don't 
get it right. It's he saw that, he arose and 
ran for his life. Now, we explain the difference 
between verses 3 and 4. On the one hand, he's running 
for his life in verse 3, and on the other hand in verse 4, 
he's asking God to take his life. I think the idea is that he doesn't 
want to die at the hands of Jezebel. He doesn't want to die at the 
hands of this wretch because it might validate Baal worship, 
it might indicate that she was victorious over God's true prophet. The verse 4 situation is in fact 
his discouragement, it's his despondency. He is distressed, 
he is depressed because of what he has seen around him. And he 
utters this prayer that the Lord might take him. Take my life, 
for I am no better than my father's." Now God deals with him very graciously, 
very kindly and mercifully in verses 5 to 7. He provides for 
him, just like he did through the ravens at the brook Kereth 
and then through the widow at Zarephath. The Lord has shown 
his mercy and his kindness and his sustenance to Elijah all 
along the way. So God doesn't answer the prayer 
with reference to taking his life, but as we move through 
the chapter, we don't see that Elijah is driven by self-pity 
or by, you know, some sort of a thing that is contrary to the 
purposes of God, but what he does here is absolutely consistent 
with the purposes of God, and Elijah is functioning here consistent 
with his own character. So as we look at the revelation 
at Horeb, there are two things we ought to consider. First, 
the reason for his going to Horeb, and then secondly, the revelation 
at Horeb. Now, the reason for his going 
to Horeb is typically explained like this, and just two sample 
quotes here. Matthew Poole. And Matthew Poole 
is a fantastic, wonderful commentator. You should have Matthew Poole. 
I'm sure you can find him online. But here on verse 9, in terms 
of Elijah at Horeb, Matthew Poole is somewhat symptomatic of commentators. He says that, verse 9, in the 
question asked by God, what are you doing here, Elijah, is a 
tacit reproof. And then he says, this is not 
thy proper place, nor the station in which I set you, which was 
in Israel, to turn that backsliding people, to which end I gave you 
my help and would have proceeded to assist you further if you 
had continued there. Nor did I give you those excellent 
gifts to lie idle in this wilderness, but to employ them for the people's 
good, whom you have deserted and have come hither, not by 
my command, but through your own fear and cowardice. So that's 
pretty typical of the way that commentators treat Elijah here 
at Horeb. In other words, Horeb is another 
name for Sinai. Elijah needs to depart from there 
and go back to the children of Israel to preach and teach to 
them. A more modern says it a little bit more harshly or severely. He says, what a contrast. Elijah 
the hero on Carmel, victorious over Baalism. Elijah the coward 
of unbelief at Horeb, self-occupied, utterly discouraged, wishing 
to die, praying against rather than for God's people. Yeah, 
and that's pretty common of the way that people treat Elijah 
the prophet here at Horeb. Now, the context indicates something 
absolutely different than what this symptomatic treatment indicates. In the first place, we saw last 
week, but I'll rehearse these things again, the journey to 
Horeb comes at the prompting of God. Notice in verse 7, The 
angel of the Lord came back the second time, touched him, and 
said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for 
you." That cannot mean going back to Jezreel, because Elijah 
had already made that journey. He was familiar with it. He was 
acquainted with it. He wouldn't need special food. 
I'm not saying this was special food in the sense that it was 
you know, different than other food, but it was empowered by, 
or rather, God used it to empower the prophet so that he could 
make this 40-day and 40-night trek to Horeb specifically. So he goes there, it's 200 miles 
south of Beersheba. He wouldn't need the supernatural 
sustaining with the food of verse 7 if he was merely returning 
to Jezreel. He goes to Horeb with divine 
authorization. This is the prompting of God. 
So in verse 8 it says, he arose, he ate and drank, and he went 
in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights as far 
as Horeb, the mountain of God. Now that 40 days and 40 nights 
ought to suggest a parallel or a connection, first with Israel 
wandering in the wilderness, and then with Moses who spent 
40 days and 40 nights on Horeb, on the mountain of God. What 
happens when Moses goes on Horeb, or Sinai, on the mountain of 
God? This is the place where covenant 
business is transacted. This is the place where God meets 
with Moses to discuss the nation, well, to command with reference 
to the nation of Israel, and Moses mediates these things to 
the people of Israel, Another time, Moses goes back to the 
mountain of God because the children of Israel had sinned, and Moses 
goes to that covenant to transact business and to ask specifically 
for mercy, grace, and forgiveness. So the journey to Horeb comes 
at the prompting of God. Now notice, secondly, the questions 
posed by God. And I think this causes some 
persons to stumble. The question of verse 9 is repeated 
in verse 13. What are you doing here, Elijah? 
And then again in verse 13. What are you doing here, Elijah? 
And again, most commentators take this as an indictment or 
as Matthew Poole says, a tacit reproof. In other words, God 
is saying to Elijah, what are you doing here? You're not supposed 
to be here. Get back to the field of battle. But perhaps this is 
God the Lord in His mercy and kindness, specifically in verse 
9, condescending to and demonstrating His kindness toward Elijah. What are you doing here in terms 
of unburden your heart before the living and true God? In other 
words, he's a man that is discouraged, he is a man that is depressed, 
he is a man that is despondent, and God provides for him by way 
of food and rest, and now God provides for him by way of enabling 
him to unburden his heart. Isn't this the blessed promise 
of Psalm 55 and quoted by Peter in 1 Peter chapter 5? We get 
to cast our burdens upon the Lord because He cares for us. 
Verse 9 is an invitation to Elijah the prophet to voice his concern 
concerning the nation of Israel. When we get to verse 13, this 
is more of the formal situation where God is essentially asking 
the prophet to state his case. So on the one hand, unburden 
yourself, Elijah, and on the other hand, same sort of a question, 
but now in the context of a covenant ceremony where Elijah is functioning 
as the prosecuting attorney. And so when God asks him in the 
first place and he unburdens his heart in verse 10, it is 
to indicate the covenant unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel. When 
God asks him in verse 13, in terms of an official courtroom 
proceeding, he unburdens his heart in the same sort of a way. 
In other words, we ought to conclude with reference to his despondency, 
his depression, his discouragement, it's not self-pity. It's not 
because he sees himself as a big zero or as a big failure. The 
concern of the prophet Elijah is well stated and we ought to 
listen to him specifically in verses 10 to 14. These interpretations 
that see him as selfish or engaged in self-pity or what were some 
of the untoward things that this other man said, self-occupied, 
utterly discouraged, he was discouraged but not utterly. He's not at 
the point where he is going to give up, but rather he is upset 
about the condition of Israel. I have been very zealous for 
the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel, have forsaken 
your covenant, torn down your altars, killed your prophets 
with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life. 
That's not the utterances of a man self-occupied. When he 
says, I alone am left, he is not disregarding that there were 
other prophets, any more than he did in 1 Kings 18. When he 
says that he was the only prophet, he doesn't mean that those hundred 
that Obadiah hid were chopped liver. He means that those men 
were hiding in caves and he was on Mount Carmel directly confronting 
these false prophets of Baal. And the same sort of thing is 
here. He hasn't forgotten these hundred prophets. He's not forgotten 
Obadiah, but he is speaking in terms of the one man, the one 
voice from God that is actually trying to confront the Baalism 
in Israel. And so what we have in terms 
of these questions, the first is a means by which God invites 
the prophet to unburden his heart. The second was the formal occasion 
of the subsequent lawsuit. Thirdly, the answers given by 
Elijah show the reason why he was despondent. Verses 10 and 
14. Not because he's just a sad sack 
of bad feelings, but rather because the name of God has been denounced. It has been rejected. Baal has 
been worshipped. Fourthly, as I've already intimated, 
there is a Moses connection. You are to see Elijah in a posture 
similar to what we have in Moses. You see that even with reference 
to verse 8. 40 days, 40 nights, as far as 
Horeb, the mountain of God. This is Sinai. This is where 
covenant business is in fact dealt with. Davis says, it sounds 
like Elijah is charging Israel with apostasy rather than crying 
over a failed ministry. See, most of the commentators 
take it that way. He's crying over a failed ministry. That 
is to utterly disregard verses 10 and 14 in response to God's 
question. Davis goes on to say, indeed, 
I think verses 13 and 14 constitute a formal lawsuit against Israel. 
After the covenant Lord comes, he puts the formal question to 
the prosecutor in verse 13, who then levels the formal charges 
against the accused in verse 14. Elijah's mission at Horeb 
was to bring a covenant lawsuit or covenant accusation against 
Israel for breach of the covenant. Now this is something that is 
paradigmatic or programmatic or a pattern for later prophets. When you read through the writing 
prophets in the Old Testament, you will see these lawsuits. 
You will see the prophet come to sue the people of Israel for 
their failure to believe and failure to repent. This is a 
common theme or motif among the prophets of Israel. In fact, 
Paul the Apostle takes up this particular charge in the book 
of Romans. That's how he is functioning 
there in Romans chapters 1 to 3, when he is suing or holding 
forth the reality that all men are liable, guilty under God 
Most High. They come in the name of God 
to tell the people their transgression and to bring this lawsuit to 
bear upon them. That's what Elijah's doing at 
Horeb. He's not trying to find himself. 
He's not wallowing in self-pity. He is not obsessed with himself, 
but rather he's presenting to the Lord first by way of unburdening 
his heart, and then when the formal question is given, he 
gives the formal declaration concerning his situation. The 
answers given by Elijah reveal that this was a covenant lawsuit 
on Covenant Mountain. In fact, in Romans 11, 2, Paul 
says, or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah 
how he pleads with God against Israel saying. That's the language 
of the courtroom. He pleads with God against Israel 
saying. Now in the context in Romans 
chapter 11, the Apostle Paul is dealing with the unbelief 
of Israel. And the Apostle Paul is showing there's nothing new 
under the sun. Elijah faced the same sort of issues. And he pleaded 
with God concerning the nation. And then the most secure way 
or the best way that we know that we are on the right track 
in terms of this interpretation is God's answer in verses 15 
to 18. God answers him very specifically. In other words, he doesn't say, 
Elijah, I'm tired of hearing you bellyache. I'm tired of hearing 
your self-obsession. I'm tired of hearing your pity 
party. I just want you to go back to the nation and preach 
to them. That's not what God does. God 
answers him very specifically concerning the particular issues 
at stake. In other words, God says, I'm 
going to deal with the nation. I'm going to bring judgment, 
verses 15 to 17, but there's also going to be mercy, verse 
18. So that is his reason for being 
at Horeb. It's not that he's out of place. 
It's not that he is running from God. He runs to God to meet Him 
at the mountain of God to sue the nation of Israel for having 
turned away from God when they saw this glorious display at 
Carmel and they felt the rain from on high. That's the situation 
confronting Elijah the prophet. Now note the revelation in verses 
9 to 18. The manner of it. I'm sorry, 
verse 11. It says, then he said, go out 
and stand on the mountain before the Lord, and behold, the Lord 
passed by, and a great... Well, before we get to there, 
same sort of thing with Moses, isn't it? Isn't that what God 
does with Moses? Moses wants to see God's glory, 
and so God puts him in the cleft of the rock, and he passes by 
him, and he reveals himself to Moses in that very instance. 
Some suggest the particular cave that he's standing in is that 
cleft of the rock where Moses was hid by the Lord God Most 
High. But this is the issue. He says, 
and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore 
into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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, and after 
the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and 
after the fire a still small voice." So this strong wind, 
the earthquake, and the fire is probably a reference to the 
former manifestation on Mount Carmel. In other words, God had 
displayed himself in this sort of a way and the people rejected 
it. The people forsook it. The people 
were not won by it or affected by it. So essentially what God 
is saying to the prophet is that from this time forth, we're going 
to proceed by way of a still small voice. In other words, 
the Word of God, the Word of Prophecy, vis-à-vis specifically 
what we have in verses 15 to 17. God's not going to work through 
this mighty wind. He's not going to work through 
this earthquake. He's not going to work through this fire. He's 
going to work through the still, small, prophetic voice. In other 
words, He is going to raise up external forces via Hazael in 
Syria to bring judgment to bear upon Israel. He is going to raise 
up Jehu, which is going to be internal turmoil for the nation 
of Israel that is going to bring judgment upon these people. And 
then there'll be the prophetic ministry of Elisha the prophet 
that is going to bring judgment upon the people. So it's not 
going to be with this strong wind, it's not going to be with 
this earthquake, it's not going to be with this fire, but never 
conclude it won't be. You see, that's what we often 
fall prey to. It's the glorious manifestation 
of God that wins the day. The glorious manifestation of 
God in chapter 18 did not win the day. I think what God is 
teaching us throughout this particular section is that we're not always 
to be looking for the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but 
we're always to be listening to that still small voice. We're 
always to be listening to the prophetic word. It is the word 
of God that demands our allegiance, that demands our careful attention. 
And it's not the case that wind, earthquake, and fire is going 
to automatically solve the problems of the day. I think there's a 
great lesson for us in this, because it's miracles, it's signs, 
it's wonders. If the pagans will only see that, 
then they'll flock unto Jesus. Well, the pagans in Jesus' day 
didn't flock unto Him. He upbraids the cities in Galilee 
and says that Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrah are going 
to fare better on the day of judgment than for those cities 
in Galilee that saw his mighty deeds, but they didn't repent. 
You see, brethren, our job is not to woo people or wow people 
or to dazzle people. with the wind, with the earthquake 
and the fire. We're to bear faithful witness 
to the still small voice of God Almighty. That's what's imperative 
and that's what God is telling the prophet. Up to this point, 
Elijah, you have seen some amazing and wonderful and glorious things. 
But God says, I'm going to work and operate in a way that isn't 
going to be razzle-dazzle. It's going to be through historical 
means, specifically through these three men that are mentioned 
in verses 15 to 17. John Gill says concerning these 
three first emblems, which may represent the power of God, the 
terribleness of His majesty, and the fury of His wrath, which 
He could display, if He would, to the destruction of His enemies. 
But rather, the point is the still small voice. God's Word 
alone is powerful to right the wrongs in the nation and to set 
things straight, specifically the historical means that He's 
going to reveal in verses 15 to 18. Davis says, might this 
suggest that God will not be giving many dramatic, overt proofs 
of His reality as at Carmel now that such revelation has been 
officially rejected? Instead, His presence and reality 
will primarily be seen in His ongoing work of judgment and 
grace, which through His voice and His word, He has disclosed 
to His prophet. The quietness of God's work does 
not mean He is not at work, but rather that the kingdom of God 
has gone into its mustard seed mode. You see, I think this is 
a very valuable and a very important lesson. Perhaps not for us, because 
we're Reformed and we're supposed to love the Word, but for the 
Charismatics and the Pentecostals and the Sensationalists that 
oftentimes populate the churches of Jesus Christ. They want the 
wind. They want the earthquake. They 
want the fire. They're always seeking these signs. They're 
always seeking something else. They're always looking for this 
heightened experience. It has more affinity with what 
Baal offers than with what God promises. Not to say that God 
can't send fire down and consume Elijah's bull. He most certainly 
can. This God just sent rain to end 
a three and a half year drought. This God is absolutely positively 
sovereign. But it's not the case that these 
manifestations of power and glory make man believers. It is the 
still small voice of God's holy word working in and through history 
that brings about his particular purpose. We are to value and 
prize and delight in the word of the living God. That's what 
Elijah is being taught here at Horeb, and I don't think Elijah 
I don't think God's saying, okay, Elijah, here's the thing, you're 
just a foolish... No, I think it's reiterating, 
it is assuring, it is stabilizing, it is bringing blessing to his 
servant, Elijah the prophet. Now notice, the formal complaint 
is made in verses 13 and 14. Elijah responds properly, doesn't 
he, to this theophany. A theophany is a manifestation 
of God. And so God manifests Himself 
to Elijah in 11 and 12. So it was when Elijah heard it 
that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood 
in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him 
and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? I mentioned A.W. Pink last week and his quote 
with reference to Elijah wasn't so good there, but it's certainly 
good here. The wrapping of his face in his mantle betokened 
two things, his reverence for the divine majesty and a sense 
of his own unworthiness." You see, that's the way men of God 
respond to an appearance of God. They don't say, hey, how you 
doing, buddy? How's it going, big fella? That's not how persons 
respond. when they're confronted with 
the divine majesty in Holy Scripture. There is humility, there is abasement, 
there is a falling down, there is a confession, woe is me for 
I am undone. There is John on the island of 
Patmos falling down as a dead man. That's the righteous response 
when a man is confronted with the glory and majesty of God. 
And we see it here very specifically. He wrapped his face in his mantle 
and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave God then 
formally levels or formally asks, what are you doing here, Elijah? 
And he repeats his complaint. Again, it's in the formal context 
of a covenant lawsuit, and then it comes to God's response in 
verses 15 to 18. In the first place, God would 
demonstrate judgment. There will be judgment. Notice 
in verse 15, then the Lord said to him, Go return on your way 
to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you arrive, anoint Hazael 
as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu, the 
son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. And Elisha, the son of Shaphat, 
of Abel Mahola, you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It 
shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will 
kill. Whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. This 
is the divine response to this covenant lawsuit. This is God 
affirming the prophet's complaint, agreeing with the prophet's complaint, 
and indicating that he's going to deal with the prophet's complaint 
via this judgment through these historical means. Now, each of 
these three fellows are going to make their appearances here 
in 1 and 2 Kings. just made up to appease Elijah 
at Horeb, but this is programmatic for how the narrative is going 
to flow out. I mean, the chapter doesn't end 
without the call of Elisha. Davis again says, according to 
verses 15 to 17, Elijah was to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. Elijah actually anointed none 
of them. He threw his mantle upon Elisha. Elisha's deputy anointed Jehu, 
2 Kings 9, and Elisha predicted, apparently apart from actual 
anointing, Hazael's rise to kingship. Now, some would say that Elijah 
was less than obedient. Oh, he didn't really anoint them. 
But Davis says, I think H.L. Ellison is nearer the mark. For 
Elijah to anoint those who were to carry on his work, whether 
he did it personally or by proxy, is rather to stress with what 
authority they would act when they brought judgment and destruction 
on Israel. The idea isn't that he would 
actually take the oil and anoint each of these several men. The 
idea is that God's word through the prophet has come. That God's 
word through this prophet would be normative with reference to 
the outflow of history in terms of God's judgment through these 
three particulars. For Elijah to anoint those who 
were to carry on this work, whether he did it personally or by proxy, 
it is rather to stress with what authority they would act when 
they brought judgment and destruction on Israel. So that's what's happening 
here. And then the three men indicated 
would indeed be the divine response to Elijah's complaint. Hatza'el, 
external. It's going to be Syria that comes 
to deal with Israel. Jehu is internal. He's a son 
of Jehoshaphat that becomes a king in the northern tribes. And what 
does he do with Baalism? He is no friend of Baalism whatsoever. In fact, some of the most exciting 
narrative in all of the Bible are the Jehu narratives. I mean, 
he is just a... a warrior in terms of eradicating 
Baal worship from the face of the earth. And then, of course, 
the prophetic ministry of Elisha. So that's the judgment of God 
that's coming in response to this formal complaint concerning 
the covenant breach of Israel. But notice verse 18. You can 
mention this on Sunday past. God always has a nevertheless, 
or a yet, or there's a but God, or there's some sort of indicator 
that it's not all gloom and doom and judgment and mayhem. And 
we see that even here. The nation of Israel is in a 
desperate condition. We've seen it in chapter 16. 
Their kings are terrible. Ahab's on the throne. He's terrible. 
Behind him is Jezebel. She's probably even more terrible. 
And she basically calls the shots and makes him dance as she sings. 
You'll see that with reference to Naboth's vineyard in chapter 
21. But it's just a mess. And we might expect that verses 
15 to 17 would indicate the utter decimation of the entire northern 
kingdom. And they all deserve to die because they're all engaged 
in wickedness and profligacy and rebellion against Yahweh. 
But notice in verse 18, yet I have reserved 7,000 in Israel, all 
whose knees have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has 
not kissed him. Now, Davis suggests that this 
ought to be rendered as a future instead of a present or a past. yet I will reserve 7,000 in Israel." 
And that seems to fit the context, because in verses 15 to 17, the 
judgment is sort of looking forward. What's going to happen with Hazael? 
What's going to happen with Jehu? What's going to happen with Elijah? 
But in the midst of that judgment, in the midst of that covenant 
prosecution, nevertheless God says, I have reserved 7,000, 
or I will reserve 7,000, all whose knees have not bowed to 
Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." So the Lord 
God promises that even in the execution of His justice and 
in His judgment, there will be a remnant. And that's the beautiful 
thing of Old Covenant religion. No matter how bad it got, there 
was nevertheless a remnant. There were the faithful people 
of God in the midst of even very very uh... wicked days and ages 
and this is one of those seasons or one of those periods and highlights 
God's graciousness and his mercy and his kindness with reference 
to his dealings with people. I have reserved or yet I have 
reserved seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed 
to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him. It's a beautiful 
description of God's faithfulness and goodness. So that's Elijah 
at Horeb, the revelation at Horeb. Let's look quickly at the call 
of Elisha in verses 19 to 21. So he departed from there and 
found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke 
of oxen before him, and he was with the twelve. Then Elijah 
passed by him and threw his mantle on him. Now, Paul Howe says this 
was a symbolic way of transferring the prophetic power from one 
man to the next. It was a sign, a symbol, an emblem 
that what is going on here is this transfer of authority in 
terms of the prophetic ministry. This doesn't mean Elijah is done 
and over with. He's still going to continue 
for a bit, but it means that God has called Elisha as the 
successor to Elijah. Now, Elijah knew this was happening, 
didn't he? Because God just told him in 
verses 15 to 17. What about Elisha? I don't want 
to psychologize the passage, but we ought to appreciate the 
calling of God can be quite unexpected, can't it? I mean, there was nothing 
in Elisha's mind and heart on that day than to plow these fields. The last thing he thought was 
that Elijah the Tishbite was gonna wander by and throw his 
prophetic mantle on him and employ him into service. The call of 
God is unexpected. You see that in Matthew's gospel 
when Matthew rehearses his own call to the apostolic ministry. You see that in Matthew chapter 
nine. Matthew's sitting there at the tax office collecting 
and counting his loot and Jesus comes along and says, follow 
me. What does he do? He follows Him. You see, it may 
come unexpectedly, but when it comes, we need to follow. We 
don't need to continue to count our loot or continue to work 
those oxen. We need to follow the Lord. We 
need to go wherever the Lamb bids us to go. That is a principle 
that is underscored throughout Holy Scripture. But in this instance, 
it was an unexpected call for Elisha. But notice as well with 
reference to the call of Elisha specifically. And when I say 
the end of, I don't mean it like he would have never seen this 
again or never had this. It just means sort of the end 
of a particular era or the end of a particular time in Elisha's 
life. In the first place, it was the 
end of natural relations. The end of natural relations. Notice what he says in verse 
20. Please let me kiss my father and my mother and then I will 
follow you. He's got these natural relations 
with father and mother. He wants to kiss them goodbye 
and now follow Elisha. Again, I don't know whether he 
ever saw his father and mother again. I don't think that's the 
point. The point is that he's making a break with the past 
as he's embracing God's future, present and future. He is ending, 
ceasing, and desisting those things that defined Him and characterized 
Him prior to this particular point. And again, it's a unique 
call and redemptive history to a particular prophetic ministry 
under the tutelage of Elijah the prophet. So, it's not normative 
in the sense that, hey, this is going to happen to you and 
I, but I think the principles do hold fast. The idea is that 
when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, there ought to be that 
kissing of father and mother and following the Lamb of God. 
Secondly, it is the end of familiarity. The end of familiarity. I stole 
this right from Dale Ralph Davis because I thought it was so good. 
The end of familiarity. Don't we like familiarity? I 
mean, most of us. There's some people that like 
to live by the seat of their pants. They like to show up at 
the airport and try to get a ticket then. I mean, that kind of mindset 
just, I don't get it. You know, if I haven't got my 
ticket and all that figured out, you know, months in advance and 
I confirm it and look at, you know, I just can't function. 
Familiarity, stability, getting up, brushing your teeth, having 
coffee, whatever your routine is, that routine is good. And 
life is a pretty unroutined thing in and of itself. So if we can 
carve out a niche in our life and have some routine like, oh, 
say, get up early, hitch up the oxen, go out and plow the fields, 
come home, have supper, kiss your mom and dad, go to bed. 
There's a familiarity there that's quite enjoyable. It's gone for 
Elisha. I mean, you're hitching your 
cart to the Elijah pony. You never know what's going to 
happen, right? I mean, this tishbite, you never know what can happen 
when you're with this particular fellow. So it's the end of familiarity. But thirdly, it's the end of 
financial security. Now, note the text specifically. He was plowing with 12 yoke of 
oxen before him, and he was with the 12th. Now, this may indicate 
that this was a sizable farm. This may indicate that this was 
a lucrative farm. This may indicate that there 
was indeed security for this man, Elisha. C.H. Spurgeon was once asked, if you 
want to get rich, don't join the Baptist ministry. And I would 
suggest it was probably the case in the prophetic ministry in 
the days of Elijah and Elisha. So when Elisha hitches his cart 
to that pony Elijah, it doesn't mean there's going to be health, 
wealth, prosperity, and loads of benefit. I'm certain, you 
know, if he hadn't heard, he's going to hear. Yeah, and I used 
to live by this brook, and ravens would bring me my daily food. 
And then when the brook dried up, I went to Zarephath, way 
up in Phoenicia, and there a widow who was about to drop dead, her 
and her son. But they kept feeding me with 
this oil and this flower that wouldn't dissipate. So there 
was no surety, no security, nothing in Elisha's future at this point. But he goes. The 12 yoke of oxen 
indicates that it was a sizable and no doubt profitable farm. 
And then notice what he does in verse 21. Elisha turned back 
from him, took a yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, and boiled 
their flesh using the oxen's equipment. This means the apparatus 
to yoke them and to attach them to the cart and probably the 
cart itself. That probably wasn't because there was an absence 
of wood. I mean, they'd come out of drought conditions to 
be sure, but I don't think there was no wood in Israel. We don't 
ever read of that. But it was probably a symbol 
that signified his breach with the past. He's not going back 
to oxen. He's not going back to farming. He's not going back to his former 
way. That security, that familiarity, 
those natural relations, are no longer the thing that defines 
Elisha the prophet. He is going to follow Elijah 
and to be utilized for the glory of God. John Gill summarizes 
it this way. He left his worldly employment, 
the riches he was heir to, his parents, his friends, and followed 
the prophet. So that's a very wonderful display 
of fidelity to the living God. Again, some significant differences 
in terms of the redemptive historical significance of it and our conversion 
to Christ, but that's the way it ought to look. We ought to 
be willing to make a breach with the past. We ought to have a 
decisive break with the past. Now, don't bring this over into 
the New Testament and say, well, those wretched disciples kept 
their boats and kept their fishing gear. You can't interpret scripture 
that way. You can't take it and impose 
it on that. Different scenario, different 
situation. But even then, the same sorts 
of principles hold true. And then notice, finally, in 
terms of this call of Elisha, it is the end of himself. The 
end of himself, the casting of the mantle onto him certainly 
shows the transfer of the prophetic ministry, but note the very last 
statement. Then he arose and followed Elijah 
and became his servant. This is what I mean, the end 
of himself. This wasn't for notoriety. This 
wasn't for prestige. In fact, look at, excuse me, 
2 Kings 3.11. 2 Kings 3.11. I had to repent this afternoon 
for anybody who's ever heard my tea story and the situation 
faced me at a conference not too long ago, holding someone's 
cup of tea. I had to repent because Elisha 
would have held that cup of tea. If you don't get the reference, 
I apologize. I'm not going to include you 
at this particular time, but there's a couple of you who do 
get it. So, look at what Elisha does. Verse 11, Jehoshaphat said, 
is there no prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of the 
Lord by him? So one of the servants, the king 
of Israel, answered and said, Elisha, the son of Shaphat is 
here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. You see, it's an end of himself. He doesn't pursue this because 
of what it affords in terms of his prestige. He doesn't try 
to up-stage Elijah. He doesn't say, I'm new blood, 
I'm fresh blood, I'm the face of the future. He doesn't do 
that. He's happy to pour water on the 
hands of Elijah. He's happy to be a servant to 
Elijah. So on the one hand, it kills 
this idolatry where we pursue prestige and we'll step on people 
in order to try and achieve it. But on the other hand, it should 
kill discouragement. I mean, brethren, if this is 
God's calling that you pour water on the hands of Elijah the prophet, 
then embrace it and praise God for the opportunity and the privilege 
to do such things. It's a blessed thing to serve 
where God has you. You don't get the vibe, you don't 
get the jist that Elisha's grumbling, whining, and complaining because 
his official function up to this point is pouring water on the 
holy hands of Elijah. He just does it. We need to plant 
where we are or bloom where we are planted. We need to grow 
where God has us and not always be chasing something that is 
out there, something that is bigger and better and brighter. 
Just be faithful where we're at and do what the Lord God has 
called us to do. So, in conclusion, I think in 
this passage, far from seeing the faithlessness of Elijah, 
we see the faithfulness of Elijah. Instead of seeing his self-centeredness, 
we see his God-centeredness punctuated by verses 10 and 14, and those 
things that really makes him grieve is when the name of the 
Lord God is brought down. When the name of the Lord God 
is not esteemed, it's not praised, when the children of Israel forsake 
his covenant, tear down his altars, and kill his prophets. That's 
what bugs Elijah. As well, in this passage, I think 
we see the glory of God. We're just trying to quickly 
summarize here. First, his kindness in response to Elijah's prayer 
in verse 4. Elijah is despondent. Elijah 
is sad. Elijah is having a negative, 
nelly day in verse 4. But how does God respond? He 
feeds him, He gives him rest, and then He gives him another 
mission. Go to Horeb and there lay out your case before me. 
As well, we see the revelation, or God's revelation, of the manner 
of His revelation. It's not always going to be through 
this wind, earthquake, and fire. It may be the still, small voice. 
Believers who are constantly looking for mighty demonstrations 
of God's presence through wind, earthquake, and fire may unwittingly 
overlook the most obvious demonstration of God's presence, namely the 
Scriptures. Shame on us if we're chasing 
wind and chasing earthquake and chasing fire to the neglect of 
the Bible. Shame on us if we're more caught up in some alleged 
signs and wonders than a thus saith the Lord. Shame on us if 
we're seeking out a new word from God if we can't give a basic 
description or a basic gist of what the prophet Amos says. I 
mean, it's always amazed me that the persons who have this ongoing 
revelation from God are typically persons who haven't read the 
whole Bible. And my question is, why would God speak to you 
if you haven't read Amos? Why would God tell you new things 
if you haven't read Obadiah? Why would God tell you new things 
if you haven't read, you know, say any of the other minor prophets? 
Why? Why would God do that? Why would 
he say, oh, OK, I'm going to come and give you a special word, 
even though I know you're too lazy to have ever read First 
Kings? Why would he do that? It's craziness. Brethren, the 
church today in many of its sectors or many of its expressions are 
busy looking for wind, earthquake, and fire to the neglect of the 
written word of God. Let us be those who value the 
still, small voice. and then as well his promise, 
or rather his response to Elijah's lawsuit. The promise of judgment 
to those who violate his covenant, and then the grace and mercy 
of God in verse 18. Yet, I have reserved 7,000 in 
Israel. Ralph Davis says, with reference 
to verse 18, yet I have reserved. He says, it is the Old Testament 
equivalent of Jesus, I will build my church. Isn't it? It's the 
same thing. I will build my church. The gates 
of Hades shall not prevail against it. Davis says grace will have 
a remnant. The God of grace insists on it. Yahweh, so the text teaches, 
will always have a people, even an Israelite people, to worship 
Him upon the earth. He has decided that He will have 
a true people, and He will have them and keep them, and there 
is nothing any Jezebel can do about it. It is the infectious 
assurance, the defiant certainty, the holy dogmatism of this text 
that keeps some of us on our feet. I think that's very encouraging, 
and I think that's a very encouraging place to end our study in 1 Kings 
19 tonight. Well, let me close in a word 
of prayer. Our Father, we have seen many things here at Horeb, 
and God certainly, the manifestation of your glory and the revelation 
of who you are and what you will do to the prophet Elijah is most 
excellent. God, give us grace to be more 
than content with the word of truth that you've given us, Genesis 
to Revelation, as unspeaks of your majesty and your glory and 
your excellence and your goodness and your kindness toward your 
creatures. Help us to treasure that word and help us to search 
out these things and help us to feed upon the promises of 
God. We would ask as well that you 
would grant us grace to see something of the call of Elisha, to see 
something in our own lives that is similar Help us to be willing 
to renounce all things for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Give us that kind of discipleship, that kind that Jesus describes 
in Matthew 16, where we deny ourselves, where we take up our 
cross, where we follow after Him who is altogether lovely 
and chief among ten thousand. Grant us grace to do these things, 
we pray, and go with us now, and we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.