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begin reading in chapter 19 at verse 1 says in a hab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elisha saying so let the gods do to me and more also if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time and when he saw that he arose and ran for his life and went to Beersheba which belongs to Judah and left his servant there but he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree and he prayed that he might die and said it is enough now Lord take my life for I am no better than my father's 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 in a jar of water so he ate and drank and lay down again and the angel of the Lord came back to the 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 Elisha 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 and 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 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 hot CL as king over Syria also you shall anoint jehu the son of nimshi as king over Israel in Elijah the son of shaphat of Abel mahalo you shall anoint his prophet in your place it shall be that whoever escapes the sword of hot sale jay who will kill whoever escapes the sword of Jehu elisha will kill yet i have reserved seven thousand in israel all whose knees have not bowed to bale 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 Elisha passed by him and threw his mantle on him and he left the oxen and ran after Elisha 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 auxins equipment and gave it to the people and they ate then he arose and followed Elisha and became his servant amen 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 Elijah 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 the fire are consumed with fire the bull that Elijah had offered up and then God sent a 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 first King 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 Bowl but as we move on it seems the case that that their status quo in Israel in fact at Namath's vineyard it's very simple very easy for Jezebel and Ahab to turn the hearts of men to rule in their particular favor so what Elijah no doubt is concerned with is that the the continual trajectory of Israel is on a collision course with bail 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 we explain the difference between verses 3 & 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 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 bail 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 is seen around it 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 racially very kindly and mercifully in verses 5 to 7 he provides for him just like he did through the Ravens at the brook carrot and then through the 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 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 to sample quotes here this is matthew pool and matthew pool is a fantastic wonderful commentator you should have matthew pool sure you can find him online but here on verse 9 in terms of elijah at Horeb matthew pool is somewhat symptomatic of commentators he says that verse 9 and 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 that's pretty typical of the way that commentators treat Elijah here at hora in other words Horeb is that is another name for Sinai Elisha needs to depart from there and go back to the 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 caramel victorious over bail ISM Elijah the coward of unbelief at Horeb self occupied utterly discouraged wishing to die praying against rather than for God's people yeah 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 indeed because the journey is too great for you that cannot mean going back to Jezreel because Elisha 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 a rather God used it to empower the Prophet so he can make this forty day and forty night track to Horeb specifically so he goes there it's two hundred miles south of Juba Sheba 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 eight it says he arose he ate and drank and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as as far as Horeb the mountain of God now that forty days and forty nights ought to suggest a parallel or a connection first with Israel wandering in the wilderness and then with Moses who spent forty days and forty nights on Horeb on the mountain of God what happens when Moses goes on or ever 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 Mose 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 pulse as 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 and first Peter chapter 5 we get to cast our burdens upon the Lord because he cares for us verse 9 is an invitation to Elisha 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 Elisha 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 unburdened his heart and 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 unburdened 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 are engaged in self-pity or what were some of the the 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 forsaken your covenant torn down your altars killed your prophets with the sword I alone him left and they seek to take my life that's not the utterances of a man's self occupied when he says I alone am left he is not disregarding that there were other prophets anymore than he did in first Kings chapter 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 Bale 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 bail ism 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 answer is given by Elijah show the reason why he was despondent verses 10 and 14 not because he's just a sad sack of of bad feelings but rather because the name of God has been denounced it has been rejected bail has been worship fourthly as I've already intimated there is a Moses connection you are to see Elijah in a pas 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 Elisha is charging Israel with apostasy rather than crying over a failed ministry most of the commentators take it that ways 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 cons he puts the formal question to the prosecutor in verse 13 who then levels the formal 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 naita the Prophet come to sue the people of Israel for their failure to believe in failure to repent this is a common theme or motif among the prophets of Israel that Paul the Apostle takes up this particular charge in the book of Romans that's how he is functioning there in Romans chapters 1 2 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 is doing at hora he's not trying to find himself 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 revealed that this was a covenant lawsuit on covenant mountain in fact in Romans 11 to 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 other nation and then the 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 that 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 neisha I'm going to bring judgment verses 15 to 17 but there's always going 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 verse I'm sorry verse 11 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 asses by him and he reveals himself to Moses in that very instant 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 and 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 the still small voice in other words the Word of God the word of prophecy VESA be 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 hot Suhail 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 Elijah 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 that it's the glorious manifestation of God that wins the 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 win 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 signs its wonders if the pagans will only see that then they'll flock unto Jesus well the pagans in Jesus day Dan 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 in 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 are 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 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 mustardseed mode you see I think this is a very valuable in a very important lesson perhaps not for us because we're reformed and we're supposed to love the work but for the charismatic sand the Pentecostals of 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 sinking something else they're always looking for this heightened experience it has more affinity with what Bale 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 and the word of the Living God that's what Elijah is being taught here at Horeb I don't think you know Elijah needed to be I don't think God saying okay Elijah here's the thing you're just a foolish now I think it's reiterating it is assuring it is 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 a larger response properly doesn't eat 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 aw 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 a basement 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 formerly asks what are you doing here Elijah and he repeats his complaint again it's in the formal contact 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 hot sail 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 mahalo you shall anoint as prophet in your place it shall be that whoever escapes the sort of hot clj who will kill whoever escapes the sword of Jehu elijah will kill you see this is the divine response to this covenant lawsuit this is God affirming the prophets complaint agreeing with the prophets complaint and indicating that he's going to deal with the prophets complaint via this judgment through these historical means now each of these three fellows are going to make their appearances here in 1st and 2nd Kings this isn't just made up to appease Elijah at Horeb but this is pro dramatic for how the the narrative is going to flow out I mean the chapter doesn't end without the the call of Elijah Davis again says according to verses 15 to 17 Elijah was to anoint hot sale Jehu and Elijah Elijah actually anointed none of them he threw his mantle upon Elijah Elijah's deputy anointed Jehu second Kings 9 and Elijah predicted apparently apart from actual anointing hot sales rise to kingship now some would say that Elijah was less than obedient oh he didn't really anoint at but Davis says I think hll 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 is that God's Word through the Prophet has come that God's Word through this profit would be normative with reference to the outflow of history in terms of God's judgment through through these three particulars a lot for Elijah to anoint those who were to carry on this work whether he did it personally or by proxy it rather 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 complain hot Suhail external it's going to be Syria that comes to deal with Israel Jay who is internal he's a son of Jehoshaphat that becomes a king in the northern tribes and what does he do with bail ISM he is no friend to bail ism whatsoever in fact some of the most exciting narrative and all of the Bible are the Jehu narratives I mean he is just a a warrior in terms of a decay ting Bale worship from the face of the earth and then of course the prophetic ministry of Elijah so that's the the judgment of God that's coming in response to this formal complain mayn't concerning the covenant bridge 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 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 a Habs 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 neighbor'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 I mean they all deserve to die because they're all you know engaged in wickedness and profligacy and rebellion against Yahweh but notice in verse 18 yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed to bale and every mouth that has not kissed in no 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 hot sahil 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 7000 or i will reserve seven thousand all whose knees have not bowed to bail 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 wicked days and ages and this is one of those seasons or one of those periods highlights God's graciousness and His mercy and his kindness with reference to his dealings with people I have reserved right yet I have reserved 7,000 in Israel all whose needs have not bowed to Bale and every mouth that is not kissed him 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 Elijah 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 through his mantle on him now Paul house 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 doesn't mean a lie just done and over with he's still going to continue for a bit but it means that that God has called Elijah as the successor to a lie job now Elijah knew this was happening didn't he because God just told him in verses 15 to 17 what about Elijah 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 Elijah's mind and heart on that day than to plow these fields the last thing he thought was that Elijah the Tishbite was going to wander by and throw his prophetic mantle on him and and employ him into service the call of God is unexpected you see that Matthew's Gospel when Matthew rehearses his own call to the to the apostolic ministry you see that in Matthew chapter 9 Matthew's sitting there at the tax office collecting and counting his loot and Jesus comes along and says follow me Lizzy 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 or throughout Holy Scripture but in this instance it was an unexpected unexpected call for Elijah but notice as well with reference to the call of Elijah Elijah 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 just means sort of the end of a particular era or the end of a particular time in Elijah'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 Elijah 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 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 in prior to this particular point and again it's a unique call in 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 is that when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ there ought to be that kissing a 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 normally like familiarity I mean most of us there's some people that like to live by the seat of their pants they like to get show up at the airport and try to get a ticket down I mean those 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 or you know having coffee whatever your routine is that routine is good and life is a pretty Unruh teen 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 Ox and 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 Elijah I mean your hitch and 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 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 detect specifically he was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him and he was with the twelve now this may indicate that this was a sizable farm this man became that this was a lucrative farm this may indicate that there was indeed security for this man Elisha CH 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 Elisha it doesn't mean there's going to be bee health wealth prosperity and loads a benefit I'm certain you know if he hadn't heard he's going to hurt 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 and Phoenicia and there a widow who was about to drop dead her and her son but they kept feeding me with this oil in this this flour that wouldn't dissipate so you know there was no surety no security no nothing in Elijah's future at this point but he goes the twelve yoke of oxen indicates that it was a sizeable and no doubt profitable font and then notice what he does in verse 21 ally should turn back from him took a yoga box and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh using the auxins equipment this means the you know the apparatus to yoke damnit to attach them to the card and probably the card 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 redo that but it was probably a symbol or significant a symbol that signified his breach with the past he's not going back to auxin 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 Elisha 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 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 Elijah 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 second Kings 3:11 second Kings 3:11 I had to repent this afternoon for anybody's ever heard mighty story and the situation faced me at a conference not too long ago holding someone's cup of tea I had to repent because Elijah 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 Elijah does verse 11 Josaphat 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 upstage Elijah he doesn't say I'm new blood I'm fresh blood I'm the 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 will 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 throw or the the gist that Elijah is 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 Faye 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 for a 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 and you know some alleged signs and wonders then of 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 basic you know 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 okay 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 and 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 7000 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 tax teaches will always have a people even in 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 1st 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 in 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 is unspeak Civ Majesty in your glory and your excellence in your goodness and your kindness towards your creatures help us to treasure that word and help us to search out these 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 Elijah 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 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 in chief among 10,000 grant us grace to do these things we pray and go with us now and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen you