After the competition

Ahab told Jezebel everything that happened, and Jezebel was pissed. She sent a messenger to Elijah, saying that what he had done to her prophets, she would do to him! But she damned herself by saying “may the gods deal with me severely if I don’t.”

Elijah was afraid and fled. He left his servant in Beersheba, then traveled a day into the wilderness. There, he sat under a tree and prayed for death. He told the Lord that he’s had enough, and that he was no better than his ancestors. (Who was Elijah’s servant–why didn’t he succeed him as prophet instead of Elisha? Why was Elijah discouraged?–so many people had seen Baal be defeated and there shouldn’t be any of those prophets left.)

Then he fell asleep. He was awoken “by an angel who touched him” and told him to eat. There was food and water left near his head, so he ate it and went back to sleep. (This sounds like a good way to spend my own time when I have money to leave water and food for sleeping homeless people.)

The second time, the “angel of the Lord” returned and touched him. Telling him to get up and eat or the journey would be too much for him.

So he got up then proceeded to walk forty days and nights until he reached Horeb (Mt Sinai?)–the mountain of God.

There at the mountain, Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. The word of the Lord (Jesus!) asked him what he was doing there.

Elijah said that he’d been very zealous in serving the Lord but the rest of Israel had forsaken the Lord and now he was the only one left and his life was on the line. (Did he forget the results of the competition? He WON and decimated the false prophets. There were witnesses!)

Then the Lord (Jesus) told Elijah to go stand on the mountain, because the Lord (God) was going to pass by. Mighty wind tore into the mountain and battered the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. But after all that came a “still, small voice.”

When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his cloth and went to stand at the mouth of the cave. A voice came to him and asked him again why he was there. (At first I thought Elijah had been hesitating, but now I see he recognized WHEN the Lord, his God, had arrived. And that’s when he went out to meet Him.)

Elijah repeated himself. (The first time was to Jesus, the second time was to God Himself.)

Then the Lord told him to go back where he came from and go through the Desert of Damascus. Once there, anoint Hazael as the King of Aram; Jehu as King of Israel; and Elisha to succeed himself as prophet.

The Lord God said that Jehu will kill whoever escapes Hazael, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes Jehu.

And also, Elijah was wrong. There were still 7,000 in Israel who had not forsaken Him.

After receiving his orders, Elijah left and found Elisha. Elisha was plowing with TWELVE teams of oxen (and was in the 12th team). Elijah passed by him and literally passed his mantle onto him by putting his cloak around Elisha’s shoulders. (12 like the tribes of Israel.)

Immediately, Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, asking for permission to kiss his parents goodbye before he followed Elijah. Elijah replied, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” (How did Elijah feel about bringing Elisha into this life of being a prophet?)

Elisha turned back, took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them, cooked the meat, passed it around for people to eat, then set out to follow Elijah. (A last supper? Did Elisha ever return home?)