Why was Elijah afraid of Jezebel so quickly, right after his triumph over the prophets of Baal?

tonychanyt · Oct 24, 2024

The Lord used Elijah to send fire from heaven to defeat a bunch of prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He slaughtered them (1 Kings 19:40).

Then the Lord used Elijah to send rain to end the drought, 1 Kings 19:

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

But then in the next verses, 1 Kings 19:

1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

How could Elijah lose his confidence in the Lord so quickly?

He shifted his focus from the Lord to Jezebel.

10 The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

He looked at the problems instead of the Lord. After all, Elijah was a man like us (James 5:17). Moses struck the rock in anger (Numbers 20:10-12). David sinned with Bathsheba. It is a human psychological fragility. We all slip. No one is perfect except Jesus.

Similarly, one moment Peter was walking on water; the next moment he was about to drown.

Mark Quayle · Oct 24, 2024

tonychanyt said:
Why was Elijah afraid of Jezebel so quickly, right after his triumph over the prophets of Baal?

The Lord used Elijah to send fire from heaven to defeat a bunch of prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He slaughtered them (1 Kings 19:40).
Then the Lord used Elijah to send rain to end the drought, 1 Kings 19:

But then in the next verses, 1 Kings 19:

How could Elijah lose his confidence in the Lord so quickly?
He shifted his focus from the Lord to Jezebel.

He looked at the problems instead of the Lord.
Similarly, one moment Peter was walking on water; the next moment he was about to drown.
After all, Elijah was a man like us (James 5:17).

I think it is more than simply what focus a person has, nor does it depend entirely on the person, but rather, that God was the one at work in every instance of success. Peter walking on water was the ability of God to do. Elijah's success was as a tool for God's use, as God impelled him to do; he was 'on a roll' there, because God was at work in him to say and do what he said and did, and that, for God's purposes.

Elijah's subsequent humbling was for Elijah's benefit, and for ours.

Diamond72 · Oct 24, 2024

tonychanyt said:
the next moment he was about to drown.

Peter could swim. John 21:7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea.

KevinT · Nov 16, 2024

tonychanyt said:
He looked at the problems instead of the Lord.
Similarly, one moment Peter was walking on water; the next moment he was about to drown.
After all, Elijah was a man like us (James 5:17).

Elijah could not assume that just because God is all powerful, that God would work to protect Elijah's life. After all, God had not chosen to intervene when the other prophets of God were put to death.

Yes, we should keep our eyes on our Lord. But if Elijah just foolishly stayed in his home when the queen had murder in her heart, that could be seen as presumption.

KT

KevinT · Nov 16, 2024

Diamond72 said:
Peter could swim. John 21:7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea.

I also can swim, but put me out in the ocean with waves, in the middle of a storm, and I'll cry out in fear.

KT

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Why was Elijah afraid of Jezebel so quickly, right after his triumph over the prophets of Baal?

tonychanyt

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Mark Quayle

Monergist; and by reputation, Reformed Calvinist