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Chapter 19 tells us that Satan was not going to take this revival without a fight. Satan's tool will be Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, Elijah's sworn enemy. Lets take a minute and look at this "lady". Jezebel was a Phoenician Princess, daughter of Eth-baal, King of Sidon. She married King Ahab of Israel. She was a devote missionary of the pagan god Baal. She had dedicated her life to the destruction of the worship of Yahwah, and the fostering of Baal. She did not take lightly the killing of the 450 prophets of Baal, and as we shall see, her influence was strong during the reign of her husband Ahab, and the reign of her two sons Ahazial and Jehoram.
Her influence extended even into Judah when her daughter, Athaliah, became Queen of Judah for 5 years (840 - 835 BC). Elijah prophesied that dogs would eat her flesh and we will see later on that this came true when she died from being pushed from a window and when they came to bury her they could find only a skull, her feet and the palms of her hands.
Jezebel threatened the life of Elijah and he fled Israel and went to Beer-sheba in Judah where he went out into the wilderness to die. He sat down under a broom tree and fell asleep. He was awakened by an Angel who commanded him to eat a cake and drink water that had been prepared for him. He did as he was commanded and it provided strength for him for 40 days and 40 nights while he walked to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) on the southern end of the Sinai Peninsula. There he found a cave to live in.
The question is, why did Elijah fear a woman whose god was a stone and whose prophets he had put to shame? Where was the courage that had caused him to stand up against a King and the prophets of Baal? He stood undaunted before God and called down the "fire of heaven" and yet the threats of a woman caused him to run
There at Mt. Horeb the Lord spoke to Elijah and gave him these instructions:
Notice the "instruments" of God's justice. Haz'ael, who would become King of Syria, would bring justice upon the people of Israel for their disobedience. Jehu, King of Israel, would bring justice upon the House of Ahab; the whole family would be destroyed. In Israel there would be only 7000 spared. In times of greatest apostasy, God always saves a remnant, a "chosen remnant" for God said, "I have left me a remnant." This according to the "election of Grace".
I think it's interesting that one of the worlds greatest Prophets laid down in the desert and prayed to die then went to sleep, hoping he would wake up dead. But God was not through with Elijah yet. Notice the Angel had to wake him up twice to eat, also notice, that the provisions were sufficient to last 40 days and 40 nights, one day for each of the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness by the Israelites.
Now, why Mt. Horeb? It was called the "Mount of God". God had manifested himself to Moses there. Elijah hoped to find the same manifestation as Moses. Most of God's Prophets, at one time or another, went into the wilderness to get away from an adulterous and ungrateful people and to commune with God.
Finally, Elijah found Elisha plowing and called him to follow him. Elisha returned to his father and mother, bid them goodbye and then went after Elijah.
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