I Kings 19:1-15
Our reflections and thoughts this morning are on the unique and fascinating OT prophet, Elijah, in today’s reading from 1 Kings. They are not so much theological as pastoral.
Something has happened to Elijah that has totally punctured him, and he is emotionally exhausted. His flame has burnt out and he can’t go on.
The heroic and ever-active Elijah, used by God absolutely uniquely, has become passive and fearful because of a nasty letter.
This exhaustion can present itself as extreme lethargy, anxiety, and an exhausting inner tension, brought about by severe emotional disturbance in our lives. Quite often sudden grief in all its forms, sometimes accumulated stress in an occupation.
Now I think this relates to us as well as Elijah. From time to time all of us have or will suffer a form of this emotional exhaustion to one degree or another.
We are exhausted but can’t sleep. Life becomes too much for us, and we need the very pampering of God himself, just like Elijah.
Our readings from 1 Kings 19 today can teach us a great deal about coping when we are in a dark place. But first, let’s look at the context of today’s reading.
In Ch. 18, just before today’s reading, Elijah had been on Mount Carmel, engaged in a colossal confrontation with the prophets of Baal. The reputation of Yahweh, the Lord was at stake.
In the presence of hundreds of Israelites, plus 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah (directly employed by Jezebel), Elijah had performed a miracle that proved not only his existence but the indisputable truth that the mighty Lord God of Hosts – Yahweh, is the only true God.
After the miracle had happened, Elijah ordered that the false prophets should be rounded up, taken to the river and executed.
It was a huge moment in the life and ministry of Elijah. The powers of darkness had been discredited, he had challenged the political and spiritual leaders of the nation, he had vindicated his own ministry and the power of God.
Then wham! Something happened. He suddenly fell apart when he received a letter from Queen Jezebel, (of whom Scripture has a very low opinion!)
Elijah was exhausted and broke down. He had given everything he possibly could. He was completely drained and had lost all perspective on life. We read in v.3 that “Elijah was afraid,” and his only desire was to escape and run away.
It is not the reality of our present situation that exhausts us, but our fear and anxiety about the future. So instead of seeing things as they really are, Elijah feared how things might be.
He had stopped responding to things spiritually and was now just reacting to the circumstances of life. Elijah assessed the situation and decided that running away was the best option.
Firstly, one of the most common features of depression or burnout can lead us, like Elijah, to choose isolation. In v.4 we are told that Elijah “went a day’s journey into the wilderness”.
Elijah, due to his depression, was removing himself from the community of faith, his spiritual family. Elijah believed that no-one could help him, that no-one understood. Elijah just wanted to be left alone, perhaps to die alone.
There is a real temptation for all of us, when we are depressed or burnt out, to stop engaging with church. But please, don’t. The Lord floods in and comforts us in way we never expect when we remain in the body.
Secondly, we, like Elijah, make chaotic and confused decisions that we would never make if we were well and whole. In. v.3 we read that “he fled for his life,” and in v.4, he says to God, “O Lord, take away my life.”
Neither life nor death appealed to Elijah. V.5 starkly states, “Then he lay down and fell asleep”. Depression is exhausting; completely mentally and physically exhausting.
So where is God in all this. How did our very practical God respond to Elijah. The first thing God did is crucial: he let Elijah sleep. God knew that Elijah was exhausted, so he just let him sleep.
As Christians, we don’t need to be on the go for God all the time. We don’t need to fill our days with good deeds, or prayer or Bible Study. Sometimes, we just need to sleep, (or go fishing).
If we are not rested Christians, then we are short of our best for God, or one another. After God let Elijah sleep, he sent an angel to him who gently woke Elijah up and, in v.5 said, “Get up and eat”.
When an angel appears, we expect some deep and profound spiritual message. But that doesn’t happen. With real gentleness, the angel of the Lord just says, “Get up and eat”.
God is so practical! He knew Elijah needed to sleep – so he let him. He knew Elijah needed to get his strength back – so he fed him. After another sleep, the angel said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you”.
Now look what is happening here. The emphasis is still on Elijah’s recuperation but, this time, there is mention of a journey. God is gently introducing to Elijah hope and promise for the future.
Elijah thought that his journey with God was over. He thought that his time with God was done and that there was nothing left to do but die alone in the wilderness.
But God had other ideas. God had not finished with Elijah, even though Elijah had given up on himself.
The Lord does not yet give any details of the journey. That’s important. Elijah was not yet ready to hear “Right Elijah, I want you to leave here and devote yourself to a life of prayer and service, walking on the edge of society, constantly vulnerable to the attacks of others so that my name will be glorified!”
No details yet, – just the promise of a future worth living for.
And in verse 8, we read this: “He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God”. Mt Horeb is Mt Sinai, the Lord led Elijah to the great Hebrew sacred place for spiritual restoration.
So, in this story of Elijah’s depression, we see that God has physically restored him through food and sleep, has emotionally restored him through the promise of a future, and has spiritually restored him by bringing him back to a sacred place, that is My Horeb, or Sinai.
So, what do we learn from this incredible passage?
First, we are reminded to be kind to ourselves: Eat, sleep, rest up for a while. Don’t be driven by other people’s agendas at the expense of your health. Healing and restoration are a process that takes time and needs to engage with our body, mind and spirit.
Second, how you or I might be feeling now is not the end story: we don’t have to roll over and die alone in the wilderness, either physically, spiritually or emotionally. God has not given up on you and he never will (he can’t) – this is not the end game.
There is the promise of a journey and, when we are ready, God will take us on that journey; but he won’t start it until we are ready: because he loves us too much for that.
Third, our journey will lead us to a sacred place, into intimacy with God, how we are feeling today is not the end of our story. Let’s look for God in the small things of life.
Our God is very practical and is always with us in the real messiness of life. This is what the cross of Christ is all about, that’s what the Incarnation is all about; the Word became flesh.
God gets his hands dirty in the mess of our lives, and he works in a most pragmatic way to restore us to life in all its fullness in body, mind and spirit.
That was the experience of Elijah, this is my own personal experience, and it can be yours as well. Let me pray …