Elijah’s Burnout & Re-ignition

1 Kings 19

Elijah and an Angel, 19:1-7

Many spiritual giants of the Bible have suffered spiritual burnout, such as Moses, Jeremiah, and even Elijah. In 1 Kings 19:4 we learn of Elijah’s burnout. “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 fathers” Why was he so depressed?

The great prophet’s desert depression was preceded by the Mt. Carmel victory. Elijah had been on the mountain three days earlier, engaged in a remarkable confrontation with the pagan priests of Baal. The next thing Elijah knew he was running for his very life. He had received death threats from Queen Jezebel who was upset at the humiliating defeat of her god at Mt. Carmel. Elijah was afraid, “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” (19:3). He could have said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your threats will never hurt my passion.” Instead, he asked God that he might die. “And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” (19:4).

Elijah was depressed, ready to give up, to lie down and die. He was running on fumes. Elijah needed some sleep and some good food, and it was provided. God knew just how to deal with the drained prophet. “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, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD 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” (19:5-8).

Elijah and God, 19:8-21

God instructed him to go to Mt. Sinai (Horeb). Elijah hid himself in a cave. God demonstrated that He was still with Elijah by sending a strong wind, then an earthquake, next a fire, and finally a still small voice. God came and asked him to explain his behavior. He told God how faithful he had been and reminded Him of the great defeat of the Prophets of Baal. He tells God this three times. And each time God responds with the command, “Go.”

Perhaps, Elijah was under the false impression that Baal had been defeated once and for all. However, Elijah needed to focus on burning rubber and “go.” God had work for him to do. When Elijah was suffering from burnout God just didn’t let him retire altogether. He sent Him to anoint a new king over Israel, a new king over Syria, and appoint his successor. He was to anoint Hazel as king over Syria, anoint Jehu as king over Israel, and anoint Elisha as his successor as a prophet.

He also reminded Elijah that he was not alone.  There were 7000 in Israel who did not worship Baal. One of the them is Elisha whom he finds plowing and threw upon his replacement a mantel. For the next ten years Elijah and Elisha would work together.

Application

The Power of Prayer

The most obvious application from Elijah is the one James made for us concerning the power of one man’s prayer. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months” (Js. 5:17).

Bravely and Boldly Deal with False Teachers

At the Mount Carmel showdown with the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah shows that truth is not determined by the numbers who embrace a certain position. Truth is truth, no matter how many or how few hold to it at any given time.

Elijah was brave enough to face kings and a well-established religion. He did not just rebuke them in a general way. He did not sugar coat it. He took names and whipped them all. Today, people want a preacher to deal with sin and false teaching without exposing denominations or false preachers. “The most dangerous rock that one encounters while mowing grass is the rock that is hidden in the grass. The rocks that are exposed to view pose no great threat to the man mowing the grass. So it is with false teachers. When they are exposed for what they are, the man who carelessly follows has no one to blame but himself” (Andy Alexander, “Preaching Like Elijah”, Guardian of Truth, Feb. 6, 92, 8). Paul and John were not of this belief. They were willing to name names of the false teachers and their doctrines.

Beware of Spiritual Burnout

Elijah was in danger of despair and giving up after Mount Carmel. Often depression can come after a great victory. We too can suffer from spiritual burnout. Perhaps, our spiritual burnout is caused by over work or over commitment. Like a car, we only come equipped with gas tanks that will only hold so much. We cannot run on fumes forever. God has promised us success if we don’t burnout. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9). We are to abound in our work for the Lord, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Burn rubber in God’s work and watch your spiritual passion take off

Daily Trust in the Lord to Care for You

God took care of Elijah by the brook and in the widow’s home. God sent an angel to cook him breakfast twice. Saints today need to learn to trust God on a day by day basis. We are to pray for our daily bread. God has promised to take care of our need for food and clothing. We must trust in Him (Matt. 6:24-34).

Reward and Punishment

God will reward those who are faithful. When He comes again they too, like Elijah, will be caught away in the clouds when Jesus returns (1 Thess. 4:13–18). However, just as the 450 prophets of Baal were executed, doom came upon King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and fire consumed the two captains with their 100 solders in 2 Kings 1, so will Christ come one day “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7-8).

– Daniel R. Vess

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