I Kings 18:25-41 gives the account of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. It was really no contest at all, for the true God Jehovah, sent down fire from Heaven to remind the straying Jews that He was the true God. Elijah slew all of the prophets of Baal at God's command, and the Lord and gave him great victory that day. He even sent His blessing of rain again, after being withheld for three years because of the sin in the land. Certainly, Satan was not happy about the murder of over 400 of his servants. So, of course he responded with attack on God's man.
The most wicked queen in Israel's history, Jezebel, and biggest worshipper of Baal in Israel,sent a messenger to Elijah. Her message was that he was going to be as the prophets that he slew by that same time the next day. This is how Satan will do us. He will send his messenger, just as Jezebel sent hers, to threaten and buffet (beat) upon us. II Corinthians 12:7 says that "the messenger of Satan to buffet," was sent to Paul as well.Ephesians 6:15 says there will be "fiery darts of the wicked" as well. But, with the shield of FAITH, they CAN be quenched, or put out. But, Elijah wavered in his faith when vs.3 in chapter 19 says, that "he saw that." He took his eyes off of the LORD, and looked at the problems and situations around him. When we do that, we will stumble as well. Just as Peter began to sink in the water when he took his eyes off of Jesus, we will start to go down as well.
Elijah ran from Jezebel, leaving his servant in Beersheba, and then going a day's journey, or 20 miles, into the wilderness.He then sat down under a juniper tree, and requested that he might die. He said, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." vs.4. If Elijah had wanted to really die, he could have let Jezebel kill him in the city! He spoke these words out of exhaustion and fear. The fact that he chose a juniper tree to lay down under shows that he needed rest and healing. The juniper tree is used in the Middle East as relief from stress and to calm. It's oil is also used in healing as medicine. Elijah needed special care from the Holy One of Israel, just as sheep do from their shepherd in His Field of Grace. The Lord made one for him there in the wilderness by sending his angel to touch him and say, "Arise and eat." When he awoke, he saw a cake baked on hot coals, and a cruse of water at his head.This shows the tender loving care of the Saviour.He didn't give him cold bread, but the cake was WARM on the coals! His word is always FRESH MANNA to our souls! The cruse of water was at his head, which would have meant it was under the cool shade where Elijah was.It would have stayed COOL to refresh his parched soul! Again, just as the shephered gives cool water to his sheep in the cup basin for cooling, he did so for Elijah! He ate these and then laid down again. The Lord was restoring him, just as it says in Psalm 23:3. Elijah was touched again and told to "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." The Lord strengthened him and he went in that strength for 40 days and 40 nights. Psalms 28:8 says, "The Lord is their strength, and He is the SAVING STRENGTH of His anointed." The Lord will give us the strength we need to journey on for Him, and not give us more than we can bear. (I Corinth. 10:13) Elijah then journeyed on to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Even though Satan may rant and rave, and we retreat, thank the Lord He restores us. Tomorrow will be the conclusion of the Lord's question, "What doest thou here.."...
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