Why was Elijah afraid of Jezebel?

Response

Elijah had recently experienced a significant victory in defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Fire had come down from heaven, the Israelites had acknowledged the Lord, and the false prophets had been executed. However, following this triumph, Elijah faced a period of fear and failure in his life: he became afraid and fled for his life from Queen Jezebel. The reason for this can be found in 1 Kings 19:1–2: “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.’”

This death threat led Elijah to escape into the wilderness for a day «But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. », (1 Kings 19:4). At one point, Elijah was so disheartened that he wished for death: “And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers’” (verse 4).

In response, the Lord sent an angel to provide the prophet with food and drink before and after he rested. After receiving rest and nourishment, Elijah embarked on a forty-day journey to Mount Horeb to meet with the Lord (1 Kings 19:6-8). There, the Lord inquired why Elijah had fled to such a distant place. Elijah’s response was revealing: “The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me as well” (verse 10). Elijah saw himself as thThe lone defender of God’s name in Israel, Jezebel seemed to be winning the fight, and Elijah had fled.

During his conversation with God at Horeb, the Lord gave Elijah three important tasks. First, Elijah was to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, “And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:” (1 Kings 19:15). Second, he was to anoint Jehu as king of Israel (verse 16). Third, he was to anoint Elisha as the prophet to take his place (verse 16).

These leaders would help turn Israel away from the evil of idol worship and would facilitate the total destruction of the wicked line of Ahab and Jezebel: “And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death” “And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.” (1 Kings 19:17). Elijah had dealt a death-blow to Baal-worship in Israel, and the three men Elijah would anoint would remove the remaining vestiges of that particular form of idolatry.

In addition, God offered one important word of comfort to Elijah. During this time when the prophet felt so alone, God said, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18). Elijah had thought he was the only one faithful to the Lord, and he took great comfort in the knowledge that thousands of others had never bowed to Baal.