Elijah's Discouragement and Desire to Die Like Ancestors
Elijah's discouragement and desire to die are recorded in 1 Kings 19:4, where he prayed, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" [3]. This sentiment arose after his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and his subsequent flight from Jezebel's wrath. Elijah's feelings of isolation and despair were compounded by his perception that his efforts to reform Israel had been in vain.
According to Flavius Josephus, Elijah's prayer was motivated by a sense of inadequacy and a feeling that he was not superior to his predecessors [1]. This sentiment is echoed in his statement to God, "I am not better than my fathers." Elijah's actions and emotions were driven by his zeal for the Lord and his distress at Israel's idolatry, as evident in his response to God's inquiry about his motivations [9].
The biblical account portrays Elijah as a human being subject to emotions and doubts, much like other prophets. For instance, Ezekiel also experienced deep despair and pleaded with God not to destroy the remnant of Israel [2]. Elijah's discouragement was not unique, and his story serves as a testament to the human aspect of prophetic figures.
The patristic tradition views Elijah's experience as a demonstration of the human struggle with despair and the importance of divine intervention. Tertullian notes that Elijah, along with Enoch, was an exception to the ordinary law of dying, highlighting the significance of their experiences [8]. Augustine also reflects on Elijah's story, using it to illustrate the complexities of human emotions and the need for spiritual guidance [4].
Elijah's story has been interpreted in various ways across different Christian traditions. The Baptist/Reformed tradition, represented by John Gill, emphasizes Elijah's humanity and his struggles with emotions, underscoring the relatable nature of his experience [6]. In contrast, the Lutheran tradition, as seen in Keil & Delitzsch's commentary, focuses on the historical context and the theological implications of Elijah's actions [7].
The narrative of Elijah's discouragement and desire to die serves as a reminder of the human vulnerabilities of biblical figures and the complexities of their experiences. It highlights the need for empathy and understanding in interpreting the lives and struggles of these individuals.
Elijah's story ultimately concludes with his ascension into heaven, a miraculous event that underscores the extraordinary nature of his prophetic ministry [5]. This event is seen as a testament to God's power and a demonstration of the prophet's unique role in Israel's history.
Sources
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 13, section 7: the utmost limits of the country belonging to the tribe of Judah, towards the land of Edom; and there he left his servant, and went away into the desert. He prayed also that he might die, for that he was not better than his fathers, nor need he be very desirous to live, when they were dead; and he lay and slept under a certain tree; and when somebody awakened him, and he was risen up, he found food set by him and water: so when he had eaten, and recovered his strength by that his food, he came to that mountain which is called Si”
- Ezekiel “When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” -- Ezekiel 11:13”
- I Kings “I Kings 18:2 (KJV) — And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. XX.--62. And, indeed, in these three classes of examples, I see that no class of injury is passed over. [1] For all matters in which we suffer any injustice are divided into two classes: of whic (part 2): in accordance with the sentiment of those who might fear it, punished some sins with death, both because the living were struck with a salutary fear, and because it was not death itself that would injure those who were being punished with death, but sin, which might be increased if they continued to live. They did not judge rashly on wh”
- 2 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 2:1: Elijah's times, and the events concerning him, are as little dated as those of any great man in scripture; we are not told of his age, nor in what year of Ahab's reign he first appeared, nor in what year of Joram's he disappeared, and therefore cannot conjecture how long he flourished; it is supposed about twenty years in all. Here we are told, I. That God had determined to take him up into heaven by a whirlwind, Kg2 2:1. He would do it, and it is probable let him know of his purpose some time before, that he would shortly take him from the world, not by death, bu”
- James (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on James 5:17: Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,.... The apostle gives an instance of earnest and fervent prayer, and of the efficacy of it in Elias; who is the same with the prophet Elijah, or Elijah the Tishbite; who, by the Septuagint in Mal 4:5 is called Elias, as here, and elsewhere, in the New Testament: of him James says, that he was a "man", contrary to the notion of some of the Jewish writers, who affirm, that Elijah was not born of a father and mother, but was an angel, who was clothed with the four elements of the world (e); but he was not only born, but ”
- 1 Kings (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Kings 19:1: The hope of completing his victory over the idolaters and overthrowing the worship of Baal, even in the capital of the kingdom, with which Elijah may have hastened to Jezreel, was frustrated by the malice of the queen, who was so far from discerning any revelation of the almighty God in the account given her by Ahab of what had occurred on Carmel, and bending before His mighty hand, that, on the contrary, she was so full of wrath at the slaying of the prophets of Baal as to send to the prophet Elijah to threaten him with death. This apparent failure of his min”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. L.--THE ABSURD OPINION OF EPICURUS AND THE PROFANE CONCEITS OF THE HERETIC MENANDER ON DEATH, EVEN ENOCH AND ELIJAH RESERVED FOR DEATH. (part 2): cleansing? I really see something to suspect in so rare an occurrence of a sacrament to which is attached so very much security and safety, and which dispenses with the ordinary law of dying even in the service of God Himself, when, on the contrary, all nations have "to ascend to the mount of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob," who demands of His saints in martyrdom that death which He exacted even of His Chr”
- 1 Kings (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Kings 19:10: And he said, I have been jealous for the Lord God of hosts,.... Through zeal for the glory of God he had slain four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and this had stirred up the malice and revenge of Jezebel against him, who sought his life, and which had obliged him to flee, and come to this place for shelter; this is the first part of his answer, others follow: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant; the law, especially the two first commandments delivered in this very place; and therefore he could hope for no protection from them, but was force”