Author: Administrador

The call of Elisha is not like other prophetic call narratives in the Old Testament. This story lacks the dramatic visions of Ezekiel, the cherubim and seraphim of Isaiah, the burning bush of Moses, or even Jeremiah’s reassuring word from God. In fact, Elisha’s call does not involve any direct encounter with God at all. … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 Commentary by Cameron B.R. Howard”

We find ourselves in a season of change and transition. The theophany of 1 Kings 19 commissions the prophet to participate in the changing of the guard that included the overthrow of the House of Omri of Israel (2 Kings 9-10) and Ben Haddad of Aram (2 Kings 8:7-15) who will be replaced by Hazael. … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 Commentary by Stephen Reid”

1 Kings 19 begins with Elijah fleeing, not only from Ahab and Jezebel, but also from his place of ministry and the struggles it entails. He moves from the Northern Kingdom through Judah and then to Horeb. Horeb is the name Deuteronomy uses for the mount of God, elsewhere called Sinai. Horeb/Sinai may get Elijah … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:9-18 Commentary by Richard W. Nysse”

Elijah has had a good run, literally and figuratively. He has decimated Queen Jezebel’s religious community by personally executing her four hundred prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:40. That he neither executed nor challenged her four hundred and fifty prophets of Asherah, (see verse 19ff), points to a broader acceptance of the Asherah tradition. … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:9-18 Commentary by Wil Gafney”

First Kings 19 is the lowest point in Elijah’s career. Arrested by fear of Jezebel’s threats, he sinks deeper and deeper into the depths of unbelief, to such a degree that even a powerful theophany — on par with the revelation Moses received on Sinai (see Exodus 34) — does not move him from unbelief … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:9-18 Commentary by Michael J. Chan”

Elijah’s story lends itself well to preaching, with plenty of miraculous deeds and his challenge of the ungodly authority of Ahab and Jezebel. This particular section, however, may be overshadowed by the more dramatic or better known passages about Elijah, including those that immediately precede and follow it. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah calls down … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:4-8 Commentary by Sara Koenig”

When I was working my way through college, I was forced to take a year off to pay debts and start at a new school. I worked in two restaurants during that year. In the evening I worked at an elegant restaurant and in the mornings I worked at a diner. We referred to the … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:4-8 Commentary by Garrett Galvin”

This Old Testament reading ranks among the most famous of Old Testament texts. Elijah’s flight to the wilderness and his encounter with God in “a still small voice” (KJV, NKJV) is well known. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt, however, so good preachers will need to guard against the well-known nature of the text … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:1-18 Commentary by Brent A. Strawn”

What is this story doing in the book of Kings? When the contemporary person reads the title “Kings,” one might think that it is about kings. As the Tanak, the Hebrew Bible designates the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings as the former prophets (the Neviim). The story of the state, that is kings, … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:1-18 Commentary by Stephen Reid”

The story of Elijah told in 1 Kings 19 is both comically tragic and awesomely powerful. Elijah has just bested four hundred prophets of Baal on the summit of Mt. Carmel and has one-upped Ahab by outrunning the king’s chariots on their return journey to Jezreel (1 Kings 18:20-46). But then Ahab tells Jezebel of … Continue reading “1 Kings 19:1-4[5-7]8-15a Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford”