Sermon Tone Analysis

*1 KINGS 19:19-21 *

Elijah is called to meet with the Lord at the scene of his redemptive historical action of covenant making: “/I will take you to me for a people/…” [Exo.6:7]., where it all began.

§         In the theophany at Horeb, Elijah learns that the “Lord was not yet” [19:12] in the manifestations of judgement.

§         Elijah learns that the Lord is in “/the still, small voice/” [19:12].

The day is a ‘day of grace’ and when Elijah realises how wrong he was he covers his face in shame and submission: “/he wrapped his face in his mantle/…” [19:13].

§         Elijah has been rebuked and is now ready for service: “/he stood in the entering of the cave/” [19:13].

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*THE LORD & ELIJAH AT HOREB*

*1.        **The Repeated Question *

*a.        **The Lord *

The message of the Lord: “there came a voice to him…” [19:13].

§         אֵלָיו - “/came to him/” [19:13],

§         קֹ֔ול - “/voice/” [19:13], ‘any type of noise which breaks the sound waves and so enters the perception of hearing’: “/still, small voice/” [19:12].

*b.        **The Question *

The Lord asks Elijah the same question: “/what are you doing here, Elijah/?” [19:9].

§         מַה־לְּךָ - “/what/” [19:9], when used with reference to a person, a question about ‘character, quality’ not about ‘identification’;

§         פֹ֖ה - “/here/” [19:9], ‘in this place’;

*Application*

The Lord’s question in [19:9] is repeated.

§         The Lord wants Elijah to answer the question now, after the experience of Horeb and the “/still, small voice/” [19:13].

*2.

**Elijah’s Answer *

*a.        **Elijah’s Zeal *

Elijah’s zeal: “/I have been very jealous for the Lord/…” [19:10].

§         קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי - “/very jealous/” [9:10], piel perfect, ‘verb expresses a very strong emotion whereby some quality or possession of the object is desired by the subject’.

§         ‘The central meaning of our word, however, relates to “jealousy” especially in the marriage~/covenant relationship’.

§         In a positive sense – ‘to advocate zealously for the benefit of someone else’; in a negative sense – ‘to bear a grudge against, to resent’.

§         ‘The cause of the anq actions is the (possibly imagined) infringement of someone’s rights or injury to the subject’s honor’;

*a.        **The Cause of Jealousy *

Elijah was jealous because: “/for the Lord God of hosts/…” [19:10].

§         אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָאֹ֗ות - “/for Lord of Hosts/” [19:10],

§         Mount Carmel: “/How long halt ye between two opinion?

If the Lord be God/…” [18:21].

*b.        **Israel**’s Rebellion *

The reason for Elijah’s jealousy: “/for the children of Israel have forsaken/…” [19:10].

*c.        **Elijah’s Defeatism?

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Elijah’s stands alone: “/and I, even I only, an left/…” [19:10].

*a.        **The Death Threat *

Elijah’s life is under threat: “/they seek my life/…” [19:10].

§         יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ - “/seek/” [19:10], piel imperfect, ‘look for’; ‘search’;

§         לְקַחְתָּֽהּ - “/take/ /it/” [19:10], ‘to grasp’ take hold of’; ‘to take possession of’;

*Application*

Elijah’s answer is exactly the same as the response to the first question.

§         The first time this statement of defense is presented to the audience, the emphasis falls on Elijah’s feelings (informative) but the precise reiteration exhibits Elijah’s inflexibility and egocentrism (elucidating).

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*THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ELIJAH 1*

*1.        **The Renewed Commission  *

*a.        **Return to Service *

God’s command: “/Go, return thy way to the wilderness of Damascus/…” [19:15].

§         לֵ֛ךְ - “/go/” 19:15],  qal imperative, ‘travel’; ‘take a journey, walk’;

§         שׁ֥וּב - “/return/” [19:15], qal imperative, ‘turn around’; ‘linear motion to original point’;

§         לְדַרְכְּךָ - “/thy way/” [19:15], literally ‘to your way’; ‘path, route or highway’;

*b.        **Re-Commissioning *

Go back to the lion’s den: “/wilderness of Damascus/” [19:15].

§         מִדְבַּ֣רָה דַמָּ֑שֶׂק - “/wilderness of Damascus/” [19:15], ‘city of the plateau’;

§         Damascus is situated NE of Mount Hermon; this is where Elijah had carried out his ministry, reaching to Sidon and Zarephath on the coast.

*Application*

Elijah was to return to the place where he had veered of track, two hundred miles north in Damascus.

§          

 

*2.

**Elijah & His Complaints     *

*a.        **Elijah’s First Complaint *

The first complaint: “/the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant/...” [19:14].

§         בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל - “/children of Israel/” [9:10],

§         עָזְב֤וּ - “/forsaken/” [9:10], qal perfect, ‘to abandon’ [Gen.2:24];

§         בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ - “/covenant/” [9:10], suzerain and vassal - ‘binding personal relationship with boundaries and conditions’.

*i.         **The Threat *

By forsaking the covenant, Israel was open to the Lord’s threatened judgement:

§         “/The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me/” [Deu.28:20].

§         “/Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us/?” [Deu.31:17].

*b.        **Elijah’s Second Complaint *

The second part of the complaint: “/thrown down thine altars and slain thy prophets/…” [19:14].

§         הָרָ֔סוּ - “/thrown down/” [9:10], qal perfect, ‘to tear down a structure’; ‘to demolish’;

*i.         **The Cause *

Israel had been led into Baalism by Ahab and Jezebel:

§         Ahab: “/did evil in the sight of the Lord more than/…” [16:30]; “/he took to wife Jezebel…and went and served Baal and worshipped him/” [16:31]; “/he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal/…” [16:32].

§         Jezebel: “/the prophets of Baal…which eat at Jezebel’s table/” [18:9].

*c.        **Elijah’s Third Complaint *

The third part: “/I, even I only am left/…” [19:14].

§         אִוָּתֵ֤ר - “/left/” [19:10], niphal imperfect, ‘to be a remainder’; ‘to be left over’;

§         Carmel: “/I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord/…” [18:22].

§         אִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי - “/I only/” [19:10],

§         לְבַדִּ֔י – ‘member’; ‘an amount or unit of a quantity as part of a share or whole’;

*ii.

**The Cause *

Ahab and Jezebel were once again the problem: “/slain thy prophets with the sword/” [19:14].

§         הָרְג֣וּ - “/slain/” [9:10], qal perfect, ‘to put to death intentionally’;

§         Jezebel: “/Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord/…” [18:13]; “/Jezebel sent a messenger…make thy life as the life of one of them/…” [19:2].

*Application*

 

*3.

**Yahweh & ‘The Ongoing Work of Judgement’  *

Yahweh is seen in his ongoing work of judgement [19:15-17]; a new order will replace the old.

God answers Elijah’s complaint by promising to pave the way through judgement.

*a.        **The “Wind” of Hazael > Realm of International Politics *

The first step: “/anoint Hazael to be king over Syria/” [19:15].

§         מָשַׁחְתָּ - “/anoint/” [19:15], qal perfect, ‘to dedicate or consecrate a person or object for service’;

§         לְמֶ֖לֶךְ - “/king/” [19:15], ‘governmental head of a kingdom’;

§         עַל־אֲרָֽם - “/Syria/” [19:15], literally ‘Aram’; an area of Damascus;

§         This declares Yahweh’s lordship over that non-Israelite country.

*i.         **Judgement *

The coming judgement: “/him that escapes the sword of Hazael/…” [19:17].

§         Hazael destroyed many in Israel: “/in those days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel/…” [2Kgs.10:32-33].

*b.        **The “Earthquake” of Jehu > Realm of National Politics *

The second step: “/Jehu…shalt thou anoint king over Israel/” [19:16].

§         תִּמְשַׁ֥ח - “/anoint/” [19:16], qal imperfect, ‘to dedicate or consecrate a person or object for service’;

§         לְמֶ֖לֶךְ - “/king/” [19:16], ‘governmental head of a kingdom’;