“EVEN I ONLY!”

 1 Kings 19:9-18                (ESV)

“9 There he (Elijah) came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and HE said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the GOD of hosts. For the people of Israel have FORSAKEN YOUR covenant, THROWN DOWN YOUR altars, and KILLED YOUR PROPHETS WITH THE SWORD, and I, “EVEN I ONLY”, am left, and THEY SEEK MY LIFE, to take it away."

11 And HE said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a GREAT AND STRONG WIND tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND. And after the wind an earthquake, but THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE.

12 And after THE EARTHQUAKE A FIRE, but THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE. And after the fire THE SOUND OF A LOW WHISPER.

13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, Elijah?"

14 He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the GOD of HOSTS. For the people of Israel have forsaken YOUR covenant, thrown down YOUR altars, and killed YOUR prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 

15 And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

17 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.

18 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.””

There are those who believe that they are able to stack the odds in their favor so dramatically that they are untouchable!  Jezebel was the daughter of Ithobaal I of Tyre and the wife of Ahab, King of Israel.  Ahab was one in a line of increasingly evil kings in Israel’s history, starting with the reign of Jeroboam.  King Ahab “did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30).  Among the events chronicled in Ahab’s life that led to his downfall was his marriage to an evil woman named Jezebel who had a particular hatred for God’s people (1 Kings 18:4).  Because of his marriage to a pagan woman, Ahab devoted himself to the worship of the false gods Baal and Asherah in Israel (1 Kings 16:31–33).  

Jezebel believed that she could not be challenged because of who she was.  She sent a message to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:2 “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."  Elijah had just killed the prophets of Baal, the god that Jezebel worshiped.  Because of her “reputation”, Elijah was fearful and “came to a cave and lodged in it”.  There he remained until GOD came to him and inquired “What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Don’t we do the same thing in our lives?  We allow FEAR because of an enemy’s reputation, but JESUS told us HE would NEVER leave us nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:6)!  I Samuel 6:20 says “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this Holy GOD? And to whom shall he go up away from us?" Our GOD isn’t impressed with money, fame, power, or popularity!  Isaiah 48:11 states “For MY OWN sake, for MY OWN sake, I do it, for how should MY NAME be profaned? MY GLORY I WILL NOT GIVE TO ANOTHER!”

Jezebel was bestowed with a TESTIMONY, one that most would prefer avoiding!  In 2 Kings 9:30-37 Jezebel was thrown into the ground from her window and the horses trampled her.  After eating Jehu, King of the Northern Kingdom, told his servants to bury her.  They went to the ground where she landed and reported that “the dogs” had eaten her!  The enemies of GOD don’t understand WHO HE really is!  Yet neither did Elijah, or he would have never said “EVEN I ONLY” to his CREATOR!  The devil tries everything in his power to get us to “give up” on GOD, to doubt HIS ability to deliver us.  Elijah said “THEY SEEK MY LIFE”, but GOD quickly showed him WHO was in control!  When the devil attempts to cloud our vision, remember that “EVEN I ONLY” and GOD can change the world!