Fasting in the Bible #4 Elijah Fast
Elijah had just gone through a prophetic showdown with the prophets of Baal, successfully calling down the fire of God on a sacrifice and then killing the evil false prophets.
1 Kings 19:3-8 (NIV)
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “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.”
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
After the spiritual high, attack came in the form of threats and fear from Jezebel. He ran for his life into the wilderness and wanted to die.
The process the Lord took him through is interesting.
Firstly he was tired – he need to sleep.
Secondly he was hungry – so the Lord provided fresh hotbread and water to drink. Then he needed another sleep.
Then he had an angelic encounter, telling him to eat again!
Then he travelled a 12 day journey over 40 days fasting as he went. I’m pretty he sure he spenttime praying as he fasted on the journey and conserved his energy too!
Then v9b – 18 happens!
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
The wilderness is a horrible place to be alone and scared – Eliah was ready to die. Have you ever despaired of life, I have and it’s horrible. But there is always hope!
At the end of 40 days, Elijah is still fed up. And God comes to speak in a gentle whisper. God sends him out with renewed vision. Elijah was able to release to God and receive God’s plan and purpose which totally takes away the strongholds that were on Elijah’s life.
Fasting can help us getrelease from enemies lies and threats and set us up for renewing encounters with the Lord.