When we look at the story of Elijah’s flight and subsequent prayer for death, we wonder at his sudden reversal from power and boldness to fear and panic. It is startling to think of someone so strong as Elijah frightened away by the threat of Jezebel. He had just had a “mountaintop experience” in defeating the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Fire had descended from heaven, the people of Israel acknowledged the Lord, and the false prophets were all put to death. But that experience was followed by an episode of fear and failure in Elijah’s life: the prophet was afraid and ran for his life from Queen Jezebel.
One who have thought Elijah will in same manner he dealt with the sons of Baal dealt with Jezebel but that was not the case. He literally ran away.
Elijah represents many believers today and Jezebel represent challenges they faced. Elijah ran away when he heard Jezebel is practically killing the other believers at that time and he even thought he was the only one left.
Many times, we have won a certain victory against a stronghold, yet only to find out that there is a bigger stronghold waiting for us again.
Running away from problems is not the solution. Elijah ran and ran away from Jezebel till he even begged for death. When we allowed the devil to instill fear in us, we are giving him an advantage over us. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
No matter how big a problem might be, it’s definitely not bigger than God. Elijah won a big victory over the worshippers of Baal yet He couldn’t even withstand Jezebel.
The way we interpret challenges determine the victory we get against it.
When he was alone, Elijah petitioned God that he might die. He was not afraid of death and would actually have welcomed it at this point. It was not the death threat that he heard from Jezebel but rather what he saw that made him run.
Frustration and fear are the major tools of the enemy against the believers.
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