The Flight to the Wilderness
J. R. Macduff, D. D. 1 Kings 19:3-18 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.… 1. We may well learn, from this sad crisis in Elijah's history, the lesson of our own weakness, and our dependence on God's grace. In the Divine life, often the most dangerous and perilous time for the believer, is after a season of great enlargement; when he is saying to himself, "My mountain standeth strong." The spiritual armour is loosely worn; — he gets supine after the flush of victory: the bold, bounding river, that we have just witnessed taking leap after leap in successive cataracts, loses itself in the low, marshy swamps of self-confidence. 2. Beware of taking any step without the Divine sanction. Let us be careful not to follow our own paths; not to take any solemn and important step unless it be divinely owned and recognised. "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." "Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are Thy ways." 3. Beware of murmuring under trial. Each of us has, or may yet have, his day of trial — sickness, bereavement, crushed hopes, bitter disappointments, crossed wishes — stings and arrows from quarters least expected. How are we to meet them? Are we to give way to peevish, fretful repining? Are we to say, "I am wearied of life. I would I were done with all this wretchedness. What pleasure is existence to this wounded, harassed, smitten spirit?" Nay, take courage. It is not "enough." The Lord has work for you still to do. It is not for you, but for Him, to say, at His own appointed time, as He said to Hezekiah, "Thou shalt die, and not live." If we have ever been guilty of uttering such a rash prayer as that of Elijah — "Take away my life" let us be thankful God has not given us the fulfilment of our own wish — the ratification of our own desire — and allowed us to die, unmeet and unprepared! (J. R. Macduff, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. WEB: When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.