'Plowing with twelve yoke of oxen' ( 1 Kings 19:19). Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.' And he said unto him, Go back again for what have I done to thee? And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. 'So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him. Elisha showed his willingness to succeed Elijah by killing his oxen (his previous source of income) and using them to provide a farewell dinner for his family and friends (19-21).

With renewed confidence Elijah returned to Israel. Through the work of an enemy king Hazael, an Israelite king Jehu and the prophet Elisha, violent and spectacular events would occur as punishments on Israel but always there would be some who heeded God’s voice and remained faithful to him (15-18). God then showed Elijah that although violent and spectacular events had some use, there would be lasting benefits only as people listened to God’s voice in their hearts and responded accordingly (11-14). The people as a whole repeatedly rebelled against its commands, and they were spiritually unaffected by the drought and its spectacular removal (9-10). Elijah doubted whether the covenant had any more meaning for Israel.

But God sustained him, enabling him to keep moving south till he reached Mt Sinai, the place where God had made his covenant with Israel (3-8). Elijah fled south through the barren regions of Judah where, overcome with despair, he wanted only to die. She still had great power over the people, who, despite Elijah’s victory at Mt Carmel, soon returned to their idolatrous ways (19:1-2 cf. When Jezebel heard that Elijah had killed her prophets, she threatened to do the same to him.

Bible study elijah elisha