Elijah..1 Kings 17 -

God asks him Again.....'What are you doing here, Elijah?'  

God already knows the answer.... but Elijah repeats verbatim what he said the first time.  He's had a lot of time...40 days and nights and more to memorize it and say it the same each time.

“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 does not say, 'oh thank you', or that's ridiculous or anything else. Of course Elijah is not the only one left. and yes she threatened to kill him but often the threat of something is worse than the attempt to do it. She didn't atempt it, it appears. She only threatened..but that was enough to frighten Elijah and send him scurrying. Reminds me a lot of us and what's going on right now.

The next words from the LORD are Elijah's new orders.    The LORD is not done with Elijah...Elijah's ministry is not over.

The LORD tells him what to do next.

" The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, (1) anoint Hazael king over Aram. (aram is syria)

16 Also, (2)Anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and(3) anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

17 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.

18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”"

SEVEN THOUSAND!!

The Call of Elisha


19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Elijah did not anoint hazael.  he did not himself anoint Jehu.   But the first thing he did was to find Elisha who was to take his place.

Did God change his mind. I don't think so. These two, Hazael and Jehu became kings.

https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/26096/why-did-god-change-his-mind-concerning-the-anointing-of-jehu-by-elijah-in-1-king

Elijah completed that part of God's instructions. No more is said about that. So Elisha follows Elijah and become his servant.

Calypso Jones wrote:Elijah completed that part of God's instructions.    No more is said about that.  So Elisha follows Elijah and become his servant.  

"" So Elisha follows Elijah and become his servant.""

Minimum wage and health cover I hope ?

a double portion.

Calypso Jones wrote:a double portion.

Eli is a generous profit ,,

I'm very interested in why Elijah did not anoint hazael and Jehu.  I'm looking.  this is the start.

https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/26096/why-did-god-change-his-mind-concerning-the-anointing-of-jehu-by-elijah-in-1-king

well...that makes sense. Elijah did not disobey God. God told him that Elisha would do these things in his place. And he did...and as it was when Samuel anointed Saul's successor..>IN SECRET because it was dangerous. Elisha did the same. He didn't anoint Jehu...nor did a prophet anoint Jehu..but a prophet's son anointed Jehu and per Elisha's instructions.... beat a hasty retreat.

Naaman was Ben Hadad's commander of the army..and very good commander. He was the one that his king, Hadad, sent to Elisha to be cured of leprosy. Later on Naaman kills Ahab. Jehu was anointed by a prophet's son. Jehu would be the one to kill Jezebel.

These things take time....in God's time.