DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE:

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF 1 KINGS 19:1-21

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE COURSE OBST 591-B05 LUO

LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

TRAVIS NOWELL OBST 591-B05 LUO CURTIS FITZGERALD OCTOBER 1, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION------1

LITERARY ANALYSIS------1

INTERPRETIVE ISSUES------3

TIMELESS THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES ------4

CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION------4

CONCLUSION------5

BIBLIOGRAPHY------6

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INTRODUCTION

Many Christians today find it disheartening when trying to read and understand the .

Apostle Paul notes to Timothy the importance of Scripture: “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:15-17).1 Clearly Christians should remain faithful to reading and studying Scripture. To aid enjoyment and understanding of Scripture, Christians can explore the literary devices used in the narratives. Professor Yates believes the proper understanding of the usage of literary devices will help learners to properly understand the theological principles within Scripture.2 This essay contends that believers, when studying God’s

Word, must perform a proper literary analysis, consider interpretive issues, extract theological principles, and utilize personal application from the text.

LITERARY ANALYSIS

This paper will examine 1 Kings 19:1-21. Foreshadowing is the first technique exploited by the author. assures that she will surely kill him and for added measure says

“may the gods do to me and more also” if it does not come to pass (1 Kings 19:2). However, the

Lord protects Elijah from her proposition, but irony is introduced in v. 17 as God promises to slay Jezebel. Tragically, :33-37 details the promised and accomplished wrath of God upon Jezebel who was thrown out of a window to her death, trampled in the street by horses, and eaten by dogs. This use of irony strengthens the fact that God is ultimately in control and Elijah’s fear of Jezebel’s threats was unhealthy and unwise.

1 The Holy Bible: . Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001. All other Biblical references will utilize the ESV. 2 Professor Gary Yates, “OT Literary Analysis Presentation,” Liberty University.

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Another device utilized by the writer is contrast. In verse 3, the threat from one single female caused Elijah to desperately fear and flee for his life. Although, in the previous chapter

Elijah had boldly stood up for God, destroyed the 450 of , and turned the people to acknowledge the LORD as their one true God (:20-40). Elijah’s contrast of boldness in one situation with complete terror in another again reminds believers that each new day brings new circumstances requiring that believers “trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Instead of Elijah confronting the evil queen as he did the false prophets, he was overcome with fear and fled for his life. Like Peter on top of the waves, Elijah had taken his eyes of the Lord and sank like a stone.

Repetition exists in the narrative experience with the repeated feeding of Elijah from the angel (vs. 5-7) and the Lord’s question “What are you doing here, Elijah?” that is repeated in verses 9 and 13. Sometimes a question is more powerful than a statement. God could have told

Elijah he was not where He wanted him to be, but He asks him to answer instead. He asks him twice giving him two opportunities. Similarly, God asks Adam in the garden “Where are you?”

(Gen 3:9). God knew where Adam was just like He knew what Elijah was up to. They were both in the wrong and God was giving them a chance to come clean. Sadly, neither owned up to the fact that they were wrong and afraid.

Intertextuality is present in verse 12 as God’s voice is likened to a fire. The events of

Moses with the burning bush on the pages of Exodus 3 quickly come to mind here. Both men were on a mountain and in both instances “the LORD passed by” to reveal His glory (1 Kings

19:11). Though Elijah has traded his faithfulness to God for the fear of a woman, God revealed

Himself through wind, earthquake, and fire as a reminder of Who is really in control. Jezebel should be of no concern to Elijah if his God supernaturally controls earth, wind, and fire.

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INTERPRETIVE ISSUES

Skeptics will immediately interpret the wind, fire, and earthquake that occurred in 1

Kings 19 to be scientifically provable natural phenomena. Most scientists totally disregard supernatural events. Furthermore, the National Academy of Sciences had the following to say on the subject in their publication Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science: “Science is limited to explaining the natural world by means of natural processes, it cannot use supernatural causation in its explanations.”3 They would therefore most likely assume if the events were true, they were naturally occurring which Elijah misunderstood to be divine. On closer examination, the stories events appear to be exacted by God’s hand. In the first place, God instructed Elijah to the mountain (1 Kings 19:11). Thus, God’s direction is already involved in Elijah’s events and setting. In that case, readers must understand what God has spoken “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:8). Also, it is highly unlikely that violent winds, earthquakes, and fire would appear before Elijah at the same time and place. However, if the skeptic assumes these extraordinary events as strictly natural, they cannot scientifically explain Elijah’s conversation with God.

The next complaint from the objector might come from Elijah being delusional from fasting 40 days (1 Kings 19:8). Christians who believe Scripture have no problem believing this miraculous fast because survived it (Exodus 34:28) and Jesus accomplished it as well

(Mat 4:1). This divine fast is possible because God controls the laws of physics and the inner workings of the human body. While the argument can be raised that Elijah was poor in spirit, emotionally drained, and weary causing him to sleep, there simply is not any evidence to support that Elijah was incoherent. This fact is further disputed by Elijah’s conversation with God that

3 Yonatan I. Fishman, "Can Science Test Supernatural Worldviews?." Science & Education 18, no. 6/7 (June 2009): 814. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 29, 2012).

3 detailed prophetic facts in verses 17-18 that later came true. Though unlikely a delusional man would report such truths, it is a miracle at any rate that Elijah would make accurate prophetic predictions.

TIMELESS THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES

As with all Scripture, there are timeless theological principles within chapter 19 of first

Kings. First, it is important recognize that Elijah was totally gripped by fear even though he was given “a spirit not of fear but of power (2 Tim 1:7). Secondly, Elijah was caught up in earthly circumstances and had forgotten to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Daniel would have never walked by sight into that lion’s den, but he instead acted on faith. Likewise, it was faith that caused David to walk onto that battle field and face the giant. Another timeless theological principle found in this passage is very simple and powerful. God provides for his sheep. In the events of Elijah, God provided physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration. For instance, Elijah needed food, protection from Jezebel, and a good reminder of God’s power and might. God was faithful on all three counts. Food was hand delivered by an angel, Jezebel met her gruesome fate, and Elijah witnesses God’s awesome display of power that overshadowed anything that

Hollywood could ever produce. In Elijah’s case this statement is quite true: when God shows up,

He shows out. Spiritually speaking, God delivered a successor in the person of Elisha. Like so many Christians today, Elijah falsely judged the world by saying “and I, even I only, am left (1

Kings 19:14). It is very easy to declare the sky is falling and everyone has left the faith. God quickly educated Elijah that he is among seven thousand strong who serve the Lord and appointed him a protégé to train.

CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

Christians today seem to avoid the Old Testament. However, Christopher Wright cleverly

4 points out "the deeper you go into understanding the Old Testament, the closer you come to the heart of Jesus."4 Elijah had faithfully accomplished many great things for God throughout his life, yet he too had a crisis of faith. In the we find that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17). Christians must remember that biblical characters were fallen sinful people as well. It has been repeated many times that ‘God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.’ Biblical heroes are only victorious because they fulfilled God’s will through

His divine providence. Some believers today may be skeptic of the passage saying “And behold, there came a voice to him” (1 Kings 19:13) because they themselves have never heard the voice of the Lord in their life. However, the Bible is clear that God speaks to His children in many forms, i.e. burning bush, donkey, visions, dreams, , etc. Christians must remember to abide in the Holy Spirit, study Scripture daily, remain faithful to the Lord, and He will speak into their life.

CONCLUSION

This essay has discussed the literary devices utilized by the author of 1 Kings 19. The

Old Testament if full of beautiful, exciting, and engaging narratives of mankind living within the sovereign will of God. This passage, upon further investigation, proves no different. Like many other passages of Scripture, the nineteenth chapter of first Kings has potential interpretive issues for the scientific skeptic regarding Elijah’s prophetic vision and revelation from God. Elijah’s circumstances, his ultimate decisions, and God’s providence leave readers an opportunity to apply much to their contemporary lives. Theological principles abound; however, the most important lesson gleaned remains that God controls the past, present, and future no matter our earthly circumstance.

4 Christopher J.H. Wright, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1995), ix.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fishman, Yonatan I. "Can Science Test Supernatural Worldviews?." Science & Education 18, no. 6/7 (June 2009): 814. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 29, 2012).

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001.

Wright, Christopher J.H. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1995.

Yates, Professor Gary. “OT Literary Analysis Presentation,” Liberty University.

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