That night a messenger aroused the weary prophet and delivered the word of Jezebel, given in the name of her pagan gods, that she would, in the presence of Israel, do to Elijah as he had done to the priests of Baal. Elijah should have met this threat and oath of Jezebel with an appeal for protection to the God of heaven, who had commissioned him to do the work he had done. He should have told the messenger that the God in whom he trusted would be his protector against the hatred and threats of Jezebel. But the faith and courage of Elijah seem to forsake him. He starts up from his slumbers bewildered. The rain is pouring from the heavens, and darkness is on every side. He loses sight of God and flees for his life as though the avenger of blood were close behind him. He leaves his servant behind him on the way, and in the morning he is far from the habitations of men, upon a dreary desert alone. {3T 289.1} “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. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” {3T 289.2}

Den nat vækkede en budbringer den trætte profet og overleverede Jesabels ord, givet ved de hedenske guders navn, at hun ville, i Israels nærhed, gøre det mod Elias som han havde gjort mod Baals præster. Elias burde imødekomme denne behandling og edsaflæggelse fra Jesabel med en anmodning om beskyttelse fra himlens Gud, som har hvervet ham til det arbejde han har gjort. Han burde have fortalt budbringeren ar Gud som han har stolet på vil være hans beskytter imod Jesabels had og trusler. Men Elias' tro og mod synes at svigte. Han fór forvirret op af sin slummer. Regnen væltede ned fra himlen og mørke er på alle sider. Han mister Gud af syne og flygter for sit liv som om blodhævnen var lige bag ham. Han efterlader sin tjener bag sig på vejen, om morgnen langt fra menneskers boliger, alene i en trøstesløs ørken. »Da blev han bange, stod op og drog bort for at redde sit liv. Han kom da til Be'ersjeba i Juda. Der lod han sin tjener blive og vandrede selv en dagsrejse ud i ørkenen og satte sig under en gyvelbusk og ønskede sig døden, idet han sagde: »Nu er det nok, Herre; tag mit liv, thi jeg er ikke bedre end mine fædre!« Så lagde han sig til at sove under en gyvelbusk. Og se, en engel rørte ved ham og sagde: »Stå op og spis!« Og da han så sig om, se, da lå der, hvor hans hoved havde hvilet, et ristet brød og der stod en krukke vand; og han spiste og drak og lagde sig igen. Men Herrens engel kom atter og rørte ved ham og sagde: »Stå op og spis, ellers bliver vejen dig for lang!« Da stod han op og spiste og drak; og styrket af dette måltid vandrede han i fyrretyve dage og fyrretyve nætter lige til Guds bjerg Horeb. Der gik han ind i en hule og overnattede. Da lød Herrens ord til ham: »Hvad er du her efter, Elias?«