It cost Israel suffering and great affliction to be brought to that repentance that was necessary in order to recover their lost faith and a clear sense of their responsibility to God. Their apostasy was more dreadful than drought or famine. Elijah waited and prayed in faith through the long years of drought and famine that the hearts of Israel, through their affliction, might be turned from their idolatry to allegiance to God. But notwithstanding all their sufferings, they stood firm in their idolatry and looked upon the prophet of God as the cause of their calamity. And if they could have had Elijah in their power they would have delivered him to Jezebel, that she might satisfy her revenge by taking his life. Because Elijah dared to utter the word of woe which God bade him, he made himself the object of their hatred. They could not see God’s hand in the judgments under which they were suffering because of their sins, but charged them to the man Elijah. They abhorred not the sins which had brought them under the chastening rod, but hated the faithful prophet, God’s instrument to denounce their sins and calamity. {3T 276.4}

Det koster Israel lidelse og stor plage at komme til den anger som er nødvendig for at genoprette deres mistede tro og en klar fornemmelse af deres ansvar over for Gud. Deres frafald er mere frygtelig end tørke eller sult. Elias vovede og bad i tro under den lange tørke og (277) hungersnødsår om at Israel, ved deres plager, kunne vendes fra deres afguderi til lydighed mod Gud. Men upåagtet alle deres lidelser, stod de fast i deres afgudsdyrkelse og så på Guds profet som årsagen til deres ulykke. Og hvis de havde Elias i deres mangt ville de have overgivet ham til Jesabel, så hun kunne stille sin hævn og tage hans liv. Fordi Elias vovede at udstykke et smertens ord som Gud bad ham, gjorde han sig selv til genstand for deres had. De kunne ikke se Guds hånd i dommene de led under på grund af deres synder, men henførte dem til mennesket Elias. De afskyede ikke de synder som havde bragt dem under revselsens ris, men hadede den trofaste profet, Guds redskab til at fordømme deres synder og ulykke.