KINGS
COMMONLY CALLED
THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS
CHAPTER 17

Elijah seals the heavens, and is fed by the ravens—At his command the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil of the widow of Zarephath fail not—He raises her son from death.

Notes on Elijah:most famous prophet of the OT, Elijah is one of only two OT prophets to raise the dead. He is the first prophet to go among Gentiles. He controls the weather and is miraculously sustained through drought. He humiliates prophets of Baal in a most extraordinary way, demonstrating a great deal of chutzpah in the process. He tries to overthrow the current political regime. He fasts for 40 days. He meets God on Mt. Horeb, the same place Moses did. Then, for his big finale, he goes off to heaven in a fiery chariot. Quite a record.

 

Notes:After Jeroboam led the kingdom of Israel into idolatry, he and his descendants were destroyed. They were followed by another succession of idolatrous kings. Of those rulers, Ahab was the king who "did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him"(1 Kings 16:33). He married Jezebel, adopted her practice of Baal worship, and encouraged his people toi join him in worship of this false god. The prophet Elijah delivered words of warning to Ahab and his kingdom.

READ 1-7

1 AND Elijah [the Hebrew translates literally to "the Lord is God"] the Tishbite, [referring to the place from which he came] who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, [What is the role of a prophet? to vicariously stand as a witness of and testifier for the Lord. Here Elijah explicitly spells this out. The Hebrew "nabi", commonly translated to the English "prophet" most literally translates to "spokesman". Elder Joseph Fielding Smith "There is something very signifigant in that edict...'but according to my word' should impress you with the sealing power by which Elijah was able to close the heavens, that there should be no rain or dew until he spoke (Doctrines of Salvation 2;102)] there shall not be dew nor rain these years, [the use of drought is a common curse used by the Lord to humble the people to repent.] but according to my word. [Why was Elijah able to make such a statement? He knew he had been called of God and he knew what his job as a prophet was.]
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, [Elijah is warned of danger, they are out to execute him] and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 so he went and did [What does Elijah do? went and did What can we learn from Elijahs response to the Lord's command?] according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, [Elijah must exercise faith each day in order to sustain his life - he is totally dependant on the Lord for everything required to maintain physical life] and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, [What is the signifigance of the brook drying up? the last symbol of natural providence, the only thing left was complete reliance on the Lord. ] because there had been no rain in the land.

What do you think Elijah learned during this time alone in the desert?

Think about Elijah alone in the hot desert, day about like today - little or not shade as all the vegetation would have been dying or dead.

PLAY Abide With Me Tis Even Tide

What do you think Elijah learned during this time alone in the desert?

READ 8-16

8 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath,[what is now Lebanon] which belongeth to Zidon, [Go to Zidon or Sidon. This is where Jezebell iis and Jezebel is out to kill all of the prophets of the Lord, and Elijah was obviously on the top of the list as he had cursed the earth with drought. The irony is the Lord instructs him to go and hide in Jezebel's home country, possibly because it is a place she obviously wouldn't think to look.] and dwell there: behold, I have commanded [Lord has prepared all things in advance] a widow woman there to sustain thee. [What does this phrase tell us about how the Lord works? He has already begun the preparation of all things, they are most often done in advance of our knowledge. How had the Lord prepared the widow? She was not given a cart of food just prior so she would be ready for the prophet. What does this teach us about how the Lord prepares us sometimes? sometimes he just makes us ready to receive a prompting - nothing else.]
10 so he arose [I like this - the Lord commands and he quickly obeys. How do you suppose he has refined this skill? His days alone in the desert reling on the Lord to tell him what he must do each day to survive.] and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. [Note that she has consigned her and her son to most certain death - she is at the end of her rope]
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [note Elijah inserts "of Israel" where the woman omits it in v. 12. Elijah is emphasizing the covenant relationship Israel enjoys as well as to whom his primary ministry is aimed at. Simply a gentle reproof.] The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did [What kind of faith did she have to have? Why do you think that the Lord commanded the widow to feed Elijah when she had so little?] according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he [The Lord] spake by Elijah. [Thus he is a true prophet - he is a spokesman for the Lord. What blessings did the widow receive for her faithfulliness? What things does God ask us to do today that are difficult? In what ways are we blessed when we put God first? Predident Benson taught:"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities..." ]

READ 17-18

17 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; [ Since we are in a famine, malnutrition and disease surely must have been rampant - easy for one to get very ill.] and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? [Prophet and holder of the Holy Priesthood of God - power to act in his name] art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? [ Do you think that the woman might have thought about being a little bitter with the Lord? Have you ever heard someone say I have gone on a mission, paid my tithing, got married in the temple, tried to keep the commandments and this is what I get? Does doing the will of the Lord qualify us for exemption from trials? so what then does it qualify us for? Maybe that our burdens will be lighter, or have purpose...

The JPS renders the same verse: (Jewish Publication society Bible)

She said to Elijah, "What harm have I done you, O man of God, that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my son?"

The KJV makes it seem like she is accusing Elijah of being the cause of her sons death. This isn't the case. The widow here is appealing to Elijah in an way that seems rather odd to us. In v.12 the widow is already resigned to death by starvation for both herself and her son, so it is plain Elijah has acted as a deliverer to her. Here, she is confessing her and her son's sinfulness to him in such a manner as to make him a pillar of judgement against them, as he is a man of God. She is saying that he represents God's Justice and God's Justice has exposed her sin and slain her son. She is indirectly appealing to Elijah to once again be a deliverer, as she points out to him that she has done no harm to him, but has been his benefactor. It is his office as a prophet, a man of God, that has exposed her sins. He did not personally condemn her, his position as a representative of the Lord did. Elijah recognizes she is appealing to him to act as intercessor again and spare them from death (her allusion to her own sinfulness makes an otherwise implicit reference to spiritual death explicit). ]

THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

 

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, [child must have been little if he is able by himself to carry him upstairs] where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24 ¶ And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. [The result is the widow's faith in both Elijah, herself and the Lord is confirmed]

 

KINGS
COMMONLY CALLED
THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS
CHAPTER 18

Elijah is sent to meet Ahab—Obadiah saves a hundred prophets, and meets Elijah—Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to call down fire from heaven—They fail—He calls down fire, slays the prophets of Baal, and opens the heavens for rain.

 

What happens in the first 16 verses here? Insights?

1 AND it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, [most likely the reference is to the third year of the drought] saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; [he was commanded to hide - now he is commanded to come out of hiding. One might assume that Elijah expects that if the Lord is telling him to come out that the curse of the drought is beginning to work...the people are becoming more humble and ready to change in their relationship with the Lord.] and I will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets [ Samuel organized the "school of the prophets" They were organized and acted from a central location (1 Sam. 18:19-20). The prophets referenced here could easily be from that school and as such would be very easy for Jezebel to identify and kill.] of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) [Obadiah has tried to maintain a relationship with the Lord. He has not been an outward zealot in preaching the gospel, but because of his position and beliefs in the Lord he is able to save hundreds of prophets]
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 so they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. [Ahab has too much pride to acknowledge the Lord and would rather find a natural way to solve his problem rather than repent and acknowledge the Lords hand in the drought and his ability to save him. Are we ever like that? How? If the prophet tells us to do something and we don't are we much the same?]
7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? [Elijah's request to bring Ahab there seems quite straightforward - the is a small predicament what is it? Obadiah is trying to serve both Ahab and the Lord. so why 9 verses on the matter? Obadiah knows that if he tells Ahab were Elijah is and Elijah is not there he is a dead man. Elijah is sensitive to Obadiahs plight and tried to put him at ease.]
10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

16 so Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

READ 17-21

17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? [How might Elijah have troubled Israel? What does a prophet do? He reminds people of what they are supposed to be doing - that can trouble you if you are not willing to repent and change. Could one not argue that it was really Ahab that was troubling Israel? He is the one that keeps leading them away and making it dificult for them. ]
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; [It is not me but the Lord - If anyone.Why? because he is doing what the Lord has instructed him to do. Elijah did not have power by himself to seal the heavens - the Lord did] but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. [In otherwords you know darn good and well who is troubling Israel - so don't project the blame on me.]
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel [Why does Elijah what Ahab to summon all of Israel? If Ahab does it they can come without fear of death - if it were just Elijah then Ahab could watch and see who came and have them put to death and so most would not have come. So Elijah wants them all to have the opportunity to see what is going to happen for themselves - no second hand stories, or ones contrived by someone else for some other purpose.] unto mount Carmel, [Mount Carmel is a mountain ridge several miles longrunning from southeast to northwest, the ridge rises abrupty to about 1,800 feet above sea level - it is quite prominent] and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. [she is the one from whom they get their support so of course they are loyal to her]
20 so Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, [Ahab does not know what Elijah has planned - but he figures that rather than have him executed on the spot he will let him carry out his plans and when they flop - becuase they most likely will (Remember everyone is afraid of Ahab) so they will most likely not choose to join Elijahs side not matter what happens right? and when that happens he can dispose of Elijah without any cause for martyrdom] and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. [No matter who wins there are going to be some good fireworks - so everyone wants to come and see.]

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt [cannot walk upright, lameness or limping] ye between two opinions? [What do you suppose it means to Hault between two opinions? The Phrase according to Clarke means literally "How long hop ye about upon two boughs" - they dreaded Jehovah and could not totally abandon him and his ways - but they feared Ahab and Jezebel and so they embraced the religion arranged by them. All the while they were waiting for an opportuity to make a decision for themselves. Are we ever guilt of that? How? Elder Neal A. Maxwell said "the stirring words of various prophets...urge us to choose, to decide, and not to halt...Elijah's message has tremendous relevancy today, for all must finally choose between the gods of this world and the God or eternity" ] if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. [Why? because Ahab is around and in their opinion Ahab is a treat - Elijah well he is just a prophet. People are caught between a political leader who holds their physical life in his hands and the prophet of the Lord who hold's their spiritual life in his hands.]

 

Summarize 22-29

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them [the Priests of Baal] choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you [Your choice so no one can say that you were not given every opportunity.] one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; [Small jabe here by Elijah - 450 priest of Baal, and four hundred priests of his female counterpart, Ashtoreth or Venus whom Jezebel worshipped.] and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, [Does that sound like a prophet? What is he trying to do, do you suppose?] and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; [or at least so you say] either he is talking, [first cut - your God cannot do two things at once - he has limits (Which would make him not a God at all)] or he is pursuing, [Maybe someone else is more important than you at this time] or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, [compares their God to a man that needs sleep] and must be awaked. [You guys have to step it up, cause what ever you are doing it is not cutting it - raise the roof. Notice how there is "No Fear" in Elijah he does not let up as he try's to spur them on to even more hideous displays in the eyes of Israel, displays that will be rideculous and utterly disgusting.]
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner [How do you supose that Israel was feeling at this point? sounds like the Laminites doesn't it? Can you imagine how absurb this must have looked?] with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

 

Read 30- 38

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. [First thing he does - summons them to come unto him or the teachings of the Lord. Is that not the message of the Savior and his gospel?] And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD [Elijah reconstructs the altar according to the dictates of the Law. some ordinances have proper proceedures that should be followed.] that was broken down. [A pretty bold
move as Elijah is repairing an altar that was certainly torn down at Ahab's and Jezebel's behest and replaced by an altar to Baal. And, he is doing it right in front of Ahab and all of gathered Israel.]
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. [What signifigance do you think that the water has? Who is he really showing now? It is a known fact that priests of Baal would bulid tunnels and light fires under the altars and open doors to allow the fire to breathe and as such the backdraft would provide and instant consuming effect for show. The priests all 450 of them are being shown that there will be none of that this time - you will know that this is for REAL. Elijah demonstrates the confidence that he has in the Lord.]
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the aevening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, [notice the contrast between all the ruckus of the priests of Baal and the simple prayer of the Lords servant "Hear me, hear me"] that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. [While idolatry carried the death penalty (cf. Deut. 17:2-7), these prophets of Baal may have been involved in the murder of the prophets of the Lord. I would assume the prophets of Asherah referenced in v. 19 were probably present and were put to death as well.]

READ 41-43

41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; [Why do a prophet seem to say eat drink and be merry? Elijah is mocking Ahab at this point. He is saying "Go home and see if you can be in a good mood about what has just happened" the implication obviously being that his return home would be a gloomy one and his appetite would be ruined by his bad mood as a result of the overthrow ofhis religion, ct. Judges 9:27, Judges 19:6, Eccl. 8:15. Eccl. 9:7.] for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 so Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. [What kind of test do you suppose this was for Elijah? Why did the Lord wait so long to answer the request for rain, when the request for the fire was so immediate? 1) Perhaps because the request for fire was so immediate, to let people know they don't always get what they want immediately and that things run on the Lord's time and not at the people's convenience.

2) Also, it may have been because the Lord is aware before hand of what Elijah later finds out, that Israel's return to Him is not as entirely whole-hearted as He would have liked. Hence the Lord is not in any real rush to lift the curse of drought, but has to because of the promise He made earlier. so, it is only after prolonged intercession by a prophet that the rain actually does come.

3) the Lord may not have been particularly thrilled with the way Elijah was conducting himself in mocking the Baalite prophets and Ahab. While we find it quite entertaining, such conduct surely isn't promoted or endorsed by the Law.

Can we apply any of these principles to our own lives to discover why the Lord answer our prayers so quickly sometimes and waits so long other times?]

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
KINGS
COMMONLY CALLED
THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS
CHAPTER 19
Jezebel seeks the life of Elijah—An angel sends him to Horeb—The Lord speaks to Elijah, not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire, but in a still small voice—Elisha joins Elijah.
1 AND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, [Elijah recognizes the power of Jezebel and fears for his own life. Why would a prophet do this? Why not stand up to her again and again? Emma ask Joseph Smith Why he could not save their own son form death? to which he answered I can only do the will of God.] and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 ¶ 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; [What kind of plea is this? After all the miracles why the depression - he is a Prophet of God? Why do you think that he is so discouraged? He thought that he would have accomplished more than he did. He thought that if he showed the people the power of the Lord they would change their ways and return to him - with full purpose of heart. He belives now that he is really the only faithful one left. But the Lord shows him that there were others even 7,000 who had remained faithful. Doctrines of Salvation 2:106. ] and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [indicating he is carnal and weak as they were (cp. 2 Chron. 29:6. 2 Chron. 30:7)]
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 ¶ 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?

10 And he said, I have been very jealous [diligent] for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

READ 11-16

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: [What do we know about fire from Elijah's experience with the priests of Baal? IT does come with a lot of POWER. So is there any symbolism here for the people? cp18:38Authority and unquestioning power vs still - small - voice] and after the fire a still small voice. [Why hasn't the Holy Ghost gone digitial? May sound perposterious but is that not what we expect from him sometimes? Verizon ad "Can you hear me now?" Think about it we often want greater clearity in our communication of what the Lord wants us to do.]
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, [Why would he do this? A sign of humility, he is not worthy to see the face of the Lord.] and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 And he said, I have been very ajealous [diligent] for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, [so Elijah is a little discouraged and what happens? He is told to Wake up and do something more than dwell on your plight below. How does serving other help us when we are feeling discouraged? so what then is he told to do exactly?Tells him what he wants him to do... ] return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, [1] anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
16 And [2] Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and [3] Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. [Not that Elisha himself will slay anyone, but that Elisha would prophesy the death of sertain people.]
18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
19 ¶ so he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, [What does this imply? Elisha is a wealthy farmer who has a lot of oxen plowing a lot of land and can afford servants. Not only that, but to have 12 yoke of oxen, or 12 pair, in the field at any one time would require him to have at least another 12 to 24 yoke in reserve as oxen were rotated throughout the day after a few hours work. Since oxen were doing all of the hard work of plowing, it was necessary to rotate them depending on how difficult the plowing was. Thus, in order to keep 12 plows operating, Elisha must have had more than 12 yoke of oxen.] and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. [Elijah puts his coat or covering upon the sholders of Elisha. Elisha knew exactly what this guesture meant - he was being designated for the prophetic calling and as such was being chosen to begin as an understudy and future sucessor to Elijah. No lengthy discussion, no persuasion - he simple accepted the call. Out of this simple act has become the phrase "mantle of the prophet".]
20 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. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
21 And he returned back from him, and took a 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. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Bonus Discussion:so why is the Prophet Elijah the prophet noted to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers? What did he do in his life that denotes the spirit of geneaolgy? Why was he the one that returned to Joseph Smith and gave him the keys?

Because he was the last prophet to hold the sealing keys in the Old Testament. per Joseph Smith...