I have been Elijah under the broom tree more often than I care to admit. When the angel awakened Elijah, he found a cake and a jar of water waiting for him. The story of Elijah is told in 1 Kings with the specific story of Elijah and the broom tree in 1 Kings Chapter’s 18 and 19. Elijah doesn’t look much like a leader here. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat. This Month's Featured Stories for Older Children Your story sparked some creative thinking of my own. This is … When King Ahab reported what happened to Queen Jezebel, she sent a messenger to Elijah that she would have him killed by that time tomorrow.  Instead of a day of triumph for Elijah, it became a day of terror.  He fled Samaria and ran over 100 miles to an area south of Beersheba in Judah. Carmel and Elijah under the juniper tree, are set side by side in the scripture (1 Kings 18-1 Kings 19). Elijah under that broom tree after that dramatic event. And each time throughout all these years, when I undergo a "battle after the battle," or teach about it, I search for my cherished visual aid, and recall how God ministered to me, and taught me further of His trustworthy character. ‎Did you know Elijah was facing a pandemic…of sorts? And then Elijah slept under the juniper tree. Yet, it is this same Elijah who - even after the Carmel experience - runs into the desert, prays for death, and collapses in exhaustion under the broom tree. That mount reaches all the way to the throne of God, and it brings only victory! Under God’s direction, Elijah told Ahab that there would be no rain upon the land except at the word of Elijah. Stories from Elsie Egermeier's Bible Story Book. My little "Elijah Under the Juniper Tree" is at least 30 years old.  Seeds can survive soil being mulched or composted. I love Bible plants along with their symbolism. Elijah Flees From Jezebel … 4 while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. The broom tree that Elijah rested under in the Negev was the Retama raetam, also known as the white broom and the white weeping broom tree).  The broom tree is thought to be indigenous to the Middle East, North Africa, and possibly Sicily.  In Israel, it is widespread in deserts including extreme deserts, shrub steppes, and Mediterranean woodlands.  Although called a tree, it is a shrub with a broad canopy. Are you under the juniper tree now? How very human. Lord, take my life, for I ’ m no better than my fathers. What an unreasonable, inconsistent attitude! H e said, “ I have had enough! At times seeds remain viable in the soil for several years until the seed coat wears down.  Mass germination can occur after a fire that destroys seed coats.  In Israel rabbits consume pods and have been known to disperse seeds up to 6.2 miles from parent plants. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The Northern Kingdom had eight kings in its first 58 years as a nation.  This story about the great prophet Elijah occurred during the reign (874-853 B.C.) Thanks for sharing, I truly got a better understanding, blessings to you. In one Elijah is bold and courageous, victoriously facing all kinds of odds with the chapter concluding, “the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.”Elijah experienced God’s supernatural strength to do the extraordinary. God held back the rain for 3 years. To read the story, click the "Next Page" button below the picture. Genesis 28:11-15 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep…, Psalm 34:7,10 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them…. Paul told Christians another way they could be renewed was to stop conforming to the patterns of this world (Roman 12:2).  Patterns of this world include being politically correct and not talking about God and religion, using Sunday morning to play golf or grocery shop without crowds rather than attending worship service, or believing that marriage is not a sacrament from God and divorce is a viable alternative to working through tough times.  In The Message, Peterson (2003, p. 343) puts renewal this way, “don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking”  instead fix your eyes on God and he will change you from the inside out.  Elijah was completely disheartened; finally he fell asleep. Poor Elijah! ( Log Out /  He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. Did you know that Elijah quarantined himself after he spent some time under the zoom tree? And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. The juniper tree only exists in the wilderness; you’ll never find it on the mountain peaks of God’s victorious Calvary. Under the broom tree, Elijah assumed his useful life was over. You can purchase them from my website: Carolyn Roth Ministry at http://www.CarolynRothMinistry.com/, Copyright April 15, 2012; carolyn a. roth. Change ), Plants in Christ' Ministry in Perea & Judea. These two experiences, Elijah on Mt. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “Get up and eat,” the angel says, and Elijah sees that God has provided the food and water he needs to recharge. We read: "Elijah went a day's journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. Elijah Flees From Jezebel … 3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. He came to a point of complete hopelessness.  If the shrub was blooming, Elijah would have seen thousands of tiny white blooms and smelled their soothing scent. Ken Zenk Recommended for you And he ate and drank and lay down again.” (1 Kings 19:5-6) 19:4 ). The broom tree is thought to be indigenous to the Middle East, North Africa, and possibly Sicily. A lesson from Elijah: Faith is often found under the broom tree where we learn to surrender our will to God and begin to hear His still small voice. Under that broom tree, he was finished. Elijah was fearful at times. The early Christians referred to death as falling asleep. The symbolism of the broom tree is renewal.  With renewal comes a restoration of vigor and a new freshness; what is faded or disintegrated is made  whole.  Elijah ate and drank, then lay down again.  The angel came back a second time, touched Elijah and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you” (1 King 19:7).  Elijah rose, ate, and drank.  Strengthened by the food, Elijah traveled 40 days and nights until he reached Mount Horab, where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Another thought, Tommy: the broom tree grows in the desert. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah is at the height of success; in 1 Kings 19 he is in the depths of despair. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. - look up Psalms 42:11 and 43:5. What more could Elijah possibly do? Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In an encounter between Elijah and King Ahab, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal.  The challenge was to see which god — Baal or God — would answer his prophet(s).  Ahab took the challenge, gathered 450 Baal prophets, and met Elijah on Mount Carmel.  Many Israelites were present to watch the outcome.  Baal’s prophets placed a cut up bull on an altar of wood dedicated to Baal; the prophets called to Baal to ignite the sacrifice.  Despite entreating Baal from morning until evening and slashing themselves, the sacrifice to Baal did not catch on fire. While Elijah slept under a juniper tree, the Lord sent an angel to prepare a meal for the prophet. Elijah: The Man Under the Tree Meets the Man On the Tree - J. Vernon McGee - FULL Sunday Sermons - Duration: 46:24. Categories: Elijah and Elisha. In t… Elijah Blakes' single from SANKOFA.org’s forthcoming debut compilation album to support grassroots organizing efforts around issues of racial and social justice. How very encouraging. Here are the five leadership lessons I learned under Elijah’s juniper tree: 1) Even great people break down. Rather, Elijah picked out the broom tree in the bare wilderness as his spot to die. The Angel of the Lord--God himself, appearing in angelic form--wakes Elijah up to comfort and encourage him. 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an [ b]angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on [ … B. Sorry I don’t know more. And there under that broom tree, Elijah found much-needed rest. If you want to learn more about them, read my two books: 1) Rooted in God and 2) God as a Gardener. Yet, the reason he is running away is because he is afraid he will be put to death. Just recently, Elijah had a showdown on Mt. He then falls asleep under a tree. Elijah Under the Juniper Tree. Apparently, the stress was too much, and rather than challenge Jezebel, he flees, goes into the wilderness and collapses, helpless and despairing under a Juniper tree. Daniel 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. Often one of you has been the nourishing angel or the voice of God that has reminded me of my true calling. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah is at the height of success; in 1 Kings 19 he is in the depths of despair. He was presumptuous and unwise in his praying (verse 4). He was filled with self-pity (verse 4). In 1 Kings 19:4 we read: “But Elijah himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. Do theses broom trees have a defence system against snakes or scorpions or any other type of insect or animal? Those words expressed how I felt that day—I had tried my best and had given my all; I too wanted the ordeal to be over. 4. Just as God renewed Elijah using attributes of the broom tree, God’s renews us. He prayed for death saying: "This is enough, O LORD! 3. He felt as the psalmist did in Psalm 55:3-8. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. They covered the embers with a 2–4 inch layer of sand or fine soil.  The sand-cover embers provided a warm mattress during the cold desert night.  Perhaps Elijah had such a mattress as he slept under the broom tree. How very real. Elijah was ministered to (1 Kings 19:5-18) 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." ** During these “unprecedented” times, there’s a word for us from our ancient past. Have you been like that? They are as different as night and day. Elijah did not sit under the broom tree looking for a shade. But in chapter 19, we find Elijah fearful, running scared, exhausted, depressed, and wanting to die. In Biblical Israel, the white broom tree was used for kindling in cooking stoves and coals were made from its roots, trunks, and branches (Job 30:4).  Broom embers retain their heat for long periods after they appear to be dead ashes.  An ancient Israelite reading that on awakening Elijah saw bread baked on embers would have assumed the embers retained fire from an earlier traveler and were blown into heat to bake the bread.  Desert travelers have reported forming a layer of broom embers to suit their size. As brought out in the last lesson, the contrasts between 1 Kings 18 and 1 Kings 19 are sharp and startling. Lively telling of one of my favorite Bible stories. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, To be slack, languid, sleep, to grow old, stale, inveterate, Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular, To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike, Preposition | third person masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 1 Kings 19:5 He lay down and slept under (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg). ( Log Out /  Elijah wasn’t under the juniper tree when God used him to perform miracles, and we won’t have miracles living under the juniper tree, either. 1. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. Elijah repaired God’s altar on Mount Carmel which had fall apart from disuse and neglect.  He arranged wood on the altar, cut a bull in pieces, and placed the pieces on the altar. In Israel, the white broom tree is most beautiful between January and April when it is covered with a myriad of white flowers.  Flowers  emit a honey fragrance.  Elijah came to a broom tree, sat down under it, and prayed that he would die. New single, “Hanging Tree,” available now: https://sankofa.lnk.to/hangingtreeYD.  Sinking below the tree’s canopy, Elijah fell asleep on a soft bed of broom leaves. Elijah was not weak. God had sent down fire from heaven and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. Tired and discouraged, he said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” ( 1 Kgs. Having slept and eaten twice, Elijah was physically refreshed and renewed. Elijah was fearless at times. In 1 Kings 19 we find Elijah having slain 450 prophets of Baal, is now on the run from Jezebel who had threatened his life. Thank you so much for writing this article and allowing the Spirit to move through you! 2. The bag was attached near the bottom of the tree. Carmel against 450 prophets of Baal.  When we hope in the Lord, we have confidence in him.  Having confidence in God can renew us so we can walk, run, and soar without collapsing from the weight of the world’s challenges. Yes, even Elijah became depressed. The entire time that we traveled in the southern desert, I saw no snakes or scorpions — not like west Texas. And yet, he was. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. While he was sleeping, an angel touched Elijah, and directed him to get up and eat.  Looking around, Elijah saw a cake of bread baked over embers and a jar of water. of King Ahab.  Ahab married Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon, who worshiped Baal.  Ahab built a temple to Baal and consecrated priests to serve Baal. Reflection:  God, I want so badly to be renewed, to be changed from the inside out.  I want to be different from this culture I live in.  Why should I feel comfortable in this society when my true home is heaven? Anderson, IN: A Warner Press Publication, 1923. The Broom Tree The broom tree that Elijah rested under in the Negev was the Retama raetam, also known as the white broom and the white weeping broom tree). All the miracles and power of God had done nothing to change Ahab’s heart. This scene shows a very depressed looking Elijah, under a broom shrub, in the desert wilderness. ( Log Out /  A great famine broke out all across the land. He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. He was emptied of himself. ”” (1 Kings 19:4, HCSB) Great to learn more about the broom tree. Whenever we talk about the notable biblical characters, we tend to portray and imagine them as strong, faithful warrior-like servants of God; as one-dimensional superheroes from outdated publications. Thanks for sharing. (Isaiah 40:31 2002).  The broom tree provided this renewal for Elijah. Warm embers under the sand may have helped maintain his warmth in the cool desert night.  The broom tree’s embers were used to bake a cake of bread for Elijah; and God provided Elijah water in the desert. In 1 Kings 18 he is on the mountain top of victory; in 1 … ( Log Out /  Elijah fled alone into the wilderness and sat under a juniper tree. Ahab had not repented. Sitting under the broom tree Elijah was one of the greatest men of God and prophets of the Old Testament. "Hanging Tree… It was the point of These two experiences, Elijah on Mt. He reminded him. - sitting under a juniper tree! This enabled him to have a more positive outlook on life. Daniel 8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.  Massive amounts of water were poured over the bull and altar.  Elijah prayed naming God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.  He asked God to light the fire so a) the people would know that he did these things at God’s direction and b) to let the people know that the Lord was God.  Immediately, fire consumed Elijah’s sacrifice.  The people fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord – he is God!  The Lord – he is God!” (1 Kings 18:39).  Elijah commanded the people to seize the Baal’s prophets; they were taken to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered. Elijah finds himself under a broom tree, or a juniper tree, as the King James has it, and he says he wants to die. When Elijah arrived at the bloom tree, he was exhausted, depressed, and ready to die.  What was to be a victory for God and Elijah over Baal and his prophets turned into Elijah fleeing for his life from Jezebel and her henchmen.  If anyone needed to be renewed, it was Elijah. Elijah sat under the juniper tree. But as I’ve studied his life, I’ve gleaned more lessons in leadership from Elijah’s meltdown than from his mountain-top successes.  We are made new when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior; however, God knew that after our new birth, we would need to be refreshed and restored to vigor from time-to-time.  For just these times, God had Isaiah write, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. “and behold an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. So, when Elijah went to Beersheba, he went all the way to the edge of the country and kept on going - out into the wilderness - before he finally collapsed under a tree. But always, after the earthquake, the wind, and the fire...in that stillness that is too still to be anything but God, there comes the renewal I need. “And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” King James Version (KJV) He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. Carmel and Elijah under the juniper tree, are set side by side in the scripture (1 Kings 18-1 Kings 19). I’ve looked at the topographic and geological maps of the area around Beersheba, and worked out that if Elijah walked a day’s journey (perhaps 10 miles) southward, he would have ended up in sand dunes of the desert wilderness. Tommy, when I saw the broom tree in nature in Israel, the locals had a white cellophane bag on the tree that had some type of an insecticide in it.