Elijah is on the run! Having been present at God’s victory over the prophets of Ba’al, Elijah now flees into the wilderness near Beersheba after receiving a threatening message from Queen Jezebel. Elijah is entering into a place of danger so that he might hide and not be discovered by the forces of his enemy. The wilderness (also translated as ‘the desert’) is a place where food and water are scarce, making survival a challenge. His journey into the wilderness has parallels with other stories that we find in the Hebrew Bible, with Hagar and Moses both entering the wilderness in order to find and escape from oppressive forces. Just like in those journey’s, God reaches out to offer assistance in a time of vulnerability and need.

When Elijah reaches a resting place in the desert, he exclaims: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors” (19:4). Elijah’s thoughts parallel those of another Hebrew prophet who sits under a bush, wishing he might die: Jonah (Jonah 4:8). Moses, too, asks God to end his life after a conflict with the people of Israel (Numbers 11:15). It would seem that Elijah, exhausted and afraid, has now reached a state of complete despair and anguish. It is in this moment that God assists Elijah by sending an angel. The messenger of God comes to Elijah to offer him practical help in his time of need. The angel awakens Elijah and gives him bread and water before allowing the prophet to rest. Then, having rested, the angel delivers food and water to Elijah again.

This time of rest, and the two meals, enable Elijah to continue on a journey of 40 days and nights in the wilderness, a number that reflects the Hebrew sojourn in the desert for 40 years after escaping Egypt. Moreover, Elijah makes his way to Mount Horeb, the location where Moses and the Israelites received God’s revelation of Torah, as another allusion to this story.

You may have noticed that the readings that we have in this particular season focus heavily on bread and God’s provision for us. They seek to remind us that in times of challenge, difficulty, and extreme vulnerability, it is God who supplies our needs and supports us on our journeys. Elijah is able to overcome his despair through the care that God offers him. We too might want to reflect on when God has helped us in difficult moments through his loving presence and the assistance that has been offered. The God who accompanies us on our journeys and does not leave us alone or abandoned.

In the Gospel reading that we have for this Sunday, John 6: 35, 41-51, Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life. It is a reminder to us that by receiving Christ into our lives we have a spiritual sustenance and the gift of eternal life that comes from God. The bread of Jesus offers us what we need on the journey of life, however difficult or overwhelming it may seem. Just like Elijah, and as Jesus himself also did, there are times when we need to find a place of sanctuary in order to rest and be nourished by God.

Perhaps this can be an encouragement to us all to find the space and time when we can rest in God’s presence and receive his spiritual feeding, so that we might find renewal and be enabled on our journeys through life. For it is in our weakness that we receive the grace that we need from God, who cares for us and helps us in our struggles:

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34: 17-18, NRSVA.