Elijah - The Mentally Ill Prophet

[Dr. Shane]

In 1 Kings 18 we find Elijah facing off with the prophets of Baal.  He called down fire from heaven and killed all the prophets of Baal.  Then in the next chapter, Queen Jezebel threatens his life.  The prophet that called down fire from heaven and killed all the prophets of Baal runs away and becomes suicidal.  We examined Elijah's depression in graduate school at Montemorelos.  God ministered to Elijah just as one would treat someone with chronic depression.  While Elijah was on Mount Carmel, he was in recovery from depression.  Jezebel's threat caused him to relapse into depression.  God first ministered to him through an angel.  Emotionally, Elijah was exhausted.  He needed down time and nourishment to regain his strength.  Then God gave him a mission to move forward.  This mission gave him hope.  

God provided an extra measure of grace to Elijah.  What some people might see as a total lack of faith, God recognized as a human illness caused by the broken-down condition of a sinful world.  God had mercy on the suffering Elijah.  There are only three men, we know of, in the Old Testament that were taken to heaven.  Enoch, Moses and Elijah.  Elijah was brought down to Earth, with Moses, to comfort our Savior before the villa dolorosa.  Those that struggle with mental illness are not less than other Christians.  Elijah was elevated to the side of Moses and became a counselor to Jesus Himself. 

For depression, relapsers go to the front of the brain