(14) And he said, I have been very jealous 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, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: (16) And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah 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. (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.
In this answer of the Lord to the complaint of the prophet, which he had before in the same words lodged with the Lord; we discover new tokens of the Lord's graciousness. Elijah, poor man, with his dim-sighted observation, concluded that he was the only faithful servant remaining. While to the Lord's view seven thousand were in Israel, and how many more in Judah whose hearts were with the Lord! Reader! never forget, as Paul makes the comment upon it, in the worst of times the Lord hath a remnant that serve him. And remember also that this remnant is of the Lord's reserving. Jesus must have a church, a seed; a people! precious thought! oh! let us cherish it in the warm foldings of the heart. But let us remark also that, in answer to the complaint of the prophet, the Lord graciously preserved Hazael still to be king over Syria; and he shall punish Israel for their idolatry. Jehu shall be king over Israel, and he shall punish the house of Ahab for all his daring impiety. And since Elijah desired to have his services closed, the Lord hath provided him a successor in Elisha.