Literary Analysis of 1 Kings 19:1 – 21CharactersThe story contained in 1 Kings 19:1-21 is the conclusion of Elijah's ministry. For this reason, the author introduced the characters in previous chapters. To understand the characters in the context of the narrative it is necessary to consult the previous chapters. The main characters of the story are Elijah and Yahweh, surrounded by other minor characters in this specific narrative. The first two characters mentioned in the story are Ahab and Jezebel. In this narrative, Ahab is simply a transitional agent from the earlier story about God's victory on Mount Carmel against Baal to Jezebel's reaction. On the other hand, the narrative shows Jezebel as a flat character: the powerful, evil Baal-worshipping queen bent on destroying Elijah. The ancient reader would have seen implications in the name of the queen herself. Jezebel meant “Where is the Exalted?” or “The Prince lives,” the implication of Prince is that of Baal. The messenger who brings Jezebel's message is simply another agent continuing the story. The protagonist of this section of Scripture, from 1 Kings 17-19, was Elijah. In the narrative, he is introduced here and given an even fuller element of his character. The reader will first find him in 1 Kings 17 as a bold prophet of God sent to proclaim God's message. Later, his character will be imbued with compassion and power, resulting in provision for the widow and a channel for the power of God in resurrecting his son. 1 Kings 18 describes the additional courage and confidence Elijah demonstrates as he confronts a king and the entire nation to reach a conclusion that leaves Yahweh as the one true God and Baal as a false god. However, 1 Kings 19 hinges on Elijah… the center of the paper… the expectation that the Lord was in wind, fire, or earthquake, He proved unpredictable, revealed in a gentle whisper. Too often Christians like to put God in a box so we can understand Him. However, the eternal principle we can find in this section of the story is that the Lord does not always appear as we expect. Furthermore, there are times when He will appear when and where we least expect Him. Works Cited Cogan, Mordechai, and Hayim Tadmor. II Kings (Anchor Yale's Bible commentaries). Garden City, NY: Yale University Press, 1988. Dictionary of Jewish Traditions and Legends. sv "Sinai, mountain (also called Horeb)." London: Thames & Hudson, 1991. http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/thjll/sinai_mount_anche_called_horeb/ 0 (accessed in December 5, 2013.)