Why didn’t Jezebel send someone to kill Elijah if she hated his prophecy so much?

[Guest Sonita]

Why didn’t Jezebel send someone to kill Elijah if she hated his prophecy so much?

[Evacuated]

There was no lack of effort on the part of Jezebel and King Ahab in their attempts to kill Elijah. Likely egged on by the wicked Jezebel, Ahab, the king of Israel and her husband, scoured the land unsuccessfully for Elijah during Jezebel's pogrom which took the lives of many of Jehovah's prophets. 1Ki. 18:10.

However, the hatred of Jehovah's worshipers was by no means universal at this time. Obadiah, one of the high court officials, protected 100 prophets from the slaughter. 1Ki.18:4. Later, Jehovah informed Elijah that 7000 were still faithfully serving him in Israel. 1Ki.19:18. And during the spectacular showdown between Elijah and the priests of Baal, after Jehovah's terrifying display of power indicating his full backing for Elijah as a prophet, there was no shortage of supporters to carry out Elijah's command to slaughter hundreds of the prophets of Baal. 1Ki.18:40.

Given the unmistakable evidence of supernatural backing for Elijah, (remember, these people did not necessarily doubt the existence of Jehovah, they just saw him as another god like their own), his own display of courage in carrying out his duties as a prophet, and the uncertainty of support from Israelites, I would have expected Jezebel to  tread very carefully and with cunning in her scheme to trap Elijah. This she did in sending a messenger with a chilling threat. 1Ki.19:2. Who knows what intent she had here (maybe to panic Elijah into a more vulnerable situation), or what influence Jehovah had in the matter to protect Elijah who became very low spiritually in the face of this opposition. Anyway, her threat was baseless as Elijah was still alive and on the run in the wilderness well after the expiry of her one day execution deadline.

The situation and her crafty cunning reminds me of the evil strategy of the chief priests in connection with their trapping of Jesus. Lu.22:2-6.