Elijah: Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. ELIJAH. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Do you ever feel tired—worn down, exhausted, perhaps even emotionally drained from doing the right thing? As we study God's people, we see moments in their lives when many of them were physically and spiritually spent. It happened to Moses as he led the grumbling Israelites through the desert.^[1] It happened to David after fleeing from Saul for almost a decade.^[2] And it happened to Elijah right after his showdown with the prophets of Baal. 

Ahab, the king of Israel, and his wife Jezebel were determined to kill God's prophets and put an end to the worship of Yahweh. One prophet they left untouched was Elijah. He boldly confronted their wickedness and demonstrated God's power by praying for fire to come down from heaven. God answered his prayer, and the people rallied to Elijah's side. Then they put the prophets of Baal to death. It was a great victory for Israel and for Elijah. 

But sometimes our greatest challenges come on the heels of our greatest victories. That is exactly what Elijah experienced. 

When Jezebel heard that her prophets had been killed, she immediately vowed to take Elijah's life within twenty-four hours. Keep in mind that Elijah had fearlessly denounced Ahab's evil practices and then led in the execution of 450 false prophets. So how do you think he responded to Jezebel's latest threat? 

Scripture tells us that Elijah was "afraid, and he arose and ran for his life… (1 Kgs. 19:3). He ran for more than 120 miles! Alone, exhausted, and discouraged, he cried out, "'It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.' And he lay down and slept under a broom tree…" (1 Kgs. 19:4–5). 

What happens next shows us a beautiful picture of God's grace in meeting our practical needs. God did not answer Elijah's prayer by taking his life. Instead, he sent an angel to give Elijah food and water. The angel woke him so that he could eat and drink, and then allowed him to sleep again. After Elijah had rested, the angel came, "a second time and touched him and said, 'Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.' And he arose and ate and drank" (1 Kgs. 19:7–8a).

The food the angel gave Elijah must have provided supernatural nourishment, for "in the strength of that food" he traveled for forty days and forty nights, covering more than 300 miles to Mount Horeb (1 Kgs. 19:8b). When he arrived, he found a cave and stayed there. Then God met with him once again. 

God asked Elijah what he was doing there. Elijah replied, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kgs. 19:10).

Elijah felt like he was the only one left who honored God, and now he was running for his life. But God was about to do something that would capture his attention. 

As Elijah hid in the cave, God sent a wind so strong that it tore pieces of rock from the mountain, "but the LORD was not in the wind" (1 Kgs. 19:11). Next, God sent an earthquake, "but the LORD was not in the earthquake" (1 Kgs. 19:11). Then the Lord sent an amazing display of fire, "but the LORD was not in the fire" (1 Kgs. 19:12). 

In the ancient Near East, these natural events were often associated with the gods. One late Bronze Age text describes Baal's appearance this way: "Seven bolts of lightning . . . He has thundered in the storm clouds; he has blazed his lightning bolts to the earth . . . His holy voice shatters the earth."^[3]

God did not reveal himself in the natural elements. Rather, Elijah heard the "God of self-revelation"^[4] speak in "a low whisper." He wrapped his cloak around his face and stood by the entrance of the cave. 

When God gently asked Elijah "What are you doing here?" Elijah gave the same reply as before: "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kgs. 19:14). 

God did not want Elijah hiding in a cave, because there was still work for him to do. Elijah had fled south to find refuge in the wilderness, but now God was sending him back north to live once again among the people of Israel. However, Elijah would not serve alone, for God assured him that there were 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. 

Elijah was to help establish a new political order. God directed him to go to Syria and anoint Hazael as king, and then to go to Israel and anoint Jehu as king (1 Kgs. 19:15–17). God would use these two kings, along with the prophet Elisha, to deal with the Baal worship.

How did Elijah respond? We are not entirely sure, since there is no record of him anointing Hazael or Jehu. And when God told him to anoint Elisha as his successor, it seems he did so halfheartedly (see 1 Kgs. 19:19–21).^[5] Yet, God used this bold prophet to accomplish miraculous things in Israel and, without experiencing physical death, took him "to heaven in a whirlwind" (2 Kgs. 2:1–14). 

We encounter Elijah again in the New Testament as he speaks with Jesus and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on 1 Kings 19. What distractions or "loud noises" keep you from hearing God's voice clearly?

Talking to God: Ask God to allow you to hear him regardless of distractions. 

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