1 Kings 19:8-18
The prophet Elijah is a both an exciting and tragic figure of the Old Testament. His power and position are unquestioned, as John the Baptist would come sharing the same spirit and power, and Elijah himself would be with Jesus on Mt. Transfiguration. It is this dreadful 19th chapter that shows us a side to Elijah that is far too close to our own actions and attitudes from time to time.
The tragedy of Elijah is found in his perception of God. He runs from the evil Jezebel when she puts word out that she wants him dead for his actions against her prophets on Mt. Carmel. After journeying for a day, he finds himself at Mt. Horeb, “the mount of God” (1 Kings 19:8). It is called this because another name for the mountain is Mt. Sinai, which is the place that Moses received the law. By journeying to Sinai, Elijah is looking for God; and what he finds does not excite him.
God asks him why he is there, to which Elijah responds that he is the only true prophet left, and that everyone is against him (1 Kings 19:10). God invites Elijah to stand at the mouth of a cave while three separate natural wonders occur in front of him. The wind blows, breaking boulders to pieces; the earth trembles; fire falls. In all three instances, the Lord was not speaking, until the sound of a “still small voice” (verse 12).
The three miracles indicate three ways that God functioned under law. The breaking of rocks to pieces is indicative of the Word of God smashing the hard rock of man’s heart (Jeremiah 23:29); the earthquake is “quivering” in the Hebrew, like the tail end of a dart or an arrow that has struck through its victim (Hebrews 12:20); and the fire is always an indicator of the judgment of God. Elijah wants the mad, vengeful, angry God to appear, but God is in none of these things.
After this show, God asks the same question that He asked at first, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13). Instead of seeing the still small voice as a softer side of God, Elijah answers with a word-for-word rendering of his earlier response. Nothing has changed, though he has heard the voice of God!
When a person is in a place where not even the voice of God can change them, then they are incapable of being used for the kingdom. God tells Elijah to go and anoint his successor, Elisha; a task which Elijah never really does. He throws his cloak at him in verse 19, but then asks Elisha why he is following him (1 Kings 19:20). This prophet has grown weary with those whom he is prophesying to, and God moves on to someone else.
Heed the still small voice in your life. God speaks to us as sons, not as slaves, and He always ministers His love and favor. His default position is mercy, not judgment; thus His voice will always sound merciful and loving. Be prepared to embrace His loving grace for you today, and then share that with those around you, whether they seem worthy or not.
The prophet Elijah is a both an exciting and tragic figure of the Old Testament. His power and position are unquestioned, as John the Baptist would come sharing the same spirit and power, and Elijah himself would be with Jesus on Mt. Transfiguration. It is this dreadful 19th chapter that shows us a side to Elijah that is far too close to our own actions and attitudes from time to time.
The tragedy of Elijah is found in his perception of God. He runs from the evil Jezebel when she puts word out that she wants him dead for his actions against her prophets on Mt. Carmel. After journeying for a day, he finds himself at Mt. Horeb, “the mount of God” (1 Kings 19:8). It is called this because another name for the mountain is Mt. Sinai, which is the place that Moses received the law. By journeying to Sinai, Elijah is looking for God; and what he finds does not excite him.
God asks him why he is there, to which Elijah responds that he is the only true prophet left, and that everyone is against him (1 Kings 19:10). God invites Elijah to stand at the mouth of a cave while three separate natural wonders occur in front of him. The wind blows, breaking boulders to pieces; the earth trembles; fire falls. In all three instances, the Lord was not speaking, until the sound of a “still small voice” (verse 12).
The three miracles indicate three ways that God functioned under law. The breaking of rocks to pieces is indicative of the Word of God smashing the hard rock of man’s heart (Jeremiah 23:29); the earthquake is “quivering” in the Hebrew, like the tail end of a dart or an arrow that has struck through its victim (Hebrews 12:20); and the fire is always an indicator of the judgment of God. Elijah wants the mad, vengeful, angry God to appear, but God is in none of these things.
After this show, God asks the same question that He asked at first, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13). Instead of seeing the still small voice as a softer side of God, Elijah answers with a word-for-word rendering of his earlier response. Nothing has changed, though he has heard the voice of God!
When a person is in a place where not even the voice of God can change them, then they are incapable of being used for the kingdom. God tells Elijah to go and anoint his successor, Elisha; a task which Elijah never really does. He throws his cloak at him in verse 19, but then asks Elisha why he is following him (1 Kings 19:20). This prophet has grown weary with those whom he is prophesying to, and God moves on to someone else.
Heed the still small voice in your life. God speaks to us as sons, not as slaves, and He always ministers His love and favor. His default position is mercy, not judgment; thus His voice will always sound merciful and loving. Be prepared to embrace His loving grace for you today, and then share that with those around you, whether they seem worthy or not.
