A Still Small Voice

Have you ever been discouraged?  Yes.  It is part of the human condition.  Maybe you were discouraged due to problems with your health, family, finances, or work.  We read in the scriptures about individuals with tremendous faith who had moments when they were discouraged.  One of God’s greatest prophets felt that way.

The life of an Old Testament prophet was extremely difficult.  It often entailed ridicule, rejection, and hardship.  Such is the case of Elijah, a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Elijah’s prophet years overlap with the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  To say that couple is evil and wicked seems like an understatement.  Israel has rejected God and forsaken His commandments.  Israel is worshipping idols and pagan gods, namely Baal and Asherah.  They have killed God’s prophets and are coming after Elijah.  Elijah is trying to convince Israel to repent by demonstrating God’s power.

God performed several miracles directly or indirectly through Elijah.  The following verses describe some of those spectacular events:

I Kings 17:1 -  Elijah tells King Ahab - “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”  James Chapter 5 tells us it did not rain for three years and six months.  The rain only returned when Elijah prayed it would rain.

I Kings 17:6 - The ravens brought Elijah bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

1 Kings 17:16 - The bin of flour was not used  up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

1 Kings 17:22&23 - Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.  And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother.  And Elijah said “See your son lives!”

1 Kings 18:37&38 - “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their hearts back to You again”.  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Elijah was not a super hero.  He was a man.  He got hungry and thirsty.  Elijah got physically and emotionally exhausted.  He bravely and faithfully served God.  But, eventually Elijah became discouraged.  Queen Jezebel had vowed to have Elijah killed after his God had shamed her “god” Baal at Mount Carmel, and Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal.  Elijah is on the run and hiding in caves.  Elijah believes he is the only person serving God in Israel.  Elijah is tired of it all.  He is ready to give up and die.

1 Kings 19:4 - But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree.  And he prayed that he might die, and said “ It is enough!  Now LORD take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

God sends an angel to minister to Elijah.  The angel brings him food and water to nourish him.  Elijah is strengthened and journeys on to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

My favorite Elijah story is not any of those or even the fiery chariot and horses that take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind.  My favorite is the Elijah and God encounter at Mount Horeb.

1 Kings 19:11-13 - Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD”.  And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.  Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah? “

1 Kings 19:14 - Elijah said - “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword.  I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

God tells Elijah to anoint new kings over Syria and Israel, and anoint Elisha as a prophet to take his place.  God will use these newly anointed individuals to bring about His divine judgment.  In addition, God informs Elijah there are 7,000 souls in Israel who have not bowed to Baal.

God was not in the wind, earthquake, and fire at Mount Horeb.  God was in the still small voice and Elijah heard Him.  This world is full of distractions and lots of “noise.”  Is all that outside sound drowning out the “still small voice” of God or can you hear Him?

Mark Townsley