Bible Men: Elijah and the Still Small Voice

Elijah and the Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:1-18

The still small voice is one of the most precious events in the life of Elijah, it came at a time when he was very depressed, a time so many can relate to.

In my previous posts concerning Elijah, we read of King Ahab.  His wife was named Jezebel, who was a very wicked woman.  She worshipped the "gods" and was dominant over her husband.  Jezebel heard how Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal and how he had slain all of them afterwards. 1 Kings 19:2 "Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."  Those were very foolish words from Jezebel as time would tell..

 I have heard it said that Elijah was fearful and that's why he "arose and went for his life, and came to Beersheba..and left his servant there"(1 Kings 19:3) In thinking about this verse now, I would rather apply Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way, but the LORD directeth his steps." We will see that the LORD had a wonderful lesson for Elijah, which he would only learn when he was by himself.  Beersheba belonged to Judah, the part of the nation of Israel that served the LORD, the God of Israel.  After leaving his servant there, Elijah went on himself another day's journey into the wilderness, where he "sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die;and said "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." (V4)  Sometimes we may feel like dying too, when it seems that things are so against us, that it is better to be with the Lord..   It is notable here that Elijah "lay and slept under a juniper tree" (V6) To me that says that Elijah had put forth his request,  and then left the matter in the  will of the LORD, and so should we also.



And then a wonderful occurrence, "...an angel touched him, and said unto him, arise and eat.  And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head...and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." (V5-7)   What a wonderful thing!  At Elijah's lowest point, an angel came.  Just as the Lord Jesus, when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, an angel came and strengthened him (Luke 22:43) The angel was also telling Elijah that he was not going to die there, he had a journey to complete, a "great" journey he would complete by supernatural strength.

"And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God." (V8) Again I think of the Lord Jesus and his temptation in the desert for forty days.  The number 40 points to a time of testing..  for a study on the number in scripture go here:  http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/40.html

And so Elijah went into a cave and stayed there, "and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?" (V9) I love the word behold, because it means that something amazing is occurring or about to occur.  The Lord who is omniscient knew why Elijah was there but he wanted Elijah to confess his reasons.  And so Elijah tells him "I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars,and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (V10)  Elijah is more than a little depressed, and he does not really know whether or not he is the only prophet.  The LORD God always has a remnant.  Elijah needed encouragement and strengthening and this is a wonderful lesson for us: when we need encouragement and strengthening, when it seems that all is against us, the best thing, and the only thing we can do is to be alone with the Word of God, the Holy Bible, which never fails to speak to our hearts.

And so the Lord told him to "go forth and stand upon the mount before the LORD.  And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces...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.  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave". (V11-13)   Truly God speaks to us in the quiet moments, not in the raging ones.  He will speak in the stillness, not in the rush of business. "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)
 
And again a voice comes to Elijah and asks him "What doest thou here, Elijah?" (V13) and Elijah replies the same as before, and that he alone is left of the prophets. "and they seek my life, to take it away." (V14) But this time Elijah is instructed to go to the wilderness of Damascus, where he is to anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, and Jehu to be king over Israel, and  Elijah is told to anoint Elisha to be prophet in his place.(V15-16)Elijah learns more here, that he has another journey to go on, that he is to anoint 2 men to be kings, and that he is to anoint a man named Elisha to be his replacement as prophet.  From these words, Elijah knows that he will be leaving this earth, but he does not know the wondrous way the Lord has for him to leave.

 Then Elijah finds out that he is not the only prophet left in Israel, not by a long shot.  Elijah is also told "yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (V18).  Sometimes when we think we are all alone, we forget that the Lord is in control, and as said before, he will always have his remnant.  We must just be faithful, and listen for his "still small voice" to guide our lives.

In the last study on Elijah, Elisha is anointed to be Elijah's successor, and Elijah is translated into heaven.

vcg/August 2015