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.

Bible Men: Elijah Part 1 - the Ravens and the Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17

When Ahab became king he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Ahab married a woman called Jezebel, which marriage was to have disastrous consequences.  Ahab worshiped and built an altar for the pagan god Baal, and made a grove and did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. (1 Kings 16: 30-33).

In the days of King Ahab the LORD God raised up a prophet named Elijah the Tishbite who was from Gilead.  Elijah told King Ahab by the word of the LORD that there would be no rain or dew in the land for three years. (17:1) The word of the LORD came to Elijah again and told him to hide himself by the brook called Cherith, “and it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (V3-4) Elijah was obedient to the word of the LORD and went and dwelt by the brook.  "And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook." (V6)  Sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, is in control of all things, and even the ravens obeyed Him.  They who are scavengers and would have  eaten all for themselves,  in obedience brought to Elijah bread and meat. But after a time the brook dried up for lack of rain.  And so God, who provides for all the needs of one who believes on Him,  brought His word to Elijah again saying "Get thee to Zarephath..and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman to sustain thee."(V9) The hand of God will be over this woman’s life in many ways.  Her heart has been prepared by God to receive Elijah and provide for him.  I wonder how many times in our own lives, God has prepared us for a certain person?  Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”

Jonah - Part 1- Chosen by God to go to Nineveh, and His Attempt to Flee

Jonah - Part 1

chosen by God to go to Nineveh, and his attempt to flee

Jonah 1:1-16

Jonah is one of my favorite Bible men, probably because I have a flight response like Jonah, and can relate to him.

Jonah was a prophet,  inspired and instructed to announce future events.  But Jonah was a reluctant prophet, or at least in this instance he was.  He was the son of Amittai, from Gathhepher (2 Kings 14:25) which was in Galilee.  Jonah was chosen by God to go to Nineveh to cry against it, and tell them that in 40 days, the city would be overthrown (3:4) This was a great city that was filled with wickedness.  Jonah was not willing to go to a heathen city, he did not understand why the LORD would want to show mercy to a gentile city  1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 86:15 “But thou , O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”  Psalm 103:8 “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”

 Jonah 1:2  the Lord tells Jonah to “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me." Jonah does not want to go to Nineveh, and he desires to run from the presence of the LORD, an impossible task. "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139:7) And so V3 "Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD".

But V4 "the LORD sent o ut a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken." This might wind was much like Euroclydon  in  Acts 27:14 “But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.”, or the great wind on the sea of Galilee when the Lord Jesus was sleeping in the boat. Matthew 8:24 “and, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep”.  Jonah is sleeping too, not aware that the great storm was near to destroying the boat.  But we know that the LORD holds everything in His hands, and He had a plan for Jonah.