Joel Kontinen

Like a Gentle Whisper: When God Spoke to Elijah



Posted: Sunday, February 20, 2011

by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/

At a time when apostasy was rife in Israel, God used a prophet who was given the task of leading the Israelites back to worshipping the Creator God.

 First Kings 17 gives very little background information on the prophet. He was known as Elijah the Tisbite and he was not ashamed of revealing that he served the God of Israel.

 Scripture states that Israel’s king “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30). He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, who enticed him to serve the heathen god Baal and persecute the followers of the one true God.

 Elijah confronted the false prophets of his day on Mount Carmel, showing that worshipping idols was foolishness. However, even though he was no stranger to the supernatural realm and God had used him mightily, he had his moments of doubt.

 In the midst of persecution, he longed for God to speak to him. Hiding in a cave, he waited for a revelation. He had assumed that God would appear to him in glory.

 “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

 However, the Bible says that God’s ways are not our ways. God did not reveal Himself to Elijah in the way he had expected. But this did not mean that He was indifferent to the sufferings of the prophet:

“And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:12-13).

God has promised to be faithful. If we yearn to hear Him speak, He will do so. We should always remember that He is sovereign and we cannot command Him to obey us. Once we learn the lesson Elijah learnt in the cave, we will not so easily doubt that God is willing to speak to us – perhaps not in an earthquake but in a gentle whisper.

 Scripture quotations from the NIV.
Joel Kontinen is an author and translator currently living in Finland. His bacground includes an MA in translation studies and a BA in Bible and Theology. He mostly writes about origins issues.
 
Blog:. http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
 
Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/joelkontinen
 
 
 
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Steve Radford
 1 year 89 days ago.
44 fans.
Good commentary Joel. Thanks for sharing your insight.

Steve
» left by Joel Kontinen 1 year 89 days ago.
43 fans.
Thanks, Steve.
» left by Marijo Phelps
 1 year 89 days ago.
143 fans.
Thanks for this commentary - I always appreciate your insights!
» left by Joel Kontinen 1 year 89 days ago.
43 fans.
Thanks, Marijo.

May God bless you.
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