Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks 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 the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:1–19)
I Won’t Do That: Will We Rest Quietly?
1 Kings 19:1–19
Roel Rosales has started refereeing football games in his retirement. This has been a great way to participate in youth sports while keeping his body in shape and his mind engaged in something he enjoys. Roel described an interesting experience about a huge, botched call that no one in the stands or on either sideline noticed. The mistake was so egregious that he began to doubt himself. Did he see the play wrong? Could he really have been the only one in the whole stadium who noticed what happened? He eventually brought up the issue during a later officials’ conference at midfield it was determined that he was right, but it was too late to correct the mistake that had been made.
I mention that, because I kept thinking about Roel’s experience when I was reading commentaries regarding this passage in preparation for today’s devotional and the accompanying sermon. Commentary after commentary seemed to express a snarky, preachy tone in God’s voice as He addresses the broken prophet. Numerous lines were written about where Elijah went wrong, how his faith was inadequate and misdirected, and what God was teaching him through this encounter. I kept reading and re-reading the passage and thinking, “Am I the only one who sees what I see in this story?” I began to doubt myself and question my reading. Finally, toward the end of my searching, I found a few authors who saw the tenderness of God in the angelic cake He sent to Elijah through His messenger and heard the compassionate tone that I heard in the “gentle whisper of God”. I think most of the sermons I’ve heard preached on this text and most of the material I’ve read written about it that depict God in a frustrated, finger-wagging way have brought something to the story from our own stories of over-functioning, pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps approach to life and ministry.
What we find in Elijah’s story is far more encouraging when we find ourselves beat down by life. Here we encounter a God who ministers through naps, baked bread, and jars of water. In a world full of flash and noise that can leave us feeling spiritually depleted, we need this God who sometimes speaks in the sound of “a gentle whisper” or “deafening silence.” Elijah’s lowest point introduces us to a God who cares enough to listen and reveals Himself in our hurt. Elijah was ready to quit, but this experience with the living God energized him for the good ministry to which God was still calling him.
Could it be that God is calling us to serve Him through consistent seasons of quiet rest? What would that look like in our story? Will we answer that call or turn up the noise to drown out the still small voice of God and say, “I would do anything for you, God, but I won’t do that.”
Dr. Steven Parker has been the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Weslaco for 15 years and takes this rest stuff seriously. While preparing his sermon on this passage, he had a terrible headache and could barely keep his thoughts straight. On his lunch break he took about an hour nap on his office couch and woke refreshed with a clear head and the ability to finish the great sermon written for this past Sunday.