14 Days in the Company of Elijahનમૂનો

Day 8: In the Presence of the Lord (1 Kings 19:9–18)

Yesterday, we found Elijah in a cave on Mount Sinai, with the Lord’s question ringing in his ears: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Ki. 19:9, NLT). God never asks questions because he doesn’t already know the answer; he asks to help the human being look closely and discern what’s really going on. In this case, Elijah’s first response to God’s interrogation is very self-focused: “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Ki. 19:10, NLT). There’s an implicit complaint in Elijah’s words: “Lord, I did your will faithfully and at great cost, in contrast to faithless Israel, and yet I’m the one running for my life! This is not the way it’s supposed to be!”

And then comes a scene of pure grace. The Lord offers Elijah an incredible perspective-changer —a glimpse of his own holy presence. The Lord calls Elijah to “go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence” (1 Ki. 19:11, CSB). A blast of mighty wind hits the side of the mountain, followed by a crashing earthquake and a roaring fire—but the Lord was not in these terrifying phenomena. It is only when these manifestations have subsided that there is “the sound of a gentle whisper” (1 Ki. 19:12, NLT). Elijah recognizes in that whisper the voice of the Lord, and he wraps his face in his cloak and obeys the call to go out and stand on the mountain. And out of the silence after the inviting whisper, the question comes again: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Ki. 19:13, NLT).

At first, it seems like nothing has changed—Elijah repeats verbatim his initial response to that question. However, something has shifted in Elijah because of his willingness to enter the Lord’s presence obediently. When the Lord follows up his question with a command that will send Elijah right back into the danger zone to do dangerous things like anointing new kings, the prophet’s response is immediate obedience: “So Elijah went” (1 Ki. 19:19a, NLT). As he goes, the Lord adds a gentle reminder that he is not, in fact, the only one left—there are still 7,000 people in Israel who have not worshiped Baal (1 Ki. 19:18). God gave Elijah the respite he needed, but he did not allow him to wallow in selfish introspection. After rest and a shift in perspective, the prophet was recommissioned and obeyed with willing readiness.