And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 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?”14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
Even though I had read this passage before, something entirely new came to light. At the beginning of these verses, God asked Elijah what he was doing here. God wasn’t asking this because He didn’t know what Elijah was doing there. God is all knowing. God was testing Elijah to see where his heart and his motives were. God did the same thing with Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:7-9). God wasn’t looking for a literal answer. However, in order to fully grasp the implications of God’s question, it is important to understand what happened right before Elijah had this conversation with God.
Elijah was a prophet, speaking the words of God to the Israelites. The Israelites had been messing up and were failing to listen to God's instructions. They were following false idols and putting their faith in Baal. In order to bring the people back to Him, God used Elijah to call them out on their actions. Obviously, Elijah was not the most popular guy around, because he was challenging how others were living their lives.
I am paraphrasing here:
1 Kings 18:22-39
Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”Baal never answered.
The Lord answered with fire from heaven; “when all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!’”God just came through for Elijah in a huge way. Elijah was probably feeling on top of the world, until his life was threatened.
Later, when God questioned Elijah about why he was on the mountain, Elijah didn’t mention this spiritual victory. Elijah only saw the death threat from Jezebel. One circumstance completely changed his outlook so drastically that Elijah ends up whining and complaining to God. Instead of answering Elijah with words, the Lord simply tells Elijah to go outside because He, the Lord, is about to pass by. God simply reminds Elijah of who He is. After passing by, God with the tenderness of a father again asks Elijah the same question.
Sometimes God does not give us an answer directly. He often leaves us questioning or in the dark about what His plan is. God allowed Elijah to end up in the wilderness in such a dire situation to test him. I was reminded of a sermon that my pastor gave last summer. Part of what he spoke about was why God allows us to end up in the “wilderness”—why we go through trials. Sometimes, we end up there by our own choice because we disobey God. Other times God takes us to the wilderness as part of a “time-out.” God can also allow us to enter the wilderness after a major spiritual victory. This was the case for Elijah.
Hebrews 12:7, 11 tells us:
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
No discipline seems pleasant at the time. However, later on it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have endured and learned. Verse seven in this passage is especially crucial—the command to view hardship not as hardship, but rather as discipline. In this context, “hardship” and “discipline” are interchangeable.
“How might God’s healing of a person who’s suffering affect those around us today?”
When God heals someone who is suffering, He is doing the same thing that He did when He passed before Elijah on the mountain. He is showing that He is still God. He is showing that He still cares. He is showing how He has a bigger plan in store, of how He is painting on a canvas bigger than we can ever see or imagine.
Times of trials and suffering never seem good at the time, but keep trusting God. He will remind you of who He is, and He will carry you through. He will give you a glimpse of Himself, and once you've seen God, you are never the same.
Editors Note:
Nicole Bryan
Another thing to consider about this story is how Elijah spoke for God, even though he was outnumbered. Elijah was not afraid because He trusted in God and stood strong to the belief that there is one God and no other is more powerful.
I am sure many of us know friends and family who worship false idols. Who put their faith and trust in things that are inconsistent, unreliable and self hurting. (Drugs, Alcohol, Television, Popularity, Sex, Money)
As believers it is our calling to stand strong and reach out to those who are lost. God is all knowing, and when He puts us in situations where we are outnumbered He gives us the opportunity to save people's lifes. As we are seeing others living their lives in the darkness we must show them the light.
