Word Nerd Wednesday – Elijah and the Still Small Voice

happy Wednesday, friends, and welcome to another Word Nerd post! This is the day where I like to fangirl over specific passages of Scripture that I’ve studied and that have spoken to me recently. I love the fandoms, but the word should always be first. This week I’ve been studying the book of 1 Kings, and I absolutely LOVED the story of Elijah and the “still small voice.” It’s SO GOOD!! Hope you enjoy reading what I’ve learned!

Context: 1 Kings 18:1-19:9

If you’ve been to Sunday School more than a handful of times in your life, then you’ve probably heard of the prophet Elijah. His most well-known moments are downright heroic: challenging the prophets of the false god Baal, one on 450, and WINNING; praying for a drought, and then prying for rain, and it actually happening; praying for a widow’s son and having his life restored in response. Elijah is a prayer WARRIOR, and he’s one of the most famous Biblical figures.

In 1 Kings 19, this mighty man of valor has just come off one of his greatest victories. He has successfully shamed the prophets of Baal by proving that the Lord is the One True God, and then prayed the prayer that ends the drought in Israel.

But Elijah’s bold actions of faith have enraged his greatest enemy, the evil queen Jezebel, and instead of standing up to her, Elijah runs away. And then he prays one of the most heart-wrenching prayers in all of Scripture: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4 NASB). This guy is one of the strongest warriors for the Lord in all of history, and he’s depressed!

I love this passage so much because of the Lord’s response to Elijah’s condition. He starts by attending to his physical needs, giving him a chance to eat and rest. Then, He sends Elijah on a 40-day journey, which is symbolic of the journeys Israel has taken throughout their history, and he ends up on Mount Sinai. Not only that, Elijah ends up in a CAVE that is likely the exact same “cleft of the rock” that MOSES was placed in when God showed up to him personally, many hundreds of years ago (Exodus 33). And that’s where the “still small voice” encounter happens.

Elijah and the Still Small Voice

This conversation between Elijah and God had me gasping and sighing and just in awe! He starts out with a simple question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 9). Of course, God already knows Elijah’s heart and why he’s in this place of fear and depression. But just like in the Garden of Eden, God allows Elijah to share his heart and confess how he feels to God. And unlike Adam and Eve, Elijah is completely, brutally honest: “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (v. 10). God allows Elijah to express his feelings of fear and loneliness, even though He knows they aren’t true (see 1 Kings 18:3-4 for an example). It’s clear that God cares about Elijah’s heart and what he’s feeling, even though He knows that all things will work together for his good (Romans 8:28).

What happens next is a scene that fascinates me as a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, as God shows His power in great and mighty ways. He shows Elijah a mighty wind, so mighty that it starts to tear the side of the mountain apart. He shows him an earthquake, and then a spontaneous fire that probably reminded him of Moses and the burning bush. But verse 12 says that the LORD wasn’t in any of these awe-inspiring displays of power. Instead, He chooses to speak to Elijah in a “gentle whisper,”(NLT) or “the sound of a gentle blowing” (NASB).

The rest of this passage shows Elijah once again opening his heart to the LORD, this time with a face covered in humility and reverence. He again expresses feelings of fear and loneliness, and the LORD listens without contradicting him. Then, Elijah is given exactly what he needs to keep going:

• First, God gives him something to do that will get him out of his head: “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall annoint Hazael king over Aram…” (v. 15). This instruction also came with a promise that the ones Elijah was in distress over, the ones who had disregarded the covenant and killed all of the prophets, would eventually be dealt with.
• Next, God gives Elijah a comfort and reassurance in Elishah: “and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place” (v. 16). This was an answer to Elijah’s prayer in such a powerful way! It gave him a friend for the rest of his life, as Elisha would become his assistant or disciple, and it gave him hope that the ministry he was so devoted to would continue after he was gone.
• Finally, in verse 18, God gives Elijah one more assurance that he isn’t alone: “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

My take-aways

As someone who has experienced seasons of dark and deep sadness (not currently, praise God), this passage was extremely encouraging to me. I’m thankful to have it for my own use and for those I love who might be experiencing similar feelings. Here are some of my take-aways from Elijah and the Still Small Voice:

• God cares about our feelings, even when they aren’t accurate to what’s actually going on. He wants us to share our hearts with Him, even the ugly, fearful, and unbelieving parts.
• Just the fact that God LISTENED to what Elijah was feeling and didn’t try to contradict him or even tell him to “cheer up, get over it”. He gave him time to rest and recover (1 Kings 19:5-8) and provided for him in his time of deep distress and depression.
• God is gentle and kind, even as He shows sovereignty and power! I love that God answers Elijah’s fears and doubts with His power AND His gentle whisper. It’s so amazing to me that He is both.
• God answers our prayers: He gave Elijah a promise that his enemies would be dealt with, and gave him relief from his feelings of loneliness and isolation. He also gave him a reminder that he wasn’t alone and that his ministry hadn’t been in vain. SO GOOD!

I have one more verse I’d like to share before wrapping up this post:

You, the people of my people-group, have confidence in Him! Instant after instant, moment by moment, open your heart to Him! God is our refuge.

Psaume/Psalm 62:9 (translated from French Bible du Semeur)

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about Elijah and the Still Small Voice. If you’d like some more thoughts on similar topics, here are some other posts of mine that you might enjoy:

• X Ambassadors: A sure salvation to turn to when you’re a little unsteady.
• Sleeping At Last – Atlas: Son
• ATLA four elements: breath of life

I also owe a lot of what I learned from this passage to my all-time favorite commentator, David Guzik. You can find his commentary on 1 Kings 19 for free (!) at blueletterbible.com : ).

What have you been learning from the Scriptures recently? Have any thoughts you’d like to share? I’d love to know!

Happy word-nerding!