The Still, Small Voice: Seems Good 4
This past Sunday, August 22nd Pastor Michael continued with his message on hearing the Holy Spirit. This week he spoke on the Still Small Voice. 1Kings 19:1-13 is where we find Elijah running for his life, in verse 9 he lodges in a cave. Elijah is the most well-known Prophet of his day. Not only bring God’s Word to the people but also performing miracles. Imagine for a moment his popularity and his ability to hear God speak to him and lead him over and over again. The miracles that the Lord performed through him were known by all the inhabitants of the land. On that day God did not just speak to everyone, he spoke to his and through his prophets to get His Word to His people and the leaders of the nation.
At this time King Ahab has a wife named Jezebel who sends word to Elijah that by this time tomorrow she was going to have him killed. Elijah is afraid and runs. This great man of God runs off by himself to hide.
1 Kings 9:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
Lodge – to stop, stay permanently, remain, to be obstinate, complain, stubbornly refusing to change.
In this case, Elijah believed the lie of the enemy that his life would end tomorrow. He had those ever-common feelings of whoa is me, I’m the only one who is suffering this way, why God why. Suffice it to say Elijah had a bad attitude as he took on the characteristics of lodging in the cave.
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
Then the Lord speaks as He always will if we will take the time to hear.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by,
Defining the word behold in the verse above is this: to draw attention to; looking toward something of interest. An abundance of something that fills what is desired.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
Wind: thrown about, blusterous. Earthquake: confused noise, uproar, commotion. Fire: as lighting, crashing, striking. A Still: whisper, calm, quiet (like an animal when blood is drawn out). Small: to crush or beat something into small pieces. Voice: gather to the staff, sound of the Shepard.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
“When Elijah heard it”, “it” being interpreted a word. Word: a matter spoken creating order, containing the substance. “there came a voice“ Came: a moving toward something. Voice: the sound of the Shepard.
The foundation is laid as we know that the Lord does not speak when there is confusion, commotion, an uproar. But the Lord’s leading is to be found in the Still (calm, quiet) small voice(sound of the Shepard: the one who leads, feeds, protects & provides all things needed for the life of his sheep)