The Whisper

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:7-15a

Elijah’s time Line

1 Kings 19:7–15 (NIV)

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. 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, torn 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, torn 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.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

Introduction:

When life gives you droughts, Jezebel’s, boulders and burnouts how do you handle them? There are many time when we face such circumstance and it wreck havoc in our life… We become overshadow with the challenges of life and often we are left empty and drained. The burden becomes so great that he wilt under the load and just seek relief. Often we buy in the myth that all this stuff just happens to me, but we know that that is not true yet we hold on to the possibility that this is only happening to me. Like Elijah we seek a place to hide form it all.

Elijah the prophet of God appears from out of no where, for a crucial moment in Israel's history. While Elijah was thought to have been a prophet of God for about fifteen years there are only a few events recorded about him in scripture. In the midst of evil and pagan worship, God uses him to proclaim to Israel God’s message. Elijah’s ministry for God was not without consequences. Before he finishes as a prophet he experiences drought, many encounters with one of the most evil queen and king of Israel they were constantly a threat to his life. Because of them he was always running for his life. Such a life style was extremely exhausting. There was no rest and no letting up from his enemies. Sleeping eating and just resting was always interrupted by their continual nagging.

During the drought God let him to brook Cherith where he found shelter from the drought. Raven’s brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening. As think about this point in Elijah’s life I am reminded of how many times God provides when we experience drought in our life. Surrounded by pressure. the enemy and emptiness God shows up. Even when the brook dries up God provides and raven Door Dash ceases God once again provides. From the brook to a widows home whose pantry is empty, yet God provides. From a very small about of oil and a flour bin with just the scrapings of flour. neither Elijah nor the widow and here family went without. The flour never ran to nor did the oil stop flowing. During this phase of the drought God continued taking care of his servant.

From the widow’s house to Mt Carmel, where Elijah confronted the cohorts of Jezebel, the prophets and priest of baal, Elijah encounters a boulder in his life. Calls out Ahab, summon the people and the four hundred and fifty prophet’s of Baal and the four hundred prophet’s of Asherah, you know the one who set at Jezebels table. Tell them all to come to Mount Carmel, so Elijah rebuilt the altar of God there. The people, the prophets and Elijah assembled on the Mount and God showed up bring fire on the altar and Baal and Asherah were helpless but Yahweh came to the meeting. All of Baal’s prophets and all the prophets of Asherah were slain. Jezebel was furious and declared a bounty for Elijah, she would not rest until he was dead.

From the fire on the mountain to desert broom tree to hide and fight his weariness he desired that God would just let him die. But once again God does not let go. While under the broom tree under the heat of the desert an angel of the LORD brings food t strength a weary burned our prophet.

Get up and eat

Your mission is not finished

Eat and be nourished there is more

Forty day and night Journey is Before You

Horeb awaits you

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

I have been zealots for you

I have endue the forces of Jezebel

I am s hurt that the people have torn down your altars

I am the only one left

I am going to die, for they are going to kill me

Go Stand on the Mountain of God

Come closer to ME

Come stand in MY presence

Come and wait for me to pass by

God’s Shows up

A Powerful wind pounded the Mountain but God was not in it

A Earth quake shook the entire area, but God was not in it

A fire came but God was not in it either

A Gentle Whisper and the glory came down

Elijah heard Yaweh

Elijah cover his face

Elijah stood at the mouth of the cave

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Go Back the way you

Finish the mission