In The Cave (1 Kings 19)

by Toms, A. F. | Category: Elijah: | Aug 1993

When EIijah was sitting under the juniper tree God sent Ills angel to serve him with the nourls~ food he so much needed, and he "went In the strength of that meat forty days and forty nlghts unto Horeb the mount of God".

When he got there he dwelt in a

cave. What memories would come flooding into his mind, for it was at Horeb Moses first met God in the burning bush, and on this very 'nountain when He gave His law He revealed Himself in fire to His people and the mountain burned and shook. It

was here Moses asked God to show him His glory and God hid him in a cleft of a rock and covered him with His 'land, and then He passed by and

declared the Name of the Lord. Scme have wondered if it may have been the very spot where Moses had that great experience with God. Certainly the language used is simtlar, for it says

"the LORD passed by". Doubtless it was an experience Elijah would never forget.

First there came a mighty wind which tore at the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces and that was followed by an earthquake and then a

fire, great demonstrations of the mighty power of God' to remind His discouraged servant that the God who controlled the whirlwind and the earthquake could very well takecare ofthe threats of a wiclted queen. But more than that, for it says God was not in

the wind, the earthquake and the fire. He sent them, it's true, and they contained a message for Elijah, but there was something more important, for after the fire there came a still, small voice, the sound of gentle stillness. When Elijah heard it he stood at the entrance of the cave and wrapped his face in his cloak. God was speakmg to him.

The same question was repeated.

"What doest thou here, Elijah?" Was God giving him an opportunity of confessing his failure and asking for forgiveness? It would have been well for Elijah if he had grasped it, but he didn't. He poured out the same complaint, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the 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". He was feeling very sorry for himself and that may well have been at the root of his trouble, thinking too much about himself. When we get our eyes off the Lord there is always that danger. "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith" (Heb. 12:2) is

an exhortation we must never forget.

In Romans 11 the apostle Paul comments on this incident in Elijah's life: be quotes what he said to God, and the divine comment is "he pleaded with God against Israel". That word gives us an insight into the prophet's mistake. It is one thing to confess the sin of one's people; many men of God have done that, but always with a view to their forgiveness and restoration. But in his deep discouragement Elijah prayed against them and that was a serious mistake..

But let's get back to the cave and consider Elijah standing at its entrance as he quietened his heart and heard God speaking to him in that sound of gentle stillness. "I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother" David said, and we need to do that, too. Only as we quleten our hearts shall we hear His voice. If we are full of anxieties and distractions it will be hard to hear God speaking to us. And He wants to speak. "It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh" said the woman in the Song. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me", says our Beloved. It is His call to our hearts for fellowship with Him. He wants to share with us the rich spiritual blessings He has for us. But we shall need to quieten our hearts first to hear His voice and to obey what He

says. "Mary hath chosen the good

part" said the Lord Jesus as she sat at His feet, and we shall need to choose, too.

God's word to Elijah was "Go, return". He had to go back the way he had come, for there were men to be anointed for service and one of them was young Elisha who was to be prophet in Elijah's place. It is very touching how he threw his cloak over the young man's shoulders. Elisha hearing the call rose up and followed. We notice God's final word to Elijah that day was that there were seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. So Elijah was wrong when h'e said "I, even I only, am left". There were seven thousand whose hearts were true to God, although maybe some of them were too timid to make it known. And is it not most likely that Elijah, so bold for God through most of the years of his service, had been a great encouragement to those seven thousand? If only he had realized that he may not have been so discouraged. We also might well take note of that, for as we press on with God, obeying His Word and living to please Him, others will be encouraged by our example. We do not live to ourselves. We are "known and read of all men". Let us make sure that they will read in our lives something that will encourage them on the heavenward way.

Continuedfrom page 119

What sorrow to the Lord, when He said to some, "Would ye also go away?" (John 6:67). The Lord said to the Church of God in Ephesus:

I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men ... but I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love (Rev. 2:2A).

If Israel and Judah did it, and the

early CIrristlans did it, we should be very much on our guard and not allow any gradual drift to develop. We have all slipped to some extenL The remedy is found in Hosea who irakes it plain in chapter 14:1-5:

Return unto the LORD thy God... Take with you ....... as bullocks

for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backslidng, I will love them ....... I will be as the dew unto IsraeL

The result will be forgiveness and blessing from the Lor~ We must return now. Love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and body, and maintain our times of prayer, our reading of God's Word and our fellowship with the Lord's people:

~ is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein (Hosea 14:9).

Toms, A. F. | Aug 1993
Elijah: