I Kings 19:9-18 – The GentleWhisper Calls Us Out of Our Caves.
Have you ever been in a cave? Caves are kind of cool they have amazing rock formations and mineral deposits. I have visited several caves and without fail one of the things that happens is the tour guide has everyone sit down and then they turn the lights off. And when you are deep in a cave and the tour guide turns the lights off it gets so dark that you can’t even see your hand if you put it five inches in front of your face. You are completely blinded and swallowed up by darkness. Now that is not too scary because you know that in a few minutes the tour guide will turn the lights on again and everyone will be on their way. But imagine if you were in a cave with no lights and no tour guide. That would be scary. You wouldn’t be able to move because you might fall down or hit your head. No one could hear you call for help because you are deep under the earth. You would be completely swallowed up by darkness.
That would be scary. Thankfully none of us here have ever been trapped in a cave like that, but I wonder if we have ever been trapped in a cave mentally and emotionally. Has the darkness of sadness, loneliness, futility, and despair ever swallowed you up so completely that you didn’t know what to do or who to turn to for help? And you were too scared to do anything because you were afraid that it would simply lead to more hurt and despair.
I was in a cave like that once. I won’t give you all the details but back when I was a junior in college I experienced what it was like to be in a cave. One of the things that was really causing me to despair was my school work. It was one of my hardest semesters in college I had my hardest Spanish class of my college career and we were just starting to learn Hebrew. And I’ll be honest I am not good at learning languages. So, I just kept getting further and further behind. And it seemed like no matter how hard I worked I would still do poorly. And it really got me down. I was in a cave. I remember thinking God this is pointless, what am I supposed to do God, do you even want me to be a pastor God. Because things aren’t working out too good for me right now.
Maybe you have experienced something like that too. You were in a cave, the darkness of despair and loneliness had swallowed you up and you couldn’t even see five inches in front of your face, you were left groping in the darkness.
Today we are going to meet a Bible character who was in the same situation. Today in our reading we find Elijah in a cave both literally and figuratively. Today God is going to tell Elijah and us to come out of the cave.
In order to understand this bible account, we need to have a lot of context. We need to understand the events that brought Elijah to a cave. Our reading happens in one of the worst time periods in Israel’s history. It is roughly 100 years after the reign of King David and Solomon. After Solomon Died Israel split into two different kingdoms. The northern kingdom was called Israel and the southern kingdom was called Judah. Right now, in the northern kingdom a wicked king named Ahab was ruling. Ahab had a wicked wife named Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel lead the people of Israel astray. They had them worshiping the god Baal who was a storm god. Jezebel even had the prophets of God killed. So, God sent the prophet Elijah to call the kingdom of Israel to repentance.
In order to rebuke Israel God sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him there would be a drought. And for three years no rain fell in Israel. After the three years God had Elijah go back and challenge the prophets of Baal. Some of you may remember this story from Sunday school. Elijah had Ahab, the prophets of Baal, and the people of Israel meet him on Mount Carmel. There Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. He said lets both set up an alter with a sacrifice on it but we are not going to light it. Whichever God sends fire down from heaven to light the sacrifice he is God.
So the prophets of Baal built an altar, put wood on it and, set the animal on the wood. And all day they cried out to Baal but Baal didn’t answer by fire. Then Elijah built an altar, put wood on it and the sacrifice and then he doused the altar and sacrifice with water three times. No stray spark was going to set the sacrifice ablaze. Then Elijah prayed to God and God sent fire from heaven that burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the altar. After that the people there said the Lord is God and they killed the prophets of Baal.
When Jezebel heard about all this she put out a death warrant on Elijah’s. So, Elijah runs for his life all the way from Jezreel in Israel down to Mount Horeb on the Sini peninsula. When he gets to Mount Horeb he goes into a cave. That is where our reading for today picks up. Elijah has been running for his life and now he is out in the wilderness hiding in a cave.
Our reading says, The word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here Elijah?” 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 to. Elijah is in a cave. Not only literally but figuratively. He had been very zealous for the Lord. he and done everything that God asked. Yet it seemed like there were no results. Even though God had sent a massive drought and had sent fire from heaven. The people still did not turn back to the Lord. Sure, they killed the prophets of Baal but there was no widespread reform. The people were still worshiping Baal. The places of worship were still destroyed and the government kept on killing God’s prophets. To Elijah it seemed like darkness was swallowing him up. No matter what he did there seemed to be no results. Loneliness, was crushing down on Elijah too, He says I am the only one left! There is no other prophet Lord I’m doing this all by myself and there are no results, this is pointless.
Elijah is in a bad way, he is in a cave of loneliness and despair. So our gracious God calls him out of the cave. Our reading goes on, 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. After the earthquake came a fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
God called Elijah out of the cave. And it is interesting to note how God does it, first off God displays his miraculous power. He sends a wind that shatters the rocks apart. And then he sends an earthquake that shakes the ground, then he sends a fire. But after each of these miraculous signs the Bible says but God was not in them. Then came a gentle whisper. And Elijah recognizes that God is in the whisper so he goes out to talk with God. I think it is wonderful to note that this is how God deals with his prophet who is despairing. He doesn’t say you stupid insolent fool how dare you question me and sit in your cave pouting. No Elijah is in a bad way right now so God comes to him in a gentle whisper. Its like he is saying, “what’s wrong Elijah, something is bothering you. You can tell me about it. remember I have the power to help I just showed you with the miraculous signs, tell me what’s up.”
God calls us out of the cave with a gentle whisper. It is wonderful to know how our gracious God deals with us. When we are being crushed with despair and loneliness he doesn’t kick us when we are down. No, he calls to us with a gentle whisper. He says to us what’s the matter tell me about it I want to hear and I want to help.
Not only does the gentile whisper call us but The Lord uses us. Our reading goes on Then a voice said to him, “what are you doing here Elijah.” Again, our gracious God allows Elijah to voice his complaint with all his its emotion. After Elijah says his complaint God says this, Go back the way you came and go to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael King over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shahat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
The Lord used Elijah. God informs Elijah that his judgement was going to come upon Israel for their idolatry. He tells Elijah don’t worry. Your ministry is not pointless. You are just part of my plan to bring Israel back to me. Then he lifts Elijah up with these words, Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him. God uses us. God told Elijah that his ministry was not fruitless. There were still seven thousand people in Israel who worshiped the Lord. 7000 people who benefited from Elijah’s ministry. God tells Elijah, “Elijah, you have done important work for me in preserving these people. Your ministry is not fruitless and you are not alone. So, come out of your cave and go back to work.” The gentle whisper called Elijah out of his cave told him that his life was not pointless and sent him on his way.
That same God who called Elijah out of his cave calls us out of our caves today. God is still calling us with the gentles whisper of his word. So, if you are in a cave of guilt because of a sin you have committed the gentle whisper calls you and says come out of your cave Jesus forgave you of that sin be at peace. If you are groping around in the darkness of self-hate and thinking no one loves you the gentle whisper calls you and says I am the God of all the earth I love you I shed my blood to save. You are mine and I cherish you. If you are in the darkness of anger the gentle whisper calls you and says, “Tell me what is up I can handle it and I can do something about it. The gentle whisper calls us out of our caves.
The gentle whisper calls us out of our caves and it reminds us that our lives have purpose. You are a blood bought child of God and God has a purpose and work for you to do. The things you have done have not been pointless and you are not alone. God uses us.
Back when I was in my cave during my third year of college God sent me a gentle whisper. He sent it in the form of the campus pastor. I went to him and told him about the tough time I was having. And he encouraged me and helped me out. He encouraged me to go and talk to the professors about my school work and when I did they treated me with more grace than I thought they would. They wanted to make sure I was okay. The gentle whisper called me out of the cave and set me to work again.
The gentle whisper is always there for you too. God deals with you graciously and has a purpose for your life. So, next time you are in a cave. Listen for that gentle whisper. Amen.