21 GOD MAINTAINS CONTROL

First, Elijah is staying temporarily in a cave at Mount Horeb. “There he went into a cave and spent the night” (1). This mountain is called the mount of God, because that is where God had formerly so dramatically displayed His glory. It is even possible that this was the same cave, or cleft of a rock, in which Moses was hidden when the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed his name in the drama-filed spiritual event recorded in Exodus 33:22. We cannot know what Elijah proposed to himself in coming to stay here a while. Could it be to lick his wounds, give himself a pity-party, give vent to his melancholy and try to get over his post-goal depression or arrival fallacy. Or did he seek to satisfy his curiosity about where Moses spent time with God in an effort to build up his own faith.

Maybe he thought a visit to this historic place with the sight of that very famous location where the law was given and so many great things were done that Elijah hoped to meet with God there himself. After all, he had something in common with Moses who earlier served God against the tide of public opinion and tried to deal with rebellious Israelites who were so inclined to abandon their God as Elijah was now experiencing. As in Ahab’s day the people of God had hated to be reformed under Moses’ leadership. And still another prophet, Jeremiah, later had similar thoughts at least once when he said, “Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people” (Jeremiah 9:2).

Or it was because Elijah thought he could not be safe anywhere else and simply wanted to be safe. Hebrews 11:38 may have referred to Elijah when it records, “. . . the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.” Elijah paid a price for serving God both before the contest on Mount Carmel and afterwards too. This is the cost of leadership that no-one likes to talk about, but if we are not prepared to pay this cost we will be overwhelmed by the cost we have to pay even after winning a victory.

Second, God visited Elijah there in the cave. God came to his faithful prophet and spoke to him. Good! Wonderful! We need to, we must, hear from God. It says, “And the word of the Lord came to him: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?’” We cannot go anywhere and be out of the reach of God’s eye, arm, and Word. David too knew of this when he wrote Psalm 139:7-10. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” God will take care of his out-casts, any and all of those who, for His sake, are driven out from among men, He will find, own, and gather them with His everlasting loving-kindnesses.

Whether to correct you or to comfort you, God knows where you are and will come to you. Listen for Him. John saw the visions of the Almighty when he was in banishment in the isle of Patmos, As Revelation 1:9 tells us, “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” The question God puts to the prophet is, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” This same question is repeated in verse 13 after Elijah has seen the wind, fire and earthquake, only the second time it seems to have a hint of a reproof as though to ask Elijah, why did you flee here. “What brings you so far from home? Did you flee from Jezebel? Could you not depend on my almighty power for your protection?”

As we read this question, what if we put the emphasis on the word “you.” So great a man, so great a prophet, so famed for resolution—do you flee your country, forsake identity with your people this way?” This cowardly behavior might have been more excusable in another, but look at the good example of Nehemiah who was opposed in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, who, when he faced danger retorted, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”

Or what if we emphasize the word “here?” Elijah, what are you doing here? Is this a place for a prophet of the Lord to sleep in? Is this a time for such men to retreat, when the public has such need of them? When God provided a safe hiding place for Elijah at Zarapath, he was a blessing to a poor widow, but here he had no opportunity of doing anybody any good. It is our business as servant leaders in the house of God to regularly check to see if we are in the place we are to be and doing what we are to do. Elijah, excuse me sir, in order to be doing the Lord’s will you must first be in the right place. Is this where you are to be? We can ask ourselves this question too.

Third, Elijah answers God’s question. First, he excuses his retreat. He has not lacked zeal for a reformation, but rather is discouraged for lack of success. Both God and he knew that he had served as well as he could, for God knew, and his own conscience witnessed for him, that as long as there was any hope of doing good he had been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts; but now that he had labored in vain, and all his endeavors were to no purpose, he thought it was time to give up the cause, and mourn for what he could not mend. Both verse 10 and 14 say, “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.” We cannot fault Elijah for saying any of this. It was all true. Elijah complains of the people, their stubbornness in sin, and the height of ungodliness and that is the reason he had forsaken them. Who can stay among them, to see everything that is sacred ruined and run down? The apostle Paul referred to this very verse. Elijah had been making intercession for Israel, but their apparent rejection of him forces him to begin to make intercession against Israel. He had been their advocate, but now became their accuser. Jesus said in John 5:45 that Moses too had become Israel’s accuser. “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.”

Anyone is truly miserable who has the testimony and prayers of God’s prophets against them. Elijah charges Israel with having forsaken God’s covenant. Though they retained circumcision, the sign and seal of the covenant, yet Israel had stopped worshipping and serving God which was the intention of the covenant. Anyone who neglects God’s instructions, and slacks off in their communion with Him, does really forsake His covenant, and break their agreement with Him. Israel evidently had thrown down his altars, not only deserted them and allowed them to decay, but, in their zeal for the worship of Baal, intentionally demolished the Lord’s altars. This may have alluded to the private altars which the prophets of the Lord had built, which good people had attended when, because of the golden calves Jeroboam had erected they could not go up to Jerusalem.

Some would not worship Jeroboam’s calves nor Jezebel’s Baal. These scattered, informally erected altars, though not located at the temple in Jerusalem served a useful purpose. Since these altars were erected and attended by those who sincerely aimed to faithfully glorify and seek Him, God accepted worship at them. It was the best the common people could do when they could not go to Jerusalem to worship. God accepted them for His altars, as well as that at Jerusalem,. This could be why when unbelieving Israelites including Baal worshippers tore them down, Israel became guilty of a serious sin.

But this was not all. They have slain your prophets with the sword. The prophets probably had ministered at those altars. Jezebel, a foreigner, killed them according to 1 Kings 18:4, “4 While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)” The initiator of this sin was Jezebel, but the crime is charged against the whole body of the Israelite people because they were generally consenting to their death, and evidently pleased with it. Christian leader, if you think you are surrounded by evil, adversity and difficulties, remember Elijah. In the days of Jezebel he brought his case before the Lord and so can you. Be an Elijah today!

Fourth, next Elijah gives his reasons for fleeing into this desert and staying in this cave. It was apparently because he was so greatly outnumbered. “I am the only one left” and have no one to support me in my good intentions. At Carmel they all said, “TheLord he is God,” but none of them would stand by me nor offer to shelter me. That Jehovah is God was a point well gained, but was presently lost again. They are already so bad that Jezebel can do nothing more to further ruin them than I can to reform them. What can I, as one, do against thousands? Despair of success hinders many a good project.

Understandably, few are willing to venture alone, forgetting that those are not alone who have God with them. Further, Elijah did not seem to be safe, at least in his own eyes. “And now they are trying to kill me too.” He seems to be saying, “I would prefer to spend my life in useless but safe solitude than to lose my life in a fruitless attempt to reform those that hate to be reformed.”

Fifth, God showed Himself and His power to Elijah. Did he come there to meet with God? He certainly will find that God will not fail to give him the meeting. Moses was put in the cave when God’s glory passed before him; but Elijah was called out of it: “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by” (11). Elijah’s experience was quite different than Moses’ experience. Elijah heard a strong wind, and saw the terrible effects of it, for it split the mountains and tore the rocks. Moses felt the shock of an earthquake. He saw an eruption of fire. Each are mentioned in verses 11 and 12. “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.”

Elijah at last perceived a still small voice by which God spoke to him; not out of the wind, earthquake or fire. The powerful demonstrations struck an awe on him, awakened his attention, and inspired humility and reverence; but God chose to make known His mind to him in a soft whisper, not in those dreadful sounds. When he understood this, he correctly “pulled his cloak over his face” as one afraid to look on the glory of God, apprehensive that it would dazzle his eyes and overcome him. The angels cover their faces before God to express their reverence for Him, as Isaiah 6:2 reports,  “Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.” Elijah may have hid his face to express his shame for having been such a coward as to flee from his duty when he had such a God of power to stand by him in it. The wind, and earthquake, and fire, did not make him cover his face, but the still voice did.

Gracious souls are more affected by the tender mercies of the Lord than by His terrors. He stood at the entrance of the cave, ready to hear what God had to say to him. This method of God’s showing Himself here at Mount Horeb seems to point back to the revelations God earlier made of Himself to Moses at this place. Here with Elijah there was a great wind, an earthquake, and fire; but, when God had showed Moses his glory, he proclaimed His goodness. Here; the Word was, in the still small voice. Then the law was given to Israel, with the appearances of terror first and then with a voice of words; and Elijah being now called to revive that law, especially the first two commandments, is taught how to manage it; he must not only awaken and terrify the people with amazing signs, like the earthquake and fire, but he must attempt, with a still small, yet persuasive voice, to convince them.

He was not to forsake them when he should be speaking to them. Faith comes by hearing the word of God; miracles only make way for the voice of God. And for another comparison, in Moses’ day God spoke to His people with terror; but in the gospel of Christ, which was to be introduced by the spirit and power of Elias, He would speak again by a still small voice. And in our preaching as we speak for God today, a convincing and logical quiet presentation of God’s Word may convince and impress people more permanently than loud and emotional shouting.

Sixth, God gave Elijah specific orders. He repeats the question he had put to him before, “What are you doing here, Elijah? This is not a place for you now.” Elijah gives the same answer, complaining of Israel’s apostasy from God and the ruin of religion among them. To this God gives him a reply. When he wished he might die God answered him not according to his folly, but was so far from letting him die that he not only kept him alive then, but arranged that he should never die, but be translated. What better place is there to complain than before the Lord? Yet when he complained of his discouragement, God gave him an answer. He sends him back with directions to appoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu king of Israel, and Elisha his successor in the recognized and respected office of prophet.

The historic record of events in the months that followed prove that these three appointment were actually God’s answer to Elijah’s complaint. God corrected Israel through these three men. Elijah complained that the wickedness of Israel was unpunished. The judgment of famine was too gentle, and had not sufficiently corrected them and was removed too easily, too soon. “I have been jealous,” says he, “for God’s name, but He Himself was not perceived to be sufficiently jealous for it.” “Well,” says God, “be content; in good time judgment will come. When Hazael becomes king of Syria, he will make bloody work among the people and so correct them for their idolatry.” “When Jehu becomes king of Israel he will make bloody work with the royal family, and will utterly destroy the house of Ahab, that set up and maintained idolatry.” “Elisha, while you are on earth, will strengthen your hands; and, when you are gone, he will carry on your work, and be a remaining witness against the backsliding and idolatry of Israel. He will even slay the children of Bethel, that idolatrous city. The wicked are reserved to judgment. Evil pursues sinners, and there is no escaping it; to attempt an escape from God’s judgments will only run from one sword’s point to another. Jeremiah 48:44 is clear: “Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare;” Elisha, with the sword of the Spirit, will terrify and wound the consciences of those who escape Hazael’s sword of war and Jehu’s sword of justice. It is a great comfort and encouragement to men and women of God to know that God never runs out of ready workers. When one generation of them passes, He raises up another.

Seventh, God comforted and strengthened Elijah with a report of the number of faithful followers. Elijah may have thought he was alone, but God saw the bigger picture which included the bigger number; considerably bigger! “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” In times of the greatest degeneracy and apostasy God has always had, and will always have, a remnant faithful to Him; some that are faithfully upright and do not go down the stream.

Paul applies these very words which God spoke to Elijah, to his own generation. Even though the Jews generally rejected Jesus, Paul taught that there was even then a remnant. The apostle mentions this answer of God to Elijah and applies it to his own day. Romans 11:4, 5 say, “And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

We too can say that at the present time there is a remnant. It is God’s work to preserve that remnant, and distinguish them from the rest, for without His grace they could not have maintained themselves. It is but a little remnant, in comparison with the whole race yet, when those of every age come together, they will be found many more. The visible church may seem to be scarcely visible, the wheat lost in the chaff and the gold in the dross, until the sifting, refining, separating day comes.

There are more good people in the world than some wise and holy men think. When we arrive in heaven, just as we will miss a great many whom we thought we'd meet there, we will meet a great many whom we little thought to find there. God’s love proves larger and more extensive than man’s. We may seem to be alone, but God has a remnant who love and worship Him.