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The Whisper in the Whirlwind
We live in a world where the noise and the pressure of everyday life can be deafening often threatening to drown out the voice of God. I think it is one of the reasons so many in the modern world question if God even exists. We are immersed in our own creations and in a constant hurry. When we are not rushing around, we are too exhausted to think, and in the back of our minds, or maybe in the front of our minds, is an almost constant fear. So we reach for our phone or the remote and mindlessly listen to the world jabber on and on and on hoping to find peace in the very noise that ruthlessly drives us.
Today, we are going to look at Elijah who challenged the political and religious authorities to a literal winner-takes-all contest - and God won, demonstrating once for all that He alone is God. But this was no celebration for Elijah. He immediately learned that winning in a contest like this makes you a whole lot of powerful enemies. So this story picks up with Elijah running for his life from the murderous queen that he just publicly humiliated. When he finally stops running for a moment we find him cowering in a cave in the wilderness.
Then God speaks:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts.
For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword,
and I, even I only, am left,
and they seek my life, to take it away.”
And he[God] said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.”
And behold, the Lord passed by,
and a great and strong wind tore the mountains
and broke 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.
And after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
And when Elijah heard it,
he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out
and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And behold, there came a voice to him and said,
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
[1 Kings 19:9-13 ESV]
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
This story can and should be interpreted in its own context and the context of Elijah’s life and as a serious student of the bible you must always start there. But this story has such poetic power that it is hard not to see bigger principles and metaphors at work here.
Elijah was faithful, he acted in obedience, and God did an epic miracle. That part of the story is literally awesome, but Elijah is not some two-dimensional comic book hero he is an actual human being. The evil queen Jezebel sent messengers to tell him he would be dead in a day so he was running for his life. He ran til he was exhausted, and angels fed him. He kept running, and he was running blind until he finally collapsed in a cave. Now God speaks, and what does he say?
“What are you doing here Elijah?”
God’s language does not seem to be happy or sad. It has the tone of a father talking to his son after he has gotten himself into a bit of a mess. What are you doing Elijah? Elijah needed to stop and get a grip, and God like any good father had to slow him down and help him think. Elijah needed to slow down and calm down in order to even hear what God was trying to say to him.
Hearing through the roar
So now Elijah has stopped running, and God has him in the sanctuary so to speak, and he is listening, but the noise and confusion continue. Was God in the wind? Was God in the earthquake or the fire? No, no, and no. But as Elijah continues to listen for the voice of God he hears a whisper. This time it is God, but what does God say? He repeats his earlier question, “What are you doing Elijah?”. The story continues with God answering Elijah’s complaints and, snapping him out of his self-righteousness, self-pity, and fear, gives him some useful direction. God tells Elijah to get walking in the way he is showing him instead of running frantically in blind fear. Elijah had to calm down and listen, really listen, and start acting rather than reacting in fear.
What are we doing?
Are we running blind with fear nipping at our heels? Or are we walking in faith? Are we asking God what he is doing, or is He asking us what we are doing? Are we feeling sorry for ourselves, or are we thankful for God’s miraculous provision every day? Are we scrambling to find a place to hide in safety or are we looking for a quiet place to hear God’s instruction? Elijah was human; he did a lot of very human things in this story, but Elijah was also faithful and he not only listened for God to speak, but he also listened to God when he spoke.
This week, let’s commit together to help each other discern the difference between the noise of the wind and the storm and God’s voice. Let’s help each other find faith when everything in this world wants to drive us with fear. Let’s listen for the quiet voice in the noise that is guiding us in the way that we should go, and let’s walk together with purpose, in peace, while the world rages on and on. Beneath the roaring threats of the world and the constant noise we face even in our sanctuaries, there is a quiet voice asking us what we are doing. I want to listen to that still small voice this week because that voice is the voice of God Almighty maker of the heavens and the earth, and I need to stop running to hear it.
Pray with me this week as I pray for you, as we all seek to hear the voice of God and find the path of God in a noisy and dangerous world.
Have a great week!
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
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By Tom PossinWe live in a world where the noise and the pressure of everyday life can be deafening often threatening to drown out the voice of God. I think it is one of the reasons so many in the modern world question if God even exists. We are immersed in our own creations and in a constant hurry. When we are not rushing around, we are too exhausted to think, and in the back of our minds, or maybe in the front of our minds, is an almost constant fear. So we reach for our phone or the remote and mindlessly listen to the world jabber on and on and on hoping to find peace in the very noise that ruthlessly drives us.
Today, we are going to look at Elijah who challenged the political and religious authorities to a literal winner-takes-all contest - and God won, demonstrating once for all that He alone is God. But this was no celebration for Elijah. He immediately learned that winning in a contest like this makes you a whole lot of powerful enemies. So this story picks up with Elijah running for his life from the murderous queen that he just publicly humiliated. When he finally stops running for a moment we find him cowering in a cave in the wilderness.
Then God speaks:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts.
For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword,
and I, even I only, am left,
and they seek my life, to take it away.”
And he[God] said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.”
And behold, the Lord passed by,
and a great and strong wind tore the mountains
and broke 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.
And after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
And when Elijah heard it,
he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out
and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And behold, there came a voice to him and said,
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
[1 Kings 19:9-13 ESV]
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
This story can and should be interpreted in its own context and the context of Elijah’s life and as a serious student of the bible you must always start there. But this story has such poetic power that it is hard not to see bigger principles and metaphors at work here.
Elijah was faithful, he acted in obedience, and God did an epic miracle. That part of the story is literally awesome, but Elijah is not some two-dimensional comic book hero he is an actual human being. The evil queen Jezebel sent messengers to tell him he would be dead in a day so he was running for his life. He ran til he was exhausted, and angels fed him. He kept running, and he was running blind until he finally collapsed in a cave. Now God speaks, and what does he say?
“What are you doing here Elijah?”
God’s language does not seem to be happy or sad. It has the tone of a father talking to his son after he has gotten himself into a bit of a mess. What are you doing Elijah? Elijah needed to stop and get a grip, and God like any good father had to slow him down and help him think. Elijah needed to slow down and calm down in order to even hear what God was trying to say to him.
Hearing through the roar
So now Elijah has stopped running, and God has him in the sanctuary so to speak, and he is listening, but the noise and confusion continue. Was God in the wind? Was God in the earthquake or the fire? No, no, and no. But as Elijah continues to listen for the voice of God he hears a whisper. This time it is God, but what does God say? He repeats his earlier question, “What are you doing Elijah?”. The story continues with God answering Elijah’s complaints and, snapping him out of his self-righteousness, self-pity, and fear, gives him some useful direction. God tells Elijah to get walking in the way he is showing him instead of running frantically in blind fear. Elijah had to calm down and listen, really listen, and start acting rather than reacting in fear.
What are we doing?
Are we running blind with fear nipping at our heels? Or are we walking in faith? Are we asking God what he is doing, or is He asking us what we are doing? Are we feeling sorry for ourselves, or are we thankful for God’s miraculous provision every day? Are we scrambling to find a place to hide in safety or are we looking for a quiet place to hear God’s instruction? Elijah was human; he did a lot of very human things in this story, but Elijah was also faithful and he not only listened for God to speak, but he also listened to God when he spoke.
This week, let’s commit together to help each other discern the difference between the noise of the wind and the storm and God’s voice. Let’s help each other find faith when everything in this world wants to drive us with fear. Let’s listen for the quiet voice in the noise that is guiding us in the way that we should go, and let’s walk together with purpose, in peace, while the world rages on and on. Beneath the roaring threats of the world and the constant noise we face even in our sanctuaries, there is a quiet voice asking us what we are doing. I want to listen to that still small voice this week because that voice is the voice of God Almighty maker of the heavens and the earth, and I need to stop running to hear it.
Pray with me this week as I pray for you, as we all seek to hear the voice of God and find the path of God in a noisy and dangerous world.
Have a great week!
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe