In our last message, we were forced to leave Elijah in the depths of despair. We last saw the prophet sitting under a juniper tree, asking God to take his life. The mighty prophet of God is discouraged and depressed. He has been used mightily of the Lord and he had expected a great revival to come to the land. A revival in which the people of Israel would repent of their sins and turn back to God with all their hearts. But when Elijah was threatened by the wicked queen Jezebel, he felt as though he and his ministry were a failure. Therefore, he ran away from his position, his problem, and his people.
V. 8 TRAVELING TO THE PLACE OF GOD
Mount Horeb is the mountain of God it is the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments from God. And it’s here that Elijah has a powerful encounter with God that will totally change his perspective. When God speaks to us it’s a wonderful experience…and so it must have been for the prophet Elijah. But please note that God didn’t call Elijah to go to Mount Horeb. Even though Elijah was in a place of his own choosing, running away from the will of God for his life, still God met his needs! Notice especially the words of verse 7. Elijah is own a journey of his own choosing, headed to a destination of his own choosing, and still the Lord is concerned about meeting the prophet’s need! How many times has God done the same for you and me? We run from Him and His will for our lives and yet He is still faithful, ever present and He continues to allow His blessings to fall on our lives. Why does He do this? It is always an effort to bring us to the place of repentance.
V. 11-12 NOT IN THE EXTRADANARY
These extraordinarily loud and powerfully destructive acts of nature occur all around Elijah, but God wasn’t in the loud and freighting. Remember that Elijah ran from a loud and frightening woman named Jezebel. The wind, earthquake and fire were for the purpose of getting Elijah’s eyes off himself and on the Lord. Then after all the loud and frightening noise comes the gentle voice of God. This must have been a surprise to Elijah considering that he was in a deep bought with depression. . What the earthquake and the fire could not do, the small, still voice did: it touched Elijah’s heart! This was what Elijah needed. He needed to know that God isn’t interested in the great, striking things that impress men. He is interested in working in men’s hearts. Elijah was used to the remarkable. He was used to the astounding! After all, who else was fed by ravens? Who else saw God feed three people with a barrel and a jug of oil that never ran out? Who else had seen God raise someone from the dead? Who else had rebuked a king and lived? Who else had defied 450 Baal prophets, prayed fire down from Heaven and then killed the prophets? Elijah is used to the spectacular! God wants to teach him that it is God’s work in the heart of the individual that is vitally important! The power of God is in the Word of God and in the work of His Spirit in the hearts of men.
A Challenge - Elijah arrives on Mount Horeb. This mountain was a place of great significance for the children of Israel. Here, Moses had met God by a burning bush. Here, God had handed down His Law to the people of Israel. Perhaps Elijah went here so that he too might hear the voice of God. When he arrives, he goes into a caves and sits down to wait for God to speak. He is not disappointed! The Lord’s voice does come to the prophet in that dismal cave, and when the Lord speaks, it is to issue a challenge. He asks Elijah this question: "What doest thou here, Elijah?" This question is a rebuke of the prophet! What God is asking is this: "Elijah, what are you doing in a cave on Mount Horeb? Did I not send you to preach to my people Israel? Shouldn’t you be in Israel leading my people in a great revival? I didn’t call you to run to this cave and hide yourself away. I called you to stand before kings, to defy false gods and prophets and to be an example of righteousness for the people of Israel. So, Elijah, what are you doing here?" It was a call for Elijah to examine his life and his priorities. It was time for Elijah to come face to face with the fact that he had sinned against the Lord. Of course, Elijah replies by reminding the Lord of all he has done and how alone he is. Basically, Elijah is whining about what he thinks the problem is. By the way, if you must whine, resolve to do it only to the Lord. He can take it! It just drives other people crazy!
GOD RELATES (V 12)
In the gentle voice God reveals His nature to Elijah, a nature of love that wants to see us restored. In Elijah’s deep depression he didn’t need the sting of God’s rebuke, he needed the soothing words of God’s direction. God’s will for our lives is for Him to be glorified in us by working all things out for our good. So for the Christian we can rest in the knowledge that God is involved in our life to help us not harm us.
When the Lord comes to Elijah, there are no sermons, no lectures, no threats, no reproaches and no rebukes. The Lord simply touches the prophet, meets his need and gently speaks to him. Verse 6 also shows us the condition of Elijah’s heart. Note that when the Lord appears to him, there is no repentance for the past, no gratitude for the present and no burden for the future. Elijah is a man in desperate need of a personal revival! Yet, the Lord is so gentle with this wayward man!
I think too many of God’s children have the impression that God is standing over them with a cosmic baseball bat, just waiting for them to make a mistake so He can bash them with it. While it is true that God is a God Who chastises His children, Heb. 12:6-11; Rev. 3:19; it is also true that God is longsuffering and patient with His children, Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18. Thank God that He is! How many times have we seen the Lord deal with us tenderly and patiently? I think of what the Bible tells us about Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord tried repeatedly to speak to his heart in Daniel chapter 2-4. When the king failed to repent and turn to the Lord, God judged him and brought him low for 7 years. At the end of that period of time, Nebuchadnezzar repented of his sins and turned to the Lord. God did judge him, but He dealt with him patiently first!
God approaches Elijah with a question; “What are you doing here Elijah?” And Elijah who is still focused on self gives God his self-centered answer. To paraphrase he says; “Its just me and you God, I’m standing all alone for you and look at where it got me…fugitive city”. God answers Elijah with one of the most important words in Judaism and Christianity.
I wonder if the God is asking anyone here the same question this morning? "What are you doing here? I didn’t save you to be in this condition! I didn’t call you to be doing things like that! I called you to serve me! What are you doing here?" There have been numerous times in my experience with God when I have heard that gentle rebuke from the Holy Spirit. We allow ourselves to wander from the path of fidelity to the Lord and we go our own way. Or, we develop a bad attitude. Or, we get slack in our service to God. Or, we walk into open sin. When we do, the Lord says, "What are you doing here?" This is God’s way of getting our attention! If He were to speak to you today, would He have to ask you the same question? It’s tough to think about, but I thank God for the challenges from the Word of God and from the Spirit of God.
V. 15 GOD REVEALS
GO! This is one of the most important words that God has ever spoken to His people in the Old Testament, New Testament and to us today.
God tells Elijah get off this mountain and return to the world that you tried to run away from. Go back and get busy with the work that I have called you to. In this place we understand from God that our faith and our relationship with Him turns our focus off of self and to serving other people. It is when we pull our focus off ourselves and look to serve those around us that our life’s purpose is fulfilled. From the Garden of Eden to today the God we serve has called us to sense of community, fellowship and service. MY LIFE IS FULFILLED NOT BY TURNING INWARD BUT BY TURNING OUTWARD. We live in a culture that preaches the exact opposite. Billions of dollars are spent each year advertising this; “Focus on you, self interest.”
And in that culture it becomes difficult to hear the message that invites us to look outward in service to others. “Why are you here?” I believe the answer is found in the word GO.
GOD REVIVES (V. 16-18)
God puts Elijah on a mission that will get him involved with other people, ministering, encouraging and motivating them in God’s service. When we get our eyes on other people and serving them it’s hard to remain focused on our selves. - Elijah is told to return to Israel through Syria. There, he is to anoint 2 kings and a prophet. He is given an important assignment from the Lord. He is given evidence that the Lord is not finished with his life. Surely, this was an encouragement to the man of God!
For people who suffer from loneliness and depression during the holiday season counselors give them the advice to go serve the homeless in a soup kitchen or do something for less fortunate people in need. The results are always the same, when they serve others they feel better about themselves and their lifted out their state of loneness and depression.
God also encourages Elijah by telling him of the seven thousand in Israel who didn’t bowed down to Baal. One of the greatest advantages to attending church is the encouragement we receive from the church body. To know that we’re not in this world alone, that the struggles we face have been and are being faced by others just like us brings a tremendous amount of encouragement and strength to our faith. Even the godliest people need encouragement and comfort from others at times. Even Jesus when he faced the cross asked for his disciples to pray and be with Him.
NOT ALONE ANYMORE
When Elijah went into the wilderness, he left his servant behind in Beersheba, v. 3. He was all alone. God knew this was not good and He gave him a man named Elisha. Elisha was to be a companion to Elijah and would take Elijah’s place when his ministry ended. I like the concluding words of this chapter, "and ministered unto him." God knew that the burdens Elijah carried were too heavy for him to bear alone, so He gave him a confidant, a friend, a peer. He gave him one to walk beside him through the valleys and through the difficulties. Notice that God told Elijah to meet three people, v. 15-16. Notice also that Elisha is the first on Elijah meets. God puts this man into the prophet’s life to help him along his way!
WE ARE STILL CALLED TO GO
Matt 26:36-38
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
Conclusion: As this chapter in the life of Elijah comes to an end, we find him well on the road to recovery. He is back, and he is serving God once again! The Lord’s ministry in his life has delivered him from the brink of death and of shipwreck. Some of you need that ministry today. You are on the verge of quitting on the Lord. You are discouraged and defeated. Others have wandered off into sin and are living lives that are no pleasing to the Lord. I wonder if He is speaking to your heart this morning? Is He saying, "What are you doing here?" If he has spoken to you, you need to come!
