What Are You Doing Here?

Now, I don’t remember who first penned the words, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”,... but he may have been thinking of Elijah and Jezebel. In any case, this prophet who had the courage to face down all the prophets of Baal, runs and hides from one woman with a vendetta.

I’ve heard different speakers speculate as to what kind of emotions Elijah was experiencing as he sat under the Juniper tree. Some have suggested that he was suffering the depression that sometimes comes after an adrenaline high.

That’s one that I can identify with. I can remember times as a Police Officer, that we would have an exiting night shift. We might have caught a burglar or two in a residence or a place of business, or we might have made a vehicle stop that resulted in a search of the trunk and finding enough stolen goods there to solve a whole series of auto burglaries or robberies... and the next day, almost without fail, would seem very dull and boring in comparison. Even depressing.

Anyone involved in sports can tell about great victories in the game and the depression that followed, when the ‘rush’ was gone.

This happens to people in battle.

So who knows? Perhaps Elijah was feeling just a little more sorry for himself than he might have otherwise; but remember that the victory on Carmel also followed Jezebel’s mass murder of the prophets of Israel; something I’m sure weighed heavily on Elijah’s heart.

In this light, other preachers have suggested that Elijah was suddenly feeling terribly alone, having forgotten momentarily that God was with him.

I guess that’s a pretty good assumption; Elijah as much as says so when he is asked.

But certainly, it’s one that most of us can identify with.

When trouble comes, we very often tend to forget, at least at first, that He is our strength, and that He is always near.

We can certainly know that He’s near when we’re standing for what’s right, and what is Godly. The Lord’s mighty arm had certainly shown itself in the consumption of Elijah’s sacrifice.

But we know that it’s not only while we’re facing adversity that we need courage. Sometimes we need courage later, to face the consequences that come from doing what is right.

Listen to what Joy Davidman wrote:

“‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’. That is the law of life and happiness and courage. Courage Himself, God the Lion, stands beside us to help us live by it”.

Well, temporarily at least, courage has fled, and so has Elijah.

Then as he naps under this Juniper tree, an angel comes to minister to him, feeds him; he sleeps again, the angel feeds him again, then sends him on his way nourished and rested.

Then he begins his journey, one that lasts forty days, to Mount Horeb, where he takes up lodging in a cave.

Now let’s take a closer look at our Lord’s approach to Elijah there in the cave, and think about the times He may be asking us, “What are you doing here?”.

First of all, why would God be asking such a question? We

alluded to it earlier. God is a God of action. As His children, He has things for us to do that can’t be done while we’re sitting in our little cave.