God’s Gentle Whisper
Download MP3If you have a Bible, I invite you to turn to 1st Kings 19. Actually, we'll begin reading the last verse of chapter 18. We've been working our way through, the life of Elijah. And, if you've had a hard time with in relating to Elijah and some of the stories we've been going through these past few weeks, this is probably one that you can latch onto. It's hard, at least for me to, to identify with somebody who calls fire down from heaven.
Joel Brooks:But it's easier for me to identify with someone who is going through a time of despair, which is what this story is in front of us. 1st Kings chapter 18, we'll begin reading in verse 46. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. Ahab told Jezebel all the things Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with a sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, so may the gods do to me and more also.
Joel Brooks:If I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow. Then he was afraid. And he rose and he ran for his life. And he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree, and he asked that he might die.
Joel Brooks:Saying it is enough now, oh Lord. Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers. And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, the angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat. And he looked and behold, there was at his head a cake baked of hot stones and a jar of water.
Joel Brooks:And he ate and he drank and he lay down again. And the Angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him, and said, arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you. And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food, 40 days and 40 nights, to Horeb, the mount of God. He said, I've 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 a sword.
Joel Brooks:And I, even I only am left. And they seek my life to take it away. And he said, go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore the mountains and broke it in pieces, 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.
Joel Brooks: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 he 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? He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the the God of hosts.
Joel Brooks:For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with a sword, and I even I only am left, And they seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said to him, go. Return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu, the son of Nimshi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel.
Joel Brooks:And Elisha, the son of Shaphath, of Elbelemeholah, you shall anoint to be the prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, shall Jehu put to death. And the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel. All the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.
Joel Brooks:This is the word of the Lord. Pray with me. Father, we ask that this morning we would listen and we would hear your still small voice, that you would speak to us. I pray that my words would fall to the ground and blow away and not be remembered anymore. But Lord, may your words remain and may they change us.
Joel Brooks:We pray this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen. Alright. So the last time we saw Elijah, he was at the highest point in his life. He had just gone to the Madison Square Garden of his day to take on the 450 mighty prophets of Baal, and he had won.
Joel Brooks:He had called down fire from the sky and fire fell. And after that event, the people began shouting, Yahweh is God. Yahweh is God, which actually is what Elijah's name means. Eli or El means God. Jah or Yeah means Yahweh.
Joel Brooks:And so, when they're saying the Lord is God, they're essentially going Elijah, Elijah. I mean, it had to be such a rush to have the Lord answer him in that way, and then he immediately goes, he's not done, he calls rain down from the heavens, and rain falls. And then he's full of adrenaline, full of the Holy Spirit, and he races 18 miles to the capital city of Jezreel. He actually outraces Ahab in his chariot. Now the reason that Elijah is going off to the capital city is obvious.
Joel Brooks:He thinks revivals come. He thinks the rebellion has started. He thinks that things are finally going to change. I mean, there was no way that the people can could continue to worship their idols after that. There's no way that Ahab and Jezebel could keep their power in light of such a humiliating defeat.
Joel Brooks:Elijah, as he's approaching Jezreel, he's probably expecting the to hear singing in the streets, maybe have a hero's welcome for him. But then he arrives, and there's nothing. Absolutely nothing has changed. Ahab and Jezebel are still in power. There's not even a single protester on the street protesting their power.
Joel Brooks:Instead of being given a hero's welcome, Elijah is instead given a message from Jezebel. When Jezebel heard that all Elijah had done, she says, Elijah, may the gods, gods, not God. May the gods do to me, what you did to my prophets if you are not dead by this time tomorrow. Now keep in mind, Elijah had just taken on 450 powerful men men. 1 woman gives him this rebuke, and he flees.
Joel Brooks:She must have been quite a woman. I mean think of Elijah, he's he's going from the people crying out, Elijah, the Lord is God. So you've got 24 hours to live. So these words, they read devastation in Elijah's life. The the reason he's so devastated and filled with fear because of these words is because, for the last 3 years, actually three and a half years, he's been in hiding.
Joel Brooks:He's he's been in hiding patiently biding his time until the Lord finally told him, now's the time. Now the time has come for change. And so Elijah went, encouraged by this word of the Lord, he went and he gathered all the people together, and then he gave it his best shot. And they still didn't believe. I mean, call fire down from heaven.
Joel Brooks:That's his last bullet. There's there's nothing left, in the chamber after that and yet still people do not believe. There's nothing more he could do though. And so he runs. If that will not change people, nothing will change people.
Joel Brooks:In verse 3, we read that he runs for his life to Beersheba, which is actually all the way across the border into the southern kingdom. Basically, he flees the country. And then the first thing he does is he dismisses his servant, Which means, he's letting go of his staff, and he's quitting the ministry. He reaches such a point of despair that, he goes off into the wilderness alone. He sits underneath a tree, and he asked God to take his life.
Joel Brooks:And what we get here is the picture of a man who has reached burnout. We we get the picture of a man who is completely and utterly exhausted. He doesn't have any strength left to to keep fighting the good fight, and what good would it do anyway if he kept fighting? And if you ever ever feel this way, that despite all your efforts, it doesn't do any actual good, and you just reach this point of exhaustion. Anybody here tired of being tired?
Joel Brooks:Feel like you can't endure another day? You you you reach this point, where it just feels like everything, I mean, everything is just so hard. Elijah reached this point where he just wanted to check out. Once again, why fight, when nothing will ever change? Now I know because, as I'm looking around in this room, I I I see some of the people who I've sat down and had many of these conversations with.
Joel Brooks:I know some of you are at this point right now, that you've reached this point of despair. I I recently read that alcohol consumption, over the last 6 months has skyrocketed. Now this hasn't I mean this is true across every single demographic, but is especially true with women. There has been a 41% increase of heavy drinking by women. And it's understandable.
Joel Brooks:They're they're just worn out. And while many businesses have lost their customers, counseling services cannot keep up with the demands right now. I met with a counselor last week and she said, I feel like my entire church is coming to me for counseling. People are just breaking down. They're breaking down mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
Joel Brooks:People are no longer reading their Bibles. Do you know how many times I've heard people say, I'm just done. I'm just done. I'm done with this election. I'm done with all of this division and talk about racism.
Joel Brooks:I'm done with this dang pandemic and having to wear mask everywhere. I'm done with not having school, or I'm done with going to a school in which you have all of the responsibilities, but you have none of the joys that used to come and going to school and being with your friends. I'm done with trying to reason with people. Because nobody actually wants to have a conversation. We just wanna scream and yell at each other.
Joel Brooks:I'm just done. I cannot take it anymore. Any of y'all just about at that point? You didn't have to raise hands, but thank you. Thank you.
Joel Brooks:The CDC recently reported that the number of people seriously contemplating suicide has risen dramatically. And this is true once again, across the board in every demographic, but is especially true with generation z. 25.5 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 say that they have seriously contemplated committing suicide within the last 30 days. That is a quarter, a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds who have seriously contemplated suicide. And can I tell you it's no hope telling this group of people, Hey?
Joel Brooks:Just just ride it out. Things will someday they'll get back to normal. Don't tell them that because they didn't like their normal. That's not hope that you're putting in front of people. Things will get back to the way they were.
Joel Brooks:Well, they hated the way things were. They're looking for a change, for real hope. Elijah has reached this breaking point. As James, as we looked at a few weeks ago, as James said in his epistle, he said, Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours. Elijah was not superhuman.
Joel Brooks:Elijah reached his breaking point, and he was ready to hang it all up. He was ready even to end his own life. Now don't miss that Elijah knows he cannot take his own life. He knows that he cannot commit suicide, so he asked the Lord to do it for him. Lord, would you take my life?
Joel Brooks:How did we get there? Alright. So how does the Lord respond to Elijah? How does he respond to to people here in this parking deck, who who find themselves in a very similar position? Who are utterly exhausted emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Joel Brooks:We see the Lord here respond in such gentle kindness. And church, I'm not ashamed to say, I wept as I studied this this week. Just seeing the kindness and gentleness in which the Lord comes to us. He doesn't, he doesn't come to Elijah with a rebuke. How dare you lose faith after all I've done for you?
Joel Brooks:He doesn't come with a rebuke form. He doesn't give him a sermon here and, and correct all of his theology. He doesn't even come alongside and counsel Elijah and say, there, there, you wanna talk about it? Instead, he sends an angel to fix him a meal and to let him get some sleep. He sends an angel to to cook Elijah a really good meal and then to lay him down to sleep.
Joel Brooks:You see, the Lord, when he created us, he created us to be a physical, emotional, and spiritual being. And sometimes, the most healing thing that we can do, is not to read our Bibles, not to listen to another podcast, not to get up early for an additional hour of prayer. Sometimes, the most healing thing we can do is to have a good healthy meal, and to lay down and get some sleep. This is what the Lord does. Elijah gets up and then he takes a nap again.
Joel Brooks:The Lord just lets him sleep. Now, the Lord's gonna address Elijah's issues later. He's gonna address his sin, his lack of faith later, but this was not the time for that. And so, do you see how gentle the Lord is with us? And church, we need to be this gentle with hurting people.
Joel Brooks:I mean, there's times for correction. There's times to give a person a sermon. There's times to say, you just need to pray more, but sometimes with hurting people, the best thing we could do is fix them a meal. Maybe babysit their kids, so they could get some rest if they have children. Maybe just give them a hug.
Joel Brooks:I mean, notice the angel did actually touch him. Last time an angel touched someone in scripture, it was when the angel touched Jacob and dislocated his hip. Same word, same same little touch here, but this time it's it's so gentle. It's a tender touch. Physical contact actually ministers to the soul.
Joel Brooks:I just want you to know that Lauren and I are giving out free hugs after this. Okay? I know it's been a long time since some of you, some of you received a hug, free ones, after this service. With hurting people, don't worry so much about all you're supposed to say. Sometimes you're supposed to just be present, meet their needs, give them a hug.
Joel Brooks:Alright, so when Elijah wakes up from his second nap. Some of us are already jealous. Wakes up from his second nap, the angel fixes him another meal, something like limbus bread, because from the strength of this meal, he runs for 40 days, all the way to mount Horeb. Elijah, if in case you haven't noticed, he's been doing a lot of running over the last chapter. He's running everywhere.
Joel Brooks:Sometimes in the strength of the Lord and sometimes he gets exhausted. But now, he runs all the way to Mount Horeb. Why? What was so special about Mount Horeb? Oh, well, you probably you you know this mountain, but you know it by another name.
Joel Brooks:It's other name in scripture, which is Mount Sinai. It's Mount Sinai, it's the mountain of God. It's the place where Moses met with God. It's a place where the Israelites received the 10 Commandments by God. It's the place where Moses prayed that he might see God's glory, and he got to see a glimpse of God's glory.
Joel Brooks:Do you remember that story when Moses prayed that to receive God's glory? Moses was actually at a place emotionally and physically and spiritually, same place as Elijah was. He was at a point of despair because God had just told him, I will not go with you into the promised land. My presence will not go with you. And when Moses heard that and all the people of Israel heard that, they called it a disastrous despair, he prayed to God that God would be with them, and then he said, and Lord, can I see your glory?
Joel Brooks:Can I catch a glimpse of your glory? And the Lord says, yes. And he hid Moses in the hollow of a rock, or in the cleft, or or in a in a cave. And he allowed Moses to get in that cave protected while he passed by. And Moses got to catch a glimpse of God's glory.
Joel Brooks:That's why Elijah is running there. He wants that same encounter with the Lord, just like Moses. And so he runs all the way to Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb, and notice where he goes. He goes into a cave. I mean, what cave do you think that is people?
Joel Brooks:It's it's the same cave that Moses went into. It's that cleft in the rock. He's hoping for the same experience. He's desperate for it. And in the darkness of this cave, Elijah hears the word of the Lord.
Joel Brooks:Why are you here, Elijah? Just know that when the Lord ever asks you a question, it's not because he needs the answer. I mean, he kinda has you figured out. He's he's he's not trying to figure out why Elijah's there. He's he's getting Elijah to ask these questions.
Joel Brooks:He wants Elijah to ponder this. Elijah, why did you run away? Elijah, why did he lose faith? Elijah, how did he get to this place? What are you doing all the way out here?
Joel Brooks:And Elijah answers. He goes, well, Lord, I've been very jealous for you, but I'm the only one. I'm the only one left. Everyone else has gone on to worship their idols or or everyone else who did worship you has now been killed, and it's just me now. And you can see this is one of the other things that led to his despair, as he thinks he's in it alone.
Joel Brooks:It's a lie, of course. We're gonna find out later, there's many other people with Elijah, but something about a person who's despondent or is going through depression is that they feel like they are the only one. It's just me fighting this fight. No one will join me. The Lord just lets him sit with that.
Joel Brooks:He doesn't immediately correct Elijah here. He doesn't immediately answer him. Instead he says, Elijah, why don't you come out of this cave and stand before my presence? And church, what happens next is one of the most extraordinary things we'll ever read in scripture. Elijah, he he he doesn't immediately go out.
Joel Brooks:The Lord says, come on out. And Elijah doesn't. And the reason he doesn't immediately come out is because he can hear the storm. This fierce wind comes and it begins shredding rocks to pieces. This isn't an ordinary storm, this is like a category 5 hurricane hitting it, making the rocks fall off the mountains.
Joel Brooks:Mountain. But then we read, the Lord was not in the wind. Then an earthquake hits. Once again, everything begins shaking. Rocks are falling.
Joel Brooks:But then we read, but the lord was not in the earthquake. And then there was a fire, but we read, and the lord was not in the fire. Then after the fire, Elijah, he's he's straining his soul, straining his heart listening, and then he hears a low whisper. I grew up first reading this in the King James version. I love how the King James translates this.
Joel Brooks:Says, he heard the still small voice of God. The still small voice. Literally in Hebrew, it's just one word describing that, which is actually a combination of 2 words. In this Hebrew word, it combines the word for sound and it combines the word for silence, and it packs them together. Elijah hears the sound of silence.
Joel Brooks:God speaks to him in the silence. Now, other times in scripture, you you do have the Lord manifesting his presence through the things like the wind and the earthquake and the fire. He Even did that with Moses earlier. But He doesn't do so here. And the Lord right now, right now He's teaching Elijah, I don't speak the same way to people all the time.
Joel Brooks:I speak to different people in different ways through different times. You don't have to look for me to speak in the spectacular. Sometimes I I speak in a whisper. And I think that Elijah's having what we would see as the more common experience for us as Christians. I don't know about you, but I typically don't get fire falling down from heaven.
Joel Brooks:I don't have many mount Carmel experiences. Actually, I don't have any mount Carmel. But I do quiet my soul, and I strain to hear the voice of God. Do you remember when Christians, they used to call, Bible reading time, or prayer time, they used to have a word for that. They used to call it, what?
Joel Brooks:Quiet times? Quiet times? A time when you remove your distractions, you get alone with God. Quiet your heart down and you just listen. Listen.
Joel Brooks:It's what Elijah is doing here. He does remove his distractions. He's a deep desire. The voice of God doesn't just come to him. This is a man who fasted for 40 days.
Joel Brooks:This is a man who climbed a mountain to remove distractions, to be alone with God. He's desperate to hear that voice, but then it's in the quiet that he hears him. So what does the lord say? Well, the lord rebukes him gently, but it's a rebuke. He basically tells him, Elijah, just because I'm not working according to your plan, don't think I don't have a plan.
Joel Brooks:Just because whatever you have planned out for your life and how things were supposed to happen, when it doesn't happen, don't assume that I'm gone, or that I haven't been listening or haven't been watching over you. I've got a plan for the world and for your life. Says I'm gonna work through the political realm. Alright. I want you to, you know, you're gonna install these 2 kings here and they're gonna do my bidding.
Joel Brooks:And these kings, by the way, are pagan kings, and they will remain pagan kings. But the Lord says, He is not limited in working through pagan kings to accomplish his purpose. And then he says, and by the way, the prophetical ministry is not going to end with you. You're going to lay hands and you're gonna anoint Elisha to be the next great prophet. And just just because you think you're the only person, doesn't mean you actually are.
Joel Brooks:Elijah, I have 7,000 people who are mine, and they have never bowed their knee to Baal. You are not alone. Lord's just he's pleading with Elijah, would you trust me? That's what the Lord does with us. He says, will you trust me?
Joel Brooks:Even though your plans are shot mine, my plans are not. Trust me in this. Now, there's so much in this story that we just we don't have time to talk about, man. I'd love to jump into the New Testament and to show you once again how Moses and Elijah get to go back up on a mountain and meet with God. But this time not in fear, they get to see God shining face to face with them.
Joel Brooks:It's a, it's a painting of our future hope of glory. Or I'd love to go to Acts, the first four chapters in which once again, we do see the wind, we do see the fire, we do see the earthquake. Once again, but this time no longer in fear, this time emboldening the church. There is so much that you can land here and study. And so, I'm gonna be at Avondale Brewery at some point.
Joel Brooks:Alright? We're just gonna have a little q and a. We're gonna discuss this. We don't have time to talk about that, but I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention this. Throughout church history, Christians have always understood that this hollow in the rock, this cave, this cleft in the rock, that both Moses and Elijah went into, that that cleft is a picture of Christ.
Joel Brooks:The only reason that they were able to see or to hear God is because they were first protected by the rock. The wind and the earthquake and the fire were all manifestations of God's judgment, but that judgment did not reach Elijah. Instead, it reached the rocks. Literally, the rocks were being torn apart, but Elijah was safe. Elijah was spared.
Joel Brooks:It was the rocks that bore the punishment of God's wrath. And it was this imagery, this imagery here that's led to such great hymns like Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me, Let Me Hide Myself in Thee. Believers, our ability to listen to that still small voice of God is dependent upon us being hid in Jesus. When we're hid in Jesus, we are not punished for a lack of faith. We are not punished for our sin.
Joel Brooks:Jesus took that punishment. And the end result is this, we now get to live lives in which we get to hear that still small voice of God. And so, this passage is God pleading with us to quiet ourselves before him and listen. Pray with us, church. Lord, we thank you.
Joel Brooks:Jesus, we thank you for bearing our punishment, for restoring our relationship with God. Thank you that we now get to speak without any fear, we get to listen without any fear. So in this moment, father, we ask that you would speak to us through your spirit. You would attune our hearts to your still small voice. We pray this in your name, Jesus.
Joel Brooks:Amen.
