The Whisper

“And he 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.”
—1 Kings 19:11-13

Silence. Coming before God in silence, not a sound. No distractions, no interruptions, nothing but the silence. Elijah had been to the mountaintop of victory, experiencing God’s blessing, as God had answered his prayer and consumed the offering atop Mt. Carmel. The priests of Baal had been killed and the people were beginning to turn back to the Lord. Then the message from Jezebel came. Elijah would surely die for what he did. He packs his bags and hoofs it out of town.

He is tired from battle, tired from all the evil going on around him. He is tired of persuading, cajoling and pleading. He is tired of the cultural compromises at the expense of doctrinal purity. He has given up, evil wins. He wants to die and let God handle it all. He runs to the desert, sits down under a broom tree and prays for death. Death is better than living. At least in death, he won’t have to deal with the evil all around him.

If God had answered him by fire, and He had answered him by rain, then He could surely answer by taking his life. But God had something different in mind. Elijah had been to the mountain, been through the valley, and now he was to go to the spa for the soul. He needed some rest and refreshment. An angel touches him, and he awakens to find food. He eats, he sleeps, he recoups. He heals. Then, he goes to another mountain. He journeys for 40 days and 40 nights. He arrives and beds down in a cave.

God wants to speak to him. He calls him out of the cave in order to stand before Him. The wind passes by, causing the rocks to break open. Then an earthquake caused the earth to shake. But the text says, “The LORD was not in the earthquake” (v. 11). After the earthquake, a great fire, but the “LORD was not in the fire” (v. 12). Then, the text says there was a “low whisper.” God was speaking.

Our God is GOD. He is the Lord of all creation and He caused the wind, the earthquake and the fire. But, He chose not to reveal or communicate Himself through them. He instead chose a “low whisper.” When our Lord speaks to us, He does so in the whisper. He speaks to our heart. He displays His strength, but silences us. He quiets our heart with displays of His power and might. He shows us that there is nothing too hard for Him, and once He does, we are able to hear Him clearly. It is not until we contemplate the immensity of His power that we are able to hear Him. And when we do, our problems become much smaller, and they are no longer our problems alone. For we see that it is God who is in charge, and all of creation is accountable to Him. We see that though there might be great calamities unfolding around us, they in no way affect who He is. He is the all-powerful one, keeping us by His power, sustaining us when we don’t want to go on, giving us a spa for the soul.

Beloved, you might be weary right now. Perhaps you have been like Elijah and come off the mountain giving your best, seeing God do miraculous things, but you still feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Rest in Him, dear one. Rest in Him, for He is all powerful and longs to give you rest. He longs to touch your soul and impart the truth of who He is to your heart. He longs to refresh, speak, and empower you so that you might journey on with Him. Amen.