Elijah the Tishbite
"Go forth," it has been said to Elijah, "and stand upon the mount before the Lord." The prophet hears it, and leaves his cave: and no sooner is he gone forth, than signs occur, which announce to him the approach of the Almighty. The sacred historian here, indeed, depicts in simple language a most sublime scene. The first sign was a tremendous wind. Just before, probably, the deepest silence had prevailed through this dreary wilderness. The mountain-tempest breaks forth, and the bursting rocks thunder as if the four winds, having been confined there, had in an instant broken from their prisons to fight together. The clouds are driven about in the sky like squadrons of combatants rushing to conflict. The sandy desert is like a raging sea tossing its curling billows to the sky. Sinai is agitated, as if the terrors of the lawgiving were renewing around it. The prophet feels the majesty of Jehovah; it is awful and appalling. It is not the feeling of peace, and of the Lord's blissful nearness, which possesses Elijah's soul in this tremendous scene; it is rather a feeling of distressing distance; "a strong wind went before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind."
The terrors of an earthquake next ensue. The very foundations of the hills shake and are removed. The mountains and the rocks, which were rent by the mighty wind, threaten now to fall upon one another. Hills sink down and valleys rise; chasms yawn and horrible depths unfold, as the earth was removed out of its place. The prophet surrounded by the ruins of nature, feels still more of that Divine majesty which "looks on the earth and it trembles." But he remains without any gracious communication of Jehovah in the inner man. The earthquake was only a second herald of the Deity. It went before the Lord, "but the Lord was not in the earthquake."
When this had ceased, an awful fire passes by. As the winds had done before, so now the flames come upon him from every side, and the deepest shades of night are turned into the light of day. Elijah, lost in adoring astonishment, beholds the awfully sublime spectacle and inmost sensation of his heart must have been that of surprise and dread; but he enjoys as yet no delightful sense of the Divine presence, "The Lord was not in the fire."
The fire disappears, and tranquility, like the stillness of the sanctuary, spreads gradually over all nature; and it seems as if every hill and dale, yes, the whole earth and skies, lay in silent homage at the footstool of eternal Majesty. The very mountain seems to worship; the whole scene is hushed to profound peace: and now, he hears "a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle," in token of reverential awe and adoring wonder, and went forth, "and stood at the entrance of the cave."
The above narration of 1 Kings 19:11,12 as described by F.W. Krummacher gives us a greater sense of the awe-inspiring magnitude which Elijah must have experienced on Mount Horeb. Here we have a prophet who'd most recently been on the run and fearful for his life or shall we say "subject to like passions as we are." This experience was just another of God's gracious moments of preparing His servant for the next challenge. And behold, we see the prophet wrapping or hiding his face when confronted by the holiness of God Almighty. It may be safe to say that his earlier fear was laid to rest at that very moment. The supreme God (Jehovah-Elyon) was also showing His prophet Elijah that a new day was approaching which was partly realized with His prophet Elisha (my God is salvation) and thereby for us; through Jesus Christ. I am referring to the gospel of peace as revealed by the "still small voice" or "gentle whisper" of His grace.
by Glenn Morrison (09)
