Elijah's journey lead him to the cave on Mt. Horeb where he stayed while in the wilderness. This is where the word of the Lord came to him, 19:9. The Lord will speak to us when He puts us where He wants us to be to listen. Elijah had been restored by the Lord for his physical needs, and now the Lord was going to deal with him for his spiritual needs. He had brought him to the very mountain of God where Moses had talked with the Lord so many years before. This was the same cave that Moses dwelt in when he was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights when the Lord was giving him the Ten Commandments, Exodus 24:12-18. This time the Lord's word was a question to Elijah: "What doest thou here Elijah?"(vs 9). The Lord was not asking him this to find out the answer for Himself, but to open Elijah's eyes to the reason. He knew exactly why Elijah had retreated and had become weak in his faith. The Lord wanted Elijah to realize and confess this to the Lord AND to himself. Only when we are honest with God and ourselves can the Lord cleanse us of our sin or fault, and then we can allow ourselves to get back up and start serving the Lord again. "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth UP AGAIN.." Proverbs 24:16. Until we do so, we can't go forward.
Upon asking this question, Elijah answered the Lord this reason: "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, EVEN I ONLY, am left; and they seek, my life, to take it away." vs.10. Elijah had just declared to the Lord that it was the result of SOMEONE ELSE'S SIN! He then went on to say that he was the ONLY ONE who was still serving the Lord.
The Lord responded to this by telling Elijah to go out of the cave and to stand on the mountain before Him. He then passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountain, breaking rock in pieces, but He was NOT IN the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord WAS NOT IN the earthquake. After the earthquake was a fire;but the Lord WAS NOT IN the fire. After the fire came A STILL SMALL VOICE. THIS is where the Lord was. Many great and mighty things can be done, but it doesn't always mean that the Lord Himself is there in it. Many times we can approach the Lord's work out of duty or routine, but it doesn't mean He is in it. Praying a quick prayer out of habit doesn't mean God is in it. Even though the Lord allows things or works to happen, the power is NOT IN THE WORK, BUT IN HIS WORD! THIS is where the Lord is! Elijah was declaring he had stayed true to God through the WORKS HE HAD DONE. He was not focusing on THE WORD that the Lord had told him to proclaim. God's power is in His Word and command that He speaks to us, not OUR working, or doing that command.Only when the Lord's still small voice came did Elijah come forth from the cave that he had ran into for shelter from the wind, earthquake, and fire. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27. He wrapped his face with his mantle before going out. This was in reverence to God and His mighty power. God's power is in His word and command, and not OUR WORKING His command. After bringing this to Elijah's attention through what just happened, He again asked Elijah, "What doest thou here Elijah?". THIS time Elijah said the same thing to the Lord, only he changed one word. "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; BECAUSE the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only , am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." The first time Elijah was blaming the children of Israel and their sin for him being there, but the second time he admitted that it was not their works of sin that sent him there, but BECAUSE he had worked so hard for God against their sin. He was admitting the reason why he had worked so hard for the Lord. Only he didn't realize that in the process he had forgotten that it was God's word and power that accomplished the great tasks he had accomplished. When he said, "I, only I, am left" proved this. He had come to the place that he felt he was the only one that COULD ACCOMPLISH anything for God. How blind we become to God's ability when we look to our own strength to fulfill His commands! In doing so, we unknowingly are lifting ourselves up in pride, thinking we are the only ones capable of doing God's work. The Lord is very quick to remind us that it is only because of His might and grace that we are ALLOWED to serve HIM. "I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST, WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME!" Phillipians 4:13. The Lord told Elijah in verse 18 that there were 7,000 other loyal servants to God in Israel that had not bowed their knees to Baal. There will always be a remnant of God's people, and not just one person! This was a promise of God as well.(Ezekiel 14:22) This is why it is so important to have constant fellowship with other Christians for support and comfort in each other. "Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; BUT EXHORTING one another, AND SO MUCH MORE, as ye see the day approaching". God help us to stick together as a family, even more so, as the Lord's Return is imminent.
AFTER the Lord dealt with Elijah's failure did he give him a new commission. He instructed him to anoint a new king over Israel and to anoint a new prophet to train, and that would take his place one day. Praise the Lord that when we fail or fall, HE CAN STILL USE US, and WANTS TO USE US!
So, if you are under the juniper tree today needing restoring, remember the tender loving care of our Great Shepherd. Listen to the Lord's still, small voice that is speaking to you. He wants to restore you to strength and fellowship, and put you back in His service. "Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow me ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, and I WILL dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER!" Psalm 23:6 Thank God for His Goodness and Mercy to us, His sheep. Praise His name!
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