1 Kings 19:1-18
Elijah Flees
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Matthew 11:25-30
The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Life is a great journey and we sometimes just seem to get caught up in the day to day things in which we do in our lives...And often we miss God or forget where He is, or we just forget to keep our minds on Him...Ravi Zacharias says that God is often where we have left Him...
And because of getting caught up in our own lives God seem hidden from the some people, the wise and the learned, but God is more likely to reveal Himself to little children...Sometimes I think we adults need a great jarring or something quite loud to get our attention turned to God...He seems to hide, but it could be we are just not listening or seemingly to busy to listen...One might ask themselves, am I listening for the LORD...
Elijah was listening for God...The angel of the LORD came to Elijah and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”...So Elijah got up and ate and drank...Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God...There he went into a cave and spent the night...And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”...Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty...The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword...I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”..The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”...Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind...After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake...After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire...And after the fire came a gentle whisper...When Elijah heard the gentle whisper, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave....
A gentle voice had told Elijah to arise and eat, because the journey he must take would be too much for him...What a nice, kind, and gentle thing to say...And later when Elijah is looking for God, God had gone by...But He was not in the most powerful of winds...He was not in the earthquake...God was not even in the fire...God had came to Elijah in a gentle whisper...
Jesus teaches us that God is revealed to us, through Him, His teachings, and His Word...The Father is revealed through His Son...
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I AM gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls...For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”...How remarkable it is the way that God presents Himself to us...