– 8 Min Read
Introduction
Today is the day that another modern-day titan of the faith has fallen. Voddie Baucham went to be with the Lord today, just fifteen days after the Charlie Kirk assassination and a little over two months from the passing of John MacArthur. Many Christians, including myself, are trying to catch their breath from the sting of loss. It hurts when we see people we love die, as it should, for death is a dark reminder of the presence of sin in this world. But certainly, there is relief afforded to the Christian, right? Of course there is. Where can one find it, someone may ask. It can only be found in Christ. How can the ascended Christ grant me relief from heartache, they may ask again. He gives the sweetest comforts in His word. Let us consider the relief that Elijah found in his time of despair.
“It Is Enough”
Some believe themselves to be capable of withstanding trials, while others may consider it a fool’s errand to press through difficulty and calamity. In either case, the word of God is greatly needed. The proud will be humbled, and when they are, God offers nourishing comfort. The skeptic, timid soul ought not be left alone in the dark room for an endless cycle of depression, but rather exhorted and admonished with the two-edged sword that is called the Bible. Christians need God’s word, for we cannot live on bread alone (Matt. 4:4). Elijah the Prophet was no different.
Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by about this time tomorrow.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his young man there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Yahweh, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5 Then he lay down and slept under a broom tree…
– 1 Kings 19:1-5 (LSB)
It is important to remember that Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel just happened in the preceding chapter (1 Kings 18:20-40). Elijah saw the power of God on the mountain; he saw the fire come down from heaven and consume the soaking wet sacrifice; and now Elijah is filled with dread and fear over a threat from Jezebel. Elijah is terrified of the constant tribulation and endless persecution that he flees. He goes into the wilderness so that he can die alone. Elijah petitions the Lord to strike him down under a broom tree, for he’s had enough. It seems that Elijah may have been thinking that once Ahab saw and once Jezebel heard what happened, they would simply turn to Yahweh. Elijah, like us, was convinced that if only God would just show up in a powerful, miraculous way, it would convince everyone and turn them over to “my side.” But this is not how God works.
“Arise, Eat”
…behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of Yahweh came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 And he said, “I have been very zealous for Yahweh, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, pulled down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
– 1 Kings 19:5-10 (LSB)
We observe here that God did not answer Elijah’s request. Instead, God provides nourishment for Elijah in his time of distress. Here we can understand that God knows our needs better than we do. We can also see here in the case of Elijah that sometimes God shows us great mercy by not answering our prayers. God is not done with Elijah, and Elijah does not get to decide when it’s his time to die. That alone belongs to the God of life. God instructs Elijah to get up and eat what God has provided for him. This nourishment is for something greater; Elijah is to be strong for a forty-day journey. God, again, has performed a miraculous thing for Elijah, and yet, Elijah is still complaining. Elijah claims to be the only one left who is devoted to the Lord, who has not bowed the knee to Baal, who has not pulled down Yahweh’s altars, who has not forsaken the covenant. Elijah is too depressed and feels too alone to care anymore; enough is enough. We, too, can feel this way when we experience loss and feel left alone, but God promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6, Heb. 13:5, Matt. 28:20). He still speaks to us through His word.
“A Voice Came”
So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.” And behold, Yahweh was passing by! And a great and strong wind was tearing up the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. 12 Then after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a thin gentle whisper. 13 Now it happened that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Then he said, “I have been very zealous for Yahweh, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, pulled down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
– 1 Kings 19:11-14 (LSB)
This is the moment Elijah needed. He wasn’t impressed before, but now he is ready. Yahweh is about to pass by Elijah. This is the same mountain where God placed Moses to show him His glory, and now God is doing it for Elijah. God is going to show Elijah something powerful, something mighty, something… gentle? Yes, we are told that the Lord was not in the wind. The strong wind that rushed across the mountain and broke it into pieces is empty and without the Lord’s presence. We are told again that the Lord was not in the earthquake, that He was not in the fire. Instead, the Lord was in a gentle whisper. The KJV says it was a “still small voice.” It is here, when Elijah hears the still small voice, that he realizes he is in the presence of the almighty God. He hides his face and leaves the cave, stepping into the glorious presence of the Lord to only be asked the same question he was asked before: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” It is perplexing that Elijah answers the question word for word as he did before (v.10); this is probably to form the present chiasm. But what we may gather is that Elijah is still convinced that he is truly alone. This also may be true of us, that even when God’s word is powerful and clear to us, we still struggle with feeling alone.
“Knees That Have Not Bowed”
And Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you will arrive and anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 And it will be that the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 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.”
– 1 Kings 19:15-18 (LSB)
The fact of the matter is that Elijah is not alone. 7,000 people in Israel have not bowed the knee to Baal. Elijah can have relief knowing that he is truly not alone, but many other brothers and sisters are faithful to Yahweh. If someone is feeling alone because all of their celebrity preachers and conservative figureheads have passed on, that might not be a healthy thing. It might mean that the person was spending an extreme amount of time online and not really engaged with their local church and community. Though speaking about marriage, speaking generally of all mankind is also appropriate: God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). However, even the socially active Christians who are dedicated to their churches and prefer to listen to their pastors will certainly feel the pain of loss at this time. But what we must remember is that we are not alone. We have God’s gentle voice speaking to us through the Scriptures, which will equip us for everything in our path (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and we have each other (Col. 3:12-17).
Conclusion
…for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say,
– Hebrews 13:5-8 (LSB)
“THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
As I am typing this article, I am in the throes of writing a paper for seminary on the Doctrine of Immutability. I find great comfort in the truth that God does not and cannot change. The same Jesus who spoke words of comfort to our forefathers of the faith in times past is the same Jesus who speaks those words to us now. The same Jesus who was their helper is our present helper. We certainly remember our leaders, who spoke the word of God to us. We do consider the results of their conduct and seek to imitate their faith, men such as John MacArthur and Voddie Baucham. For their Jesus is our Jesus and He is the same yesterday and today and forever!
1. I hear the words of love;
– Horatius Bonar (1808-1889), “I Hear The Words of Love”
I gaze upon the blood;
I see the mighty sacrifice,
and I have peace with God.
2. ’Tis everlasting peace,
sure as Jehovah’s name;
’tis stable as His steadfast throne,
forevermore the same.
3. The clouds may go and come,
and storms may sweep my sky,
this blood-brought friendship changes not;
the cross is ever nigh.
4. I change- He changes not;
the Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting place;
His truth, not mine, the tie.
5. My love is oft-times low;
my joy still ebbs and flows;
but peace with Him remains the same;
no change Jehovah knows.