The first time the question was posed by God to Elijah was upon his arrival at Mt. Sinai. Forty days on the road was no small excursion, and it would be interesting to know all that went through Elijah’s head during that trip. Whatever else he thought, it’s fair to say that Elijah was ready for the question when it came. “What are you doing here, Elijah?”.
Well, God knew, Elijah knew, and we probably figured it out – this was not a geographical question. After all, God directed Elijah into the wilderness, to the mountain of God, and probably into the very cave Elijah found himself. This was a question of the heart. Why are you so afraid, Elijah? Why are you thinking you are useless? Why do you not want to go on?
Well, here was his chance and Elijah could hardly wait to get it all out. “I have served you, no, I have zealously served you! But it has made no difference because look at your people. They have broken their covenant with you and torn down your altars. Not only that but they have killed every one of your prophets, except for me. (The last prophet standing.) But now I’m on Jezebel’s hit list and so it’s only a matter of time”. From Elijah’s point of view, it couldn’t get much worse.”
God didn’t put up an argument, but he did prepare his prophet for a dramatic show. With Elijah cowering within the cave, a powerful windstorm was unleashed – one powerful enough to dislodge boulders and send them crashing down the mountain. But as things settled down, Elijah noticed something unexpected. Unlike God’s presence and message with ravens at mealtime and with the ever-filling jars of oil and with the decisive fire that came down from heaven with amazing intensity – God wasn’t in this windstorm. The storm didn’t deliver a message and didn’t even seem to have a purpose at all.
Right on the heels of the windstorm came an unnerving earthquake. Not something you want to experience while way up the side of a mountain. But like the storm, God wasn’t there. He wasn’t explaining things to Elijah or making a point – it was just a quake. And what came next was a fire – never a good thing. Fire consumes everything in its path and produces smoke and sucks the very oxygen out of the air. But God wasn’t in the fire (this time) as well. So, what were these rather dramatic displays all about and why did God want Elijah to see them?
We aren’t told but we are privy to what God brings next. “After the fire, there was a sound of a gentle whisper”. After howling winds and a rocking earthquake and a roaring fire – it, suddenly, got quiet. We don’t know if Elijah heard what was whispered but it got his attention and it got him out of the cave. There at the mouth of the cave, Elijah heard, not a whisper but a voice, that repeated the question. “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah quickly repeated his mantra. His reasons for giving up. His list of woes if you will. But somehow, we can sense that his heart isn’t in it this time and he is ready to listen to a voice that might be quiet but one that speaks right to the heart.
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