What Are You Doing Here?

1 Kings 19:9-18

“9 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

God asked Elijah a question that is very hard to answer unless you have searched your very soul.  “What are you doing here?”  The answer Elijah gave was more of an excuse for being there and reflected his discouraged frame of mind. He was being hunted, his life was in danger, so he had fled there. 

God then gave Elijah a powerful experience of His presence; a great wind, an earthquake, a fire, and a sound of sheer silence. Out of the silence, God asked Elijah the same question, “What are you doing here?”  Elijah gave the same answer, showing no more insight than before the experience.

The answer was that God brought Elijah to Mount Horeb.  Ahab and Jezebel had nothing to do with his presence at Mount Horeb. He not only brought Elijah there, he brought him there for a purpose.

Elijah’s time on earth was indeed coming to an end, but first He was to anoint two Kings and a prophet.   The prophet, Elisha, would be anointed to take his place.  

God wants us to know that it is not the wealthy, the powerful, the Kings or the Queens of the world that control human history.  God is in control.  And after the chaos and turmoil of the world are over, a voice will come to us from the silence.

And it will be God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)