I love it when God moves in a very obvious way - a dramatic healing, a powerful encounter, a clear word from the Lord spoken. Over the last four decades, I have lived with a conviction that God intervenes, acts, speaks. But I have encountered Christians who have developed an unhealthy hunger for the spectacular, and if God is not engaging with them in yet another spiritual experience, they get disappointed. As we see God whispering to Elijah, perhaps the Lord was trying to wean the prophet off of the need for the loud and the dramatic. Commentators agree:
‘Perhaps the Lord attempts to teach Elijah not to expect always the miraculous and wondrous deliverance from problems’ 1. (P.R. House)
‘The soft voice of God speaking to the conscience, illuminating the mind and stirring resolve in individual and nation may follow and is often preferable to the loud roaring and thunder of cosmic events at Sinai and Carmel’ 2. (David Wiseman)
‘God was not “in” the wind, nor “in” the earthquake, nor “in” the fire. The climactic reference to fire points back to God’s manifestation of himself on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:38). It suggests that God is concerned to correct the misconception arising from that experience, that he was identical with the cosmic powers of nature or that he could be perceived only through them. Initially, the theophany is similar to the one experienced by Moses (Exod 19:16,18). But instead of the wind, earthquake, and fire culminating in God’s thundering his revelation to Elijah as he had to Moses (Exod 19:19), they are followed by “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12b), qol demamah daqqah. Qol means “voice, sound, noise,” depending on the context. Demamah, found elsewhere only in Job 4:16 and Ps. 107:29, denotes “calmness, stillness, silence, whisper.” Daqqah refers to that which has been reduced and made “thin, fine, small.” Daqqah is not elsewhere used in relation to sound, but may also have the sense of “soft, gentle.” Since Elijah hears the qol demamah daqqah (1 Kings 19:13a), the reference must be to a filled, gripping, perceptible silence or stillness. God is present in it, and his presence is so real that Elijah must cover his face in his mantle.’ 3. (G. Rice)
‘When the “still small voice” came after the storm, God was showing Elijah that His work is not always done in a big, noisy way. The miracles on Mt. Carmel were wonderful, but the lasting spiritual work in the nation must be accomplished by the Word of God quietly working in the hearts of the people. Elijah wanted something accomplished that was loud and big, but sometimes God prefers that which is still and small. It is not for us to dictate to God what methods He should use. It is our duty only to trust and obey’ 4. (Warren Wiersbe)
I can look back on pivotal junctions in my own life when, God, figuratively speaking, shouted to me - He made His will very plain and clear. But I don’t view those episodes as fruit of any deep spirituality on my part - perhaps the reverse is true. God had to do the dramatic to get my attention!
Perhaps you’re in a season of whispers or even silence from the Lord at this time. As I write this today, I am praying for you, that You will know God’s grace and strength to carry you through. And for us all, if we’ve developed an unhealthy hunger for the spectacular, may we rest in truth that God is God, and we can trust Him to engage with us in the way that He sees fit and knows is best.
1. House, P. R. (1995). 1, 2 Kings (Vol. 8, p. 223). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2. Wiseman, D. J. (1993). 1 and 2 Kings: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 9, p. 185). InterVarsity Press.
3. Rice, G. (1990). Nations under God: a commentary on the book of 1 Kings (p. 160). Wm. B. Eerdmans.
4. Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (1 Ki 19:9–21). Victor Books.