A Still Small Voice

There is only one place in Scripture where God is said to speak in a “still small voice” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal. (See 1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:12)  Told that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was seeking to kill him Elijah ran into the wilderness and collapsed in exhaustion.

Elijah voices his complaint that all of God’s prophets had been killed by Jezebel and he alone had survived.  God instructed him to stand on the mountain in His presence.  Then the Lord sent a mighty wind which broke the rocks in pieces; then He sent an earthquake and a fire, but His voice was in none of them.  After all that, the Lord spoke to Elijah in a “still small voice” or “gentle whisper.” 

What is going on here?  Admittedly, it is a bit difficult to understand.  Elijah had just won a tremendous victory over the prophets of Baal, but was now wallowing in self-pity in a cave.  Why would Elijah expect God to reveal Himself in a terrific wind or in an earthquake or in a fire?  What do we make of the “still small voice” in which the prophet finally hears God?  This occasion was a turning point in the history of God’s people. Here, God acted dramatically to demonstrate His involvement in human affairs.  Elijah saw his confrontation with the priests of Baal as a critical moment in the history of Israel.  It was a time for the people to choose God or Baal (See 1 Kings 18:21), and so the time had arrived for God to demonstrate His power.

Yet, God chose not to speak to His prophet through fire and thunder this time.  Elijah needed to learn what we must all learn.  The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations.  Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity.  Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work.  Even though God may at times interact with us in extraordinary ways, He can just as easily interact with us through the ordinary. 

Most often He instructs us as we read and study Scripture or listen to a sermon, particularly when we take the time to consider what we’ve read or heard.  But it is less important how God speaks to us than what we do with what He says. God speaks most clearly to us in this day through His Word. The more we learn it, the more ready we will be to recognize His voice when He speaks, and the more likely we are to obey what we hear.

He may also expect us to listen to the advice of a brother or sister in Christ, and to heed the counsel of one of God’s ministers.  Of course, when what we want to do is at odds with God’s will, God may get our attention through a troubled conscience.

Are we paying attention?