A still small voice, not a tremendous noise!
I remember reading about God’s Prophet Elijah, he was used mightily by the Lord but when Jezebel threatened to take his life he went a day’s journey into the wilderness to hide from her.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 1-Kings 19:4 NASB.
What is amazing is that Elijah had called down fire from heaven upon King Ahab’s fifty men twice, destroying them both times and yet a threat from Jezebel caused him much fear.
Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 2-Kings 1:10 NASB.
Twice the King had sent fifty men and twice fire came down from Heaven and killed them. The third fifty sent, the Captain begged the Prophet for their lives!
Jezebel was a heathen Princess who became Ahab’s Queen, she ran the show with Ahab being just a figure head, a rubber stamp for her actions. A wicked woman was she, who had many of God’s Prophets murdered. She worshiped many false god’s. Her husband King Ahab lost his life because he allowed her to worship her Pagan gods among God’s people in their land.
*When she threatened God’s Prophet Elijah she lost her own life, she was thrown out a window and dashed to pieces on the pavement below and the dogs ate her body. Even today her name is used as a synonym for a wicked woman as found in the Book of Revelation. “Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds”. Revelation 2:22 NASB..
*So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” 1-Kings 19:2 NLT.
While hiding in the wilderness, the Angels (Angel cake food, not likely!) fed Elijah who was so weak and discouraged that he wanted to die, truly a man like us. (I believe the food given by the Angels to Elijah was like the “Manna” given to God’s people in the wilderness. It sustained Elijah and nourished his body).
Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 1-Kings 19:11 NLT. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1-Kings 19:12 NLT.
A gentle whisper, a small voice, this fits perfectly with God’s voice in our hearts. As Elijah had thought and as humans would believe today that the awesome events had to be God but they were not, he was in the whisper! It is the Holy Spirit who is that voice; “Not by might, not by power, but my Spirit says the Lord”. It is NOT through the “Carnal/Human” mind that God speaks to us today as He has spoken to His servants before. The Carnal mind whether they are believers or unbelievers CANNOT receive the things of God. Unbelievers can NEVER hear Him, believers can hear Him again when they repent from their carnality. (When we WILFULLY sin, we cannot hear God). Jezebel crept into Church and had led some believers to commit adultery. Her punishment along with those who engaged in this deadly sin was just. Jesus had warned them about this. No one in the Church, even today escapes His judgment/examination of our deeds, Jezebel was a warning to the Church, be sure your sins will find you out!
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:7 ESV.
In order to hear God’s “Still small voice” we must be “Tuned In”, our minds set on Jesus our devotion to him. Abhor sin, love good works, don’t doubt, ask our Father for more of the Holy Spirit as Jesus said. When you pray, take time to be “Still” and listen for God’s whisper from the Holy Spirit. I have heard Him like a thought in my mind through my spirit, I knew it was not my own thought as I questioned it. It was in my sleep when I heard the word “Psalms” which I questioned by thinking Psalms? Then I heard like a whisper; “Psalm 129:5 verse 5”.
When I got up Sunday morning I remembered what I heard in my mind that night but did not understand what it meant so I looked in my Bible for that scripture and verse. The scripture read; “May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backwards.” After I read it I was puzzled and prayed; “Lord what does this mean, who is Zion?”. The Lord said to me in my mind; “The true Zion of God is every believer in Jesus Christ whether Jew or Gentile” This fits perfectly with what Paul the Apostle answered in regard to the question one may ask; “Who is a true Jew?”. It is not one born of the flesh, as the seed of Abraham was from the promise through faith to God’s chosen ones, not the children born of the flesh! Remember Jesus replying to those who boasted that they were descendants of Abraham, Jesus replied; “God can make these stones descendants of Abraham”. What Jesus confirmed was only those of the spiritual seed of Abraham would believe in Him.
In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. Romans 9:8 NIV.
No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. Romans 2:29 NLT.
This verse confirms the words of Jesus that Jew and Gentile must be “Born Again”, born from above, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, believing in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. As the verse states, this circumcision of the heart (Spirit) is through Grace and not the Law or good works.
I know today that the Lord gave me that scripture to comfort me through all my many trials and persecutions, He considers me true Zion, a true Jew in my spirit and worshiper of God. Those who had persecuted me were put to shame and turned backwards, exactly as He had told me.
In the early Church the Holy Spirit spoke to the Apostles, remember HE is a person, God, the Holy Spirit and can be grieved by willful sinning.
Elijah learned a lesson from God that He is concerned and cares for us. He saw his Prophet being weak and filled with fear and came to his rescue with heavenly food and more important He gave him a special revelation of Himself. His power working through the Holy Spirit, supernaturally, not by might or earthly powers.
Author Ken
October 2012
