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This was a question directed at Elijah
while in a cave on Mount Horeb (Sinai, location?), not once but twice by
Yahweh. Elijah wasn’t on some annual or once-in-a-lifetime spiritual
pilgrimage to the sacred mount where the Law was given by Yahweh to Moses in
the hope of being spiritually fined tuned into super galactic oneness with God or
becoming spiritually supercharged to serve the LORD with even greater zeal
and devotion. No, he was in a barren and austere wilderness on a rugged
mountain in what we would call “out in the middle of nowhere,” putting as much
distance between him and Jezebel’s death threat.
Before we take a look at what led up
to Elijah winding up on Mt Horeb and not where the action was in Jezreel, I
think it is necessary to point out a significant principle mentioned by the
Apostle Paul in the book of Romans on why it matters to us personally as to why
Elijah was in a place he didn’t belong, “For whatever things were written
before (like this situation with Elijah) were written for our learning
(instruction), that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope” (lit, that we might keep on having hope, Rom 15:4). The meaning of hope in Scripture never implies or
expresses uncertainty but rather a positive expectation or confidence of an
outlook or outcome (e.g., cf. 1 Jn 3:2-3; Rom 5:3-5).
In other words from what we learn from
the OT (past), we are motivated to endure or hang in there in light of the
challenges we are confronted with and be comforted in the present situation,
that we might keep having hope or confidence looking to the future. Naturally, we
rob ourselves of this spiritual benefit if we do not read and study the Old
Testament…. It would be correct to say that we derive the same benefit from
reading and studying the New Testament or New Covenant (past as well, cf. 2 Tim
3:16).
This question of “what are you doing
here” was practical in nature as well as penetrating and thought-provoking in
bringing about spiritual/physical relocation (TBD by God). Is there any
Scriptural evidence that God told Elijah to leave Jezreel for the Negev Desert?
No. Did God assist Elijah in his 40 days and 40 nights journey to Horeb? Yes. Did
God tell Jonah to stay away from Nineveh? No. Did God assist Jonah during his
three-day journey inside a great fish? Yes. God’s nurturing, protecting, and disciplining
during the “what are you doing here” times does not mean that was the new will
of God for Elijah, Jonah, or even us. Both Jonah and Elijah were in a place
they didn’t belong for reasons contrary to the will of God; this is the “what
are you doing here” place (out of the will of God for our life).
God nurtures,
protects, and disciplines us during our “what are you doing here” ordeals to
bring us back to a place where we belong according to God Himself, to where
the question is no longer necessary. It is meant to relocate us to a place of
effective service and maximized blessings. Elijah wasn’t helping anyone out in
the wilderness or Jonah in the ocean depths or us wherever “what are you doing
here” is located. It is true Jonah never was presented with the question like Elijah,
but the results were the same. It was not expressed that Elijah was to remain in
Jezreel, but it was understood that his ministry was not finished there. They
both had their reasons for skedaddling from where God wanted them to be.
The underlying provocation is whenever
we take our eyes off the LORD we will most certainly wind up in a place
(spiritually and/or physically) where we don’t belong. It may not be as
dramatic as in the cases of Elijah or Jonah, but very real, very serious,
nonetheless. The disturbing thing today is when believers think that being out
of the will of God is not a big deal – “God is a God of love, right? He is forgiving,
not judging! Today, he is nothing like the ‘wired too tight’ Persona of the OT”… (Hmm,
Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8 are still in the Book!).
This series will focus more on the
flight of Elijah in a moment of weakness rather than discussing in detail the contest
between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. It’s the flight that most
of us will relate to – winding up in a place we don’t belong (been there done
that voluntarily). Speaking of that, how long God allows for us to be in a
place we don’t belong (backsliding really) only He knows. The point here is
that it is beneficial for us in avoiding that place altogether because that
place is nothing but problematic for the willing visitor. I wonder if God makes
a “flight risk” evaluation when He sends us out to do His will…?
There are no blessings to be found in
the “what are you doing here” places. It simply does not pay to be outside the
will of God. It is not a good outweighs the bad comparison whether to be in or
out of God’s will for our lives; there is simply no good to be found outside of His will. Some will never learn
this. How some are comfortable in defeat and misery is beyond my comprehension.
One last point I would like to make is
that I have always attempted to give Bible characters the benefit of the doubt.
I wasn’t there; I’m sure I don’t have all the facts, but I also do not think
God intended to mislead us by using their lives to illustrate truth to us. Some
things are just what they are as they are presented. In other words, it is what
it is. With that said, I believe Elijah was a great prophet of God who loved
the LORD and His ways. He is only one of two men who never had to experience
death to enter heaven. So, this is not a bash Elijah series. If the truth
be known, I probably would have gotten out of Dodge as well.
In some sick way, I am thankful to know
that even a man as spiritual and true to God as Elijah was, was also “a man with
a nature like ours” (cf. Jas 5:17a). This is what makes the Bible so practical
and relevant for believers. It is what theologians refer to as the perpetual contemporaneous
of the Scripture. The heart of man is still the same no matter what period of
history up to the present. Even this “stained glassed” saint had cracks and
flaws, a forgiven sinner, a human with all the tugs of the sinful nature working
against him, not to mention the world system and Satan and his demons. Not theologically
surprising, but he was just like us! And if he can take his eyes off the LORD
and wind up in a place where he didn’t belong, so can any of us today who have
been born again. Some conservative scholars believe that this question was not
one of reproof but more about urging Elijah to speak his mind and reveal his
feelings; I believe it was intended to be both. <><
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