1 Kings 19: 11-14
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; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When 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?’ 14He 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.’
We’ve been working on a series that explores caves mentioned in the Bible. In the first week, we talked about the principles one may follow to explore caves. The next week, we explored the cave in which Lazarus was buried. Last week, we explored the Wild Goats Rocks Cave where David showed mercy to his enemy Saul. Let’s remember the five caving principles to explore biblical caves are:
1. Go with two or more people. “For where two or three gather together…”
2. Pack three light sources.“I am the light of the world.”
3. Keep three points of contact. “Touch me and see.”
4. Take plenty of water. “A spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’
5. Wear gloves and helmets and layer clothing. “The belt of truth …the breastplate of righteousness …shoes of peace …the shield of faith …the helmet of salvation … and the sword of the Spirit.”
This morning on our journey we are going into the cave of Elijah…into the Cave of Whispers. To get us in the mood, I just want us to close our eyes and be in silence for a moment. I would like you to take a deep breath and listen for a few seconds to the sounds of a cave and imagine you hear a whisper.
(Sound tech plays a recording a cave.)
You find yourself in the cave of Elijah if you have ever said something like:
· “I did my part and I’m done.”
· “I’ve been doing this a long time, and others can step in and take my place.”
· “I think I’ll just pack it all up and go to Florida.”
· “God, I already did it all…I’m not doing any more.”
Those who have been zealous for God, who have put the extra energy in for God and have ‘had it up to here’ know the darkness in the Cave of Whispers. You and Elijah have a lot in common. A tenderfoot of faith does not enter this cave. The old soldier enters here after their final battle. Let me explain a little bit.
If you haven’t read about Elijah in First Kings, it really is a fascinating story. The story centers on Elijah’s conflict with Ahab. Today most of us know Ahab as Melville’s wily captain of the ship searching for the great white whale Moby Dick. Melville named his captain after King Ahab of Israel. The writers of First Kings make it clear to us that King Ahab fails spiritually, morally and administratively as king. You may think of some pretty bad kings. Ahab is the worst of them all. He puts the despicable in “me.” Ahab worships the Baals. Baal worship centered on human sacrifice. Not just any human sacrifice, but the sacrifice of human babies. He also worshiped Asherah, and put up Asherah poles. The worship of Asherah used temple prostitution. Ahab had some bad stuff happening. He married Jezebel. When you hear, ‘Oh she’s a Jezebel,” do you think, “Oh, she’s the wholesome character?” Oh no…you think quite the opposite. Ahab and Jezebel, two peas in a pod, were the worst of the worst.
Enter Elijah, the prophet of God who says, “Here is what God says, and here is what you are doing and guess what? They’re not the same, so there are consequences to bear.” Jezebel responds. Jezebel rounded up all the prophets of God. It would be like saying she rounded up all the pastors in Kosciusko County, and she had them put to death. She then brought in all the priests of Baal and the priests of Asherah, and sat them at her table every day and fed them from the public coffers. God raises up the prophet Elijah to challenge Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah calls Jezebel’s priests out at high noon for a show down. 450 of these priests of Baal and Asherah come forward to do spiritual battle with Elijah.
He says, “Bring all of Israel, bring everybody in the country, and bring all your priests up to Mt. Carmel and let’s have a contest to see whose god is a real god.”
“Tell you what we’ll do. You make an offering to your god…sacrifice a bull and lay it out on a pile of rocks and wood, and you call on your god to start the fire. And I’ll do the same. But you go first, because there is only one of me left. And there are all of you. So you go first.”
All day long, they pranced around their offering getting more and more fanatical, and as the day goes on and no fire burns. Elijah taunts them. “What? Is your god napping?” “Is your god out?” “Is you god incapacitated or just lazy?” “Is your god using the privy?”
Evening draws nigh, and it’s time for the evening sacrifice. Elijah puts together an altar of 12 stones and gathers the wood and sacrifices a bull laying it on the altar. He tells the people to pour water on the altar. And he tells them to pour it again, again and again. They dig a trench so that the water pools around the altar.
Elijah calls out with a loud voice, “Lord God, this is a sacrifice for you. Light its fire.” And God does.
In an instant the fire consumes the offering, consumes the wood, consumes the rocks, and, even consumes the water.
Elijah then says, “Ok folks, who is the real God?”
The people of Israel riot and kill the prophets of Baal and Asherah. Elijah flees the carnage knowing that Ahab and Jezebel seek to unleash vengeance upon him. Think of the coastline of Israel, at the top of the little peninsula jetting into the Mediterranean, sits Mt. Carmel where the dueling sacrifices took place. Elijah runs. We are told that he goes to Bathsheba, 120 miles south. Elijah leaves his servant in Bathsheba and runs another day into the wilderness. We are not sure exactly where. Elijah goes to pray and to die. He believes everybody who serves the Lord has been partitioned by Jezebel’s hate. He believes himself to be alone and finished, having failed God.
God’s ministers to Elijah with water and bread. God calls the revived Elijah to make one more journey. Any time you hear the number 40 in scripture, it ought to be a signpost for you. God is up to something. Remember Moses and the Hebrew slaves traveled 40 years in the wilderness. Remember Noah and the forty days and nights of rain. Remember Jesus fasting 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and runs for 40 days and 40 nights (not including Sundays). Elijah traveled 40 days and nights. God is up to something. God is not done with Elijah. God is going to do something.
Elijah walks to Mount Horeb. Where in the world is Mount Horeb? After all these years, scholars have not been able to figure this out. You can read all kinds of debates about where it is, and different archeologists and biblical scholars sharing with you where it is, where this cave actually exists. I think the best probable place is somewhere in modern day Saudi Arabia. Nobody really knows. Because we really don’t know, we use the little cave at Mount Carmel to celebrate Elijah’s story. Elijah goes into a cave in the mountain of God. He is going to the place where God called the Hebrew children out of Egypt and made for them a community of faith. He goes back “home”. He goes back to the birth of the faith. He goes back to a cave there. Again, he lies down to die. He utters, “I’m done.” Elijah has done all he could for God, so lays down to be found by Jezebel. He lays down for the end. Jezebel is not the only pursuer of Elijah. God pursues him. God doesn’t leave Elijah alone.
Imagine Elijah just lying there, in this cave thinking, “Ok, I’m ready. Just take me. I’m letting go now. I’m letting go, just take me.”
Somewhere a voice says, “Elijah what are you doing here?’
We can listen to that in a couple of different ways: “What are you doing here? Why are you lying in this cave all by yourself in the middle of nowhere? Why have you chosen this location? You aren’t supposed to be here, you’re supposed to be somewhere else!”
Or, you can hear it as: “Elijah, what are you doing here?” “What are you doing?” Implying, “you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”
Perhaps it’s both: “What are you doing because you’re not doing what I want you to be doing, and what are you doing here because you’re not where I want you to be?”
God comes to Elijah. Wind shatters stone and an earthquake shatters mountains. God is not in the wind or the earthquake. After the commotion comes silence. Again, a whisper of a question lands on Elijah’s ear, “Elijah…what are you doing here?”
God whispers to Elijah because God’s work is not done. Therefore, Elijah’s work is not done. Elijah does not know what God knows. Because as the story progresses, Elijah says, “I’m the only one, poor me,” God says, “No, there are 7,000 just like you.”
Huh. Elijah didn’t know about the others until God told him. God gives Elijah his marching orders: “Go, anoint two kings, neither of whom have anything to do with Israel or Judea—they are kings from other kingdoms-- God’s sovereignty over all. I am not just the God of Israel and Judea, I am the God of all nations.”
You and I know that the kings Elijah anoints are instruments God uses to bring justice upon Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah doesn’t need to know. Yet, you and I find out God’s purpose in the next story in scripture.
Then, God says, “Go anoint Elisha, as your replacement.” 
Elijah is to raise up his replacement. When God punches our job ticket and gives us something to do, it is a unique task that only we can do. In the end God wins, but how does God get it done? God works through willing people. God chose Elijah to get things done. God chooses you and I to get things done. But if Elijah says ‘no’, there is no one to go anoint the two kings. If Elijah says ‘no’, there is no one to raise up his replacement.
When we enter into the cave of Elijah, when we enter a place of self-pity and say, “Oh, I’ve done my part,” there is actually still work to be done. God’s work is not done. God hasn’t said to you, “Go ahead and give up,” has he? When we go into the Cave of Elijah, what we understand is that God still has a job ticket and God still pursues us because there are a couple of things yet to be done. We are to anoint the leaders who come after us. We are called to lift somebody up to take our place.
Have you lifted up somebody to take your place? I’m not talking about making babies, I am asking: Have you lifted someone up spiritually? Have you mentored someone in the faith, so they can carry on in the faith? Have you? If you have not, then there is still work to be done. Are you identifying leaders and lifting them to replace you? Are you making sure there is somebody ready to be sitting in the pew when you are no longer there?
The cave of Elijah is a hard-knock cave. You don’t get into that cave unless you’ve been zealous for God. You may feel pursued and persecuted, but God is not going to leave you there. God will come after you. And the question God has for you is: “What in the world are you doing here? Get out there. Get back in the game.” Amen.
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