After God provided for Elijah’s physical needs (see 1 Kings 19:5-9), God’s message came to Elijah again.
And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
1 Kings 19:9b-10 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.9-10.NIV
Did you ever watch the original TV series “Matlock”? I remember Andy Griffith one time (playing the title character in that series) saying that a good lawyer never asks a question that he doesn’t already know the answer to. Parents sometimes do the same thing, and I suspect that the police officer who says, “Do you know how fast you were going?” also knows the answer. (As another example, you can read about when John the apostle was asked a question in Revelation 7:13-14a.)
Here, God knew what Elijah was doing in a cave near Mount Horeb. However, like others who ask questions that they already know the answer to, God had a purpose for asking the question and He allowed Elijah to respond. (As a side note, it has been suggested [Long, p. 220-221 footnote, citing Walsh] that Elijah was actually supposed to go somewhere else, and – like the prophet Jonah – he went the other way!)
Elijah’s answer reflected how he felt. Remember, it had been about 40 days since God confirmed His power on Mount Carmel when Elijah prayed, and Elijah seems to have been alone for most of that time. I suspect that he had been spending a lot of time in his own head, dwelling on his situation (including the fact that Queen Jezebel wanted him dead).
His answer to God contained a few key points, but each one was frank, delivered from his – Elijah’s – perspective:
- Elijah felt like he’d been doing a good job for God.
- Elijah felt like Israel had abandoned their covenant with God, including tearing down their altars to Him.
- Elijah felt like God’s prophets had all been killed, and he felt like he was the last one left.
Now, there is definitely some truth found within Elijah’s reply, although we could debate how much these statements were all entirely correct. Still, Elijah’s viewpoint represented where he was starting from. His feelings were his feelings, regardless of whether or not they represented reality.
Let’s see what God did next.
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
1 Kings 19:11a NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.11.NIV
God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain, which previous context identified as Mount Horeb. (By the way, that’s probably the same as Mount Sinai. Whether or not they are the same, though, it is identified in verse 8 as “the mountain of God”.)
And, amazingly, God was passing by. What happens next is key (see 1 Kings 19:11-18), but for today, let’s remember that sometimes God lets us vent our feelings to Him (regardless of how accurate they are), and in return, we are sometimes called upon to listen to others (without jumping to judgment). Listening to someone describe how they are currently feeling isn’t just good advice: sometimes, it’s treating others like God treats us.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 18, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 & 2 Kings, by Jesse C. Long, Jr. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 