Read 1 Kings 19-20 at Bible Gateway.
Chapter 19 forms a chiastic structure, with the central axis:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kin 19:11-12
Still is in Hebrew, demamah, Strong’s H1827, and it means silence, a stillness (of the winds), a calm. Small is in Hebrew, daq, Strong’s H1851, and it means, small, fine, light, or gentle.
In other words, a gentle voice you can hear when all the chaos and noise of the heart and mind has been stilled. Thus:
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! Psa 46:10
The enemy had spoken a word to Elijah: I am going to kill you as you killed the prophets of Baal! The fruit that evil speaking produced in Elijah, was fear; it was a storm in his heart and mind. He ran to all the way to Horeb — out of the territory of Israel, away from the jurisdiction of Jezebel — and asked that his life might be ended at the LORD’s hands and not Jezebel’s (as all the other prophets of the LORD had been slain at her hands).
The LORD was teaching Elijah that when the fruit of evil speaking is a storm of chaos and destruction in the heart and mind, that was not the voice of the LORD. But when the heart and mind is stilled, at rest, in peace, in trust, then the gentle and quiet voice of the LORD can be heard.
The LORD’s response to Elijah’s despair, was 1) to anoint his successor, Elisha, indicating to Elijah that at the right time he would indeed be released from his ministry; 2) to anoint the new king of Syria who would be used by the LORD as a tool against Ahab; 3) to anoint the new king of Israel who would replace Ahab. Jezebel sought to kill Elijah, and in response, the LORD appointed three men who would kill her. In that place of the still small voice, God gave Elijah His strategy for overcoming the evil that had been spoken against him.
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