"A still small voice."--_1 Kings 19:12._
AFTER the Israelites had called out, "The Lord, He is the God!" and
owned that Baal was nothing but an idol, God had mercy on them, and
sent them rain again; and their famine was over.
But King Ahab's wife, whose name was Jezebel, was a heathen woman, and
she would worship Baal, and did not choose to believe in the true God.
And she was very angry with Elijah, and sent men out everywhere to put
him to death. Elijah was obliged to flee far away for fear of her; and
he went out into the wilderness, and sat down under a juniper tree; and
there he was so sad, to think that all he had done was of no use, that
he requested for himself that he might die, for he could do no more
good with these wicked people.
Then he went to sleep; and when he woke an angel was by him, with a
cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water; and the angel bade him
rise and eat, for the journey was too great for him.
It was a great journey, for he was to go all the way to the Mount of
God, where God had spoken to Moses. And there he stood in a cave; and
a voice came and asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Then he told
how the Israelites had forsaken their God, and killed the prophets, and
"I, even I only, am left," he said; "and they seek my life to take it
away." Then God showed him His wonders.
First a great strong wind came rushing by--but the Lord was not in the
wind. Then there was an earthquake, that broke the rocks in pieces--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.
Then Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle, and stood in the entrance
of the cave, to hear what God would say to him. And God told him he was
not all alone, as he thought; for there were many good men still left
who had never bowed the knee to Baal, nor deserted the God of their
fathers. And God sent him back to return to his work among the people
of Israel, and not to think that there was no hope because he could not
see it; nor to think he was left alone because he had no friends near
him that he could see.