WWUTT 479 Still Small Voice?

The Misuse of the “Still Small Voice” in 1 Kings 19

Have you ever had someone say to you, or maybe you have said, that God spoke to you in a still small voice in your mind? Well, that phrase, still small voice, comes from 1 Kings 19, and the way it's used misunderstands the story when we understand the text.

Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text, as an online ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty, visit our website at www .utt .com.

Now here's our host, Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thank you, Becky. We continue our study of the book of 1 Kings. We'll be in chapters 19 and 20 today. In fact, we should finish up our study of 1 Kings by next week. So we just finished up the most popular story out of the book of 1 Kings, and that's Elijah versus the priests of Baal.

They built an altar, Elijah built an altar, and they were to call upon their respective gods. Of course, when the priests of Baal call upon Baal, he doesn't respond because he's not even a god. And then Elijah calls upon the Lord, who incinerates Elijah's altar, the sacrifice that was there, and the 12 stones that he set up to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, showing Israel that if they did not repent, wrath from God would come down upon them and they would be wiped out.

The people responded by calling upon the name of the Lord. God lifted his hand of judgment from them and is sending rain upon the land. So now we come to 1 Kings 19, and here we're actually going to read another famous passage from 1 Kings, one that is often misapplied.

So here's 1 Kings 19, Ahab told Jezebel, remember his Phoenician wife, all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, so may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.

Then Elijah was afraid and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree.

And he asked that he might die saying, it is enough now, oh Lord, take away my life for I am better than my father's. I am no better than my father's. And he laid down and slept under a broom tree and behold, an angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat.

And he looked and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down and the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, arise and eat for the journey is too great for you.

And he arose and he ate and drank and went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the Mount of God. There he came to a cave and lodged in it and behold, the word of the Lord came to him and he said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah?

And Elijah said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenants, thrown down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. And I, even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away.

And God said to him, go out and stand on the Mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broken pieces, the rocks 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, the sound of a low whisper.

And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword.

And I, even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said to him, go return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria and Jehu, the son of Nemishi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel and Elisha, the son of Sephat Abel Mahola, you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death. And the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave 7 ,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

Now, as you probably recognize, this is the chapter where we get that often overused description of the still small voice that God speaks to us in our subconscience. Well, I know that the Holy Spirit talked to me in a still small voice, just like he talked to Elijah.

But when a person refers to the still small voice in that way, they have misunderstood the point of the story that we've just read here. So let's go back and look at it again in the full context in which it is given.

Remember, this happens at the tail end of Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal in chapter 18. And after they failed to call upon their false god, Elijah had all of them slaughtered down by the brook Kishon.

And this is 850 priests. You had 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. And they lost. They lost in this gamble. And so they got slaughtered down by the brook to show that God is God over Israel.

The people of Israel repented. They call upon the name of the Lord again. It was reported back to Jezebel, who introduced Baal worship, exactly what had happened. And she sent somebody to Elijah saying, I'm going to kill you just like you killed these guys.

You're going to die tomorrow the same way. So Elijah's terrified and he runs away and he says to the Lord, it's enough now, Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my father's. Verse five, and he laid down and slept under a broom tree.

I have no idea what a broom tree is. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat. And he looked and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and laid down.

He ate and drank, coming up with my own words now, drank. He drank and laid down again. And the angel of the Lord came to him again a second time and touched him and said, arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.

And he arose and ate and drank and went in strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the Mount of God. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, the same mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

And he was with God on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. So just as Moses, the Lord's servant, was there with him for that long. So Elijah experiences the same. God is showing himself to Elijah.

It's almost as if Elijah forgot exactly what God had done there on Mount Carmel with the priests of Baal. God showed himself with fire. He had taken care of Elijah all the way up to this point. The miracle that Elijah did at the widow's house.

And yet Elijah has forgotten that the Lord is with him. So the Lord is showing him, I am with you just as I was with my servant Moses. Just as I provided food for you in the desert before, I'm providing food for you again.

As Moses fasted and was with me 40 days and 40 nights, so you have fasted and are with me 40 days and 40 nights. I am taking care of you and I am protecting you. When Elijah said, it's enough now, Lord.

When he said he had enough, the Lord gave him more. And so he is continuing to be taken care of by the Lord, his God. And then we get to verse 9. There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah?

Basically asking him, why are you running away? Why do you think I would give you over into the hand of Jezebel? You slaughtered 850 of her priests. What makes you think that that one woman is going to be the one who is going to take you out?

And so that's kind of the way that God is asking this question of Elijah. And what is Elijah's response? I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenants, thrown down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword.

And I, even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away. And frankly, that statement that Elijah gives is just not true. He had spoken with some of the prophets of God prior to coming to Mount Carmel and doing the whole test with the priests of Baal.

It was it was Obadiah was one of those prophets that Elijah had spoken to. And Obadiah had hidden prophets from Jezebel. So there are other prophets and teachers Elijah's just forgotten. And he's kind of self-absorbed here, deciding that, you know, if Jezebel is going to take my life and yet you're not doing anything for me and and I'm the only one, I'm the only one left and you're not protecting me.

You know, we see Elijah as this great hero of the faith. And indeed he was, but he was still a man, a flawed man and a sinful, selfish man, just like we all are. And here in a moment of fear, saying to the Lord, I'm the only righteous one.

And of course, we get to the end of this particular section where God says that there are 7000 in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Trust me, Elijah. I am preserving them just as I am preserving you.

So this is the response that he gives to the Lord the first time. And behold, the Lord passed by. And again, this is the same way, sort of the same way that God presented himself to Moses. Moses said that he wanted to see God.

And so God passed before him. And so he's doing the same with Elijah, a little bit different delivery. But the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, broken into pieces. But the Lord was not in the wind.

After the wind, an earthquake. The Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire. The Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a low whisper in the Hebrew word that is used there for a low whisper.

In fact, in your Bible, you might even have a footnote down there that says a sound, thin silence. So there's like this, this slight sound in this thin silence, but at least that's the way the Hebrew word translates.

So we put it in there as a whisper. So there is a low whisper and you have the King James, which translates it still small voice. That's where we get that from. And verse 13, when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

In other words, Elijah doesn't want to see it. God is showing these wonders to him to show him that he is with him. And Elijah would rather be in his mood. He just doesn't want to, doesn't want to see these miraculous signs or listen to the still small voice.

And behold, there came a voice to him and said, again, what are you doing here, Elijah? And Elijah responded the same way. I have been jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, killed your prophets with the sword.

And I, even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away. So nothing that Elijah has just observed, not the food that he was given, not the 40 days and 40 nights that he shared as, as Moses did not the, not the miraculous signs passing in front of him.

The still small voice that he heard, none of these things have changed his mind. He is still in the mood that he is in. And the Lord, I mean, basically he just doesn't want to see it. He didn't see it after what was performed on Mount Carmel and he doesn't see it after what is performed here at Mount Sinai.

And the Lord finally spells it out to him and says, go and return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria and Jehu, the son of Nimishi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel, Elisha, the son of Safat of Abel Mahola, you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death. And the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave 7 ,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

So basically, here's what here's the way that the Lord responded. He explains what it is that Elijah had just seen, even though Elijah did not want to understand it. So so here God spells it out to him.

You saw great signs and wonders all the way up to Mount Carmel. But the final conquering of the priests of Baal of Baal worship in Israel is going to be this. It is going to be working through the political structure that I set up and tear down as God.

I appoint kings, I tear them down. And so as I am going to remove Ahab, so will come to an end Baal worship among the people of Israel. This is the still small voice aspect. So God is saying to Elijah, I work in huge, miraculous, wonderful signs, and I work at my own pace in less obvious revelations of my working.

And so you will see my power in the way that I've displayed it in these miraculous signs and also in the fulfillment of what it is that I have just told you that you are going to do. God works in the miraculous, supernatural signs, and he also works in the ebb and flow of everyday life.

That's the point of the still small voice that we have in this story. In first Kings chapter 19, it is not the Holy Spirit speaking to your mind, something that you, you want to do. And because I heard the voice in my head, tell me to do it.

That was God speaking to me in the still small voice. Not what that means. It means that God works in the supernatural and he works in the everyday things that we would not ordinarily look at as God working, but he is in the macro and he is in the micro.

He is always working all things for our good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Now Elijah does not receive this commission of God with a whole lot of enthusiasm here. So verse 19, he departed from there and he found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen in front of him.

And he was with the 12th Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. He didn't anoint Elisha like God told him to. He just throws his cloak on him as though to say, Hey, you're my new assistant.

Come on, let's go. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, so Elisha is, is jumping all over this. Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you. And he said to him, go back again for what have I done to you?

And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrifice them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

This is Elisha's full and true devotion to this prophet so much so that he has given up any chance that he could even go back to the way of life that he is leaving to go be with Elijah. So this is a stark contrast between Elijah's reception of the instruction of God and Elisha's response to the instruction of this prophet.

He has received this, this invitation with enthusiasm, but Elijah is just kind of like, okay, whatever. Here we go. Elisha, you're my new assistant. Come on. Ben Hadad. We're at chapter 20 now. Ben Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army together, 32 kings were with him and horses and chariots.

And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, thus says Ben Hadad, your silver and your gold are mine. Your best wives and children are also mine.

And the king of Israel answered, as you say, my Lord, O king, I am yours and all that I have. The messengers came again and said, thus says Ben Hadad, I sent to you saying, deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.

Nevertheless, I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away. Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, mark now and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him.

And all the elders and all the people said to him, do not listen or consent. So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, tell my Lord, the king, all that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.

And the messengers departed and brought him word again, Ben Hadad sent to him and said, the gods do so to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls of all the people who follow me.

And the king of Israel answered, tell him, let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off. When Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, take your positions.

And they took their positions against the city. In other words, Ahab has just said to Ben Hadad, you shouldn't be boasting about your exploits before you actually are able to pull it off. And they're taunting one another.

And so Ben Hadad's like, OK, yeah, well, let me let me show you. So he tells his men to take his positions. And here we go. And behold, a prophet came near Ahab of Israel and said, thus says the Lord, have you seen all this great multitude?

Behold, I will give it into your hand this day and you shall know that I am the Lord. And Ahab said, by whom? And he said, thus says the Lord, by the servants of the governors of the districts. Then he said, who shall begin the battle?

And he answered, you. Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts. And they were two hundred and thirty two. And after them, he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand. And they went out at noon while Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths.

He and the thirty two kings who helped him, the servants of the governors of the districts went out first and Ben Hadad sent out scouts. And they reported to him, men are coming out of Samaria. He said, if they have come out for peace, take them alive.

Or if they have come out for war, take them alive. So these went out of the city. The servants of the governors of the districts and the armies that followed them and each struck down his man. The Syrians fled and Israel pursued them.

But Ben Hadad, king of Syria, escaped on a horse with horsemen. And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots and struck the Syrians with a great blow. Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, come, strengthen yourself and consider well what you what you have to do.

For in the spring, the king of Syria will come up against you. And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, their gods are gods of the hills. And so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain.

And surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this, remove the kings each from his posts and put commanders in their places and muster an army like the army that you have lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot.

Then we will fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he listened to their voice and did so. In the spring, Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. And the people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats. But the Syrians filled the country. And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, thus says the Lord, because the Syrians have said, the Lord is a God of the hills, but he is not the God of the valleys.

Therefore, I will give all this great multitude into your hand and you shall know that I am the Lord. And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day, the battle was joined and the people of Israel struck down the Syrians 100 ,000 foot soldiers in one day.

And the rest fled into the city of Aphek and the wall fell upon 27 ,000 men who were left. This is the Lord God of Israel working for Ahab to destroy the Syrian army, which is much larger and much more powerful to show that the God of Israel is the God of all.

And these false gods that the Syrians worship, we're not going to protect them even from the small armies that Israel represented. The rest of verse 30 here, Ben Hadad also fled and entered an inner chamber in the city and his servants said to him, behold, now we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings.

So let us put sackcloth around our waist and ropes on our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life. So they tied sackcloth around their waist and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, your servant Ben Hadad says, please let me live.

And he said, does he still live? He is my brother. Now the men were watching for a sign and they quickly took it up from him and said, yes, your brother Ben Hadad. And then he said, go and bring him. Then Ben Hadad came out to him and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

And Ben Hadad said to him, the cities that my father took from your father, I will restore and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus as my father did in Samaria. And Ahab said, I will let you go on these terms.

So he made a covenant with him and let him go. And that's where we're going to stop, because the next part of the story that comes up here, the prophet that condemns Ahab releasing Ben Hadad, this actually ties in with the way that Ahab dies.

So I'm going to save that for next week and we'll probably next week be able to finish up the rest of First Kings. Tomorrow is our Q &A and Becky, my wife, will be joining me on the program again. A reminder to you that if you would like to submit an email, have any questions about something you've heard on the program, in a what video or just any theology question you would like to ask, our email address is whenweunderstandthetextatgmail .com.

We'd also like to hear from you about how this podcast has ministered to you or the videos or anything like that. We'll read those on the Friday broadcast as well. And we also deliver those emails to our church so our congregation can hear how this ministry that was born out of our small Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas, has continued to reach people around the globe.

We thank you so much for listening and for telling somebody else about this broadcast. God bless and God willing, I'll talk to you again tomorrow.

Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Find out more online at www .utt .com.