In this day and age we deal with an overwhelming amount of information. Televisions, radio, computers, cell phones, i-pods, and many more sources bombard our minds with information. This is the noise of our day and age.
Many of us start our day with a clock radio, waking to the sounds of our favorite music. We then turn on the television to watch/listen to the latest news on the news channel as we get ready for work. A call on the cell phone interrupts us as we walk to the car and then after the call we tune into the local radio station and hear latest road reports to avoid traffic jams on our way to work. When we enter the lobby at work we hear the morning bustle of people on their cell phones making their way to and from their offices. Phones are ringing unanswered as the receptionists and a customer discuss directions to an office. Even in the elevator there is no respite from noise as your mind is distracted with background music. I could go on and on about how we do not have a respite from noise all day and really are not aware of it. This is the noise of our day and age.
In the day and age of Elijah, he also dealt with noise (1 Kings 17-18.) The noise started when King Ahab married Jezebel, a Sidonion who served Baal and worshiped him. Ahab built a house (temple) and allowed her to set up Baal worship in Israel. Jezebel also had many of the prophets of the Lord killed as she established more prophets and worship of Baal. The land of the Israelites was full of the noise of Baal worship. This was the noise of Elijah’s day-and-age.
Elijah brought all this noise to a climax when he commanded King Ahab to gather all Israel in one place and he challenged the prophets of Baal to prove their god was the only true god. When all were gathered together he asked all the Israelites why they wavered between following the God of Elijah or Baal. When he asked that, the whole crowed became silent. That silence spoke volumes.
Then the noise started back in earnest. He then challenged the prophets of Baal to set an altar and ask their god to light it with fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal did that, and they spent the rest of the day calling out to Baal, asking him to light the fire. They went so far as self mutilation to try to get their god’s attention. Nothing worked. Then Elijah set up his altar, put a bull on it and had it drenched with water. He wanted to make sure all Israel KNEW Who was the One True God. He then prayed one prayer and God sent fire from heaven that not only suddenly consumed the sacrifice and wood, but also the stones, dust and water. Literally nothing was left. The Israelites bowed and cried out that “The Lord, He is God!” Elijah then commanded the Israelites to seize all the prophets of Baal and he took them all and killed them.
Immediately after this victory Elijah became afraid at Jezebel’s threat to kill him and ran away. Why? Did he forget how strong his God was? He listened to the wrong voice, fear. Even as he fled, God had a plan to restore him. God ministered to him physically and prepared him for a long journey to Mt. Sinai. He then took refuge in one of the caves there for the night. The next morning God asked him what he was doing there and he responded about how the people of Israel broke all His commandments, killed His prophets and were trying to kill him too. He did not admit to his fear, he blamed others. God told him to go stand before Him up on the mountain. Elijah did so, and there was a great noisy wind storm which tore up rocks, but Elijah did not hear God in the wind. God was not in the wind. Then a big rumbling earthquake came, but Elijah did not hear God in the earthquake. God was not in the earthquake. After that a roaring fire came, but Elijah did not hear God in the fire. God was not in the fire. Immediately after the destructive noise of these disasters there was a gentile whisper and Elijah did hear God’s voice in the whisper. What did God say? “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah repeated the same thing he did before all those noisy disasters. God then reassured him that he was not the only one in Israel who followed Him, but that He had preserved 7,000 people who had never bowed to Baal or kissed him. He then commanded Elijah what to do next and Elijah went and did those things.
We can be overcome with the windy storms in our lives. We do not hear God in the storms. God is not in the storms. There are circumstances happening around us that shake the very foundations we stand on. We do not hear God in the shaking. God is not in those shakings. Great fires come and burn all round us, consuming things of this world we need or hold dear. We still do not hear God in those fires. God is not in the fire. It is when we quit looking for God IN the midst of these circumstantial disasters and tune out their deafening roar that we hear that gentle whisper of our Savior. He then can comfort us and direct us what to do.
Are you letting the noise of our day-and-age deafen you to that gentle quiet whisper of God? Listen, His voice is there ready to comfort you and direct you.
