What was the Lord’s reasoning for showing Elijah the wind, earthquake, and fire in I Kings 19:11-12? Why does the text say the Lord was not in the wind?<\/p>\n\t
“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. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”<\/em>” (I Kings 19:11-13).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Elijah had a perception problem. He triumphed over the prophets of Baal in a very dramatic way in I Kings 18. He thought he had turned the people back to God, but then he realized that nothing really changed. Jezebel was still wanting to kill him (I Kings 19:1-2) and the people were still following after idols. Elijah despaired that he was the only follower of God left in the world. “And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” <\/em>” (I Kings 19:14).<\/p>\n
God’s presence isn’t seen in the dramatic. Every once in a while I hear someone say that if God just did some major miracle, the whole world would convert. God does have power beyond our imagination, but displays of that power aren’t where you’ll find God.<\/p>\n
““Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”<\/em>” (Jeremiah 23:29).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
God created the universe with just His word (Genesis 1). It is in the teachings of God where the power of God is displayed. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek<\/em>” (Romans 1:16).<\/p>\n
Elijah thought he was useless, but God showed him that the power of God is seen in the words of God. When the message is spread, it will change the world. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it<\/em>” (Isaiah 55:11).<\/p>\n
And the odd thing is that Elijah knew this deep in his heart. He knew God wasn’t in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but when he heard the voice, he prepared himself to meet God.<\/p>\n
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD”<\/em>” (I Corinthians 1:21-31).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: What was the Lord’s reasoning for showing Elijah the wind, earthquake, and fire in I Kings 19:11-12? Why does the text say the Lord was not in the wind? Answer: “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[405,915,451],"class_list":["post-37078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-elijah","tag-i-kings","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24543,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-was-john-the-baptist-elijah\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":0},"title":"How was John the Baptist Elijah?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi! I am wondering if you can please help me understand what the Bible is saying about John the Baptist when it refers to him coming in the spirit of Elijah? In Luke 1:17, it says John the Baptist will come in the \"spirit and power of Elijah.\" In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":85716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-long-will-you-hesitate-between-two-opinions\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":1},"title":"How Long Will You Hesitate Between Two Opinions?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson \"Decision,\" wrote Gordon Graham, \"is a sharp knife that cuts clean and straight; indecision is a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind it\" [Bits & Pieces]. Israel could not seem to make up their minds whether they would serve the Lord or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9015,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-elijah-send-the-servant-back-seven-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":2},"title":"Why did Elijah send the servant back seven times?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Did Elijah pray seven times or was he putting his servant through a test of faith for rain? (I Kings 18:41-45) Answer: \"Now Elijah said to Ahab, \"Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.\" So Ahab went up to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40168,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-possible-to-feel-the-presence-of-god-when-one-worships-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":3},"title":"Is it possible to feel the presence of God when one worships Him?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it possible to feel the presence of God when one worships Him? Answer: You ask the question in the wrong way because in the realm of\u00a0possibility when dealing with God, almost anything is possible. But if you ask how God made His presence known in the past, then\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15722,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-about-rugged-prayers\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":4},"title":"What do you think about rugged prayers?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What do you think about aggressive prayers or rugged type of prayers? Someone told me that there are situations that demand ruggedness, such as shouting, screaming, and crying unto God in prayer and not being silent. That this is the only way to shake heaven. That your silent prayers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41151,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/elijah\/","url_meta":{"origin":37078,"position":5},"title":"Elijah","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 17:1-13 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Bible is filled with memorable characters. Among the prophets, Elijah stands out. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We don\u2019t know much about his background. He just suddenly appears on the scene forecasting doom to Ahab - I Kings 17:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0His name means \u201cYahweh is my God\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37078\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}