Go back the way you came!

‘Go back the way you came’. These were Elijah’s new marching orders. Twice God had asked Elijah what he was doing hiding in a cave a long way from where he should have been, and twice Elijah had tried to justify himself. It seems that God had had enough of these attempts of Elijah to dodge the question so he told him to go back down the mountain. Specifically Elijah was told to go to the wilderness of Damascus. Elijah spent a lot of time in the wilderness, sometimes at God’s direction and at others by his own choice. This time God instructed him specifically where to go and it was to the wilderness of Damascus. Damascus was the capital of Syria a nation that was frequently at war with Israel and on the way he would pass those places from which he had recently run. This may not have been the news Elijah was waiting for but nevertheless he obeyed.

God’s words conveyed both a rebuke but also an opportunity for restoration. The ministry to which Elijah had been specifically called was to be handed over to others but there was still work for him to do. In order for Elijah to be restored to his place of service he needed to go back the way he came. There was no other way, he could not find an alternative route, it was by way of the wilderness and the destination was Damascus. Elijah had left his ministry; he had run from a threat issued by Queen Jezebel and was now hiding in a cave in the land of Judah a long way from where he should have been but God was offering him a way back. There was work for him to do but first he needed to obey.

Have you become worn out, disillusioned, frustrated or disappointed at the results of doing the things you have committed to? Do you feel like giving up and finding a cave to hide in? Are you already in that cave? Are you no longer impressed by the supernatural displays of God that you once found inspiring? Perhaps you just want retire from ministry and leave it all to someone else. No matter what your personal circumstances God still has work for you to do. No matter how great you consider your failure to be, or the hurdles that you face, the God of all grace who commands the very forces of nature will sustain you and bring you safe to the place of his calling.

Elijah was to go back the way he came but he had to anoint others to carry out the ministry that was his to fulfill. There were other things for Elijah to do, but the task of eliminating the false worship from Israel and destroying the hold of King Ahab was to be given to others. Elijah was told to do three specific things. He was to anoint Hazael as king of Aram; Jehu was to be set apart as king of Israel and Elisha was to be anointed as prophet in his own place. God intended to remove idolatry from Israel and also to blot out the sin of Ahab and his family. He had called Elijah for this purpose but unfortunately he had stopped short of the mark. In the language recently become popular he had ‘cut and run’ from the contest. But God would not leave his work undone; others would be called to take Elijah’s place.

The first person named by God was Hazael a servant of the king of Syria, Ben-Hadad. Hazael later murdered his master and ruled Syria in his place. The second person was Jehu a soldier in the army of King Jehoram. Jehu assassinated Jehoram and reigned in his place. These two men were to carry on the work of Elijah. Hazael fought against Israel and started breaking up its territories while Jehu eradicated the worship of Baal and exterminated the descendants of Ahab. Elisha was busy plowing his fields when Elijah reached him and there is nothing to indicate he had any particular significance prior to being set aside for this prophetic ministry. God’s choice of men is interesting in that none of those mentioned were, at the time people of significance or in positions of power. Even more remarkable is that Hazael was a bloodthirsty pagan who murdered the rightful king in order to rule in his place. And yet this is the man that God chose to fulfill his plans.

We should never be surprised by the choices that God makes in using people to accomplish his purposes. He seldom acts in a manner that we would find predictable. If we are looking for leaders or agents of change we will probably have a list of criteria that needs to be fulfilled which will include a position of influence, power, wealth and networking ability. Physical attractiveness, high intellect and a charismatic personality will also be high on that list. But God does not see as we see. He knows the people he has chosen to complete his plans and they are determined well ahead of time. God has chosen you to implement his plans and his choice is not based on your own talent or personal ability. His choice is sovereign and is determined by his grace alone. If you are put in a place where you have the opportunity to bring change it is because he has set you apart for this task and he is depending on to rise to the challenge. If you find the task difficult and you elect to ‘cut and run’ God will raise up others in your place, and you may have to watch on from sidelines.

There is always a way back to the place of God’s choosing, he is always ready to provide new opportunities of service and blessing. Elijah was not forgotten, and neither will you, even if you are currently hiding in a cave far from where you are expected to be. So when you hear God’s voice be ready to go back the way you came.

When God asks twice

Sometimes it seems that Elijah was a little slow on the uptake! When he was in the desert he had to be told twice by an angel to get up, now God had to ask him twice why he was there on the mountain.

After Elijah had come to the mouth of his cave to answer God he retreated inside. And then God’s voice came again. How long was it between the two interviews? We don’t know it may have been immediate or there may have been an interval for Elijah to think about what he had said but in any event God’s voice came to him again. This time Elijah was told to go and stand on the mountain before the Lord. When he got there God was putting on something of a light and fire display! There was a hurricane, followed by an earthquake and then fire. But these were just displays, God was not in them. Some considerable period, perhaps even days passed by as these events unfolded and at some point Elijah returned to the cave but when a gentle breeze came back the entrance.

As he stood with his prophetic cloak wrapped around him there he heard again the voice of God. What did he think when he heard that same question “what are you doing here Elijah?” He must have been either thick skinned, incredibly stubborn or convinced of the rightness of his actions because he answered God in exactly the same way as he had before: ‘I’ve done my best, I did everything I could for you and your people, even killed the false prophets and all I get in return is death threats. There is no one left but me, and they want to kill me”.

God had demonstrated to Elijah his awesome power, he had shown him that he was in control of the elements of the universe, there was nothing outside of his scope. God was not trying to impress Elijah; he was giving him an assurance that he was the God who lives and in his hand was contained the future of the world and its nations. Perhaps Elijah didn’t need to be convinced about God’s power, he had already witnessed that, what he was really ticked off about was that God had allowed Ahab and Jezebel to live and carry on as before. If God was so powerful why didn’t he do something about it? Surely he could destroy these pagans along with their idol worship, why should Jezebel be allowed to get away with her death threats and vindictive behaviour?

Often when things go wrong for us we are less concerned with the fact that God is powerful than we are that he lets things happen to us that are just not fair. God is our provider but we suffer financially, he is our healer but we get sick, he is our victory banner but we get beaten up in spiritual battles. And all the time we have been obedient and faithful – it’s just not fair. If God is so big why does he let this stuff happen?  Perhaps that’s what Elijah felt up there in his cave, he didn’t want a fire and light show – he wanted to know why God had let him down. The problem was that instead of acknowledging his own failings Elijah sought to justify himself. But still God spoke to him, this time in the quietness that usually follows the storm, and this time Elijah listened.

God doesn’t need the spectacular to speak to us. He doesn’t need noise, commotion or sensation to achieve his purposes. He wants to speak to us in quietness, when we are still before him. Elijah had witnessed and indeed participated in the spectacular events on Mt Carmel, but they had produced no change of heart in Ahab. The spectacular demonstrations on Horeb had not changed Elijah’s disposition either. God wanted to communicate to him in the quietness and the gentle breeze stood in stark contrast to the tumult that preceded it.

God’s voice came to Elijah after the gentle breeze had got his attention. The same question was asked ‘what are you doing here, Elijah?’ and the same answer was given – one of self-justification. God had graciously provided for him, spoken to him, protected him and revealed his power and still Elijah sought to justify himself. It seems that God done nearly everything possible to get Elijah to willingly bend his will and change his heart, but he just didn’t want to. No amount of logic was going to work, no demonstration of power, no miraculous provision, no act of grace. At every turn Elijah proclaimed the rightness of his actions and protested against the unfairness of the circumstances he found himself in. He just didn’t want to listen, he didn’t want to see, he was going to be obstinate.

It may be that you have come to the point where you want to give up. God has called us to a particular ministry or vocation but it just hasn’t worked out. You may even have decided that the Christian life is just not for you – I mean what’s the point, you deny yourself all sorts of pleasures that you see others enjoying, for what? Are you any more blessed, are you better off, is your marriage any better or your kids more obedient? What’s the point? God may have demonstrated his great love to you in many ways, there may not have been earthquakes, tempests and fire but there will have been other demonstrations of his grace. He may have provided for you – perhaps a job, a family, a home, good friends or even some miracle of healing. But that’s not enough. God may have come to you in the quietness of the moment and spoken to you in a still small voice but you have not listened. It is not because you can’t, but because you won’t. You have convinced yourself that you are right and nothing will change your view.

When God asked him why he was where he was Elijah justified himself. I am here because people want to kill me; in fact it’s your fault because I only did what you wanted and now look what’s happened. All too frequently when we are challenged about our shortcomings we look for someone to blame and often that blame eventually extends to God.

Have we ever blamed God because of the circumstances we find ourselves in? Is God made responsible for the fact that we are treated badly, suffer financial pain or a family breakdown? Do we ever try to justify our actions by referring to the unfairness of the world and all that it contains? When God asks us a direct question it is not because he doesn’t know the answer. When he asked Jacob what his name was, it wasn’t because he didn’t know, when he questioned Elijah and Adam he already knew the answer but he wanted each of these people to do was accept their own responsibility.

Inevitably you and I will make wrong choices; we may make them with the best of intentions and just get it wrong. On the other hand we may deliberately act in such a way that separates us from God. Whenever this happens, God in his grace will come to us and ask us to take responsibility for the choices we have made. We may confess our failing, accept his grace and forgiveness and be restored or we can stubbornly insist that it was all someone else’s fault and remain alienated from God. That too is our choice.

In order for Elijah to be restored he needed to acknowledge his failure and ask God to redirect his footsteps. When God asked him where he was, perhaps he should have answered ‘I’m tired and disillusioned, I’ve done my best but I don’t understand what’s gone wrong. Please forgive me for running when I should have stayed, if you restore me I will, with your grace and mercy return and complete the unfinished business I have left to do’.

What are you doing here?

God did not desert Elijah, he had been with him every step of the way and he had provided for him on the journey. This does not mean, however, that he approved of what Elijah was doing or why he was where he was. In the past God gave Elijah directions, he told him to go here or there and to do this or that and every time Elijah had obeyed. This time when he spoke it was different. He not offer guidance or direction, he did not reveal the next stage of his plan, or explain to Elijah how provision would be made for him. This time the voice of God brought a question. More than that, the question brought an implied rebuke.

God asked Elijah “What are you doing here?” What was the tone of God’s voice; was it gentle and encouraging or merely inquisitive? Perhaps there was a hint of criticism or disappointment. Whatever the case Elijah responded by trying to justify himself. How often have you heard a similar question? Has it been when you have chosen a course of action that is not God’s will, or even presumed upon his grace and rushed ahead expecting him to merely bless your endeavours, and all you hear is a voice which asks ‘what are you doing?’ it may be that you have got involved in some questionable activity or business deal and suddenly hear the voice asking ‘what are you doing here?’ You might even have made a commitment to some course of action, to do some good works, maybe visit someone or provide some relief to the needy, perhaps you have decided you really need to spend more time with the family but instead you find our self at work, or in front of the TV or on the phone and hear a voice asking ‘what are you doing here?’

When we hear that voice we might do as Elijah did and try to justify ourselves.  We might say ‘I’ve tried really hard, I’ve been faithful, I’ve done my bit – but no one wants to help. It’s not fair all they do is criticize, complain and accuse.’ This is what Elijah did, he told God that He had been very enthusiastic in doing everything for the sake of God and his covenant but all he got was death threats. He didn’t actually explain what he was doing in the cave but maybe he thought God would understand. What Elijah perhaps didn’t understand is that if God asks you why you are in some place he probably doesn’t want you to be there and instead of finding ways to justify yourself you had better move.

Are you where God wants you to be right now? If God were to come to you and ask what you are doing where you are, how would you answer? I don’t just mean in the job you have, the school you go to, the house you live in or the church you attend, although all these things may be relevant. But what about the state of your mind, your attitude, and your behaviour? Where are you in relation to the plans and purposes he has for your life? Are you where you should be in your relationships with others? Is your spiritual life where it should be? How will you answer God – will you justify yourself even though you know you are wrong, will you speak out of your frustration and disappointment or will you honestly answer God and admit that you are far from where you should be but by grace and mercy you will go back to where you belong.

Of course you may be able to confidently answer God by saying ‘I am where you want me to be, I am waiting to hear your voice so that I can follow the directions you have to give me’. Praise God if you can, but Elijah couldn’t. It seems that after he answered God he returned to his cave unwilling to listen to what God had to say to him. When God asks this question of you, it is because he wants you to take time and reflect. Have you become so used to your circumstances, your job or your lifestyle you have forgotten why you are there? Have you retreated to a cave feeling a little disappointed, tired or disillusioned, is God asking you – ‘what are you doing here?’ Don’t wait to be asked twice.

Nowhere to hide

After he was woken the second time, Elijah got up, ate and headed south. For forty days he wandered and eventually he arrived at Horeb. The trip he embarked on was about 200 miles (320 kms) in a straight line and it took Elijah 40 days. Even if he had walked amazingly slowly it would not take 40 days to travel 200 miles so what was he doing on the way? Was he putting off getting to his destination because he thought God would meet him there? Did he just aimlessly wander around, arriving at Horeb by chance? Did he get lost? Or was there some other reason? We can only speculate because the Bible doesn’t reveal any answers, but we do know that 40 is a symbolic number. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, the people of Israel wandered for forty years; Moses waited forty years before receiving his commission from God and so on. Whatever the reason for Elijah taking so long to get to his destination, he eventually did and he must have been affected by its significance in Israel’s history.

Horeb, or Mt Sinai is the place where Moses saw the burning bush, where he received the Ten Commandments and was later hidden in the cleft of the rock when the glory of God passed by. It was an immensely significant place and Elijah could not have been ignorant of it. As he climbed to Jebel Musa the peak of Horeb, he must have reflected on all the history of events that took place on this mount, he could not help being reminded of the covenant that God had established with his people and the fact that this was the place that was identified with the dwelling of God. Elijah was running from God and at the end of his journey he found himself in God’s dwelling place, perhaps the most significant geographical location for the people of Israel.

There was no mistake in the directions Elijah took, or the time it took him to get there. The symbolization would not have been lost on him. God orchestrated every step of his way, he reminded him of the wanderings of the people of Israel and he brought him to the place where the covenant was established. Elijah needed to know that God was in control, everything was in his hands – including Elijah’s destiny. Do you need to be reminded that God is in control? Do the events of your life threaten to overwhelm you? Have you walked away from God because you believe that he has let you down or failed you in some way, do you feel that you are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness? Like Elijah you need to be reminded that God is still directing your steps, he knows where you are going and he never leaves your side. He will bring you to the place where you can hear his voice without the distractions of other cares or demands, it may take some time but you will get there. On the way take time to reflect on the power and sovereign grace of God, take note of the memories he brings to your mind and allow them to produce a heart that is open to receive the grace that God has to give.

When Elijah got to the top of the mountain, or at least to the end of his journey, he entered a cave with the intention of lodging there. How long did Elijah intend to stay on the mountain? He had got there after a forty day trip through the desert, he had taken no food with him and there may have not been much available on the mountain top, all he had was what he was carrying. What was he going to do in this cave, it gets cold in the desert, especially at night on top of a mountain, how would he survive? As is often the case the bible is silent about the details and we are left to speculate. What we do know however is that Elijah intended to stay for a while.

As Elijah moved into the cave, perhaps as he wrapped his cloak around him and prepared himself for sleep, or maybe in the middle of some impassioned season of prayer, the word of God came to him. I wonder whether Elijah had thought he would never hear that voice again, did he think that he had run from the sound of God’s voice or that he had offended him so that he would never speak again. Whatever the case Elijah heard God’s voice. Here was Elijah, in a cave miles from where he should have been, feeling sorry for himself, consumed with his own feelings of inadequacy and failure, maybe even blaming God for the unfairness of it all and getting angry at him for allowing things to go so horribly wrong and then the voice of God came to him.

Things never get so bad that God turns his back on his children. No matter what the circumstances or the events that have brought us to the place we are in God still speaks. Elijah might have had good reason for believing that God didn’t want to talk to him anymore. He had run from him, left his post and apparently failed in his ministry. He even hoped for his own death and had complained bitterly to God about the things that had happened to him. He was ministered to by an angel but hadn’t displayed any particular gratitude and had in fact needed to be told twice to get out of bed! Now here he was in a cave, wrapped up in himself with no definite plans in mind. But the voice of God came to him.

You may have got to a place in your life when you have just about given up. You have tried as hard as you know how to do what you think God wants, but now you have had enough, and so you have turned your back on him, run off into your own personal cave and hidden there. You may be tired, worn out, disillusioned, fed up, frustrated or whatever, you might believe your have been let down by your friends, colleagues and God and you have decided enough is enough you are just not going to do it anymore. If this describes you and you are sitting in a cave of your own making somewhere out of sight, then you had better open your ears because God is not done with you yet. Listen because the word of God will surely come to you.

A night visitor

Having run from Jezreel in fear of his life Elijah. He got as far as Beersheba, left his servant and kept going. At the end of the day he lay down under a Broom tree and fell asleep. Sometime in the night an angel visited him.

There is no indication that Elijah knew what he was going to do or where he was going, he just knew that he didn’t want to be in Samaria. He had had enough, he was tired, disillusioned and fed up, he didn’t want to be a prophet anymore, he just wanted to run away. Given what appears to be Elijah’s act of disobedience it would not be unreasonable to imagine that the first time he encountered God he would expect to be accused, punished or at least admonished. But in fact his first heavenly visitor was an angel sent by God to give him food and drink.

While Elijah slept an angel came to him, touched him and woke with the words ‘Arise and eat’. As Elijah sat up he found hot cakes and water. It seems that Elijah didn’t even get up, but he sat where he was had a little food and some water and went back to sleep. No doubt Elijah was exhausted but it does seem reasonable that if an angel wakes you in the middle of the night and tells you to get up, then you will do as suggested! In any event Elijah didn’t. Once again God did not come and chastise or punish him but he again sent the angel, this time he gave the instruction to arise and eat but added that he had a journey in front of him and he would need to food to keep him going. This time Elijah got up.

Twice an angel came to Elijah with a message from God. The first time Elijah enjoyed the blessings he had been provided but ignored the instruction to ‘arise’ the second time he enjoyed the blessing and obeyed! Such is the mercy and grace of God that instead of punishing Elijah’s disobedience in running away, he met him at his place of need. And even then when it seems that Elijah was still unwilling to get back on track he ministered to him. Too often it seems that we have the opinion that when we fail God in some way or turn away from his will from us God is waiting to punish or admonish us. The truth is God is our heavenly father who is well aware of our weakness and while it grieves him when we make decisions that result in moving out of his will his first concern is for our welfare. Human parents are often frustrated by what at times seems to be the willful disobedience of our children, but when children suffer or come to harm those same parents are usually the first to run to their assistance. If this is true of us as mere humans, how much would it be so of our Father in Heaven? Elijah had disobeyed and was now sleeping under a bush in the desert, he was suffering from the result of the choices he made, but rather than come and punish him God met his need. He knew that Elijah needed sleep and food and he graciously allowed him to have these things. Not only that, but twice he came to him, he overlooked the fact that the first time he told Elijah to get up he didn’t, he simply restated the instruction.

On occasion you may find yourself running from God or at least feeling sorry for yourself and sulking under a tree somewhere as far from where you think God is that you can be. Even there he will find you, and he will do so because he loves you and he wants to set you back on your feet. God will not come with accusation or harsh words; he will send his angels to minister to you at your place of need. God’s greatest desire is to re-establish you in the plans he has for you, he will send his angels to assist you to get back on track. If you feel far from God, if you have run from him in disappointment then allow his angels to meet your needs and when they tell you to get up then listen to what they say because there is a long journey ahead of you!

I don’t know what was in the food the angel gave to Elijah but it must have been some meal. He was able to travel in the strength of that food for forty days and nights! The Bible doesn’t state whether Elijah had discussed his destination with God, but it is evident that God knew where he was going because the angel told Elijah that he had a long journey ahead of him. The fact is that even when we think we are running away from God he knows exactly where we are going and when we will get there. God is never taken by surprise, the psalmist writes that even though we go to the ends of the earth, God is there, if we were to take ‘the wings of the morning, and dwell in the innermost parts of the sea, even there your right hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me’ (Psalm 139:9). Elijah may have thought his destination was hidden from God, but it wasn’t. He may have thought that he was on his own, but he wasn’t. God was with him every step of the way.

Why did he run?

What would cause a man of undoubted courage and strength a man of prayer and obedience to desert his post? Why would Elijah listen to the threat of Queen Jezebel and run for his life?

There are no doubt a number of factors that led Elijah to take the course that he did. The first had to do with his physical condition. Elijah was exhausted. His physical and nervous resources had run out. In a short time he had endured a harrowing contest on the mountain, maintained a lengthy prayer vigil and then ran 30 kms to Jezreel only to be greeted with the news that he was under a sentence of death. Instead of experiencing victory and elation he was met with profound disappointment, disillusion and distress. He was under stress and at the end of his rope. He had gone as far as he could, he had had enough. Even though all of Elijah’s experiences had ended in victory they had taken their toll, his emotional energy was spent, he had nothing left to give.

There was no doubt a spiritual dimension to Elijah’s state of mind but his problems were first of all physical. He had over-reached himself and was burnt out. How can this be? How is it possible that a person is totally committed to doing God’s will and being obedient to him could be burnt out? Didn’t God promise to sustain and keep those who are entirely dependent on him? Well yes God did make that promise and yes it is still possible for Christians to become burnt out! Burn out is not necessarily the result of sin or disobedience and isn’t always caused by doing things in your own strength rather than in God’s, although all of these things can result in physical and spiritual exhaustion. It is more likely that we become burnt out when we have failed to attend to our physical nature. It is probable that what Elijah needed more than anything else was rest and recovery.

God has blessed us with a physical as well as a spiritual nature and he intends that we pay attention to both. In fact he commanded that we set one day aside each week to rest and called it a Sabbath, a day when we set ourselves apart from the cares of the world and commit ourselves entirely to him and our own refreshment. Too often these times of rest are ignored in our drive to do things that we believe God is calling us to do. We must always remember that God does not violate his own principles and if he has decreed that we take time to rest, then he means that we should. He will not give us such a work load that those seasons of rest become impossible to take.

Depression is often exacerbated by physical and emotional tiredness. And while we look for spiritual answers to our needs we can relieve some of our burden by paying attention to matters of sleep, diet and exercise. It is usually the case that when we are tired, stressed or carrying a burden that we fail to pay attention to our physical bodies. We don’t eat properly, fail to exercise or get sufficient rest. While these things may not resolve any underlying problem that we are dealing with they will give us the physical and emotional reserves that we need. The answer to spiritual inertia is not to try harder, get more organized or busier, it is more often to take to rest, get some sleep, attend to our diet and start exercise.

Do you feel a bit like Elijah, tired, worn out and disillusioned? Instead of taking off for the desert, try doing an inventory of your physical life. And if you find that you are not paying sufficient attention to the body God has given you then starting with a proper season of rest, make a commitment to the changes you need to make to your patterns of sleep, diet and exercise.

Another element that may have had led to Elijah’s flight to the desert was loneliness. It does not seem that he had someone he could confide in or look to for support, there was no one to chat to, no family to return to at the end of the day. Elijah had nobody to share his pain, his victories, his triumphs or his failures with. Yes he had God and obviously enjoyed a good relationship with him, but there was no other human person he could share his hope, dreams and aspirations with. Elijah was a long way from home and was in a solo ministry.

Christian ministry is often lonely. People involved in counseling others seldom take the time to develop close relationships or to receive counsel themselves. They often get so used to giving advice that they do not make close friends, people can be put off when others are continually trying to assist them with their problems! Not everybody understands the call God has put on your life. Some may even question your motives or challenge the commitment you make. And it is a fact that we are not called to be men pleasers, but rather pleasers of God. The road this leads you down can often be a lonely one.

High achievers can also be lonely. Some people avoid the successful out of jealousy or even under the mistaken assumption that they are too important to be troubled by those that are not as capable. Many ‘celebrities’ or high achievers have commented on being lonely even though they are enormously famous and popular. People who achieve great things are often the loneliest of them all and the greater their achievements the greater the magnitude of their fall, if it comes. Some malicious types delight in the failure of others almost hoping that they will fall, while still others  maintain their distance from the wounded person feeling that they have nothing to offer or contribute.

When Elijah needed comfort and support there was no one there to turn to. So he headed for the desert, he retreated into himself. Where was the fellow traveler, the person that Elijah could confide in, who would pick him up when he was down? Who could share Elijah’s pain and frustration, who would weep with him, laugh with him or just remain silent and bear his grief? Elijah did not have this person in his life, he was alone.

If you are engaged in God’s business, as I hope you are, be certain to take the time to maintain supportive relationships. In short make friends with people you like. Spend time together, listen to one another, challenge each other, enjoy one another’s company. Don’t become so busy with what you are doing that you fail to take time for relationships. Make the effort, it’s essential to your spiritual health.