Tag: elijah

Perhaps Baal Is Busy

Elijah’s pointed humor exposed Baal’s complete helplessness.

When we read the account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, we usually remember the fire that fell from heaven. But before the fire fell, Elijah gave us one of the sharpest moments of humor in Scripture.

The prophets of Baal had been calling upon their god from morning until noon. They danced around the altar and cried, “O Baal, hear us!” But Scripture tells us, “There was no voice; no one answered” (1 Kings 18:26).

At noon, Elijah began to mock them:

“Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
1 Kings 18:27 NKJV

The New King James Version says Baal may have been “busy,” but some scholars believe the Hebrew may suggest something far less dignified. Elijah may have been saying, in plain language, “Perhaps your god stepped away to use the bathroom.”

That is probably not what most of us expect to find in the Bible, but Elijah’s point was hard to miss. Perhaps Baal was thinking. Perhaps he was traveling. Perhaps he was asleep. Perhaps he was otherwise occupied. Whatever the excuse, he was not answering.

The prophets shouted louder and worked themselves into a frenzy, but nothing changed. “There was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:29).

Then Elijah prayed a simple prayer to the Lord. He did not have to shout louder, wake God up, or wait for Him to return from a journey. The living God heard him, and the fire fell.

Elijah’s humor was pointed, but it exposed an important truth. An idol will always need an excuse for its silence. Our God does not sleep, wander away, or become too busy to hear His people.

“Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 121:4 NKJV

Forty Days and Forty Nights

Noah, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus each experienced forty days and forty nights. Their circumstances differed, yet each season became a time of testing, preparation, dependence, and greater revelation.

As I was studying Elijah’s journey to Horeb, I began looking more closely at the other places in Scripture where forty days and forty nights appear. Noah, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus each experienced a significant forty-day period. Their circumstances were different, yet when these accounts are read together, an interesting connection begins to emerge. Scripture records other periods of forty days and forty years as well, but these four accounts seem to share a common thread. Each marked a time of testing, preparation, dependence upon God, or movement into something new.

Rain fell for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:12). It was a time of judgment upon the earth, yet God preserved Noah and his family through it. Noah had believed God and built the ark before there was any visible sign of what was coming. When he eventually stepped out of the ark, his faith had been vindicated, and God established His covenant with him and his descendants (Genesis 8:20–22; 9:8–17).

Moses remained on Mount Sinai with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, neither eating bread nor drinking water, while receiving the words of the covenant (Exodus 24:18; 34:28). He later spent another forty days before the Lord interceding for Israel after their sin with the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:18). When Moses came down from the mountain, his face shone because he had been speaking with God (Exodus 34:29). His time in the presence of God had left a visible mark on him.

Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God, strengthened by the food the Lord had provided (1 Kings 19:7–8). He arrived weary, discouraged, and convinced that he stood alone. The Lord listened to him, corrected what he did not understand, and gave him direction for the work that remained. Elijah came to Horeb exhausted, but he left knowing that God was not finished with him.

Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil and remained perfectly obedient to His Father (Matthew 4:1–11). When the testing was over, He returned in the power of the Spirit and began His public ministry (Luke 4:14–15). After His resurrection, He also spent forty days appearing to His disciples and speaking to them about the kingdom of God before sending them out as His witnesses (Acts 1:3–8).

When these accounts are placed beside one another, another pattern begins to emerge. Each forty-day period is followed by a clearer revelation of God’s purposes. Noah received God’s covenant. Moses was entrusted with God’s Law. Elijah heard God’s voice and was restored and recommissioned. Jesus emerged from the wilderness ready to begin His public ministry, and after His resurrection He prepared His disciples to carry the message of the kingdom into the world.

Perhaps that is one reason Elijah’s forty-day journey speaks to so many of us. By the time he reached Horeb, he was exhausted, discouraged, and convinced he was alone. Yet God had been at work all along. There are seasons in our own lives when we do not understand what He is doing. We may wait longer than we expected, walk through a place we would never have chosen, or learn to depend upon Him in ways we never have before. These passages do not promise that every difficult season will follow the same pattern, but they do remind us that God is present in the waiting, the wilderness, and the uncertainty. He is still faithful, and He is still at work in the lives of His people.

Question for Discussion:
What common thread do you see running through these forty-day periods? Are there any other periods of forty days or forty years in Scripture that come to mind?

A Still Small Voice

After the victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah found himself afraid, weary, and alone. In the quiet, God reminded him that His presence is not always found in the loudest moment.

A Minute in the Word

1 Kings 19:11-12

Elijah had just stood on Mount Carmel and watched the Lord answer by fire. The prophets of Baal had been exposed, and the people had fallen on their faces and cried, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39 NKJV). It seemed like a great turning point had come, yet shortly after that, Elijah was running for his life.

Jezebel threatened him, fear overtook him, and the prophet who had stood so boldly before the nation found himself weary and alone in the wilderness. He sat under a broom tree and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life” (1 Kings 19:4 NKJV). Scripture does not hide Elijah’s weariness. He was afraid, exhausted, and discouraged, and the Lord met him there.

What touches me about this passage is the tenderness of God. The Lord did not rebuke him for being afraid, tired, or ready to give up. He gave him food. He let him sleep. He strengthened him for the journey ahead. Before God gave Elijah instruction, He cared for His weary servant.

Then the Lord brought Elijah to Horeb, the mountain of God. There Elijah stood as the Lord passed by. A great and strong wind tore into the mountains, “but the LORD was not in the wind.” After the wind came an earthquake, “but the LORD was not in the earthquake.” After the earthquake came a fire, “but the LORD was not in the fire.” And after the fire came “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11–12 NKJV).

If we are honest, when we are facing our own battles, we often long for God to show up in a way we cannot miss. We want the clear answer, the visible breakthrough, the fire-on-the-mountain kind of moment. And God certainly can reveal His power that way. But with Elijah, the Lord did not come in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He met His weary servant in the quiet.

Elijah had seen God’s power, but now, in his weariness, he needed to hear the voice of the Lord. And many of us understand that more than we might admit. We can know God has been faithful before and still feel overwhelmed in the present. We can remember past victories and still find ourselves tired in body, heavy in heart, and unsure what comes next.

The Lord knew where Elijah was and He knew what Elijah needed. He reminded him that he was not alone, and He still had work for him to do (1 Kings 19:15–18). The still small voice comforted Elijah, but it also corrected him, strengthened him, and sent him forward.

Maybe your soul is tired today. Maybe you have been looking for the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, and the Lord is inviting you to draw near and listen. He still speaks through His Word. He still strengthens His weary children. He is not absent in the quiet places.

Truth to Carry

God is faithful in the fire on the mountain, and He is just as faithful in the quiet places where weary hearts learn to listen.