Lesson 8 – A Gentle and Quiet Whisper
Read 1 Kings 19:9-18 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1KI.19.ESV
1 Kings 19:11-12 – And he said – 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 broke in 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.

Elijah walked forty days and nights, strengthened by the meal God provided. When he got to the mountain of God, Horeb, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.

Soon he heard God’s voice asking him, “What are you doing here?”

Elijah answered wearily, “I have been working so hard for You, God, but it has not done any good. The Israelites have abandoned Your way, destroyed Your places of worship, and murdered all Your prophets. I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me, too!”

Then he was told to go stand on the mountain, and God would pass by. A hurricane blew by and even broke rocks into small pieces, but God was not in the destroying wind. After the wind stopped an earthquake shook the mountain, but God was not in the earthquake either. After the earthquake stopped, a fire swept across the mountain, and Elijah probably expected God to be in the fire after He sent His fire to burn up the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel. But God was not in the fire either. Then Elijah heard a gentle and quiet whisper.

When Elijah heard the low whisper, he put his cloak over his face and stood at the mouth of the cave. The quiet voice again asked him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” Elijah repeated the same answer.


Then God gave His discouraged servant a job to do. He told him to go back the way he came, to Damascus. Elijah was to anoint a man to be king over Syria and another man to be king over Israel, and he was also to anoint Elisha who would take Elijah’s place as God’s prophet. Then God assured Elijah that He had preserved 7,000 people in Israel who remained true to the One God, refusing to worship the idols.

Jesus said, in John 13-16, how He would send His Spirit to live in, guide, help, teach, and comfort each of us after He left earth. The Holy Spirit will never shout at us; we need only to wait on Him by quieting our hearts and minds to hear Him.

*How do you most often hear God speaking to you?