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which consumes - these are but His messengers which at most precede His coming.
But Jehovah Himself is not in them. When He cometh it is not in these, but in the
gentle stilling of them. To learn this was a real, though not an expressed, answer to
Elijah's despondency and to his accusing appeal against Israel, the more touchingly
conveyed that, being indirect, like the answer of Jesus to the inquiry of the Baptist, it
carried instruction but not rebuke. The mood of both was the same, their doubts, and
the reply given to them. It was in effect, See what the LORD really is, purposes, and
doeth; and learn reverently to bow and to adore. God is greater, higher, better than
appears only in judgment: do thy work, and leave the result to Him - He will make it
plain. And so, we suppose that, when after this manifestation the same question again
came to Elijah, his answer was no longer in the spirit of accusation, but rather a
statement of fact in vindication or explanation of his own presence on Mount Horeb.
With reverence be it said that, in the mood in which Elijah had come, no more fitting
answer could have been made to him than this awful and glorious self-manifestation
of Jehovah. If the LORD Himself had not been in the desolating messengers of
terror, why should Elijah have expected it in the judgments which he was
commissioned to execute? Nay, if Elijah himself had come forth to worship not in
the storm, the earthquake, nor the fire, but had waited for the Presence of the LORD
in the soft, gentle, stilling sound, why should he wonder if the revival of Israel's
worship awaited a similar manifestation? But God would in the meantime take care
of His own cause. The storm must burst from without on an unrepentant people:
Hazael was to be anointed king of Syria, and foreign wars, more desolating than any
that had preceded, would sweep over Israel. The earthquake would shake the house
of Ahab to its foundations: and Jehu was to be appointed the minister of vengeance.
That fire which Elijah had kindled would burn more brightly and fiercely: the
mission of Elijah was to be continued in Elisha. To prepare all^28 this was now the
only work left for the aged and weary prophet. And in each case he did prepare it.^29
Elisha was called by the prophet himself. The destruction of the house of Ahab,
which involved the elevation of Jehu, through whom it was accomplished, was
distinctly announced to Ahab by Elijah in the field of Naboth (1 Kings 21:19, 21,
22); while the future power of Syria over Israel, which involved the elevation of
Hazael, was similarly prophetically intimated (1 Kings 20:42) - as we conjecture
from the expression "a certain man of the sons of the prophets" (1 Kings 20:35) - by
direction of Elijah.
Yet one precious assurance, or rather visible token that Jehovah was still in Israel, in
the voice of soft stilling, was granted to the prophet. All unknown to him God had
even in corrupt Israel His own, a "remnant according to the election of grace"
(Romans 11:2-5), a sacred covenant-number which could be counted by thousands^30
(^)