Prophets, Prototypes, and Peace

Text: 1 Kings 19:12
 
Here’s a story you’ve heard before.
 
Elijah, THE prototype of all prophets, has just walked off the stage of what might be the most cinematic moment in the Bible: An epic showdown between YHWH, the one true God of Israel, and the pretender god of Jezebel, Baal. 
 
All due respect to Charlton Heston and the parting of the Red Sea, but this showdown was truly EPIC.
 
Recently uncovered ancient flyers attest to as much:
 

SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!
The Quarrel at Carmel!
Elijah, the Last Prophet of YHWH vs. 450 prophets of Baal
in a
BATTLE TO THE DEATH!

 
But this story isn’t about that.  This is about the fallout of YHWH and EJ’s victory…
 
Though YHWH had proven to be the only real God, Jezebel remained unmoved, and then moved to kill Elijah.
 
And so, terrified, he fled.
 
Eventually, Elijah found himself holed up in a cave at Mt. Horeb.  He was literally buried in the mountain where Mr. Heston had received the Ten Commandments.  Elijah was scared, alone, and ready to die.
 
Then the Word of God spoke to him: Yo, EJ!  Why you here? Get up and go outside.  The Lord is about to pass by!
 
Elijah did so and he witnessed some incredibly powerful movements of earth, wind, and fire.  (Tradition tells us this happened on the 21st of September, but that is hard to verify.)
 
In all this dancing of power, however, God was not present.  Only after the spectacle did God speak. The CEB puts it like this:
 
After the fire, there was a sound.  Thin.  Quiet.
 
Elijah had witnessed God send fire from the sky to consume his offering, besting the prophets of Baal.  Now, he had witnessed wind tear apart mountains, the earth beneath shake, and a fire consuming all in its path.
 
He had witnessed the power of God in full form. 
 
But God was not in these demonstrations of power – just as Christ was not truly recognized in the signs and wonders.  Rather, it was in quiet words, spoken so softly that they could be drowned out by the cacophony of people searching for a presentation of power. 
 
Here's a story we need to hear right now.

A lot of us feel buried right now  – and whether we are buried by the circumstances of our lives and world today or by a mountain of expectation that God is going to act in ways God has before, we are seeking comfort and a path forward. 
 
Like Elijah, however, we will not find such peace in a demonstration of power or an incredible miracle of God’s activity in the world.
 
Rather, the true act of faith that leads to peace in times such as these is simply to be still and listen. 
 
Yo, Northside! What are we doing here?  Get up, let’s go outside.  The Lord is about to pass by!

Shhhhhhh……