40...SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Based on 1Kings Chs. 19-22 to 2Kings Chs. 1 & 2...Read more there.

Elijah, the most important Prophet since Moses, introduced to us in Ep.39 now takes centre-stage. Ahab, king in Israel is one of the worst rulers any country has ever had (N1). He's bad enough in himself, but is aided & abetted by his queen, the notorious Jezebel who often 'makes the bullets'! We've already been told [1K 18:13] that Jezebel has 'slaughtered the prophets of YHWH', so to stand up to Ahab & Jezebel who 'wants his guts for garters', as well as their priests of Baal as Elijah does is to court danger! Elijah has to flee for his life [19:3] & wants to die! But eventually he ends up on Mt.Horeb (Sinai). He's suffering from 'spiritual burn-out' by now & looks for renewal on Moses' old stamping ground. He takes shelter in a cave or crevice, possibly the very one that Moses took cover in so he could not 'see God's face', God's glory [EX 33:18+]. YHWH calls to the fugitive, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The Prophet then undergoes a remarkable spiritual experience as Moses has done before him, & eventually Jesus will undergo long after. On Mt. Sinai (Horeb) there comes a mighty storm, but God is not in the storm; after the storm an earthquake, but God is not in the earthquake; after the earthquake fire (lightning?) but God is not in the fire. After the fire comes what is translated variously as 'stillness', 'silence', 'the sound of gentle stillness' etc. YHWH appears in this total silence. Though God is often believed to be revealed in the extremities of nature, is this total silence perhaps to reveal the peaceful nature of God in contrast to the violence raging all around at this time (with Elijah part of it)? Elijah emerges from his cave, but is careful to cover his face with his cloak so that, like Moses of old, he cannot see God's glory for to see that would be to die! Again God asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" and then instructs him to interfere on His behalf in the political scenarios of the nearby Arameans, & also in Israel. More, Elijah is to anoint Elisha to be his successor as Prophet [19:19+]. Elijah comes out of hiding, returns to Israel, & finds Elisha ploughing with a large team of oxen. Elijah dramatically throws his cloak over Elisha, symbolically 'capturing' him for the new role he is to play for God in Hebrew events. In response Elisha kills a yoke of oxen, uses their yokes to make a fire, & cooking them provides a feast to mark & celebrate his leaving his old life behind & obeying his new calling. (N2)

After this we have reports of more wars, intriguing & confusing tales of 'false prophets', before the book moves on to report an event that shows how bad Ahab & Jezebel really are! Ahab badly wants a vineyard belonging to a citizen named Naboth [Ch. 21] but Naboth won't exchange or sell as Ahab wants, so Jezebel arranges his murder so Ahab can take possession of the coveted piece of land! For YHWH & Elijah this is the last straw! [21:17+] & soon after Ahab meets a nasty end in yet another battle [22: 29+]. Mind you, he's succeeded by his son, Ahaziah, a chip-off-the-old-block who will die after just a year in office as 2 Kings begins. Ch.1 tells of an attempt by Ahaziah & his soldiers to arrest Elijah, but this is thwarted by two troops of soldiers being killed by fire called down by Elijah (more lightning?). A third troop is wise enough to know where to draw the line, & safely escorts Elijah to the king where he promptly tells him he's going to die. Soon! And he does! In Ch. 2 Elijah is taken up to heaven by a chariot & horses of fire. Elisha, who is privileged to watch this happen, inherits Elijah's mantle (cloak) as the new great Prophet in the land & will later join Elijah as a huge influence on Jesus' thinking...But that's another story...41...Prophet & Loss Accounts                   

(N1)  Ahab ruled Israel from 874 to 853 BC., long enough to do a lot of damage. (N2) I K Chs. 17+ are referred to as the 'Elijah Cycle'; 2K Ch. 2 then begins the 'Elisha Cycle'.

Question:  Are we more comfortable with storm, earthquake, fire, etc. than we are with silence?