What are You Doing Here?
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah stood inside the cave of Mount Horeb, his body and face sunken, revealing the little rest he had gotten. He had been resting, escaping, and contemplating for the past weeks.
It had been six weeks ago when the biggest showdown between Baal and Yahweh happened. Nothing like this has been heard before, and nothing like this would probably happen again. Four hundred fifty prophets of Baal, with the royal family’s support, against one prophet of Yahweh, with no one to back him up. The challenge: to offer sacrifices to the god they worship, and the one that brings fire down is given the title “LORD.”
It happened quickly. The sacrifices for Baal began. The prophets of Baal, have cried out and have hurt themselves for their god to listen to them and answer their cries of torment. Groans and shouts of horror and blood gnashing were being heard. The whole place of Carmel shook with their voices rising to the air. But no fire came down.
After the prophets of Baal failed, with no trophy or title in their hand, it was Elijah’s turn. He prayed and asked for the impossible to happen. Building an altar, and soaking it wet to its very bone, Elijah offered a prayer up to the heavens. And the moment he had finished his prayer, the impossible happened. Fire fell from heaven, swallowing the offering. The people who have witnessed what happened fell to their knees. They have remembered what was once forgotten.
“Yahweh is God. The Lord, he is God.” The people who have stood and saw what had happened went down on their knees, bowing down and worshipping Yahweh. And while the Israelites worshipped and wept for the sins they have done, Elijah had called the others to kill the prophets of Baal.
It happened quickly. The prophets of Baal were slaughtered, not one of them was spared. Knowing that Baal will not and could not save them, they tried to flee away from the Israelites. But no one had made it out alive.
It should have been a happy ending for the time being. Elijah and Yahweh had won. The people remembered once again the God who rescued them from Egypt and promised them land for themselves. But, it was only short-lived.
It happened quickly. A messenger from the queen, telling Elijah, with fear heard in his voice, his hands shaking for Elijah, urging him to run, hide, “The queen is planning to kill you, and she will not stop until you have been put to death by the sword.”
Hearing the words of the messenger, Elijah ran as fast as his feet could carry him. His courage and bravery were quickly replaced with fear and terror. The numbness he had felt in his legs did not stop him from escaping the queen. When he noticed he had already reached the wilderness, he finally stopped. His legs finally gave away as he succumbed to the aching feeling of his body, and his thoughts. He cried out to Yahweh, “Take away my life, I am tired.” Elijah had cried and prayed himself to sleep that night, the only prayer repeating again and again in his heart, “Take away my life, I am tired.”
“Elijah, wake up.” An angel woke him up gently, calling his name and shaking his body softly, telling him, “You need to eat.” He did as the angel had told him and fell asleep as soon as he finished. The same prayer had been running through his head as the angel took care of him, “Yahweh, Take away my life, I am tired.”
After drifting off to sleep, another angel woke him up and told him to eat once more, because he said, “You have to eat. The journey is too much for you.” And Elijah did.
It happened quickly. Supernatural strength seeped into the bones and muscles of Elijah. With the little food and drink he had, he rushed to Mount Horeb, where he continued to rest and hide from the world. He acted as if no fire was summoned from heaven. It was as if he did not go on a forty days journey with the little food and drink he had. A lot of sleep-filled nights have passed by when a voice called out to him, disrupting his escape from the world. “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
“Yahweh,” his voice cracked as he called out to him. It had been how many days already since he last used his voice to speak. “I have served you from the very moment you have called me. Your people have forgotten you and killed the very people who have been serving you. And now, I’m the only one left, and they also want to take away my life.” Elijah broke down at the thought of being alone, and to hear himself say it, and finally acknowledge his thoughts, made the tears fall on his cheeks.
The voice of God only responded, “Go out and wait for the Lord.” And Elijah did so.
Elijah stood outside the mount of the cave and waited for His presence to appear.
It happened quickly. As he waited, a wind, so strong it broke the two mountains in pieces. The wind has been harsh on nature, and harsher on Elijah’s frail body. The coolness of wind can be felt well within his bones, as he struggled with himself to stay in his place and to keep himself warm. He tried to sharpen his eyes and look for the Lord in the wind. His ears strained to hear any sound that can be uttered by Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind.
And so he waited longer.
It happened quickly. An earthquake appeared in front of his very eyes. The earth shook with such a great force, Elijah had to hold on to something to keep himself from falling. As he was forced to sit down against the rocks and to cling on to the cave’s walls, he saw the earth continue to move violently. He almost thought fire might come out of the ground and the waters might rise from the rocking of the earth. He shook his head and forced himself to focus. Could Yahweh be in the earthquake? Would he be able to hear his voice? But the LORD was not in the earthquake.
And so, Elijah waited longer.
It happened quickly. Fire appeared in front of his very eyes. The hot flames swept across the mountain, and Elijah had to step back to avoid getting burnt. The heat was almost comforting, but at the same time scorching to the bone. The fire passed by, just as the wind, blazing hot, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And so, he continued to wait.
Just as he was about to drift into another deep sleep, it happened quickly. Elijah heard a low whisper. The soft voice was too weak to hear if not listening intently. Had Elijah taken a nap, he would have missed it. Rising from where he sat down from the earthquake, he took his cloak and wrapped it around his body. He went outside to speak to the voice, and his knees bent as he bowed down before the LORD.
He had expected to hear anger from the LORD, a sharp rebuke, from his attitude of fear and giving up after such a great miracle. But, he had not heard either command nor rebuke. Yahweh did not appear before the prophet to send out another message, another mission, another proclamation. He did not give him supernatural strength as he had once done before. instead, the LORD had asked him one question. A question that was seemingly for those who are searching, and was asked to the servant who was tired, and longing for rest.
“Elijah,” the LORD spoke in a soft and loving manner. “What are you doing here?”
