8.20.2026 - Matt Hekman

August 20

Our study of the gentleness of God takes us now to a story from the life of the prophet Elijah. Elijah had a long career as God’s voice to his people, Israel and it has been a difficult and dangerous calling. You may be familiar with the story just before the passage we will study today. Elijah has just killed all of the prophets of Baal on the mountaintop where God miraculously consumed Elijah’s soaking wet offering, stones and all, with fire from heaven. Now Elijah is on the run. We will pick up the story here in 1 Kings 19:1-18

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

There are admittedly a lot of things that can be said about this passage. It is rich with many insights into the character of God and how he cares for his people. But since we’re focused on God’s gentleness, we’ll talk about that.

First, we see God’s gentleness in caring for the physical needs of Elijah. Elijah is literally running for his life, alone and exhausted. In his utter despair he asks God to simply end his life, and he lays down and falls asleep. The angel of the Lord wakes him up and gives him fresh bread and water, which he eats and then promptly falls back asleep. Again, the angel wakes him and gives him more to eat and drink because “the journey is too much.”

I can’t help but think of an unreasonable toddler when reading this part of the story. Sometimes all that is needed is a nap and a snack. Whether Elijah was being overly dramatic or not by wishing to be dead, God gently provides what he needs, knowing what’s ahead. Elijah gains his strength and travels to the mountain of God, where we see another example of God’s gentleness.

At Horeb, the mountain of God, the word of the Lord comes to Elijah and asks, “Why are you here?” Elijah lays his complaint before God. ‘I did my job, but the people won’t listen. The other prophets are dead and I’m next.’ And God does something unexpected, he tells Elijah, “Wait here, the presence of the Lord is going to pass by.”

Next, of course is the obvious gentleness example – the violent wind that shatters rocks, the earthquake, and the fire all powerfully overtake the mountain – none contain the presence of God. It is the whisper that follows in which God reveals his presence to Elijah.

Again, he asks, “Why are you here?” giving Elijah another chance to say what’s on his mind. God listens to Elijah give the same complaint, “I speak but they won’t listen and they’re going to kill me.”

God dealt gently with Elijah, not just by listening to his complaints (twice) but by bringing his presence to Elijah in a whisper. And God, being good, answers Elijah with the best news. He is to anoint new kings over Aram and Israel who will vanquish his foes. He no longer will need to fear for his life. More than that, he gets to retire and anoint his replacement, Elisha. And, it gets better, there are 7000 faithful that God has preserved; Elijah is not alone like he thought he was.

The gentleness of God showed up in Elijah’s life, providing for his physical needs, listening to him complain, and by just being there in the whisper. We can be assured that God will deal gently with us, for he is good.