It might seem that the big moment for Elijah, the seemingly fearless prophet God, was the victory on Mount Carmel. Given the dramatic success of that whole event, it’s easy to miss the bigger and more pivotal moments that followed as he fled into the wilderness. The wilderness and the cave experience that came with it, do more to shape Elijah’s understanding of who God is, who he is, and what his mission is all about than the extraordinary mountaintop scene of fire consuming water and the elimination of enemy prophets.
In part one of this story [add link] we looked at what drove the man, Elijah, into the wilderness. In part two, we’ll examine what the wilderness drove into the man.
The Wilderness Destination
As the story goes, Elijah has left his servant behind, continued a day’s journey deeper into the wilderness, and then quit. Quit the trip, quit the mission, and ready to quit life. Exhausted physically and emotionally, he falls asleep. He let’s go, as it were, and accepts rest. Twice during this period of rest, he is awaken, given water and food, and after the second time he is reinvigorated enough to travel another 40 days. His destination is Horeb, the mountain of God. The very place where Moses encountered the bush that burned but was not consumed.
When Elijah arrives, weary from the journey, he finds a cave and spends the night there. The text is unclear about whose idea it was to come to this place. Had Elijah been here before? Was he looking for something? Another mountaintop experience to replace the last one? Was he intending to find this cave all along? The reader does not know the answers to these questions but the ensuing conversation gives some insights.
At some point after he arrived at the mountain and checked into the cave, God comes to him with a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah repeats his plea .. “I’ve been zealous … the people didn’t listen … I’m the only one … now they’re trying to kill me too.” I’m sure you can relate. It’s the story Elijah had told himself about his circumstances. It was clear to him and he was convinced it was the right story.
Unlearning to Relearn
Apparently, the 40+ day journey through the wilderness to get to this point had not produced a deeper understanding of what was happening. I don’t want to be too hard on Elijah. Other than the distance he put between himself and his pursuers, the circumstances as he understood them hadn’t changed. He was still alone, with a warrant for death, and he didn’t see a need to go on like this. The question that would be in my own mind, and has been in the past, is “Why am I doing this? What’s the point?”
Have you ever asked that question? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it didn’t feel worth it to keep going with the cause? Or the project? Or the mission? This is part of everyone’s leadership journey at some point. It’s not so much the question that matters here. Rather, it’s what you do with the question that defines who you are as a leader.
At this point, God deems Elijah ready to receive the wilderness revelation he needed, though perhaps not what he was looking for. God is going to pass by and invites Elijah to go to the mouth of the cave and wait for him. But God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire that went before him. Instead, he was in the gentle whisper that followed.
Again, the question from God comes to Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Again, the rehearsed answer from Elijah, “ … zealous … only one … going to kill me.”
You can imagine God shaking his head at Elijah. Not in disappointment or frustration but as a loving instructor might with a pupil who hasn’t quite gotten the lesson. So God responds with new instructions, an expanded perspective, and a way for Elijah to process what had just happened.
Go Back the Way You Came
The wilderness moments aren’t solely for the person who experiences them. To be sure, the person is changed by going into the wilderness and confronting the darkness and fear of the cave. But the greater impact is when the person returns from the wilderness to share what they experienced. In the case of Elijah, his impact is to go back and complete his mission.
If it took 40 days of traveling “into” in order to prepare Elijah to receive the revelation, then traveling “out of”, another 40 days back the way he came, prepared him to understand the revelation.
What did he learn? What can we learn from his journey that helps us in our own? Here are three ideas you can focus on:
The moments that matter aren’t just the successes and achievements. They are also when we discover the still, small voice, speaking to us in the gentle whispers of our lowest moments.
The mission isn’t over. There is still an impact to make. For Elijah, there was succession work to do, including a new prophet to anoint and mentor to replace himself.
You are not alone. For Elijah, there were thousands of others still committed and willing to follow the cause.
And so, Elijah becomes the patron saint of Fifteen&, and of leaders everywhere.
or Deeper Reflection
Perhaps this confirms how you’ve always understood this story. Or maybe this version is a whole new way to look at the old story. Either way, the invitation to you, as a leader, is to see yourself in this story and explore your own learning from it. Here are some questions you can ask to help draw out your own revelation:
Where are you experiencing a strong desire or making a hard push for something to happen?
Are you feeling dread, or anger or bitterness in any of that effort?
Where are you feeling like you’re in the wilderness right now?
Have you paused to listen for what the still and gentle whisper of the wilderness is saying to you?
The story of Elijah and its application to growing as a servant leader is just one of many that we’ll explore at Fifteen&. To learn more about what we’re building and the story we’re currently exploring, join us for the next Wednesday gathering. Find all the information and get your ticket here.