But the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice

The Lord had sent a strong wind that had broken the rocks in pieces, then an earthquake,  followed by fire.  But the Lord was in none of them,  He was however in the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11, 12).  Elijah had been very zealous for the Lord “for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (verse 10). Indeed Elijah had executed the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal with the sword (18:19, 19:1). In response, Queen Jezebel had threatened Elijah with the same fate, and he had run for his life (verses 2,3). Elijah had been sulking “I alone am left,” who could blame him?

We are such creatures of imbalance, and we too easily concentrate on the one hand on God's strange and terrible work of judgement,  symbolized by thunder, earthquake,  noise, windstorm,  tempest and flames of a devouring fire (Isaiah 29:6). Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). On the other hand is God's goodness and Mercy. It is not one or the other, the God of the Old Covenant is the God of the New.  And with God,  there is both goodness and severity,  severity on those who fall, and goodness to those who continue in His goodness (Romans 11:22).  God is a consuming fire, but He is also the author of gentleness (Psalm 18:35). The God who thunders from Mount Zion with thunderings and lightenings,  also speaks in the still small voice, literally in "a sound of soft stillness."

God deals with us differently under the Law and under Grace. The emphasis under Law is judgement, under Grace it is mercy.  But both are present in both the Old and the New covenants. God is a consuming fire is New Covenant ( Hebrews 12:29). But when James and John wanted to copy Elijah,  and call down fire from heaven, Jesus rebuked them “You do not know what spirit you are of” (Luke 9:54, 55).  When people oppose us it is easy, like with James and John,  to operate out of the wrong spirit. When Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Peter 2:23).  And when we operate out of the wrong spirit, we too tend to get sucky, but also self righteous “I'm the only one who really follows You Lord.” And when we get there, as we all likely do from time to time,  the Lord would say to us, what He said to Elijah “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18).

Father, it is so easy to get into the wrong spirit when there is opposition. We need to be imitators of You Lord in Your goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering. You who admonish us to  bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things, is the One who does these things in spades. Your goodness is designed to lead men to repentance, and as the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.   We need Your help Lord to be the Ambassadors  You call us to be. So we ask for this help again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen