Still Listening

I had decided my blog's name long before I figured out a decent Third Day song was talking about the same passage of Scripture. It's "Still Listening" from their Come Together album. Maybe the efficacy of the words is aided by the bluesy guitars and singers, but now you can see the expanded version of my banner up on top of this page.

There was a time when I thought that I had You figured out
I told You before and I’ll say it once more
Now and then I have my doubts
I’ll never pretend to know what You are doing
It’s true that You move in mysterious ways

I looked for You in
The fire and in the wind
But You weren’t there as far as I could see
I thought I’d hear You shout
But then I figured it out
That all along You’re whispering to me
And I’m still listening

Just when I thought that I had caught a glimpse of who You are
You taught me a lesson I needed to learn
Right from the very start
I never will be the man that I quite need to be
But that’s alright ‘cause You’re enough for me

Here's the passage of Scripture it's based on. I chose one with a story format so our minds wouldn't float elsewhere, since it's kind of a long historical account. I strongly recommend sinking your eager-beaver teeth into the context in a Hebrew-to-English literal translation here.

For the background, I wish you all had the benefit of sitting under our Old Testament History expert Dave Hodgon's passionate teaching. (Hey, I'll insert a plug for New Tribes wherever I can!) From my memory, man's sin nature was manifested big-time in Israel splitting into two kingdoms, after almost all the rulers and commonpeople just stopped trusting in God and started looking to their own routines and desires. One particularly scary ruler was the northern division's Queen Jezebel, the domineering wife of fearful, corrupt king Ahab. She reeeeally liked Baal-worship, and of course our old hero Elijah wasn't going to stand for that harlotry against Israel's true love, the Lord. So Jezebel sent people to look for Elijah and kill him like all the other prophets of God at that time. So, did he boldly duke them out in a swordfight or find a big group of people who still loved God? Nope. All the better for God to show it's HE who solves the problems, not us. Read on, friend.

1 Kings 19:1-18 (New Living Translation)

Elijah Flees to Sinai
When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”