93652.1 1 Kings

A. Theme and Background.

1. Like First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings are one book in the Jewish Scriptures. They too were first divided by the Septuagint about 250 BC. Although the writer is unknown, it is Traditionally assigned to Jeremiah.
2. First and Second Kings continue the narrative begun in First and Second Samuel. Together, these four historical books record the rise of the Kingdom of Israel from its beginnings under the scattered rule of Judges to a unified kingdom under King Saul and then on to its greatest glory, extent and prosperity under King David and King Solomon. It ends with a divided kingdom and apostacy of the northern tribes.
3. Together, these books show the inability of man to rule himself and the result of worship of false gods.

B. Chapters One and Two record the death of King David and the coronation of King Solomon.

1. Chapter One.

1. The chapter opens with the aged David being unable to keep warm. The kingdom is searched and a beautiful young woman named Abishag was found to minister to him but, he did not have sexual relations with her. Adonijah, a half-brother of Solomon, sets himself up as king and gathers Joab, the commander of the army and Abiathar, the priest who helped him.
2. Bathsheba comes to the king while Abishag is ministering to David and informs him that Adonijah has seized the kingdom in violation of David’s promise to her to make Solomon king after him. Nathan the prophet, and Zadok the priest are instructed to have Solomon ride on David’s mule and anoint him king, causing the city to be in an uproar (vs, 1:44-45).
3. Adonijah hears the uproar and is informed that Solomon has been anointed king. He flees in terror to the altar and lays hold of the horns, signifying a plea that he would not be put to death. Solomon hears of this and says: “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die” (vs. 1:52). He then tells Adonijah to go to his own house.

2. Chapter Two.

1. David calls Solomon to him, as he knows he is about to die and instructs him saying: “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel’” (vs. 2:2-4).
2. He then tells Solomon to deal with Joab, the commander of the army who killed two commanders of Israel, avenging in a time of peace for blood that had been shed in a time of war (vs. 2:5). He also tells him to act according to his wisdom but, to not let Joab’s grey hair go down to Sheol in peace. David also remembers with kindness Barzillai, who brought provisions to David when he was fleeing Absalom. He then addresses Shimei who cursed David when he was fleeing, but came and met David at the Jordan upon David’s return. David promised not to kill him and David acknowledges Solomon’s wisdom in dealing with him.
3. David dies and is buried in the city of David and Solomon’s reign as king is fully established (vs. 2:10-11).
4. The balance of the chapter deals with how justice was dealt to those who rebelled against David.

1. Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and asks her to request of David that Abishag, the woman who kept David warm, be given to him as a wife. This seems a harmless request but when Solomon hears of it, he has Adonijah put to death (vs, 2:25). The reason lies with the custom of conquering kings to take a defeated king’s concubines as his own, thereby cementing the victory. We see this happening when Absolom seized the throne in Second Samuel 16:22. Adonijah’s request shows that he still desired the kingship.
2. Solomon removes Abiathar the priest because he supported Adonijah. He did not kill him because he carried the ark and shared in David’s affliction (vs. 2:26). His removal from the priesthood fulfilled the word of the Lord concerning the house of Eli (vs. 2: 27).
3. When Joab hears of Adonijah’s death, he flees and lays hands on the horns of the altar as he had supported Adonijah in his rebellion. Solomon hears of it and has him put to death (vs. 2:34).
4. Shimei is told to build a house in Jerusalem, but if he leaves Jerusalem he will die (vs. 2:37). Shimei obeys this command at first, but after three years, he leaves Jerusalem to chase down two of his servants. Solomon hears of it and when Shimei returns, has him put to death (vs. 2:46).
5. The chapter closes with the words: “So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon”.

C. Chapter Three.

1. Solomon makes an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Intermarrying with other people than the people of Israel was prohibited by the Lord in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 “for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.” This would be a pattern that Solomon would have throughout his kingship, as he eventually accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines (vs. 1Kings 11:3). Indeed, “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God” (vs. 1 Kings 11:4).
2. “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places” (vs. 3:3). The passage goes on to say that “the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” (vs. 3:4). The high places were commonly used by the pagan people of that area for worship of their false gods. Solomon apparently appropriated the high places for worship of the true God. Gibeon was where the tent and tabernacle were located (2 Chronicles 1:2-6) so this was appropriate. However, later in his life, his many wives and concubines persuaded him to use the high places for worship of their false gods.
3. In a dream, the Lord asks him what He should give him. Solomon asks for wisdom to govern the people, which pleases God in that he did not ask for selfish things. There is a curious verse in this passage where Solomon says: “I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in” (vs. 3:7b). It shows Solomon’s humility, but scholars have compared the chronology of David and Solomon and determined that he was probably in his early 20s.
4. The chapter concludes with a famous narrative showing Solomon’s wisdom. Two prostitutes come to him with the story of how one of them laid on her baby and smothered it and then exchanges the dead baby with the live one while the mother of the live baby slept. Both claimed the live baby as theirs. Solomon asks for a sword so that he supposedly would divide the baby in half and give each mother equal parts. The false mother agrees and the genuine mother, desiring that the baby live, tells him to give it to the false mother. Solomon gives the baby to the genuine mother which when “all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (vs. 3:28).

D. Chapter Four lists Solomon’s officers and gives details of his wealth and the extent of his kingdom. “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life” (vs 4:20-21). The chapter closes with an affirmation of Solomon’s wisdom: “And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom (vs. 4:34).

E. Chapter Five narrates the preparations for building the temple. Solomon contacts Hiram, King of Tyre, as he was a close friend of David’s and had built a house for him in Jerusalem. They reach an agreement where both Hiram and Solomon would partner on the construction project. Details of the arrangement are given.

F. Chapter Six gives details of the construction of the temple. It took seven years to complete (vs. 6:38b).

G. Chapter Seven details the construction of Solomon’s house. He brings Hiram, a skilled craftsman in bronze for the casting of various furnishings of the temple. The chapter closes with mention of the gold vessels that were made for the temple.

H. Chapter Eight. The Ark is brought into the newly constructed temple along with the other holy things from the tent. The glory of the Lord fills the house of the Lord. Solomon prays a lengthy prayer of blessing and dedication. In his prayer, he acknowledges that the temple cannot contain God: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! (vs. 8:27). The chapter closes with Solomon’s sacrifices to the Lord and a great feast for the people.

I. Chapter Nine.

1. The Lord again appears to Solomon and reaffirms His promise to David that “you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel” (vs. 9:5b). But then He warns Solomon that if the people go and serve other gods that He will cut off Israel from the land and the temple will become a heap of ruins (vs. 9:6-9).
2. The chapter goes on to tell of Solomon’s other acts. There is one interesting narrative about Solomon giving King Hiram, who was instrumental in providing the materials and skilled labor to build both Solomon’s house and the temple. Solomon gives Hiram twenty cities in Galilee (vs. 9:11). When Hiram goes to see the cities, Solomon had given him, he is displeased and says “What kind of cities are these that you have given me, my brother?”. The narrative goes on to say that they are called “Cabul”, meaning “worthless” to this day (vs. 9:13). Some Bible commentators have noted that since these cities were land locked, they were of little value to Hiram’s sea faring people, the Phoenicians. It may also be the case that they were still inhabited by the pagan Canaanite people. Galilee, of course, is where Jesus grew up and we are reminded that even in His day, the area was despised “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). In the 1860s, Mark Twain toured the Holy Land and, as part of his journey, went through Galilee. He describes some of the villages he went through, which could have been the same ones given to Hiram. He wrote of Magdala: “not a beautiful place… thoroughly ugly, and cramped, squalid, uncomfortable, and filthy, just the style of cities that have adorned the country since Adam’s time”. And of Tiberias: “Its people are best examined at a distance. They are particularly uncomely … squalor and poverty are the pride of Tiberias.” Hiram apparently gave the gifts back to Solomon since, as we read in 2 Chronicles 8:2, that Solomon rebuilt the cities and settled the people of Israel in them.

J. Chapter Ten.

1. The Queen of Sheba “heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions” (vs. 10:1). There has been much speculation regarding this story of the unnamed Queen and where exactly Sheba is located. Many scholars locate it in the south Arabian kingdom of Saba, presently modern-day Yemen and Ethiopia.
2. Solomon answers all her questions and “there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her” (vs. 10:3). She was so awe struck at all of Solomon’s wisdom and riches that “there was no more breath in her” (vs. 10:5b). They exchange many riches as gifts and she departs to her own country with her servants (vs. 10:13).
3. There is an extra-biblical tradition that Solomon and the Queen had sexual relations resulting in the birth of Menelik I from which Ethiopian Jews trace their ancestry. One of the legends of the Ark of the Covenant, is that a copy was made at the direction of the Queen through Solomon and that either it or the original was carried back to Sheba. Ethiopian Christians believe that the genuine Ark is in a chapel in the small town of Aksum and has been guarded for 3,000 years by a succession of virgin monks who are forbidden to set foot outside the chapel until they die. This is only one of several legends regarding the Ark which disappeared prior to the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BC. The last documented mention of the location of the Ark in the Bible is in 2 Chronicles 35:3 where King Josiah, who reigned from 640 to 609 BC, instructs the Levites to put the Ark in the temple. No explanation is given as to why it was originally moved from the temple.

K. Chapter Eleven.

1. Solomon married many foreign wives in violation of God’s commandment: “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods” (vs. 11:2b). He did evil in the sight of the Lord by going after the false gods and making high places of worship for them.
2. The Lord was angry with Solomon and told him that he would tear the kingdom away from him and give it to another. But he would not do it for the sake of David but would tear it from Solomon’s son. However, he would leave one tribe (Judah) for the sake of David and Jerusalem (vs. 11:11-13).
3. The balance of the chapter relates how advisories were raised up against Solomon due to his failure to follow the Lord. One of these was a man named Jeroboam who the prophet Ahijah prophesied that he would rule over ten tribes torn from Solomon’s kingdom. Solomon desired to kill Jeroboam but he flees to Egypt and is given refuge by the Pharoh. The chapter concludes with Solomon’s death and his son Rehoboam ruling in his place.

L. Chapter Twelve.

1. All of Israel, including Jeroboam, came to Shechem to make Solomon’s son Rehoboam king. Rehoboam is told that his father made his yoke heavy upon them but that would serve him if he would lighten the load (vs. 12:4). Rehoboam asks for three days to consider during which he consults with the older men who had advised Solomon as well as the younger men he grew up with. He rejects the advice of the older men who advised him to be a servant to the people and speak good words to them, but takes the advice of his contemporaries who advise him to increase the load and to discipline them with scorpions (vs. 12:14). This was a turn of affairs brought on by the Lord to fulfill the prophecy given to Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah (vs. 12:15).
2. Israel rebels at these harsh words, and all but the tribe of Judah divide themselves from Rehoboam’s kingdom. They make Jeroboam king.
3. Jeroboam fears that the people will turn back to the House of David when they go up for the annual sacrifices to the Lord. So, he sins by making two calves of gold and places them in Dan and Bethel telling the people that these are the gods that brought them out of Egypt. He also makes temples on the high places and appoints priests who are not Levites (vs. 12:25-30).

M. Chapter thirteen.

1. Jeroboam is standing by one of the altars at Bethel to make sacrifices when a man of God from Judah confronts him. He prophecies in regards to the altar, that a man born to the House of David named Josiah, will “sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.” He gives a sign that the altar will be torn down and the ashes of the sacrifices poured out (vs. 13:2-3).
2. Jeroboam orders him seized, but the hand that he reaches out towards the man of God dries up. Jeroboam begs the man of God to restore his hand. The altar is torn down, and the ashes poured out confirming the word of the Lord to Jeroboam. Jeroboam begs the man to have the Lord restore his hand, which he does. Jeroboam asks the man of God to come back with him to his house for a reward, but the man refuses saying that the Lord commanded him not to eat or drink but return by the way he came (vs. 13:4-10).
3. An old prophet hears of the events and goes after the man of God. He lies to the man and tells him that he is a prophet also and that the Lord told him that an angel told him that the man of God should back with him to his house to eat bread and drink water. The man of God, thinking that this is a new revelation, does so (vs, 13:11-19).
4. While eating and drinking at the old prophet’s table, a word from the Lord came to the old prophet that due to the man of God’s disobedience, his body would not come to the tomb of his fathers. The man of God starts back to Judah and a lion kills him. When the old prophet hears of this, he retrieves the body and buries it in his own tomb (vs. 13:26-31).
5. The chapter concludes with Jeroboam continuing to sin by making priests from all the people for the high places. “And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth” (vs. 13:33-34).

N. Chapter Fourteen.

1. Jeroboam’s son becomes sick and he asks his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh and inquire of him regarding the child. The prophet was old and his eyes were dim. The Lord tells him that the child will die as soon as she enters her city. He further tells her that because of Jeroboam’s sin of following other gods, the Lord will bring harm upon his house and will give Israel up because of his sin. Jeroboam reigns a total of twenty-two years and he dies leaving his son, Nadab as king.
2. The balance of the chapter is a narrative of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, who reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem. But Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord by building high places and doing all of the abominations of the people that Israel drove out of the Good Land including having male cult prostitutes. In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak, king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and takes away the temple treasures, including the gold shields Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaces them with bronze shields (vs. 25-27). There is continual war between Jeroboam and Rehoboam. The chapter concludes with Jeroboam’s death.

M. Chapter Fifteen. The narrative describes who were the kings of Judah and Israel immediately after the deaths of Jeroboam and Rehoboam.

1. In Judah: Adijam reigns for three years but he does evil. “Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son (Asa) after him, and establishing Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (vs. 15:4-5). Asa does good, removing the idols and cult prostitutes and removes the queen mother because she made an abominable image of Asherah, although the high places were not taken away (vs. 15:13-14). His heart was true to the Lord all his days (vs. 15:14). Judah and Israel were constantly at war.
2. In Israel: Nadab, son of Jeroboam reigned for two years doing evil in the sight of the Lord and was assassinated by Baasha of the house of Issachar, who killed all of Jeroboam’s house according to the prophecy of Ahijah. This was for the sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin which angered the Lord (vs. 15:27-30). Baasha reigns for twenty-four years doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

O. Chapter Sixteen details what happened to four kings of Israel who came after Baasha.

1. Baasha’s son Elah reigns for two years doing evil. When he was drinking himself drunk, he is assassinated by Zimri, the commander of his chariots (vs. 16:9-10). Zimri kills all of the house of Baasha for the evil he did against the Lord.
2. Zimri reigns for only seven days and dies when he burns the kings house over him (vs. 16:18).
3. He is replaced by Omri after a struggle with Tibni over the kingship. Omri does more evil than all who went before him. He dies and is replaced by Ahab, his son (vs. 25-28).
4. Ahab reigns for twenty-two years in Samaria doing evil more than all the kings of Israel before him, provoking the anger of the Lord. He erects an idol Baal and worships him and takes for his wife the infamous Jezebel, daughter of the king of the Sidonians (vs. 16:29-33). The chapter closes with “Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun” (vs. 16:34).

P. Chapter Seventeen begins the narrative of the interaction between Elijah and Ahab. Elijah predicts a drought and then hides by the brook Cherith east of the Jordon. He drinks water from the brook and ravens bring him bread and meat. When the brook dries up, the Lord directs him to go to Zarephath where a widow housed him, and where her jar of flour and jug of oil did not empty until the day that the Lord sent rain upon the earth. The widow’s son dies but Elijah prays to the Lord and the son is raised. The chapter closes with “And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (vs. 17:24).

Q. Chapter Eighteen.

1. Elijah is told by the Lord to show himself to Ahab and He will bring rain upon the earth. When they meet, Elijah tells Ahab to gather Israel and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 450 prophets Asherah who eat at Jezabel’s table to him at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (vs. 18:21).
2. Elijah presents a challenge to the false prophets of preparing two bulls and seeing who will call down fire upon the bulls to determine who is the true God. The false prophets call upon Baal and cut themselves but nothing happens. Elijah mocks them: “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened” (vs. 18:27).
3. Elijah builds an altar to the Lord of twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. He places wood and the bull upon the altar. He made a trench around the altar and pours four jars of water three times on the bull, the wood thereby filling the trench. He calls upon God: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” (vs. 18:36-37).
4. Then fire from the Lord came down and consumed the bull, the wood and licked up all the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they fell on their faces and said “The Lord He is God” (vs. 18:39). Elijah tells them to seize the prophets of Baal and they are taken down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered.
5. Elijah tells Ahab to eat and drink for he hears the sound of rushing rain. He tells his servant to look towards the sea, but there was nothing. He does this seven times and a small cloud appears and there was a great rain (vs. 18:41-44). The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah, and he runs ahead of Ahad’s chariot to the entrance of Jezreel (vs. 18:46).

R. Chapter Nineteen.

1. When Jezebel hears what Elijah has done to the prophets of Baal, she vows to kill him. Elijah flees to the wilderness one day’s journey and lies down asking the Lord to take his life “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (vs. 19:4b). He lies down and sleeps. An angel awakens him and gives him a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. The angel tells him to eat and drink and in the strength of that food, he goes forty days and nights to a cave at the mount of God, Horeb (vs. 19:6-8).
2. The Lord comes to him at the cave and says: What are you doing here, Elijah?” (vs. 19:9b). Elijah complains that he is the only one left and that they seek to take his life. The Lord has him stand upon the mount. He comes to him three times. First as a strong wind that broke rocks in pieces. Secondly as an earthquake, thirdly as a fire, but the Lord was not in any of these. Lastly, He comes as a low whisper, and Elijah recognizes that this is the Lord. The Lord instructs him to return to Damascus and anoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu, son of Nimshi, king over Israel and Elisha as the prophet who will replace Elijah. He further tells Elijah that He has seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal (vs. 19:11-18).
3. The chapter concludes with the call of Elisha as his assistant.

S. Chapter Twenty details Ahab’s successful battles with Ben-hadad.

T. Chapter Twenty-one recounts the story of Naboth who had a vineyard near Ahab’s palace.

1. Ahab desires it but Naboth refuses to sell it to him it as it was the inheritance of his fathers. Jezebel finds two worthless fellows who bring charges that Naboth cursed God and the king. The leaders of the city take him outside the city and stone him to death.
2. God instructs Elijah to confront Ahab in the vineyard where he has gone to take possession of it. He tells Ahab that his house will become desolate due to his doing evil in the sight of the Lord. He also proclaims that the dogs will eat Jezebel within the walls of the city (vs. 20:22-24).
3. At these words, Ahab repents and the Lord tells Elijah: “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house” (vs. 21:29).

U. Chapter Twenty-Two details the cooperation between King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab to battle Syria.

1. Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of a prophet as to the success of the war. False prophets predict a glorious victory, but Jehoshaphat is not convinced. Micaiah, who never prophesizes anything good about Ahab is summoned who recounts that “the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you” (vs, 22:23).
2. They decide to go to battle and Ahab is killed by an archer who shoots at random. Ahab dies, his blood in the floor of the chariot is washed by a pool where the dogs lick up the blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it according to the word of the Lord (vs. 22:38).
3. The balance of the chapter lists Jehoshaphat reigning in Judah for 25 years making peace with the king of Israel. He walked in the way of Asa, his father doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord but the high places were not taken away and the people still made sacrifices on the high places (vs. 22:41-44). Ahaziah reigned after Ahab’s death over Israel for two years doing evil in the sight of the Lord, serving Baal and worshiping him provoking the Lord’s anger (vs. 22:51-53).

V. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. Solomon begins his reign wisely and follows the Lord. However, marries the daughter of Pharaoh violating the law of Moses of not marrying foreign women. He marries 700 wives and has concubines of people of foreign nations which turn his heart away from the Lord. Have you started wisely in following the Lord? What might be something that could turn your heart away from Him?
2. In spite of Solomon’s sin, the Lord honors His promise to David of always having a member of the House of David on the throne of Israel. Even during the Babylonian captivity, archeological findings have uncovered clay records that show the king of Judah, Jeconiah, was provided rations. The genealogy of Matthew chapter one lists Jeconiah and Zerubbabel who returned to Judah when the captives were released. The genealogy continues unbroken down to Jesus who will sit on the throne of David at His second coming (Vs. Luke 1:32-33). What does God’s promise to David cause you to think about the promises given to you and the people of God? Find someone to share this with.
3. The account of Solomon giving the king of Tyre worthless cities brings up the question of what are you giving to the Lord. Are you giving Him second best? Not only what is left over from your checking account but also of your time and energy?
4. The incident of the old prophet and the man of God in chapter thirteen is worth looking at for application. The old prophet presents himself as a prophet of God and contradicts what the man of God was told which was to return without eating or drinking anything. What would you do if someone came to you with “a word from the Lord” and it violated something in Scripture or that you knew to be true?
5. Elijah is given three events: a strong wind, an earthquake and fire. But the Lord comes to him as a low whisper. Do you expect the Lord to come to you in some sort of powerful means? Or are you listening to his “low whisper”?