Elijah at Mount Horeb

And so, after 40 days and nights of crossing deserts and wilderness, I finally reached my destination: Horeb, the mountain of God.

I came across a cave in the mountain, and having no where else to escape the heat that bore down, I went into it. Suddenly, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Elijah, why are you here?”  I rose, and replied, “Oh Lord, God of hosts, I have been very jealous for You because Your people have forsaken your covenant! They destroy your altars and your prophets too. I am the only one left who remembers You, and they are seeking even my life, to kill me like the other prophets that brought Your word!” At that, God commanded me to go out on the mountain to stand before Him.

As He gave this command, the Lord Himself passed by.  As He passed, a great, strong and terrible wind arose, screaming all around me. Wind so strong and great that even rocks from the mountain were picked up and broken. I trembled and hid, fearing for my life, for the Lord God was not in the wind. As the wind quieted down, an earthquake caused the mountain to shudder at its very foundation. The cave threatened to fall around me, burying me within the earth. Neither was the Lord in this earthquake. After the earth quit shaking, a fire appeared, which gave off tremendous heat- but the Lord was not in this great fire.

When the fire died down, I waited for the next disaster- yet, there was a noticeable silence after the roaring of the wind, the cracking and breaking of the earth, and the blazing fire.  It was in this silence that a faint, soft whisper came across the mountain and into my cave.  When I heard it, I wrapped my cloak around my face, and went out, standing by the entrance of the cave.

And it was there that a voice called out to me, asking again, “Elijah, why are you here?” Again, I replied, “Oh Lord, God of hosts, I have been very jealous for You because Your people have forsaken your covenant! They destroy your altars and your prophets too. I am the only one left who remembers You, and they are seeking even my life, to kill me like the other prophets that brought Your word!” God said to me, “Return to the wilderness of Damascus.  When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Syria and Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king over Israel.  Anoint also Elisha, son of Shaphat, to be your successor as prophet. Whoever escapes from Hazael shall be killed by Jehu, and whoever escapes from Jehu shall be killed by Elisha. Yet, you will not be alone. Seven thousand in Israel have also been faithful, neither bowing to nor kissing the idols of Baal. They shall be spared.”
[1 Kings 19.8-18; God speaks to Elijah at Mount Horeb]