Why is Elijah Like Moses?

The Know

1 Kings 19 depicts something that, at first glance, might seem strange. Elijah, after confronting the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel and consequently being threatened by queen Jezebel, travels from Israel all the way down to Mt. Sinai (1 Kings 19:8). While he is there, God speaks to him, and he reveals himself to him in a “still, small voice” rather than in wind, earthquake, or fire (1 Kings 19:12). One might wonder, at first, why Elijah would travel such a long distance when a much shorter trip into the desert would likely have sufficed to keep him safe from Jezebel.1 However, Elijah’s actions can be explained when one sees them as part of a larger pattern in 1 Kings 19, in which Elijah is depicted as being similar to Moses.

There are a number of similarities between the two narratives.2 Both Elijah and Moses travel to Mount Sinai (also known as Mt. Horeb).3 Each go without food for forty days (1 Kings 19:8; Exodus 24:18; 34:28). Moses and Elijah both wait in a cave in Mt. Sinai (1 Kings 19:9; Exodus 33:21–22). Both complain to the Lord about feeling alone.4 The Lord tells both of them that he will pass them by.5 Moses and Elijah each experience a fire on Mt. Sinai (1 Kings 19:12; Exodus 19:18; 24:17). Both prophets experience a storm on the mountain (1 Kings 19:11, Exodus 19:16; 20:18—a windstorm for Elijah and a thunderstorm for Moses). Each prophet also experiences an earthquake (1 Kings 19:11, Exodus 19:18). Both cover their faces—Elijah covers his face with his mantle (1 Kings 19:13), and Moses veils his face (Exodus 34:33–35).

The reader, seeing all these similarities, likely assumes that Ellijah will now experience the loud “sound of a trumpet” as in Exodus 19:16, 19; 20:18 as well as the booming voice of God implied in Exodus 20:1, 19, when God delivers the Ten Commandments. Deuteronomy 5:22–26 makes it clear that Gods voice is indeed loud. However, for Elijah, the exact opposite happens. Instead of a booming voice, he hears a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). The Hebrew word for voice (qol) is the same in both narratives, but this merely emphasizes the contrast in how it is heard. Elijah, like Moses, experiences a storm, earthquake, and fire as Moses did. But this time, God is not in the storm, earthquake, or fire; He is in the still, small voice.6

The reader expects God to reveal himself in a dramatic way in 1 Kings 19 not only because of all the allusions to Moses but because God had just revealed himself in a dramatic way in 1 Kings 18:38, sending down fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s offering and prove that he was superior to the false God, Baal. But this time God did not reveal himself in a dramatic way, as he had before. He did not speak to Elijah in a booming voice from out of Mt. Sinai and then come down to slay Elijah’s enemies. Instead, he spoke to him in a still, small, voice, and then reassured him that he was not alone and that everything would turn out well for him (1 Kings 19:15-18).7

The Why

Like Elijah, many people might want God to intervene in some dramatic way to help them take care of their problems. However, God does not often do this. More often, He helps His children in much more subtle ways. In the case of Elijah, God helped him by giving him the strength he needed to do what he needed to do.

The same can be said of God’s words to us. President Boyd K. Packer stated, “The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all.” He continues, “Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening.”8

Sometimes people may have the experience of wishing God would intervene to help in a more dramatic way and feel disappointed when He does not. However, the Elijah narrative reminds everyone that God’s help, while sometimes more subtle or gentle than one might hope for, is still powerful and impactful in the lives of His children.