238. In the presence of the Lord: In His gentle whisper.
9 January 2022
Joshua 18
10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.
1 Kings 19
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Joshua being the assistant of Moses, saw first hand Moses in the presence of the Lord and the work of God accomplished through Moses.
Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites; as Joshua was in the presence of the Lord, the work of the Lord was accomplished through Joshua.
As it was the parting of the Red Sea as Moses and the Israelites escaped from the Pharaoh and his horsemen (Exodus 14), it was the parting of the Jordan River as Joshua and the Israelites entered into the Promised Land (Joshua 3).
As Moses experienced failure in the presence of the Lord with the Israelites worshipping the idol shape in a calf (Exodus 32), Joshua experienced defeat at Ai, coming from the triumph at Jericho, because of the sin of Achan as he coveted from the plunder taken at Jericho (Joshua 7).
Joshua would then keep in mind to distribute in the presence of the Lord the land to the Israelites according to tribal divisions.
Joshua would later attest to the Israelites that not one of all the good promises the Lord gave has failed.
Joshua 23
14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”
The Prophet Elijah appeared from nowhere in 1 Kings 17 during the reign of King Ahab, announcing a great drought.
1 Kings 17
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
Elijah would then duel and triumph against the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, with the people exclaiming “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” (1 Kings 18)
From such great triumph, Elijah fell into depression as King Ahab's wife Jezebel swore to kill Elijah; Elijah ran for his life (1 Kings 19:3). He later hid himself in a cave at Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:8-9).
Elijah was then to be asked to go out and stand in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
1 Kings 19
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”
Elijah was downed by depression, the Lord called him back to His work in a gentle whisper.
I was downed by severe case of anxiety, the Lord called me back to His work in a gentle whisper.
It was a very slow healing process, I would regain full strength by 2016; all those years I would hear in gentle whisper encouragement through the word of the Lord. By 2017 I would start writing personal Bible reflection which in 2020 I would make use for blogs.
"Lord, God of Elijah, quiet my heart that I may hear Your gentle whisper, this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
9 March 2018"
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
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