What are you doing here, Eliyahu?

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of HaShem came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" So he said, "I have been very zealous for HaShem G-d of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before HaShem." And behold, HaShem passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks into pieces before HaShem, but HaShem was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but HaShem was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but HaShem was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (Literally in the Hebrew, a soft, gentle rustling) So it was, when Eliyahu heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" (1 Kings 19:9-13)

As stated in the introduction, HaShem makes a point of asking this question twice of Eliyahu. Once before a demonstration of His power, and once after. Eliyahu's answer to the Holy One remains the same in both cases, but it is not Eliyahu's spoken answer that will reveal the key. It is what can be surmised of his actions and the response of the Holy One that grant real insight into this inquiry.

HaSatan is having a field day with Eliyahu at this point, and it shows in the response he gives to HaShem. His words do not match the data collected in the past three chapters of Scripture, and it is a common consensus among many scholars that Eliyahu is suffering from self pity. While self pity seems to be the result, it appears actually that Eliyahu is suffering from an attack of the enemy against his mind. HaSatan has taken advantage of the fear generated by Izevel's threats to twist Eliyahu's thoughts against the truth. One can almost hear the enemy telling the prophet that he is, indeed, the only one left (despite having been told by Obad'yah of the other hundred, minimum), that all the children of Israel are against him (despite the revival and victory just forty some odd days earlier on Carmel), and that it would be better if he would just give up. It is not lies that Eliyahu responds to the Holy One with, but rather the narrow vision he is being offered by the enemy at this point.

In response to the first time Eliyahu answers Him, HaShem instructs the prophet to go out and stand on the mountain. In a demonstration reminiscent of a number of manifestations of the Shechinah (the visible manifestation of The Divine Presence), natural forces are unleashed in supernatural ways. This is the portion of this passage that catches the attention of most readers. It is a graphic picture of the power of the Holy One being unleashed, while maintaining the separation between Him and the demonstration of His power. The fact that Eliyahu remains apparently unmoved by this demonstration until he hears the "soft, gentle rustling," (or voice) is also well analyzed and interpreted by many scholars. It is a contrast that bears examination and yields lessons for the faithful.

When we examine the Scriptures leading up to this question, and the circumstances involved, it seems the best way Eliyahu could have answered would have been to simply say, "Daddy, I'm scared." Like a child waking up from a nightmare, though he knows intellectually it's not real, the fear remains and he goes into his parents' room seeking reassurance. The child longs to be held by Daddy and told that it's all right, and that there's nothing to be scared of. It is a comfort to know that Daddy is there.

Eliyahu has gone to Mount Horeb to be held by our Abba. And he is not turned away.

When HaShem asks Eliyahu the question, it should be remembered also that the question is not asked for the benefit of enlightening the Holy One. He already knows why Eliyahu is there. Instead, it is the Holy One's way of getting Eliyahu to look at the answer for himself. It is like the Daddy asking the scared child in the night "What is there to be scared of?" Not only does the Daddy already know the answer, but deep down so does the child. The question is not asked harshly, but gently and lovingly to lead to the correct response. In his heart, though his words fail to convey it, Eliyahu knows that all he complains about to HaShem is not as bad as he would express it. It would not be a surprise to learn that the tone of his response changed from the first time to the second, and the second time carried far less conviction behind it. In the Presence of our Abba, it is quite likely that his doubts are melting away even as he repeats them.

While it might be easy to criticize Eliyahu for his running to Mount Horeb, we should actually take it as an example of our own response to fear. While we do not need to run to a particular mountain, we can retreat to His Presence by prayer and cry out "Abba, I'm scared." The admission is not sin, nor is the fear. It is natural, and as our Father, He wants us to bring it to Him. It only becomes sin when we refuse to bring it to Him and submit it to His assurance.