A few weeks ago, 1 Kings 19:12—the "still small voice" verse—came up in my reading. Though I'm quite familiar with the verse, I decided to take a second look at it and the surrounding passage. I wanted to know if that verse really meant what it's commonly taken to mean (as an exhortation to listen for God's whispers in prayer). Spoiler alert: I didn't find an answer to that particular question. But, I did find a whole other level of significance to the passage, including a much more specific understanding of what the "still small voice" might mean. What's more, this passage makes an excellent case study of how
threads of meaning weave themselves throughout Scripture. So, I invite you to take a second look at 1 Kings 19 with me.
Contest of the gods
Let's start by setting the stage. 1 Kings 19 follows one of the most well known incidents in Elijah's ministry--the calling of fire from heaven. In chapter 18, Elijah calls the people together for a contest of gods: The LORD vs. Baal. The challenge: each side will set up an altar and sacrifice and call on their god to bring down fire from heaven.
