Interestingly, the very “still small voice” that so unraveled Elijah that he hid his face, heartened Moses when God revealed his “back side” or “latter side”, represented by Christ’s TRUTH IN GRACE message John 1:14. Both men faced a crisis in their leadership at Horeb/Sinai. Moses from hearing that God would appoint an angel, not the THE ANGEL with God’s face—the Pre-Incarnate Jesus—to lead Israel. Moses trembled at the thought and begged to be excused from leading if God himself didn’t go before as vanguard.
The humble reply brought God’s compassionate assurance of HIS PRESENCE. Which emboldened Moses to seek God’s glory. That is...a revelation of himself. Which God answered with a vision of his back or latter side. In reality, Moses saw the GLORY of God’s Presence in history when he witnessed the “inside-OUT nature” of Jesus Christ at the Transfiguration. Elijah’s leadership crisis followed his dramatic success at Mount Carmel. He inspired attending Israelites to profess faith in God and destroyed the malignant influence of Baal’s prophets. That success, however, disemboweled the source of Jezebel’s confidence by removing her religious counsel. She suddenly couldn’t silence her inner demons with the hocus-pocus rituals, ceremonies and immoralities instinctive to Baal worship. And, as expected, she hurriedly re-assembled the corps almost man-for-man II Kings 22:6. She could live without God, but not without her personal deities! Off her scroll went by royal chariot, flush with imminent doom to its recipient. Which produced unexpected results in Elijah’s flint-hard disposition. Given his previous “do your best, I dare you” to any threat from God’s enemies. Given his stalwart refusal to be intimidated by King Ahab’s bluster. First, it was emotional, not rational—still hitchhiking on the triumphant Carmel-high surging in his brain. Second, for the first time in his life, an instinctive self-preservation replaced his duty to God. Third, he saw the Queen’s vindictiveness, not God’s sanctuary, as the last word. He panicked. Off Elijah fled: to the mountain where Moses had been fortified with new courage, hoping God would be as gracious to him in his crisis. Instead, the never-fearing prophet heard an attack of conscience ballooning spiritual anxiety as it diminished physical fear. The naturally-combative man, who flourished in every confrontation with evil, had been bush-whacked in a moment of spiritual elation, the emotional collapse dragging his victory over Baal into spiritual depression. Conscience: God’s unfailingly faithful monitor in each forgiven soul. Assuring us in every effort for Christ, correcting our every failure to guard what he’s entrusted to us. In Elijah’s life, congratulating him for serving in God’s strength that couldn’t lose, but accusing him of letting his humanity snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And, in an honesty that couldn’t deny the truth conscience stressed, but personal pride still wouldn’t fully accept, he travelled on, trying vainly to re-discover the man he wanted to be, now defeated by estrangement from God. Losing contact with God, through a woman’s depravity, contrasted with Moses uniting with God despite the sin of an entire nation. The lack of God’s Presence punished the prophet, the Presence of God rewarded the Lawgiver. Elijah sure he had failed despite Israel’s confession of God; Moses assured he hadn’t, despite Israel’s sin against God. Against all the reminders that God would still reward his prophet, Elijah couldn’t convince himself he deserved it by the time he reached the fabled mountain. End Part VI
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