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| Elijah in the Desert at Mount Horeb, William Brassey Hole |
Here is a readers’ theater setting of I Kings 1 9 9 -1 87 , 2 01 1 1 4 A).
Elijah Speaks with God
(I Kings 1 9 9 -1 8
Narr: After Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah,
he fled into the desert.
After spending some time there, he made his way to Mount Horeb
the mountain of God
He came to a cave, and spent the night there.
Then the word of the Lord came to him.
God: What are you doing here, Elijah?
Elijah: I have been very passionate for You, Lord God of Hosts,
for the people of Israel
They have destroyed Your places of worship,
and murdered Your prophets.
I am the only one left,
and now they are trying to kill me, too.
God: Elijah, go out and stand on the mountain,
for I, the Lord, will pass by.
Narr: So Elijah went out.
And a great wind came up—
a wind so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks.
But God was not in the wind.
After the wind died down there was an earthquake—
but God was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake, there came fire—
but God was not in the fire, either.
Finally, after the fire, there came the sound of gentle whispering.
When Elijah heard it,
he covered his face with his cloak
and went to stand at the entrance of the cave.
And he heard a quiet voice ask:
God: What are you doing here, Elijah?
Elijah: I have been very passionate for You, Lord God of Hosts,
for the people of Israel
They have destroyed Your places of worship,
and murdered Your prophets.
I am the only one left,
and now they are trying to kill me, too.
God: Go back the way you came—through the desert to Damascus
When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram
Then anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi as king over Israel
Finally, anoint Elisha to succeed you as prophet.
Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael will be put to death by Jehu;
and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu will be put to death by Elisha.
But I will spare seven thousand faithful people in Israel
all those who haven’t bowed down to the god Baal,
or kissed his image.
