What it Means When God Speaks in a “Still, Small Voice”
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The phrase “still small voice” is found in 1 Kings 19:11-13. Modern translations have it as “the sound of a low whisper” (ESV), “a gentle whisper” (NIV, NLT), “a soft whisper” (CSB), or “the sound of a gentle blowing” (NASB). But the King James reads thus:
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Shortly after becoming a believer, I found myself in a bit of despair. For quite a few months after becoming a Christian, everything felt incredibly intense. My highs felt higher and my lows felt lower. I suppose this is to be expected when you do a 180 turn at the age of 18. Sin felt more odious and grace was overwhelming to me in this season. Everything was different, and my emotions were fully engaged in this new pursuit of following Jesus. And then suddenly my strong feelings grew dull, sin felt a bit more enticing, and my zeal began to wane. It seemed as if God had ghosted me.
Thankfully I had a well-seasoned saint in my life. When I shared about my waning emotions and fear that perhaps I had done something wrong and now God was no longer talking to me, he explained that sometimes God speaks loudly, but many times he speaks in a still small voice. I thought at the time that this elderly gentleman had coined the phrase. But later I realized that he, heavily steeped in the language of King James, was speaking Bible to me.
It turns out that my own experience had some similarities to Elijah, and this dear saint was right in applying this story to my situation. But what exactly does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice? And does he still speak this way?
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What Does This Verse Mean?
Elijah had just experienced a phenomenal victory of the prophets of Baal. It was a tremendous display of not only the power of the LORD, but it also showed that Elijah was a faithful prophet. I’m certain this would have been spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. But what a tremendous encouragement to see such a display of God’s power.
But shortly after this victory, Elijah learned that Jezebel wanted him dead. He was afraid and ran for his life to Beersheba (1 Kings 19:3). Eventually he ended up in the cliff of a mountain deeply depressed. It is here in this mountain that the word of the Lord would come to Elijah. But here he doesn’t speak to Elijah through the great displays of power that he experienced on Mt. Carmel. No, here he is met with the “still small voice.”
What is that still small voice? As evidenced by the various translations, theologians struggle to precisely define this phrase. Some (such as Meredith Kline or Johan Lust) believe that the text should actually be translated as a “roaring and thundering voice.” But in my mind, this would not make sense of the context. The “still small voice” is clearly contrasted with the strong wind, the earthquake, and fire. It doesn’t make much sense to say that he wasn’t in all these majestic displays, but instead was in a roaring and thundering voice. It’s best to view this as a God speaking to the despondent Elijah tenderly instead of in majestic power.
Having said that, it’s also doubtful that the meaning in this text is that we should be searching for that “still small voice” which spoke to Elijah. There is nothing in this text which has Elijah searching for God’s voice. God is revealing Himself to Elijah in a different way than what Elijah had previously known. In fact, this phrase is only found here in the scriptures. That is part of the difficulty of definitively deciding on what exactly this still small voice is. But there is some help given to us when we try to look at why God spoke to Elijah in this way.
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Why Did God Speak in a "Still Small Voice"?
One of comedian Will Ferrell’s characters is a man named Jacob Silj. Ferrell’s character suffers from a rare disorder called Voice Immodulation Syndrome. It renders him unable to control the pitch or volume of his voice. He always speaks the same way and sounds the same way. It’s comedic when Ferrell does this, but it’d be tragic if this was how God spoke to us. Thankfully, God is able to speak to us in words that we will hear. At times he does speak to us in the thunder and earthquake and fire. At other times he speaks to us as he did Elijah. What is the difference? God lovingly speaks to us as we need.
P.G. Ryken says it well: “In his weakness, anything more than a gentle God would have been too much for Elijah to bear. After all, he is the God of wind, earthquake, and fire. Sometimes God’s Spirit is in the wind, rushing and blowing about the earth. Sometimes God is in the earthquake, shaking the earth to show his power. Sometimes he is in the fire, as he was at Mount Carmel, when lightning fell from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice. But there are times when the glory of God is too much for any human being to take. His power is a terrible reality, and sometimes we simply want to know that he is our friend. This is what God revealed to Elijah: ‘And after the fire the sound of a low whisper’ (1 Kings 19:12).”
We see something similar in the New Testament with the various ways our Lord Jesus spoke to people. At times he spoke in the language of “woe to the Pharisees,” at other times he spoke with wit, and still other times he spoke as a gentle dove. Certainly the way of Jesus influenced the apostle Paul when he told the Thessalonians to “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thess. 5:14).
The words used here are informative. Admonishing the idle is a strong word of encouragement—this is the language of earthquakes and thunder. Encouraging the fainthearted is to come alongside those who are stumbling. But helping the weak is to literally be the legs of another. We are called to speak in a way appropriate to the situation of the person we are speaking to, this models how God Himself speaks to us.
At times God will speak in big ways. He will give you a mountaintop experience – an undeniable experience with His presence. At other times He will communicate tenderly and more quietly. He speaks to us as we need.
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How Can We Listen for His Voice Today?
I don’t believe this verse is necessarily a call for us to be listening for a still and quiet voice. That would be a misapplication of the situation for Elijah. A better application of that verse would be to temper ourselves and not expect God to speak to us only in one fashion. It’d perhaps be better to say that God often speaks to us in the ordinary more than in the miraculous.
There are few better ordinary ways to hear God than to spend time in His Word. We know that God speaks to us through His infallible Word. It is here that we will hear at times the thunderous voice of God, and at other times the smooth and gentle reminders that we need in order to keep us walking with Jesus. It’s certainly true that we can hear from God in a variety of ways. He still communicates to us through His church, through worship, through nature, through others. But the ordinary means that God uses to speak to us is His Word.
Listen and Respond - A Prayer to Hear God's Voice
God spoke to a discouraged Elijah in exactly the way that Elijah needed. As the story progresses, we see that this was actually a bit of a rebuke to a self-righteous Elijah. In this instance much of his depression came from a self-interested way of looking at the world. Elijah was in danger of forgetting the covenant he so passionately fought to preserve. Yet, God reached the prophet in exactly the state in which he was in. And he rescued Him there.
God does the same to us. At times he does it through a thundering display of His power. But most of the time he does it through the ordinary. We’re not called to play “hide-and-seek” with the LORD. He’ll see fit to speak to us in ways in which we can definitely hear and respond. It’s usually not the hearing that’s the problem, but the responding. Thankfully, in the story of Elijah, these words of God met him and the prophet responded by completing the task that God had set for Him.
Whether God is speaking through His power or His quiet presence, our call is to respond. May we do that today.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Your Word says I will seek you and find you when I seek you with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:13). I long to hear your voice, Lord. But I know that in order to hear you, I need to spend time with you. Help me to desire your presence more than anything else. More than answers, more than direction, more than blessings. Your presence is a gift, and I will show gratitude for that gift by making time to seek you in prayer each day. Whether it’s for five minutes or an hour, I know you will meet me there.
Father, forgive me for letting my life get so busy that I have forgotten to prioritize our time together. Thank you for the second chance. Thank you also for reminding me of the danger of trying to face life’s challenges in my own strength. Time in your presence brings peace, comfort, and renewed hope.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. (prayer by Kristine Brown)
Sources
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 19:11–13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Ryken, P. G. (2011). 1 Kings. (R. D. Phillips, I. M. Duguid, & P. G. Ryken, Eds.) (p. 539). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
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