Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
17 But they continued to sin against Him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.(A)
18 They deliberately[a] tested God,
demanding the food they craved.(B)
19 They spoke against God, saying,
“Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?
20 Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out;
torrents overflowed.(C)
But can He also provide bread
or furnish meat for His people?”(D)
52 He led His people out like sheep
and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.(A)
53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.(B)
54 He brought them to His holy land,
to the mountain His right hand acquired.(C)
55 He drove out nations before them.(D)
He apportioned their inheritance by lot
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.(E)
9 He entered a cave(A) there and spent the night.
Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord
Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”(B)
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous(C) for the Lord God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant,(D) torn down Your altars,(E) and killed Your prophets(F) with the sword. I alone am left,(G) and they are looking for me to take my life.”(H)
11 Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”(I)
At that moment, the Lord passed by.(J) A great and mighty wind(K) was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,(L) but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire,(M) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.(N) 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle(O) and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”(P)
15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael(Q) as king over Aram. 16 You are to anoint Jehu(R) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha(S) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,(T) and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.(U) 18 But I will leave 7,000 in Israel(V)—every knee that has not bowed to Baal(W) and every mouth that has not kissed him.”(X)
Israel’s Rejection Not Total
11 I ask, then, has God rejected His people?(A) Absolutely not!(B) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,(C) from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.(D) Or don’t you know(E) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 Lord, they have killed Your prophets
and torn down Your altars.
I am the only one left,
and they are trying to take my life!(F)[a]
4 But what was God’s reply to him? I have left 7,000 men for Myself who have not bowed down to Baal.(G)[b] 5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.(H) 6 Now if by grace,(I) then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.[c]
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.