Storm imagery pervades the Hebrew Bible. On some occasions, as in Jeremiah 23.19 and 30.23, God is the storm itself ("storm of the Lord"). In Isaiah 28.2, God is mighty and strong, like a storm. In Ezekiel 1.4, God appears from out of a storm. A massive storm is created, and subsequently quelled, by God in Jonah 1.4. God is likened to a storm in Nahum 1.3. In 2 Esdras 13.37 we are told the storm symbolizes ungodliness. And a spirit, but not God, does speak out of the silence in Job 4.16.
The storm reference in 1 Kings 19.11 stands as distinct from these other images of God in relation to the storm. We read that Elisha was instructed to stand on the mountain and wait for God to pass by, but when a great wind came, God was not in the wind. God also was not in the earthquake or the fire. Rather, God was in the “sound of sheer silence.”
Ironically, in Psalm 50.3 we read god does not keep silent and before him is a fire and a mighty storm all around.
What are we to make of this silence?
In other passages of the Hebrew Bible, silence often represents a space of great attention. In Psalm 62 the writer’s soul waits in silence for God. In Job 29.21 the audience keeps silent awaiting guidance. In Deuteronomy 27.9 we read that Moses directed all Israel to remain silent that they may hear his words.
The reference to silence and God in 1 Kings 19.11 comes shortly after Elijah’s first appearance in 1 Kings 17.1, although it is not his first time to speak with God. Elijah is in close communion with God and brings with him many new perspectives on the relationship between Jews and God. He provides an essential role in advancing the discrete narratives of several rulers in 1-2 Kings.
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Your reference to Moses here is interesting because much of Elijah's story is modeled after the Exodus account (or, as Lester says, it may be a bit of the other way around). Lester also noted in his lecture that during that time, there was a distinct uncomfortableness with the popularity of Baal, a storm God, at the time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you paddlepony--I think that "discomfort" Lester speaks of is the reason the author does not place God's presence in the storms, fires, natural disasters. It could be possible that God was found in the "silence" and "space" since God is not obviously visibly seen by the readers--it was a way to show God can be present without the dramatic visible examples.
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