{"id":62863,"date":"2019-09-13T15:04:27","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T12:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62863"},"modified":"2023-04-09T12:27:13","modified_gmt":"2023-04-09T09:27:13","slug":"elijah-doesnt-have-it-in-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/elijah-doesnt-have-it-in-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Elijah Doesn\u2019t Have It In Him"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[399,858,384,581,548],"acf":{"old_id":"62863","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":46656,"related_cahpter":"306","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Needed: a different model of leadership","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following \u00adhis success in vanquishing the idols and prophets of Baal, Elijah faces a new personal challenge requiring the intervention of God to help him reconcile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On hearing from King Ahab all that Elijah had done, the fanatically idolatrous Queen Jezebel sends messengers to threaten Elijah\u2019s life. Elijah understands the power of influence that Jezebel holds not just over the king, but the whole nation, and goes into hiding with a totally deflated morale. God visits Elijah in his mountain cave hideout and asks him this pivotal question: \u201cWhy are you here (19:9)?\u201d Elijah\u2019s answer includes pointing to his own zealotry in defending God and failure to exact a lasting impact on the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God offers Elijah some professional development. He sends Elijah out of the cave onto the mountainside and brings heavy winds, followed by an earthquake, and finally fire. Each of these powerfully loud and visual events is followed in the text with the words \u201cbut God was not in the wind\/earthquake\/fire (9:12).\u201d Then comes \u201ca still small voice\u201d through which God tries to help Elijah understand that powerful, fiery leadership isn\u2019t always the best approach and that sometimes, as the Malbim puts it, \u201capproaching the people in a quiet voice to persuade them with bonds of love and gentle words\u201d is the better tactic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effectively God is asking Elijah to consider his audience, the task at hand, and lead according to his followers needs. But when God again asks Elijah \u201cso why are you here?\u201d, Elijah answers, word-for-word, exactly as before. His reiteration of his innate zealous character implies that Elijah recognizes he doesn\u2019t have it in him to pull off the \u201cstill small voice\u201d model of leadership. With that self-awareness Elijah asks to be relieved of his duties and God accepts his resignation, instructing Elijah to appoint Elisha as his replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the 18<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century commentary Me\u2019am Lo\u2019ez points out, God recognizes a) that Elijah\u2019s zealous behavior had always come from a good place and used for good; b) that it wouldn\u2019t serve well at this point in the national journey; but c) there would be future missions in which Elijah\u2019s particular style would be crucial (like heralding the arrival of the Messiah and shepherding in the messianic era). In the meantime, when patience and mercy will be more effective than zealotry, the gentler, small voice of Elisha will be more appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: Elijah (detail), Giovanni Lanfranco, c. 1624 \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":62864,"id":62864,"title":"1kings19-Elijah-Lanfranco_Elie","filename":"1kings19-Elijah-Lanfranco_Elie.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings19-Elijah-Lanfranco_Elie.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/elijah-doesnt-have-it-in-him\/1kings19-elijah-lanfranco_elie\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"1kings19-elijah-lanfranco_elie","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":62863,"date":"2019-09-13 12:04:07","modified":"2022-01-08 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