1 Kings 19:9-12 And he came thither to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, What do you here… We may consider this question as addressed to the following cases: I. TO THE DECEIVER IN THE CAVE OF HYPOCRISY. God asks the deceiver in the cave of hypocrisy, "What doest thou here?" Deceiving, you say, deceiving and being deceived — deceiving whom? Not a devil; for every devil who knows the man who is a hypocrite, knows that he is a hypocrite. Whom? Not an angel; for every angel who knows the deceiver at all, knows that he is a deceiver. Not the Holy Spirit; for He strives with the man even in this his hypocrisy. Not the Saviour; for He searches the heart. Not the Father of spirits; for He has even foreknown the career of the hypocrite. Deceiving, you say, for how long? At longest only through a few. brief years, and. then the revelation! Deceiving, and for what? What profit is there of deception and hypocrisy? The man who openly saith, "I am an atheist — I am a deist — I am a sceptic — I have no religion," is a far better man than he who, with unbelief at heart, makes a profession of Christianity. "What doest thou here?" saith God to the deceiver in the cave of hypocrisy. II. God addresses this question TO THE NOTABLE SINNER IN THE CAVE OF SUPPOSED SECRECY. Few notable transgressors sin openly. There is something mean about sin. You see men sneak into the haunts of vice. They go when they think that the darkness covers them. Here! God saith, here! And you a husband! Here! God saith, at the threshold of these places, and you a father! Here! God saith, and you betrothed to unpolluted virtue, and to unsuspecting love! Here! risking money that a diligent and careful father has provided for you! Here! spending the patrimony which has been left you by a devoted and loving mother! Here! Men and brethren, you talk of secrecy, there is no such thing as secrecy. It never has been; and it never can be. The notable sinner in the cave of his supposed secrecy is recognised by God, who calls to him, and speaks of him by name. "What doest thou here, Elijah?" III. "What doest thou here?" God saith TO THE PENITENT SINNER IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR. What art thou doing? Despair cannot secure pardon. Despair cannot bring peace. Despair cannot purify the heart. Despair will not pray. Despair can find no promise. And, what is more, despair, in the heart of a penitent sinner, hath neither warrant nor justification. IV. "What doest thou here?" GOD SAITH TO THE CONVERTED MAN IN THE CAVE OF NON-CONFESSION. Here is a man walking in the counsel of the ungodly; a man standing in the way of sinners; a man sitting in the seat of the scornful. He becomes converted: but he is yoked with unbelievers; he is connected with unrighteousness — with unrighteousness in his business — unrighteousness in his recreations — unrighteousness in his connections and friendships. And God saith to him, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing." V. TO THE GODLY, IN THE CAVE OF LUXURIOUS RETIREMENT AND EASY SECLUSION, God addresses the same question. VI. HE SPEAKS ALSO TO THE GODLY IN THE CAVE OF MISANTHROPY AND DISGUST. There is a cave Adullam — an old resort for religious people, and it has been well kept up. There is such a cave near every Church of God; and thither the contented with themselves, and the discontented with everybody else, have constantly resorted. (S. Martin.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? |
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