How many times have you heard it: "Listen to that still small voice within." How often have Christians said the same thing referring to that still small voice as the voice of God? Where does this idea come from? Not from the scriptures, I know that much.
It seems to come from a verse in 1 Kings 19:12 as translated in the KJV and NKJV. I'll quote it here in context:
"So he [Elijah] arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' So he said, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.' Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' " (NKJV)
Notice three things about this passage: 1) Elijah was in a cave; 2) He heard the still small voice; 3) After he heard the voice he went and stood at the entrance of the cave. It doesn't say the voice came from within Elijah, it came from outside the cave; that's why Elijah went to the entrance of the cave when he heard it.
Another commonly misquoted scripture used by Christian and non-Christian self-help gurus alike is Provers 29:18. The KJV is usually the most common version quoted. It says:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (KJV)
They quote the first part but conveniently leave off the last. The "vision" spoken of here is prophetic utterance from the Law. Self-helpers and motivational speakers love to quote this as meaning we must look within ourselves and develop a vision for our lives. However, the only true visions we really need are external to us in the form of God's holy word.
It seems to come from a verse in 1 Kings 19:12 as translated in the KJV and NKJV. I'll quote it here in context:
"So he [Elijah] arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' So he said, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.' Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' " (NKJV)
Notice three things about this passage: 1) Elijah was in a cave; 2) He heard the still small voice; 3) After he heard the voice he went and stood at the entrance of the cave. It doesn't say the voice came from within Elijah, it came from outside the cave; that's why Elijah went to the entrance of the cave when he heard it.
Another commonly misquoted scripture used by Christian and non-Christian self-help gurus alike is Provers 29:18. The KJV is usually the most common version quoted. It says:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (KJV)
They quote the first part but conveniently leave off the last. The "vision" spoken of here is prophetic utterance from the Law. Self-helpers and motivational speakers love to quote this as meaning we must look within ourselves and develop a vision for our lives. However, the only true visions we really need are external to us in the form of God's holy word.
