Why not Moses?
When Malachi wrote, “He will turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4), why was he referring to Elijah?
Why didn’t he say, “I will send Moses to you?” Moses, whose great heart of compassion pleaded with the Lord to turn from his fierce wrath and spare the children of Israel? (Exodus 32:11-14)
Not so, Elijah.
When Jezebel told him, “You’re dead meat,” he ran to Mt. Horeb, where Moses had prayed for the people.
The Lord asked Elijah why he was here.
Instead of asking the Lord for mercy on his kindred, Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (I Kings 19:9-14)
“Time out,” the Lord said. He showed Elijah wind, earthquake, and fire. Then the Lord whispered the same question. “What are you doing here?”
Another chance to pass the Lord’s exam. Maybe Elijah’s feeling more at one with his people?
Nope. As if the Lord was hard of hearing, Elijah hammered out his same rant–“I am the only one.”
If the Lord had asked me. “We need somebody to show fathers and children how to reconcile.” I might have been alert enough to point to Moses, the great lover of his people.
But Elijah? I don’t think so.
Whom would you choose?
