I was in Carlsbad Caverns when the lights went out!
The National Park Service actually turned them off as part of their presentation. About 40 tourists sat together some 1500 feet underground in pitch black darkness listening to each other breathe. It was then that one of my kids slid an unseen hand slowly over to my wife's shoulder and "tweaked" her. That was not a good idea. My wife is not a great fan of darkness, or of things that crawl in the night. We almost had to pull her off the nearest stalactite.
There are many caves mentioned in the Bible, and two of them interest me. Elijah's cave and Lazarus' cave. Elijah's cave had to do with his fear and personal insecurities, whereas Lazarus' cave had to do with his death and separation. Caves are holes in the earth where something used to be, but disappeared over time. Many of the great cave systems in the United States were formed when water began eroding or chemically dissolving softer earth like limestone. As time relentlessly marched on, marvelous and magnificent cave systems like the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico were formed. Lava flow, sea waves, or winds form some caves. The caves of ancient Israel were created in limestone formations as water diluted the minerals.
People often take temporary refuge in caves in order to escape storms, armies, and other dangers, But rarely do people take up permanent residence in caves. Of course, in Lazarus situation it was supposed to be a bit more permanent arrangement. His corpse had been placed in the cave because he was recently deceased and was not going anywhere; it was his burial chamber. John wrote, "It was a cave, and a stone lay against it." (John 11:38b). Caves were used as burial tombs for the remains of dead people in Israel. I've always wanted to have been a spectator at that particular event near Bethany. Jesus did a lot of things in 3 short years, but this really intrigues me and makes the hair on my neck stand up. Lazarus was dead 4 days. A corpse is a corpse after 4 days. There is no magic mumbo-jumbo or secret potion that some trickster can use on a 4-day-old corpse. It is going nowhere, nowhere, nowhere. No way, no how.
I don't think Jesus yelled or screamed or huffed and puffed. He merely spoke and things obeyed him. Oceans, waves, winds, demons, blind eyes, tied tongues, plugged ears, and even dead bodies. I don't know if I would want to be in the cave with Lazarus - or outside with Jesus, when He spoke the words, "Lazarus, come forth." But, it would have really been something, wouldn't it?
Well, just think of all of the people who are dead to God because of their lives of sin. They are also in their own personal caves of death, separated from God with no signs of spiritual life. Death takes many forms, one of which is spiritual darkness and separation from the God of Creation. Well I have been there when some of these people were beckoned to leave their caves of death by the Lord Jesus. The transformation in their lives has been as real and powerful and dynamic as the physical resurrection of poor old Lazarus' body. Scripture is pretty plain when it says that we all are dead in our trespasses and sin. But it is also pretty plain when it says that "he has quickened us" who call upon Him. That is the same old lighting bolt of life that invaded the cave of Lazarus that can be used to bring a spark of life to a dead soul. The old Frankenstein movie with the sparks whirling upward and the lightning coming downward could never produce the life that the power and majesty of God can produce in a body as lifeless as Frankenstein's cobbled up creature. But God can and does bring spiritual life to those who call upon Him.
What about Elijah's cave? No dead men there. But, there was one beat up, frightened man who had just done great battle for his God, and was now hiding in his cave. I don't condemn Elijah for hiding in a cave. I've been there too, haven't you? Life can beat all of us up and toss us like limp rags; much like a tornado picks up a house, tears it apart, and scatters the pieces over a 10-acre farm. If the mouth of the cave had a zipper, I think Elijah would have entered, turned around, zipped the cave shut, and never come back out again. Just another servant of God with one too many arrows sticking out of his body, wanting to just curl up and go to sleep and never wake up again. Not an uncommon problem for those who fight the fight of faith and get bruised in the conflict. Well Elijah's God came after him. God's soldiers have more battles to fight. You can have one night in the cave nursing your wounds, but there is work to be done and you have to come out of the cave to fight again.
God was not in the strong wind or any other strong force of nature that men look at. No, He was the still, small, voice asking, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" The message is clear. You cannot stay in the cave. You cannot hide from God when there is work to be done. Clean up your wounds. Bandage your pain. Embrace your God. Get ready to go back to work.
The National Park Service actually turned them off as part of their presentation. About 40 tourists sat together some 1500 feet underground in pitch black darkness listening to each other breathe. It was then that one of my kids slid an unseen hand slowly over to my wife's shoulder and "tweaked" her. That was not a good idea. My wife is not a great fan of darkness, or of things that crawl in the night. We almost had to pull her off the nearest stalactite.
There are many caves mentioned in the Bible, and two of them interest me. Elijah's cave and Lazarus' cave. Elijah's cave had to do with his fear and personal insecurities, whereas Lazarus' cave had to do with his death and separation. Caves are holes in the earth where something used to be, but disappeared over time. Many of the great cave systems in the United States were formed when water began eroding or chemically dissolving softer earth like limestone. As time relentlessly marched on, marvelous and magnificent cave systems like the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico were formed. Lava flow, sea waves, or winds form some caves. The caves of ancient Israel were created in limestone formations as water diluted the minerals.
People often take temporary refuge in caves in order to escape storms, armies, and other dangers, But rarely do people take up permanent residence in caves. Of course, in Lazarus situation it was supposed to be a bit more permanent arrangement. His corpse had been placed in the cave because he was recently deceased and was not going anywhere; it was his burial chamber. John wrote, "It was a cave, and a stone lay against it." (John 11:38b). Caves were used as burial tombs for the remains of dead people in Israel. I've always wanted to have been a spectator at that particular event near Bethany. Jesus did a lot of things in 3 short years, but this really intrigues me and makes the hair on my neck stand up. Lazarus was dead 4 days. A corpse is a corpse after 4 days. There is no magic mumbo-jumbo or secret potion that some trickster can use on a 4-day-old corpse. It is going nowhere, nowhere, nowhere. No way, no how.
I don't think Jesus yelled or screamed or huffed and puffed. He merely spoke and things obeyed him. Oceans, waves, winds, demons, blind eyes, tied tongues, plugged ears, and even dead bodies. I don't know if I would want to be in the cave with Lazarus - or outside with Jesus, when He spoke the words, "Lazarus, come forth." But, it would have really been something, wouldn't it?
Well, just think of all of the people who are dead to God because of their lives of sin. They are also in their own personal caves of death, separated from God with no signs of spiritual life. Death takes many forms, one of which is spiritual darkness and separation from the God of Creation. Well I have been there when some of these people were beckoned to leave their caves of death by the Lord Jesus. The transformation in their lives has been as real and powerful and dynamic as the physical resurrection of poor old Lazarus' body. Scripture is pretty plain when it says that we all are dead in our trespasses and sin. But it is also pretty plain when it says that "he has quickened us" who call upon Him. That is the same old lighting bolt of life that invaded the cave of Lazarus that can be used to bring a spark of life to a dead soul. The old Frankenstein movie with the sparks whirling upward and the lightning coming downward could never produce the life that the power and majesty of God can produce in a body as lifeless as Frankenstein's cobbled up creature. But God can and does bring spiritual life to those who call upon Him.
What about Elijah's cave? No dead men there. But, there was one beat up, frightened man who had just done great battle for his God, and was now hiding in his cave. I don't condemn Elijah for hiding in a cave. I've been there too, haven't you? Life can beat all of us up and toss us like limp rags; much like a tornado picks up a house, tears it apart, and scatters the pieces over a 10-acre farm. If the mouth of the cave had a zipper, I think Elijah would have entered, turned around, zipped the cave shut, and never come back out again. Just another servant of God with one too many arrows sticking out of his body, wanting to just curl up and go to sleep and never wake up again. Not an uncommon problem for those who fight the fight of faith and get bruised in the conflict. Well Elijah's God came after him. God's soldiers have more battles to fight. You can have one night in the cave nursing your wounds, but there is work to be done and you have to come out of the cave to fight again.
God was not in the strong wind or any other strong force of nature that men look at. No, He was the still, small, voice asking, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" The message is clear. You cannot stay in the cave. You cannot hide from God when there is work to be done. Clean up your wounds. Bandage your pain. Embrace your God. Get ready to go back to work.
Well written and descriptive, Brian. It was easy to see visually what happened throughout the story. And your application to the Gospel is perfect. God bless you. Thanks for sharing.
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