How Does Elijah Explain the Remnant?

Paul uses the narrative of Elijah in the Hebrew Scriptures to help us understand the role of the Remnant. God asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9) a question that will be repeated in verse 13, but only after God put Elijah through several testing experiences. The repetition forms what I call “a sandwich.” In this case, the construction is not chiastic because there are no parallel lines. However, the ancient ear would have heard the repetition and been drawn to the passage that the repetition brackets.