Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
When I say the name “ELIJAH” what images come into your mind and what emotions rise up in your soul? Oh my, Elijah is one of my great Bible heroes, what about you? Let’s set the stage… The year was about 870bc or so. Wicked King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel reign over the northern kingdom of Israel. They are fully opposed to anything about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel. They have been enthusiastically and even with government funds making every effort to build shrines and establish the immoral and sometimes violent worship of the false god Baal, throughout Israel, while eradicating any worship of the true God of Israel.
1 Kings 17 opens reporting an uncomfortable, confrontational encounter between King Ahab and the prophet of God Elijah. “Now Elijah the Tishbite said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) Drought is a radical, humbling, terrifying, crisis. Hot sunny skies, week after week of no rain or dew, hardening ground, every plant or pastureland burning up…and soon animals are dying in the fields. Panic ensues because every living thing needs water, everyday!
Even as Elijah spoke those words to Ahab, I’m sure he was wondering about his own survival. Where would he go to find water? 1 Kings 17 tells us God sent Elijah to the Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan where fresh, cool water from a stream and miraculously, some type of daily food delivery brought by raven birds would sustain him… until, that is, the stream dried up! (1 Kings 17:2-7)
How long Elijah waited for new directions from God we don’t know, but next God sent Elijah to the town of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. I’ve learned that when the Bible gives us specific locations for events there is usually a reason. In this case, Sidon is Queen Jezebel’s home region and it’s along the coast of the Mediterranean. Elijah would have to walk all the way across parched Israel to reach there. Oh my! I’m sure Elijah knew that, yet hunger and thirst are powerful motivators, so he went as directed by God.
The record shows us that Elijah was met there by a widow gathering sticks for a fire with her intention of baking one last loaf of bread for herself and her son, with the final ingredients she had in her little home. (1 Kings 17: 8-16) As you read those few verses you will be amazed at the miracle God did so those ingredients never diminished, day after day! That dear widow was able to keep supplying herself, her son and now Elijah with fresh bread daily, as the famine ravaged the countryside!
If fear of starvation is not enough, do you suppose the widow assumed God would protect her little son while the food lasted? One day that boy got sick and daily his condition worsened until he died! 1 Kings 17:17-24 recounts the amazing miracle of God restoring her boy’s life as Elijah prayed! Finally, word came from God to Elijah with a new assignment: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” (1 Kings 18:1) Now the way that’s worded it sounds like Eljah will have wonderful news, but as you read further, you’ll discover Queen Jezebel had been systematically killing those who refused to bow their knee to Baal, especially priests and prophets of the LORD. Elijah would be taking his life in his hands as he entered the palace. He may never come out alive.
1 Kings 18 is a story that will captivate your soul as you’ll meet Obadiah, a courageous employee of King Ahab who risked his life daily by secretly supplying food and water to 100 prophets of God who were in hiding. God’s message to Ahab was a challenge to meet Elijah on the top of Mount Carmel and bring his prophets of Baal with him. As they gather, Elijah had one powerful, penetrating question for the Israelites who come to see the showdown. “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21) Especially since the murder of Charlie Kirk, that question has been elevated to a national challenge all across America. Almost every day I see news reports of violent confrontations between TPUSA supporting people and those who violently oppose everything Charlie Kirk stood for, especially Jesus Christ.
But this showdown on Carmel between God’s prophet Elijah and Jezebel’s prophets of Baal was not an armed conflict, and not a verbal debate. Rather this was a challenge to the gods they both represent. The God of Israel and the god Ahab and Jezebel called Baal were challenged to engage the showdown with one simple powerful act: Send fire from wherever they reside, to one place, Mount Carmel in Israel, and to one specific location… the altar built by their prophet. Whichever god was able to do that with precision and in response to the call of their prophet, would be crowned the supreme God. (1 Kings 18:22-39)
I have a question for anyone and everyone. Is this a fair challenge? Should the God who deserves the worship and adoration of humanity be able to send fire from wherever they reside to one specific location on planet earth, in response to the cries of their devout worshipers? For several hours Jezebel’s prophets cried out, even cutting themselves with knives hoping blood would attract Baal’s response. Nothing. Silence. For hours.
Elijah then built his altar and soaked it with precious water and prayed in a loud voice for all to hear: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that YOU are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. Answer me LORD, so that these people will know that you, LORD are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:36,37) From what we know the sky was cloudless, as it had been for many months in this drought. Suddenly a single bolt of fire fell out of the sky, precisely onto the altar Elijah had built, not touching the Baal altar, and the fire was so hot it burned up the sacrifice Elijah had put on his altar and even the water in the trench around his altar! It was over in a few seconds!
The record says: “When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate on the ground and cried out, ‘The LORD, HE is God! The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39) With Elijah’s altar still smoldering, Elijah called out to those on their faces worshiping, challenging them to take hold of all those false prophets of Baal and kill them! It was essential they eradicate these false prophets making a mockery of God with their Baal worship!
I’ve stood on the top of Mount Carmel, in my visits to Israel, and maybe you have also. It’s not difficult, when reading 1 Kings 18 on top of Mount Carmel, to envision a fireball sent from heaven directly to that altar, and the slaughter of Baal prophets which followed. What is more difficult is trying to understand why, then as now, even with such powerful demonstrations of God’s response to the cries of His people, do so many people still discount or reject God and His Truth?
Today, as we read 1 Kings 17 & 18, may I ask us to consider these questions:
1. What have been the miraculous experiences in your life which prove God’s awareness of your needs, your cries and His response to you?
2. Why, despite the miracles of God you have experienced in your life, do you still doubt God?
3. What part of 1 Kings 17 & 18 is most helpful to you TODAY in your need for renewed hope in God?
More study notes are in the Grand Narrative link below and here’s a very special worship song, celebrating many of the great names of God. Join me in this song, and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 17 & 18.
Choose below to read or listen.
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1 Kings 18
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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