Chapter One
The Faithlessness of Israel: Remember God’s word to the Moses and Joshua? The first of God’s decalogue is very clear – no other gods but the true God. God’s chosen ones were to rid the land of milk and honey of all foreign gods! But history tells us that they did not do as God had commanded them. Various leaders waxed and waned as to their allegiance. Following the period of the judges, Israel entered into a period of time where they were led by kings.
Samuel warned the people of Israel regarding their desire for a king. He echoed God’s warning (with repetition), but God eventually gave them what they wanted. Enter a man named Saul as the first king of Israel. But in time, Saul was rebuked by Samuel and issued God’s message, “I am grieved that I have made Saul king.” (1 Samuel 15:10) Shortly thereafter, David was anointed heir apparent to the throne as God’s chosen leader.
The first three kings (Saul, David, and Solomon) reigned for 120 years beginning in 1050 BC to 931 BC (Holman’s Bible Handbook, page 199). Following Solomon’s death, the kingdom became divided with the ten northern tribes separating into “Israel” and the two southern tribes as the kingdom of Judah. Each kingdom’s history was limited to just a few hundred years before each was taken into captivity with the northern tribes never to return.
It was following Solomon’s death, that Jeroboam instituted calf worship in the northern kingdom, in essence to steer them from the City of David – the center of worship of the true God. The southern tribes were not always innocent as well and fell into Baal worship and other gods of the Canaanites. As the “state religion” of the north, centers of worship were established in Bethel in the south and Dan in the north. King Omri (886-875 BC) made Samaria the capital city of the north. He was succeeded by his Ahab, his son, who took Jezebel as his wife. She was from Sidon and brought Baal worship with her. She had temples built with 850 prophets (450 Baal and 400 Asherah) supporting her Baal worship. In addition, she abolished worship of the LORD and was bent on purging all God’s prophets.
Elijah, the Man Very little is known of this great prophet except he was a Tishbite. Holman’s Bible Dictionary suggests that there was a town in Gilead called Tishbe (modern Listib) which is nine miles east of the Jordan River. He is referred to as a “dweller” versus a native – a sojourner.
He lived during the ninth century BC in the time of Ahab, the king of the northern tribes of Israel. Much like Melchizadek, the king of Salem, he just sort of appears in the middle of 1 Kings. His ministry was to the northern tribes who were far removed from God’s plan for His people. They adopted foreign gods, especially Baal, and set up temples of worship in Bethel and Dan, thus keeping them from the true temple of God in the City of David.
As we will see, this man was truly a great prophet but more importantly was faithful to a fault! Yes, God Himself was the principal in this partnership and Elijah the servant. He carried out God’s plan regardless of any danger to himself. And God carried him off to be with Him – only to return years later on the mount of Transfiguration.
Chapter Two
Elijah and King Ahab: The Drought Scripture introduces this great prophet in an instant – 1 Kings chapter 17. The Bible tells us that Ahab did more evil than all the kings before him. He disobeyed God by marrying Jezebel from Sidon and willingly allowed her to introduce her god – Baal. Who is Baal? And what does he represent? Baal was the god over rain, storms, and fertility to the land.
God summoned Elijah to appear to Ahab and advise him of what was to come. To show Ahab God’s control over His creation, Elijah told of the coming drought including the morning dew. Rain would only occur at Elijah’s word. (1 Kings 17:1) Imagine, no rain for three and one-half years! Scripture is silent as to Ahab’s reaction to Elijah’s curse, but one can only imagine that he either laughed at Elijah or wanted to kill him on the spot.
God had a plan to protect His spokesperson. He traveled east across the Jordan River and hid in a ravine. God arranged for ravens to deliver food to him morning and evening, with water from a brook. This is certainly not the first time God has supplied the needs of His servants. Remember the Israelites in the desert. God supplied manna and quail for food and water from the rock in abundance.
In Elijah’s situation, the water from the brook dried up due to the drought. But God in His wisdom had a solution. God instructed Elijah to travel to Zaraphath and there he would find a widow woman who would be the source of Elijah’s sustenance. Interestingly, Zaraphath is in Sidon, Jezebel’s country from which she brought her Baal worship.
God’s instruction to Elijah indicated that He “commanded” the widow to supply his food. But she doubted – but in her doubt, she exclaimed to Elijah, “as surely as the LORD your God lives. . .I don’t have any bread, only a handful of flour and a little oil.” She was preparing her final meal for her and her son. But Elijah replied to her, “don’t be afraid.” And then comes the miracle, “the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry. . .until it rains.” Her faith was great as Scripture tells us that she went away and did as Elijah instructed, without question.
The widow’s situation takes a hideous turn. Her son becomes ill and dies! Now she turns to Elijah and questions his motives. Here we see the first resurrection recorded in Scripture. Elijah lifts him up and prays to the LORD God to let this boy return to his mother. As he handed the boy over to his mother, she said, “now I know that the word of the LORD from your mouth is true.”
God has indeed shown that He has control over nature by providing food for the widow and her son and then returning her son alive following his fatal illness.
Ahab re-enters the picture some three years into the drought. Chapter eighteen in 1Kings tells us that the famine caused by the drought was severe. Ahab summoned Obadiah, his major-domo (chief steward). The king’s plan was for him and his steward to scour the land for sources of grass to keep the animals alive. Obadiah (not the prophet) was a God-fearing man and secretly hid one hundred prophets and kept them fed during this famine. This action spared their lives as Jezebel was attempting to destroy all of God’s prophets. Obadiah miraculously meets Elijah during his journey. And he recognizes the prophet. Elijah tells Obadiah to go and tell Ahab to meet him. Obadiah says, “are you kidding?” (in today’s language) Obadiah reminds Elijah that he would surely die if Ahab and Jezebel knew of his activity in hiding God’s prophets. But with Elijah’s promise, he went and told Ahab. In their initial meeting, he called Elijah a “troublemaker.” The result of their visit is yet another chapter in Elijah’s life and yes, another miracle of God.
What can we learn from this story? First, God is in control. He has shown us today that He, and He alone, is the God of creation – not a god of our making. Second, we see God had compassion not only on the widow’s situation, but also for Obadiah who had courageously hid God’s prophets and kept them in food and drink. In the next chapter we will see the end of the drought with Elijah pitted against 450 adversaries. Regardless of the size of our modern-day enemies, we too can be assured that God is in control.
Chapter Three
The Contest: We have seen where God has called into the picture a man named Elijah to address the apostasy, particularly in the northern tribes of Israel. In the previous chapter we saw where God planted Elijah in front of Ahab, the terrible king of Israel. The result was to announce a severe drought and famine that would last until Elijah announced its end.
The result of Ahab and Elijah’s meeting was a contest of sorts on Mount Carmel. Mt. Carmel was a few miles south of Hebron and the range was some 1,742 feet in height. The “religious” contest pitted Elijah and the true God against Ahab’s 450 Baal prophets. This ratio sounds insurmountable, similar to David’s odds against his adversaries. But as with David, the people count is not the issue, rather it is the true God in control of everything.
Certainly, you can read the entire account of the contest for yourselves, but it is clear that these hundreds of false prophets were unable to call on their god to light their sacrifice. Elijah’s taunt perhaps added salt to their wounds. Now Elijah prepares his altar of sacrifice but, in order to show a command performance, he drenched the altar with more gallons of water than we are able to define from Scripture. Elijah’s prayer to the LORD God says, “O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:17ff)
The “fire of the LORD” fell and consumed everything – the sacrifice, the wood, the water and, yes even the stones and the ground! The picture here of the “fire of the LORD” relates to the judgeship of our LORD who will totally destroy every evil thing! Remember, He died on Calvary’s cross to satisfy sin’s separation from the Father. The witnesses of this contest exclaimed, “The LORD – He is God…and repeated” (1 Kings 18:39)
The contest told here is not the end of the story. Following God’s victory in this contest, Elijah commanded that all the false prophets be gathered up and put to death by the sword. Just think, Elijah’s act of slaying the false prophets in a land that was controlled by a wicked king and his evil wife could bring an end to his life too! But…wait! God is in control and the story continues.
Thus far we have seen an almost unknown prophet appear like a magician’s act and perform miracles, resurrection, fire (of the LORD), and the sword that slayed the false prophets. The concluding chapter in his life is about to unfold. And where would you expect? Well, it is the holy mountain of God – Horeb or Sinai. The message of Jezebel’s prophet’s demise reached her, and she said, “…make your life like one of them.” (emphasis added: 1 Kings 19:2) How long it took Elijah to reach the mountain of the LORD is now known, but it is significant in this story. Why? In Exodus we see the LORD God delivering His decalogue which commanded that His people to worship Him, and Him only.
God has indeed maintained His control and in His agape love attempts to rein in the people in the northern tribes. The story only results in their ultimate demise at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 BC…but God has more to tell us!
Chapter Four
The Escape & The Return Chapter nineteen opens with great fear and trepidation on Elijah’s part. He has just put 450 false prophets to death while at the same time, Jezebel is riding the land of God’s prophets. And Elijah is afraid! (1 Kings 19:3) And run he did! His escape route took him south and he left his servant in Beersheba while he traveled further into the desert.
He sat down under a broom tree and admitted that “I have had enough. . .take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.” Having fallen asleep, he was awakened by an angel of the LORD with food and drink for His servant. Again the angel appeared a second time in preparation for a journey of some forty days. He arrived at the holy mountain of God called Horeb (Sinai).
His mood was flat (depressed like) and while in the cave at Horeb he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword.” (1 Kings 19:10ff) His loneliness has grasped hold of him and placed him in a depressed state. But God appears and says, “Go…”
Creator God shows His dominance over nature by showing Elijah multiple examples of His power. First it was a powerful wind that shattered mountains and rocks. Next it was an earthquake and then fire. In all three occurrences, God was not there. But following the fire, a gentle whisper was heard by Elijah. He covered his face and went out to the opening of the cave. God’s voice again said, “what are you doing here?” God has shown Elijah that He could well have destroyed Israel with a windstorm, an earthquake, or a fire storm; but it was not in God’s time. Yes, it was His will “to transform human lives into the image of God by the gentle whisper of Christ speaking in the hearts of men.” (Source: Halley’s Bible Handbook page 230)
Almighty God laid out His plan for Elijah to accomplish by selecting new leaders and a prophet to replace him. Oh, and yes, God continues to be faithful to his promise and tells Elijah that seven thousand will be reserved who have not worshipped Baal. And so he did as God commanded.
Ahab and Jezebel’s time on this earth was limited now. And Elijah has ordained his replacement in the man Elisha. Elisha’s wish was for a double portion of God’s Spirit which Elijah replied, “you have asked for a difficult thing.” 2 Kings 2 tells of the time when the LORD sent a fiery chariot and horses to take Elijah to be with His God whom he served through very difficult times.
The Old Testament (“O. T.”) is mostly silent on Elijah until Malachi’s statement regarding him. “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD…” (Malachi 4:5, paraphrased) Just as Elijah was sent to the Israelites with a ministry of judgment and redemption, so John the Baptist (Elijah like) was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah in the spirit of Elijah.
The New Testament (“N. T.”) mentions Elijah in four places. First, Luke 4:24ff quotes Jesus reminding the audience about a prophet’s lack of respect in his hometown. St. Paul in Romans 11:1ff reminds his readers that just as God reserved a remnant in Elijah’s time, so now a remnant has been chosen by grace. Hebrews in the great faith chapter (11) says, “women received back their dead raised to life again.” (widow of Zarephath). Finally, James in his epistle reminds us that the prayer of a righteous person availeth much, then cites Elijah as the perfect example.
What significance does Elijah play in the body of God’s work? First, he is one of the greatest prophets, and along with Enoch, was translated to heaven. He was fervent in his ministry to the northern tribes over their apostasy. He could easily be considered an O. T. Christ as he attempted to change misdirected loyalties of God’s chosen. But he returns again with none other than Almighty God himself in the person of Jesus, the Christ on the mount of Transfiguration.
Epilogue Each of the synoptic gospel writers tells of the great royal appearance of the Christ along with Moses and Elijah – representing the law and the prophets. Just as Elijah finds his Lord in the gently whisper, Elijah hands over the responsibility of the prophets – in a gentle whisper – to The Prophet Himself. And Moses hands over the responsibility of the Law to the LORD Himself. The O. T. is being fulfilled before the eyes of Peter, James, and John and recorded for us today to see that His Son has redeemed the world from its sinful condition to one of brilliance and life eternal with the Shepherd himself. To God be the Glory! Amen.
Peace
Connected in Him, I stand
GHR
