1 Kings

1 Kings 18:1-19

The famine was severe throughout the land and the Ahab sent Obadiah out to look for food.  Obadiah is a man of God, but apparently secretly so as to preserve his life from Jezebel.  Obadiah hid the prophets of God in the caves when Ahab and Jezebel were trying to kill them.  Apparently part of this act of cleansing the prophets of God from the land included a man hunt for Elijah. 

Obadiah doesn't want to tell Ahab that Elijah was here.  He knows he would be dealing with a ruthless tyrant and that if Elijah didn't show up he would be killed.  Obadiah is adamant about avoiding this role for Elijah.  But Elijah gives his assurance that he would stand before Ahab.  Obadiah had to think he was nuts, this was sure death. 

Ahab came to Elijah and called him "the troubler of Israel".  It's fascinating that Ahab couldn't see any of his own responsibility for the problems of Israel.  He blamed Elijah for the famine and the drought.  Elijah returned the same phrase to Ahab calling him the troubler. 

Elijah set up a contest between the 450 prophets of Baal, along with the 400 prophets of Asherah.  This contest would be on Mount Carmel for all to see. 

1 Kings 18:20-24

Elijah calls for the people to no longer falter between two opinions.  This word for 'falter' means 'limp along'.  They weren't getting anywhere; they weren't committed to the Lord in any way.  It's time to no longer hesitate between 2 opinions and make a choice.  There is only one truth, why would anyone want to waver in the middle.  The problem was that with their eyes they saw 850 false prophets verses the one man of God.  While even Elijah may have felt out numbered and inadequate in this role, it was still not a fair fight.  The 850 had no power or authority behind them while Elijah was sent by the Most High God.  It wasn't a fair fight!

1 Kings 18:25-46

They sacrifice an ox and prepare the fire and spend all day calling down fire from their gods.  Elijah mocked them and they continued on as they started slashing themselves and raving and dancing about.  The 'or he is busy' of verse eight is Elijah suggesting their god was in the bathroom.  I can only imagine how much this must have angered these priests, yet they were powerless.  This must have been quite a spectacle of these 850 bloody prophets calling to a god that offered nothing.  This went on all day till the evening sacrifice. 

Then Elijah repaired and prepared the altar of the Lord.  He set the sacrifice upon the altar and then poured water on his altar and all around it.  When God brought fire down there would be no doubt where it came from.  No one would be doubleminded about who was God!  Elijah then prayed to God; his prayer was in obedience the will of the Lord.  This sacrifice was called for by God, Elijah didn't have to convince or coerce God to come down.  The fire came down and consumed the burnt offering.  The offereing was accepted by God.  The people saw and the response to seeing was believing. 

They seized the prophets of Baal and Elijah killed them.  The nation had turned back, at least for a time, to their God.  Elijah prayed for rain and prepared for rain.  The rains came as God promised.

Then this an interesting verse at the end of the chapter saying that the Lord girded up Elijah's loins and he ran ahead of Ahab's chariot.  While we often picture Elijah as an old man, by the hand of the Lord he was still fit.  He arrived in Jezreel ahead of Ahab. 

©2016 Doug Ford