What was happening in Israel when Elijah met Ahab in this passage?

At this time there had been no rain in the land for about three years, just as God had warned through Elijah. The whole region was in a hard famine, and people and animals were suffering. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had led Israel into worship of Baal and had killed many of the Lord’s prophets. Instead of repenting, Ahab was mainly worried about saving his horses and mules. Into this setting God sent Elijah back to Ahab to confront the sin and to announce that God would send rain again.

Who is Obadiah in this passage, and why is he important?

Obadiah was in charge of King Ahab’s household, a high position in a wicked court. Yet the passage says he “feared the Lord greatly.” While Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah secretly hid one hundred of them in caves and fed them with bread and water. He shows that God can keep faithful people even in dark places. He also shows real human fear when Elijah asks him to tell Ahab he has returned, but he still does what is right when Elijah assures him he will stay.

What does Elijah mean by "How long halt ye between two opinions"?

When Elijah says, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” he is talking to the people of Israel who were trying to follow the Lord and Baal at the same time. The picture is of someone limping back and forth, never putting full weight on either side. Elijah tells them they must make a clear choice: if the Lord is God, they must follow Him; if Baal is god, then follow Baal. This verse shows that God does not accept divided hearts or half-way loyalty.

Why did Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel?

Elijah set up the contest on Mount Carmel to show publicly who the true God is. Israel had been drawn into Baal worship, and the people were silent when asked to choose. Elijah called for two bulls, one for Baal’s prophets and one for himself, with no fire allowed under either. The God who answered by fire would be shown as the real God. By doing this in front of “all Israel,” Elijah exposed the emptiness of Baal and pointed the people back to the Lord.

Why did the prophets of Baal fail to get an answer, even though they cried out all day?

The prophets of Baal prayed, shouted, danced on the altar, and even cut themselves until their blood flowed, but nothing happened. The passage says there was “no voice, nor any that answered, nor any that regarded.” This shows that Baal was no god at all. Their efforts, however loud and intense, could not make a powerless idol respond. In contrast, when Elijah prayed a simple prayer at the time of the evening sacrifice, the Lord answered at once with fire from heaven, showing His living power.

What is the meaning of God sending fire from heaven on Elijah’s sacrifice?

God sending fire from heaven on Elijah’s sacrifice showed clearly that He alone is God in Israel. The fire did not just burn the meat and wood; it also consumed the stones, the dust, and all the water Elijah had poured around the altar. Elijah had soaked everything to make it clear that no human trick was involved. The fire was God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer that the people would know the Lord is God and that Elijah had spoken at His word. It led the people to fall on their faces and confess, “The Lord, he is the God.”

Why were the prophets of Baal killed at the brook Kishon after the contest?

After God answered by fire and the people confessed that the Lord is God, Elijah told them to seize the prophets of Baal so none would escape. He then killed them at the brook Kishon. In Israel, false prophets who led the people into idol worship were guilty of turning the nation away from God. This judgment showed how serious idolatry is in God’s eyes. It also cleared away the leaders who had been drawing people to Baal, so that true worship of the Lord could be restored.

What does this passage show about God’s character and power?

This passage shows that God is patient, powerful, and merciful. He patiently waited through years of drought while Israel followed Baal, then acted in a clear way so everyone could see He alone is God. His power appears in the fire that fell from heaven and in the heavy rain that ended the famine. Yet He also shows mercy: after exposing the idols, He sends rain to a people who had turned away from Him. God answers the prayer of His servant and turns people’s hearts back.

Why did Elijah pray for rain after the fire fell, and what is the lesson for us?

After the fire fell and the people turned back to the Lord, Elijah told Ahab that he heard the sound of heavy rain. Yet Elijah still went up to the top of Carmel, bowed to the ground, and prayed, sending his servant seven times to look toward the sea. Only at the seventh time did a small cloud appear, which soon became a great storm of rain. This shows that God keeps His promise, but His servants still pray earnestly. It encourages us to trust God’s word and keep praying, even when we see only a small beginning.

1Kgs.18.1

1 Kings 18:1

KJV GOD

And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

Chapter:

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:

4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.

13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

Elijah on Mount Carmel

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

The LORD Sends Rain

41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Context:

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

Cross References

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