The “OnFire Cafe” Book Club series “The Study of Scripture”. Come Study with us as we present our new Series, “The Prophets”. We begin here with our first episode, The Prophet Elijah.
Elijah
What can be said about Elijah? A Tishbite prophet who just appears in the 17th chapter of 1 Kings. Right from the start he is commissioned by God to dwell near a brook. Ok nothing spectacular there (if you overlook the fact GOD told him to do so). But ravens brought him his food twice a day!!! Well I think that is remarkable. Then low and behold wouldn’t you know it the brook dries up due to a drought in the land. God then tells Elijah to go to Zarephath to dwell. Don’t worry Elijah God has commanded a widow to sustain you.
Elijah and The Widow
When Elijah gets to Zarephath he sees a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said “Would you get me some water in a vessel to drink”. When she was going to get it Elijah then said” Bring me some bread too.” I’m just thinking of the reaction he may have received if these actions were done today. But the widow told him I don’t have a cake of bread. I barely have a handful of meal in the barrel and a small amount of oil. She had been gathering sticks to prepare what little food she had for herself and her son and prepare to die. Elijah told her go make me a cake first then go fix for yourself. I can only imagine how modern women would respond to this forward request. He assured her that there would be plenty of food for them because the Lord God commanded it to be so. She obeyed and the barrel of meal never emptied and the oil lasted until the drought was over. (1 Kings 17:8-16)
After a while the woman’s son got very ill and died. When woman being very distraught asked Elijah if she was being punished for her sins. Elijah placed the boy on his own bed and prayed for the boy’s life to return. God answered Elijah prayer. The woman said to Elijah I know that you really are a man of God and the word of the Lord is in your mouth. (1Kings 17:17-24)
Elijah Visits Ahab
After three years God spoke to Elijah and told him to go see Ahab in Samaria. At this time there was a really bad famine. Now Ahab had a governor over his house named Obadiah. Obadiah feared the Lord. While Ahab’s wife jezebel was out killing prophets, Obadiah was hiding them and keeping them safe and fed.
Ahab instructed Obadiah to go find grass and water for the horses and mules. Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah the other. Obadiah comes face to face with Elijah. Obadiah recognized him immediately and fell on his face and asked if he was Elijah (1 Kings 18:7). Elijah instructed Obadiah to go tell Ahab he was there. Obadiah was afraid that he would be found out about hiding the prophets and would be killed but Elijah assured him it was alright.
Ahab
So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. (1 Kings: 18:18)
You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Call the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
So Ahab got all the prophets together on Mount Carmel. Elijah said to the people, “How long will you go between Baal and the Lord?
The Challenge by Fire
Elijah said to them I’m the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal has 450 prophets. Let’s get 2 bulls and Baals prophets can choose one and cut it into pieces. Put it on the wood but don’t set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”
Everybody said that sounds good.
The Prophets of Baal
Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first. They called on Baal from morning to noon. They shouted Baal answer us. But no answer. They danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears. They were getting frantic. Prophesying but nothing from their god. It was almost time for the evening sacrifice.
God’s Prophet Elijah
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.”, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took 12, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two measures of seed He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
When it came time for the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “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, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When the people saw this they fell on their faces and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—He is God!”
Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
Elijah Predicts the Storm
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink. Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. He told his servant to climb to the top and look out to sea. The servant came back and said he saw nothing. Seven times Elijah sent him back
The seventh time the servant said “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
Meanwhile, a storm has formed and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Ahab got to Jezreel and told jezebel what Elijah had done. Jezebel was furious and swore to kill Elijah.
God sent Elijah an Angel
When Elijah heard this he ran into the wilderness. He sat under a juniper tree and begged God to let him die. But God had other plans, God sent an angel to prepare food and drink for Elijah. Elijah was instructed by the angel to eat and drink because he was going on a long journey.
Elijah was sustained by the food enough to travel forty days and forty nights. He arrived at Mount Horeb. Once there he lodged in a cave and God spoke to him.
God Counsels Elijah
“What are you doing here?” This was the question God asked Elijah. Now we have all felt like Elijah must have felt. Frustrated, depressed, alone, even maybe frightened.
God told Elijah to go to the top of the mountain because the Lord passed by. As he did a strong wind came and rocks fell and crumbled. But God was not in the wind, then after the wind came an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. BUT after the fire came a still small voice and Elijah heard it.
Again God asked “What are you doing here? “Elijah explained his burden but the Lord had plans for Elijah.
From here he was to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Nimshi to be king over Israel. And anoint Elisha to be a prophet…
God Bless You
Aglow
