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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
Elijah was a man subject to like passions as ourselves. His mission
to Ahab, and the terrible denunciation to him of the judgments of God,
required courage and faith. On his way to Samaria the perpetually
flowing streams, the hills covered with verdure, the forests of stately,
flourishing trees,—everything his eye rested upon flourishing in beauty
and glory,—would naturally suggest unbelief. How can all these things
in nature, now so flourishing, be burned with drought? How can these
streams that water the land and that have never been known to cease
their flow, become dry? But Elijah did not cherish unbelief. He went
forth on his mission at the peril of his life. He fully believed that God
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would humble His apostate people and that through the visitation of
His judgments He would bring them to humiliation and repentance.
He ventured everything in the mission before him.
When Ahab recovers in a degree from his astonishment at the
words of Elijah, the prophet is gone. He makes diligent inquiry for
him, but no one has seen him or can give any information respecting
him. Ahab informs Jezebel of the word of woe that Elijah has uttered
in his presence, and her hatred against the prophet is expressed to the
priests of Baal. They unite with her in denouncing and cursing the
prophet of Jehovah. The news of the prophet’s denunciations spread
throughout the land, arousing the fears of some and the wrath of many.
After a few months the earth, unrefreshed by dew or rain, becomes
dry, and vegetation withers. The streams that have never been known
to cease their flow, decrease, and the brooks dry up. Jezebel’s prophets
offer sacrifices to their gods and call upon them night and day to
refresh the earth by dew and rain. But the incantations and deceptions
formerly practiced by them to deceive the people do not answer the
purpose now. The priests have done everything to appease the anger of
their gods; with a perseverance and zeal worthy of a better cause have
they lingered around their pagan altars, while the flames of sacrifice
burn on all the high places, and the fearful cries and entreaties of the
priests of Baal are heard night after night through doomed Samaria.
But the clouds do not appear in the heavens to cut off the burning rays
of the sun. The word of Elijah stands firm, and nothing that Baal’s
priests can do will change it.
An entire year passes, and another commences, and yet there is
no rain. The earth is parched as though a fire had passed over it. The
flourishing fields are as the scorching desert. The air becomes dry and