Chapter 9—Elijah the Tishbite
This chapter is based on
1 Kings 17:1-7
.
Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in
the days of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was
destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed
from any city of renown, and occupying no high station in life, Elijah
the Tishbite nevertheless entered upon his mission confident in God’s
purpose to prepare the way before him and to give him abundant
success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his whole
life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying
in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And
while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered
the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed.
As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his
soul was distressed and his indignation aroused. God had done great
things for His people. He had delivered them from bondage and given
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them “the lands of the heathen, ... that they might observe His statutes,
and keep His laws.”
Psalm 105:44, 45
. But the beneficent designs of
Jehovah were now well-nigh forgotten. Unbelief was fast separating
the chosen nation from the Source of their strength. Viewing this
apostasy from his mountain retreat, Elijah was overwhelmed with
sorrow. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest the once-favored
people in their wicked course, to visit them with judgments, if need
be, that they might be led to see in its true light their departure from
Heaven. He longed to see them brought to repentance before they
should go to such lengths in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to
destroy them utterly.
Elijah’s prayer was answered. Oft-repeated appeals, remon-
strances, and warnings had failed to bring Israel to repentance. The
time had come when God must speak to them by means of judg-
ments. Inasmuch as the worshipers of Baal claimed that the treasures
of heaven, the dew and the rain, came not from Jehovah, but from the
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