Basic HTML Version
Elijah Confronts King Ahab
This chapter is based on 1 Kings 17:1-7.
Among the mountains east of Jordan there lived a man of faith
and prayer whose fearless ministry was to stop the rapid spread of
apostasy. Though he occupied no high position in life, Elijah entered
on his mission confident that God would give him abundant success.
His was the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and
press back the tide of evil. And, while he came as a reprover of sin,
his message offered comfort to sin-sick souls.
As Elijah saw Israel going deeper into idolatry, he became in-
dignant. God had done great things for His people “that they might
observe His statutes and keep His laws.”
Psalm 105:45
. But unbelief
was quickly separating the chosen nation from the Source of their
strength. Viewing this apostasy from his mountain home, in an-
guish of soul Elijah called for God to stop the people in their wicked
course, to bring judgments on them if need be, that they might come
to repentance.
Elijah’s prayer was answered. The time had come when God
must speak by means of judgments. The worshipers of Baal claimed
that dew and rain came from the ruling forces of nature, and that
through the creative energy of the sun the earth brought forth abun-
dantly. The apostate tribes of Israel must be shown the foolishness
of trusting to Baal for material blessings. Until they turned to God
with repentance, neither dew nor rain would fall on the land.
God entrusted Elijah with the mission of delivering Heaven’s
message of judgment to Ahab. He did not seek to be the Lord’s
messenger; the word of the Lord came to him. To obey the divine
call seemed to invite swift destruction at the hand of the wicked king,
but the prophet set out at once and traveled night and day until he
reached the palace. Dressed in the coarse garments usually worn by
the prophets, he passed the guards apparently unnoticed and stood
for a moment before the astonished king.
57