ELIJAH PROCLAIMED A DROUGHT- GOD JUDGED AN UNFAITHFUL RULER

1 Kings 17 showed the muscle of Elijah’s character in informing the immoral king, Ahab, ‘As the Lord God os Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years, except at your word. ( v1 ) Courage! ‘Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all before him.’ ( 16:30) God could not tolerate idol worship , hence He raised up a forthright prophet Elijah to protect His holy interest. Although it seemed trivial, he took Jezebel as his wife, and went and served Baal and worshipped him’. Ahab practised incredible wickedness, in that ‘He did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him; ‘ The origin of the drought was spiritual- not meteorological or physical.

God’s mercy showed through, for ’after many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, ‘Go present yourself to Ahab ( that threatening king ) and I will send rain on the earth.’ ( 18:1) Fearful yet faithful, Elijah responded, ‘ He went to present himself to Ahab and there was a severe famine in Samaria. ‘Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house,’ ‘Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.’ Thank God for faithful men who serve the living God despite accountability to the king.

So it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty in a cave, and had fed them with bread and water; ’ Just as Corrie ten Boon had done during the Nazi regime, when her Dutch home sheltered many fugitive Jewish people in false cupboards and cellars, sparing them from the gas chambers. Until she ,too, was captured; and watched her frail sister perish under unbearable pressures.

In the desperate situation, Ahab sent Obadeiah, ‘ Go into all the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps w3e may find grasss to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.’ while obeying the evil king, Obadiah met Elijah , and he recognised him and fell on his face and said, ‘Is it you, my Lord, Elijah.? ‘It is I, he responded, ‘Go and tell your master ,’Elijah is here.’ Obadiah was terrified that he should confront Ahab , knowing that he had associated with Elijah, the prophet.

Obadiah forewarned Ahab, who went to meet the prophet. ’then it happened’ suggesting an explosion from the malicious ruler, ’ when Ahab saw Elijah, he accused him, ’Is that you, a troubler of Israel.?’ He had no right to transfer his guilt to the faithful prophet. (v17) Elijah was fearless, ’ answering, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house , in tha tyou have forsaken the commandments of the Lord ,and you have followed the Baals. God’s voice through Elijah showed unfaithfulness in the two generations of Ahab and his father.

Courage is an essential of God’s faithful servants. Charles Lamb, 21 years imprisoned in china for his faith, never capitulated from proclaiming the truth of God’s word. Martin Luther exposed the false teaching of the practices of the church of his day. The whitfield and Wesley brothers saved England from the French Revoution with their bible evangelism. Billy graham calle dfor repentance and a return to our God as he truly presented God’s Word to many nations in these 50 years. I have met Benjamin chew of Singapore, Bakht singh of Indis, Petrus Octavianus of Indonesia ; indeed, Every nation produces champions of the faith.

Elijah is completely controlled the situation, calling for Ahab to ‘Send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. (v19) The prophet fearlessly exposed the queen as the ungodly sponsor. She was the most evil woman who had lived. All the false prophets who had misdirected the spiritual worship of the nation were gathered on this famous mount, high above Haifa harbour. Elijah endangered his life with his gutsy challenge to the forces of Hell. Despite this, he stood unflinchingly before his people.

What did the false prophets expect as Ahab summoned them to this national event?

What did the common people anticipate as they dropped every thing at the royal command.?

Elijah was in complete control. ’He came to all the people and said, ’ How long will you halt between ( or hover over ) two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow HIM; but if Baal, then follow him.’ An eerie silence followed, ’for the people answered not a word.’ The nation had been paralysed spiritually; and they could not respond. Poliomyelitis of the soul. Fifty years ago I worked among polio patients during an epidemic that filled our hospital wards. It grieved me to treat young people who could not move their hands or feet- or those in the iron lung, who could not breathe. Israel was paralysed toward their God. Hence, no answer!

The silence was broken as Elijah contested with Baal, ’I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls, choose one, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.’ No earthly fire present, for Baal claimed to be the god of fire. And the Lord of glory was ’a burning fire.’

The people found their voice when Elijah detailed plans,’ Then you call on the name of your gods and I will call on the NAME of the Lord; and the god who answers by fire , HE is God.

(v24 ) ’It is well spoken,’ all the people answered. Actual fire would show the real god.

Elijah directed the ’prophets of Baal to choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god but put no fire under it.’ Elijah knew that God would vindicate his faithful stand, and reject the heathen priests of Baal. Today, Hindu priests of Bali offered sacrifices of bullocks and goats for the cleansing of the island of evil spirits. Hebrews 9:13,14 tells us that ’the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin , but how much more the blood of CHRIST shall purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.’ God’s word must be read and understood in the light of current events.

Poor, weak mortals, followers of idols, pitted themselves against the omnipotent eternal God, for whom Elijah was prophet. They followed their insipid formulae as ’they took the bull which was given them, and prepared it ( with complicated procedures ), and ( fruitlessly ) called on the name of Baal from morning even to noon. ’O Baal, hear us.’ they screamed. However, there was ’no voice; no one answered,’ How could the inanimate idols respond? Then they desecrated their altar, as ’they leaped about the altar they had made.’ (v26)

Elijah mocked these false prophets, ’It is noon. Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating; or he is busy; or he is on a journey; or perhaps he is sleeping; and must be awakened.’ ‘So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lancets, until the blood gushed out on them. (v28) Their blood sacrifices, for some may have died in the blood-letting, could not save Israel. Only the Father could provide the true sacrifice. Idols are inadequate, insufficient, impotent. Confidence in their god had plummeted.

The next chapter shows God’s triumph through the faithful prophet Elijah.