And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘ “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” ‘ ” 1 Kings 18:1.
Dear God, to look into the life of Your prophet is to see You at work in human history. Please help us to look and listen carefully, because You are speaking. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
After looking at one period in the life of Elijah, I thought it would not be fair to move on to another topic. There is so much to see. There are so many lessons to be learned. There is so much faith to build upon. So I decided to go back to this story where man’s dependence upon the power of God produced an unforgettable and unrivaled story that has inspired so many throughout history.
I believe the best place to start this story is when God called His prophet and gave him his assignment, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:5) This was not an easy assignment by any stretch of the imagination. Ahab’s fame preceded him. And his wife’s reputation was even worse than his.
This was the third year of one of the worst droughts in Israel’s history. The king himself is out in the heat of the day. Listen to what he is saying “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock” (1 Kings 8:5).
Remember that one of the ways God would show His displeasure when His people sinned was by holding back the showers:
” ‘ “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance” ‘ ” (1 Kings 8:35).
It is obvious that divine justice is at work. Sin has shut up the heavens. The sins of Ahab the king and his wife Jezebel included. Ahab blames God’s prophet for causing the problem. It is in this atmosphere that God sends His prophet to find Ahab and tell him that the end of the drought is at hand. This confrontation is what led to Elijah’s mountain top experience.
This conversation will continue.