1 Kings 18:1-46
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Summary
- Famine, because of idolatry; rain, once the people repent and turn back to Yahweh.
Details and/or Comments
- Note: We need to remember that the people were in the land because of promises made by God, to Abraham, their forefather. It was only to the extent that they were faithful to Abraham's God, that they would experience the blessings that come from Abraham's God. Otherwise, they would receive judgment just like the wicked nations did, who lived there previously.
Scripture
1 Kings 18:1-46
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| 1Ki 18:1 It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.
1Ki 18:2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. |
In the previous chapter, we read that the rain was withheld, because of the sins of Ahab (and of the nation). |
| The famine was sore in Samaria.
1Ki 18:3 Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. |
This famine went on for three years, the result of the drought. |
| (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly:
1Ki 18:4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) |
Parenthesis – identifying who Obadiah was, i.e., a godly person.
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| 1Ki 18:5 Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
1Ki 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. |
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| 1Ki 18:7 As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it you, my lord Elijah?
1Ki 18:8 He answered him, It is I: go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here. |
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| 1Ki 18:9 He said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
1Ki 18:10 As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you. 1Ki 18:11 Now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 1Ki 18:12 It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don't know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can't find you, he will kill me: |
Elijah always seemed to disappear, so Obadiah expected it to happen again. If Ahab was disappointed again (after looking so long for Elijah), he'd probably vent his anger on Obadiah. |
| but I your servant have feared Yahweh from my youth.
1Ki 18:13 Wasn't it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? |
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| 1Ki 18:14 Now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here; and he will kill me.
1Ki 18:15 Elijah said, As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today. 1Ki 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. |
Elijah promised on oath that he would show himself to Ahab - in other words, that he would not disappear. This encouraged Obadiah to go and tell Ahab. |
| 1Ki 18:17 It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?
1Ki 18:18 He answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the Baals. |
Ahab blames Elijah for the famine. Though Elijah may have told Ahab it wouldn't rain until he commanded it (1Kings 17:1), Elijah spoke with God's authority.
Ahab ignored God's previous warnings to the nation (such as in the Law) that famine would come specifically because of the people turning away from Yahweh and following after the false gods of the surrounding nations. Elijah puts the blame where it belongs. (Ahab, as the leader, led the people into idolatry.)
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| 1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
1Ki 18:20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. |
God's prophets had authority over kings. |
| 1Ki 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The people answered him not a word. | Among the pagans, it was common to believe in the existence of many deities. Elijah said, correctly, that it was a case of "either-or," not "both-and."
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| 1Ki 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal's prophets are four hundred fifty men.
1Ki 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. 1Ki 18:24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God." All the people answered, "It is well said." |
Though Elijah may have been the only prophet who was making a public stand at that time, there were at least 100 other prophets, hidden by Obadiah - see the previous verses. Also, there were 7000 others in Israel (the northern kingdom) who had not bowed down to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). |
| 1Ki 18:25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
1Ki 18:26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made. |
"Put no fire under it." - They could not have a "starter fire" hidden underneath the offering, to burst into flames when things got hot enough and the fat of the offering had dripped down unto it. |
| 1Ki 18:27 It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god: either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleeps and must be awakened.
1Ki 18:28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 1Ki 18:29 It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded. |
If there is only one God - as Elijah contended - mocking this false god is a fitting response to the utter folly of those trying to get its attention. |
| 1Ki 18:30 Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh that was thrown down.
1Ki 18:31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, Israel shall be your name. 1Ki 18:32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 1Ki 18:33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. |
Even though Israel was now politically divided, there was still only one God for the people to worship. |
| He said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.
1Ki 18:34 He said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. He said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time. 1Ki 18:35 The water ran around the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. |
There would be no possibility for anyone to accuse him of cheating. (If the nearby river had dried-up, the water could have come from a well, or from digging in the riverbed.) |
| 1Ki 18:36 It happened at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again. |
Elijah wasn't doing this for a mere show; it was done in obedience to God, who sent him. Also, "that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God."
God was turning the people's hearts back to him... this involves repentance - something that would have to happen before the famine would be allowed to end. |
| 1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
1Ki 18:39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, Yahweh, he is God; Yahweh, he is God. |
Both Yahweh and Baal were said to have control of lightning or fire from heaven, but only the living God could actually cause it to happen. |
| 1Ki 18:40 and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; don't let one of them escape. They took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there. |
This was done in obedience to God's commands in Deuteronomy 13:1-18. |
| 1Ki 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.
1Ki 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. |
After the repentance had come, rain could come. |
| 1Ki 18:43 He said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. He went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. He said, Go again seven times.
1Ki 18:44 It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a small cloud, like a man's hand, is rising out of the sea." He said, Go up, tell Ahab, Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn't stop you. |
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| 1Ki 18:45 It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
1Ki 18:46 The hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. |
Elijah was given (by God) extra strength to run ahead of the king. Though opposed to his idolatry, Elijah was loyal to the king and encouraged him to follow the true God. Elijah's actions expressed both of these sentiments. |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
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—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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