When we mention the name Elijah, what picture comes to mind? How do you visualise the prophet Elijah, and what do you know of him? Write it down and keep it in your Bible somewhere, and at the end of this series of lessons, we will see if your perception of him has changed.
There was a prophet of God, from Tishbite, whose name was Elijah. Elijah’s name, meaning “My God is Yahweh”, reflects his character as a man totally dedicated to God. Because of this commitment, God was able to use Elijah powerfully.
His is one of the most colourful and exciting biographies in the bible. His story is told in the middle of the accounts of the Kings of Israel and Judah, between 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 2.
These chapters recount three aspects essential to understanding Elijah’s role and ministry. The miracles, the messages and the man himself. But we are going to start with the man himself, followed by the message and then the miracles.
He was a Gileadite, which was a region east of the Jordan, an area which had been allotted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The loneliness of the prophet Elijah encompasses every part of his life and ministry; thus, in the capital and the northern kingdoms, he would have been a “country yokel.”
He was probably regarded by many as a fanatic from an uncivilised backwater of the kingdom. It is from such backwaters that God often chose prophets and messengers, whether it was from Gilead or Galilee.
This often serves as a witness against people who regard themselves as better than the rest, for God can find among them, the so-called righteous, no one with sufficient faith as a messenger of the divine word.
In Elijah’s case, his ministry brought him into contact with those who had no regard for his simple religion of worshipping “Yahweh” alone, because they were already worshipping other so-called deities that they had put before the one true God.
They preferred the sophisticated religion of the urban Canaanites, which integrated gods from such powerful and wealthy centres as Tyre. Idols such as Baal, Ashtoreth, Bel or Nebo – gods made of wood, gold or silver.
Elijah’s call to confront this wickedness was an example of a called lone minister, standing against the power of hundreds of opponents supported by the state, 1 Kings 18:19.
God’s effectiveness was unhindered by the uneven sides. Indeed, it all the more dramatically displayed the power of faith at work. But such an experience could only enhance the feeling of loneliness which Elijah must have felt.
For two years, he had been in hiding with few companions other than a widow and her son. 1 Kings 17:1-24, which we will cover in a later lesson. Therefore, it is no surprise that Elijah, fearing the reprisals of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel, fled for his life to Horeb, 1 Kings 19:1-8.
Elijah, believing himself to be the only prophet left in Israel, seeks sanctuary in a cave where he encounters the Lord, who informs him that there are seven thousand faithful souls left in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
The divine presence does not rely on such demonstrations of power as miracles or great acts such as dividing the Red Sea, the burning bush, the manna from heaven, etc. But in the “quietly spoken word.”
Further, his work would not be alone because others were doing the same thing in different parts of the land, so, therefore, we today should not be thinking we are on our own and that there is nothing we can do as God is constantly working with us and through us, using our talents that he has given us to promote His message.
This can be as simple as just talking to someone. How else do you think we can promote God’s message? Does it take courage? What kind of opportunities should we look for?
God’s plan for Elijah as his representative was to send him to the king to dissuade him from Baal worship and to turn him back to the one true God. Now Ahab, the son of Omri, became King of Israel, and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years. 1 Kings 16:29 onwards.
Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. It came about that he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians, who were Baal worshippers.
God specifically told the children of Israel that they were not to marry outside of their own people, so Ahab’s first sin was to marry a Sidonian who introduced him to idol worship. He possibly thought that he could have a foot in both camps by worshipping “Yahweh” and Baal simultaneously.
Ahab built a temple to Baal in Samaria and Asherah, which were meant to be representations of El, the wife of the chief Canaanite god. By doing this, he provoked and angered the Lord God more than any other king of Israel. Elijah was sent by the Lord to vigorously oppose both the words and actions of Baal worship and those who engaged in it.
Elijah’s relationship with Ahab was the most significant illustration of the clarity of the prophet’s message and the failure to repent on the part of Ahab. No king of Israel received as many warnings, and yet no king of Israel fell as deeply into sin as Ahab. Elijah’s ministry began with a warning to Ahab of drought, 1 Kings 17:1
It’s not surprising, with the current spiritual condition of Israel, that one of God’s prophets appears on the scene. It was time to work miracles through Elijah, 1 Kings 17:1, who was certainly a man of great faith. If you remember, there were already a few false prophets around who were involved in idolatry, who were put in place by Ahab and Jezebel, 1 Kings 16:29-33, but now it was time for a true prophet.
When Elijah speaks to Ahab, he tells him that God is the God of Israel and He is the living God, which is used in contrast to Baal, who wasn’t. He also prophesies that there will be no dew or rain for the next few years, 1 Kings 17:1. This tells us that a severe drought was coming and it was coming from God as a form of punishment for the nation’s idolatry, Deuteronomy 11:16-17 / 2 Samuel 2:3.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Drought was one of the punishments threatened by the Law, if Israel forsook Yahweh and turned after other gods, Deuteronomy 11:17 / Deuteronomy 28:23 / Leviticus 26:19, etc.’
When we read James 4:17, we learn that the drought was the request of Elijah. This tells us that it was Elijah who was standing up against the idolatrous practices of Ahab, and he was preparing the way for God’s judgment upon the northern kingdom of Israel. As we shall see later, this drought prepared the way for that famous showdown between Elijah and all the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, 1 Kings 18:16-40.
It appears that the Lord planned to hide Elijah for a period of time in the wilderness by the Brook Kerith, 1 Kings 17:2-3, and then later, in the house of the widow of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:8.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This brook, and the valley through which it ran, are supposed to have been on the western side of Jordan, and not far from Samaria. Others suppose it to have been on the eastern side, because the prophet is commanded to go eastward, 1 Kings 17:3. It was necessary, after such a declaration to this wicked and idolatrous king, that he should immediately hide himself; as, on the first drought, Ahab would undoubtedly seek his life. But what a proof was this of the power of God, and the vanity of idols! As God’s prophet prayed, so there was rain or drought; and all the gods of Israel could not reverse it! Was not this sufficient to have converted all Israel?’
God tell him he will drink from the brook, and He has directed the ravens to supply him with food, 1 Kings 17:4 / 1 Kings 17:24. Elijah goes to the Kerith Ravine, and stayed there as God told him to, 1 Kings 17:5.
What we read here is nothing short of miraculous, as God commands ravens to bring Elijah food, 1 Kings 17:6. They brought bread in the morning and meat in the evening, 1 Kings 17:6. God was using the ravens to provide His prophet food. This has to be miraculous because there is simply no other explanation for what has been recorded here.
We are told that later the brook dried up because there was no rain, 1 Kings 17:8 / Deuteronomy 11:16-17. The journey from Gilead, 1 Kings 17:1, to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, 1 Kings 17:8, was quite a journey, but this region was out of Ahab’s jurisdiction.
Zarephath was a relatively safe place because it was near where Jezebel’s father lived. When Jesus spoke about Zarephath, it was in relation to His lesson about a prophet not being accepted in his own town, Luke 4:26.
We saw earlier how God miraculously fed Elijah by using ravens, now we read about how God is going to use a widow, whose name isn’t mentioned, to feed Elijah out of her poverty, 1 Kings 17:9. She was willing to take care of Elijah, even though she was in a desperate state of poverty and had no hope for the future.
While the widow was gathering sticks, Elijah first asks for water, 1 Kings 17:10, which she was gladly going to get, despite there being a drought, 1 Kings 17:7, but then Elijah asks for some bread, 1 Kings 17:11. She is honest enough to say that she only has a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug and enough bread for one more meal for her and her son, 1 Kings 17:12.
Elijah tells her to go and make that bread and bring it to him because God has told him, that as long as she takes care of him, the flour and the oil will never run out in your house, 1 Kings 17:13-14. Now she had a decision to make. Is she going to trust the God of Israel and obey Him and let Him take care of tomorrow?
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was certainly putting the widow’s faith to an extraordinary trial: to take and give to a stranger, of whom she knew nothing, the small pittance requisite to keep her child from perishing, was too much to be expected.’
She went home and she made that little bit of bread and she brought it to Elijah and they went back to her house and there was flour in that jar and oil in that jar, 1 Kings 17:15. There was flour and oil in her house as long as the prophet lived there, 1 Kings 17:16, and so, she chose to obey God and trust Him for her long term future, 2 Kings 4:1-7.
This reminds me of the times when Jesus fed the multitude with only a few fish and loaves, Matthew 14:13-21 / Matthew 15:32-39. She trusted God’s Word, that His mercies were new every morning, Lamentations 3:21-26. She trusted God for her daily bread, Matthew 6:11, and she certainly didn’t worry about tomorrow, Matthew 6:25-34.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the first recorded miracle of its kind, a supernatural and inexplicable multiplication of food, 2 Kings 4:42-44 / Matthew 14:15-21 / Matthew 15:32-38.’
Sadly, sometime later, the widow’s son became ill and died, 1 Kings 17:17 / Genesis 2:7, and she appears to be blaming Elijah for this happening, 1 Kings 17:18.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘She seems to be now conscious of some secret sin, which she had either forgotten, or too carelessly passed over; and to punish this, she supposes the life of her son was taken away. It is mostly in times of adversity that we duly consider our moral state; outward afflictions often bring deep searching of heart.’
Elijah asks for her son, takes him, and carries him to the upper room where he was staying, and lays him on his bed, 1 Kings 17:19. After questioning God, 1 Kings 17:19, Elijah throws himself on top of the boy three times and cries out to the Lord, 1 Kings 17:20-21.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is supposed that he did this in order to communicate some natural warmth to the body of the child, in order to dispose it to receive the departed spirit. Elisha, his disciple, did the same in order to restore the dead child of the Shunammite, 2 Kings 4:34. And St. Paul appears to have stretched himself on Eutychus in order to restore him to life, Acts 20:10.’
God graciously heard his prayer and granted his request and the boy was raised back to life, 1 Kings 17:22. Elijah picks up her son, carries him down from the room into the house and gave him to his mother and said, Look, your son is alive! 1 Kings 17:23. With this miracle, the widow was overwhelmed that her son was now alive and she then knew that Elijah was indeed a true prophet of God, 1 Kings 17:24.
Although this was a private event, when we get to the New Testament, we see Jesus demonstrating that He, too, could raise people from the dead for God’s glory so that the people would know He was from God, John 11:38-43.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
Three grand effects were produced by this temporary affliction.
1. The woman was led to examine her heart and try her ways.
2. The power of God became highly manifest in the resurrection of the child.
3. She was convinced that the word of the Lord was truth, and that not one syllable of it could fall to the ground.
Hebrew tradition suggests that the boy who was raised back to life was actually Jonah, and his father, his mother’s husband, was Amittai, Jonah 1:1, but this can’t be proven. If Jonah was the son of the widow at Zarephath, he would have been around eighty years old at the beginning of Jeroboam II’s reign.
But the beginning of Jeroboam’s reign is not marked by the bitter affliction of Israel. On the contrary, the end of his father’s reign, Joash, was marked by repeated victories over Syria, 2 Kings 13:25, and a great victory over Judah, 2 Kings 14:12-13.
In fact, Scripture talks about Joash in terms of ‘his might’, 2 Kings 14:15. So we see the bitter affliction spoken of in 2 Kings 14:26, as rising sometime afterwards during the reign of Jeroboam II.
If we allow five to ten years for the affliction to become bitter, this will place the prophecy around one-hundred years after the son of the widow of Zarephath would have been born. I think it is unlikely that Jonah was the widow’s son.
But this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible that Jonah was the son of the widow, but it is highly unlikely. We also note that the widow was a foreigner from Zarephath in the territory of Sidon, 1 Kings 17:9.
Jonah was from Gath Hepher, 2 Kings 14:25, which was in the territory of Zebulun, about two miles from Nazareth. If Jonah was the son of the widow, one wonders why he is said to be from Gath Hepher rather than from Zarephath. Once again, I don’t find any good evidence to link Jonah and the widow.
After being miraculously fed by the ravens, miraculously feeding the widow from Zarephath and her son and after miraculously raising her son back to life, 1 Kings 17, the Lord speaks to Elijah and tells him to go to Ahab, and God will send rain on the land, 1 Kings 18:1.
The drought had been in the land for three and a half years, 1 Kings 18:2 / Luke 4:25 / James 5:17, and now it was time for Elijah to meet Ahab face to face, 1 Kings 18:2. We are told that Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. Obadiah was a devout believer in God, 1 Kings 18:2.
It appears that now was the time for God to display His power through Elijah because of the idolatry in which Israel was involved with Baal. It was time to get rid of the four-hundred and fifty false prophets of Baal.
Notice that Jezebel was ‘killing off the Lord’s prophets’, 1 Kings 18:4. This tells us she wasn’t interested in what God had to say or what God’s true prophets had to say. Obadiah was Ahab’s servant, saving one-hundred of God’s true prophets by hiding them in a cave, 1 Kings 18:4. He was looking for grass so that he could save the domestic animals from starvation, 1 Kings 18:5.
They divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another, 1 Kings 18:6. As always, when evil people are around, there will always be those who want to live right for God.
When Obadiah met Elijah, he asked if it was really him, 1 Kings 18:7, and the answer to Obadiah’s question was that Elijah was his master, 1 Kings 18:8. This question also tells us that Obadiah was a good, righteous man because he accepted Elijah as the spiritual leader of Israel.
Obadiah is understandably reluctant to go before Ahab, 1 Kings 18:9. He obviously rejected the idea of worshipping Baal, which was promoted by Ahab and Jezebel; he obviously knew that the prophets of Baal were false, and so, this tells us that he must have secretly maintained his faith in God alone.
He says, as surely as God lives, there isn’t a nation or kingdom where his master has not sent someone to look for him and whenever a nation or kingdom claimed he wasn’t there, he made them swear they could not find him, 1 Kings 18:10.
He says but now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here,’ 1 Kings 18:11. He doesn’t know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry him when he leaves him, 1 Kings 18:11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Obadiah supposed that the Spirit of the Lord had carried him to some strange country during the three years and a half of the drought and as he had reason to think that Ahab would slay Elijah if he found him, and that the God of the prophet would not suffer his servant to fall into such murderous hands, he took for granted that as soon as he should come into danger, so soon would the Spirit of the Lord carry him away, or direct him to some hiding place.’
If he goes and tells Ahab he can’t find him, he will kill him, yet he has worshipped God since his youth, 1 Kings 18:12. He hasn’t, if he hasn’t heard, what he did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? He hid a hundred of the LORD’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water, 1 Kings 18:13 / 1 Kings 18:4-5.
He says, and now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me! 1 Kings 18:14. Elijah said, ‘As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today,’ 1 Kings 18:15. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, Ahab went to meet Elijah, 1 Kings 18:16
When Ahab meets Elijah, he calls him a ‘troublemaker’, 1 Kings 18:17. The reason he called him a ‘troublemaker’ was because in Ahab’s mind, Elijah had troubled Israel by reminding them that they were committing idolatry and had neglected to keep the Lord’s commands.
In Elijah’s case, it appears that people can be troublemakers for all the right reasons. Elijah tells him that he hasn’t troubled Israel, but Ahab and his fathers before him have, 1 Kings 18:18.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Instead of apologies and pleas for pardon, Elijah meets the charge with a counter charge, and makes a sudden demand. ‘Gather to me,’ etc. This boldness, this high tone, this absence of the slightest indication of alarm, seems to have completely discomfited Ahab, who ventured on no reply, made no attempt to arrest the prophet, did not even press him to remove his curse and bring the drought to an end, but simply consented to do his bidding. There is no passage of Scripture which exhibits more forcibly the ascendancy that a prophet of the Lord, armed with His spiritual powers, could, if he were firm and brave, exercise even over the most powerful and most unscrupulous of monarchs.’
The real troublemaker in all of this was Ahab himself because he was supposed to be Israel’s leader but instead of leading people to God, he led them into idolatry, 1 Kings 18:18. It’s at this point that Elijah tells him to gather the people at Mount Carmel and bring four-hundred and fifty prophets of Ball and four-hundred prophets of Asherah, 1 Kings 18:19.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The number 400 seems to have been one especially affected by Ahab. We again find 400 prophets at the close of his reign, 1 Kings 22:6. The number 40 entered largely into the religious system of the Jews, 1 Kings 6:17 / Exodus 26:19 / Deuteronomy 25:3 / Ezekiel 41:2.’
We don’t know why Mount Carmel was chosen, 1 Kings 18:20, but it’s possible because it was located in the high hills, and this place was the main location for Baal worship. Whatever the reason this place was chosen, the stage was not set for the great showdown between God and the false prophets of Baal. Elijah asks the people ‘How long will they waver between two opinions? 1 Kings 18:21.
Elijah set a challenge against those who wanted to live in idolatry and those who wanted to live by God, 1 Kings 18:21. Notice, when he asked if they would follow God or Baal, the people said nothing, 1 Kings 18:21. Elijah was a courageous man who loved God very much.
He knew that it wasn’t easy to stand up against Ahab and the false prophets of Baal. But he trusted in the one true God and was ready to do what God asked him to do. God told Elijah to go and face up to Ahab, and so, he went to see Ahab, and he offered him a challenge. Elijah basically says let’s have a competition.
Each of us will build an altar, prepare a sacrifice and place it on an altar. Then you will ask your god to set fire to your sacrifice, and I will ask my God to set fire to my sacrifice, and we’ll see who wins. King Ahab agreed to the competition, and he gathered all the prophets of Baal together, 1 Kings 18:23-24.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God had frequently before consumed offerings with supernatural fire, Leviticus 9:24 / Judges 6:21. The Baal-worshippers were no doubt in the habit of attributing thunder and lightning to their gods – the great Nature-power – and thus had no excuse for declining Elijah’s challenge.’
Remember, there were four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal but only one prophet of the one true God, Elijah, 1 Kings 18:22. This made the competition even more exciting and challenging, one true prophet versus four-hundred and fifty false prophets. This was basically God versus man. What we are going to see is that this contest wasn’t really for the false prophet’s benefit but Israel’s benefit.
Elijah straight away takes the offensive by offering the false prophets a chance to prove themselves before the people, 1 Kings 18:25. The prophets of Baal went first, and so, they built their altar and placed their sacrifice on it.
Then they started praying and calling on their god, Baal, to send fire to burn the sacrifice. They prayed and shouted for hours, Acts 19:34, and they even danced around, but nothing happened, 1 Kings 18:26.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
It seems that the priests of Baal employed the whole day in their desperate rites. The time is divided into two periods.
1. From morning until noon; this was employed in preparing and offering the sacrifice, and in earnest supplication for the celestial fire. Still, there was no answer, and at noon, Elijah began to mock and ridicule them, and this excited them to commence anew.
2. They continued from noon till the time of offering the evening sacrifice, dancing up and down, cutting themselves with knives, mingling their own blood with their sacrifice, praying, supplicating, and acting in the most frantic manner.
Elisha, at this point, begins to mock them by telling them to shout louder, 1 Kings 18:27. He says, hey maybe Baal is in deep thought or busy, or maybe he’s on holiday at the moment. In Hebrew, it literally says, maybe he’s busy on the toilet. Maybe he’s fast asleep, and your shouting isn’t loud enough to wake him.
They started shouting louder and even started cutting themselves to show their devotion to their god, but still, there was no fire, 1 Kings 18:28. Elijah watched them and listened to their frantic prophesying, 1 Kings 18:29, but he knew that their god wouldn’t answer because their god was not real. He knew that the one true God would show His power and love for His people. And so, Elijah decided to make the competition even more difficult for himself.
It’s clear they became frustrated because they started dancing, shouting louder, started slashing themselves, and frantically prophesying. The word ‘prophesying’ here means to rave on, out of control, 1 Samuel 18:10. In this visible event, the priests of Baal staged an unbelievably outrageous and bloody demonstration of frenzy, confusion, and screaming madness.
Sadly, this kind of self-delusional worship still remains today in some churches, where people run around wild, claiming that the Spirit has taken hold of them, 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Some speak in uncontrollable so-called tongues, etc. Everything in their worship is all about feelings and emotions, and like we see happening here, their god doesn’t answer them, and nothing happens, Colossians 2:20-23.
The first thing Elijah did was ‘repair the altar of the Lord’, 1 Kings 18:30. This again shows us how much they neglected their true God. When Solomon reigned, instead of destroying all the high places, he allowed God’s people to worship God on the formerly Canaanite high places of Israel, 1 Kings 11:7-8.
This may well have been one of those altars which Elijah repaired, and it could also have been an altar which was used by those who were faithful to God but had to hide their faith because of the persecution of Ahab.
Notice that Elijah took ‘twelve stones’, 1 Kings 18:31. This tells us that God still saw Israel as twelve tribes. After repairing the altar, Elijah goes on to dig a deep trench, 1 Kings 18:32, and he arranges the wood and cuts the bull into pieces, 1 Kings 18:33. He then tells them to fill four large jars with water and pour it over the wood and sacrifice, 1 Kings 18:33.
It’s clear that he didn’t want anyone to think that what was going to happen was his own doing. He didn’t want anyone to think that there was some kind of ‘secret spark’ that would start the fire, so he asked them to add the water over the offering and the word three times, 1 Kings 18:34-35. Surely it would be impossible for the fire to burn the wet sacrifice, but Elijah had faith in the one true God.
Elijah then prays to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that is Jacob, 1 Kings 18:36, which would have prompted memories in Israel’s mind. He asks God to intercede so that they will know God and know that God has turned his heart towards them again, 1 Kings 18:37, which was the main reason for this showdown in the first place.
When God answered Elijah’s prayer in a very powerful way. The people were terrified and fell prostrate to the ground and cried out that ‘the Lord, he is God’, 1 Kings 18:38-39.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The process of this consumption is very remarkable, and all calculated to remove the possibility of a suspicion that there was any concealed fire.
1. The fire came down from heaven.
2. The pieces of the sacrifice were first consumed.
3. The wood next, to show that it was not even by means of the wood that the flesh was burned.
4. The twelve stones were also consumed, to show that it was no common fire, but one whose agency nothing could resist.
5. The dust, the earth of which the altar was constructed, was burned up.
6. The water that was in the trench was, by the action of this fire, entirely evaporated.
7. The action of this fire was in every case downward, contrary to the nature of all earthly and material fire. Nothing can be more simple and artless than this description, yet how amazingly full and satisfactory is the whole account!
They knew because the fire came from heaven and because the fire consumed everything in and around the altar that God was with Elijah. In other words, it was at this point that they realised that they had been wrong to worship false gods and now was the time to turn back to the one true God.
This event is far from being normal, but this miraculous event stands as a powerful revelation of who God is, and we must learn from this event, 1 Corinthians 10:6 / 1 Corinthians 10:11.
The unbelievers quickly became believers, and because of what God had done, they were now ready to obey the command of Elijah to carry out the execution of the false prophets, 1 Kings 18:40. As the leader of the prophets of God, Elijah had all the prophets of Baal executed. Some believe that the killing of these false prophets was unjust and not necessary.
However, when we think about how Jezebel had earlier murdered a lot of God’s true prophets, 1 Kings 18:4, we see this was absolutely just and necessary. We must also keep in mind that false prophets were commanded to be put to death by God, Deuteronomy 13:1-5. So what can we learn from this event?
1. Be aware.
We need to be aware that there are counterfeit gods out there. If any of you have travelled abroad, you will know that there is always someone trying to sell you counterfeit goods.
On the surface, they looked like the real deal and felt like the real deal and the person selling you the goods is telling you they are real. You can buy a brand new Rolex for ten pounds or a huge bottle of Chanel No5 perfume for five pounds.
Paul speaks about this in Thessalonians and notice he uses the word ‘counterfeit’, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10. The miracles, signs and wonders look real, feel real, but they are fake. And why do people fall for these counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders? Because they are being deceived into thinking they are real, and they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.
People offer us to buy cheap counterfeit goods because they know there is a need for it. They know that people are easily deceived into thinking they are real. And so, some people would rather rely on their feelings, emotions, and experience than trust what God’s truth reveals in His Word.
So in a sense, their feelings, emotions, and experiences become more important than God’s Word; they become their god, Exodus 20:3. But God’s Word doesn’t change; He still commands that we should have no other gods before Him.
And please don’t think that an idol is only a physical object because Paul says greed is idolatry, Colossians 3:5. Anything that becomes more important in your life other than God can easily become your idol. Idolatry is the ultimate betrayal of the God who created us in His image.
2. We must choose.
The Bible says that the Lord is a jealous God who demands our whole affection. He won’t allow any of us to compromise our relationship with Him. He doesn’t want any lukewarm followers. He wants people who choose to follow Him and serve Him, Revelation 3:15-16. We can be hot or cold, but we can’t be lukewarm.
The contest between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal teaches us that there really is only one true living God, Jeremiah 10:10 / Acts 14:15. As Christians, we must learn to trust Him even when times get tough and challenging.
The prophets of Baal were led astray by these false gods, but we, just as Elijah did, must choose who we are going to worship and serve, Joshua 24:14-15.
3. We must be willing to fight.
As Christians, we are Christ’s soldiers, and no soldier is called to just sit back and watch others do the fighting for them. The moment you declared Christ as Lord of your life and were baptised into Him is the moment you declared war against the devil. That’s why over and over again Christians are commanded to stand firm and fight against the devil’s evil schemes, 1 Corinthians 16:13 / Ephesians 6:10-11.
The question is, are you in the fight or just a spectator? Are you fighting against the false teachers of this world with the truth from God’s Word, or are you simply not challenging them?
Elijah stood up against the prophets of Baal because he knew the truth, and we, too, should stand up against the false teachers because we, too, have the truth within God’s Word.
4. We must pray for help.
Elijah would never have won this competition without the help of God. Elijah’s competition with the prophets of Baal taught the people a very important lesson about prayer. They not only learned that there is only one true God who is all-powerful and loving, but they also learned that they should always trust and worship Him, no matter what challenges they face in life.
Elijah knew that God was with him, and we too need to remember when we’re faced with our challenges that the same one true God is always with us, Hebrews 13:5. He is always ready to help us when we need Him, and He wants us to trust Him every day.
Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit, to keep alert, and be diligent in prayer, Ephesians 6:18. Elijah prayed because he believed that God isn’t a false god, James 5:17-18.
He knows he doesn’t have to shout louder and louder to God to wake him up. He knew God was never too busy on the toilet. Elijah was just as human as we are, and he prayed and believed that God would not only hear his prayer but also act upon it.
Who are you praying to? The bank manager to give you a loan to buy a new car or the boss at your work to give you a promotion. The god of sport to make you better than others, or the god of marriage counselling to help you through your marriage problems.
Are you praying to a god who doesn’t exist, or are you going to pray to the True God who longs to hear from His children and give them exactly what they need? Luke 11:11-13.
Elijah tells Ahab to eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain,’ 1 Kings 18:41. In Old Testament times, it was widely believed that the gods were in control of the rain, which brought about life to the crops of the fields.
Baal was one such god, and the people of Elijah’s time believed that he controlled the weather in order to bless the people. So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees, 1 Kings 18:42.
We don’t know who Elijah’s servant was but when he initially looked toward the sea, he couldn’t see anything, and so Elijah tells him to go back seven times, 1 Kings 18:43. When he goes back for the seventh time, he sees a small cloud rising from the sea, 1 Kings 18:44. Elijah tells his servant to prepare a chariot and go down to Ahab before the rain stops him, 1 Kings 18:44.
The small cloud rises higher and higher, and becomes larger and larger with astonishing celerity, till the whole sky is black, and the cloud bursts in a deluge of rain, 1 Kings 18:45.
The reason for this was simple: the river Kishon would be suddenly so swollen, which meant it would be impassable. It could also be because the wheels of the chariot could get stuck in the deep layer of dust when the dust turned into mud.
It was Elijah who originally called for the drought, 1 Kings 17:1 / James 5:18, because the people of that time deceived themselves into thinking that Baal controlled the weather. But here we see that Elijah prays again and the rains return, which now demonstrates to everyone present that it was actually the true God of Israel who controlled the weather and blessed all people with it, Matthew 5:45.
Ahab rode off to Jezreel, 1 Kings 18:45 / 1 Kings 21:1, and notice that ‘the power of the Lord came on Elijah’, 1 Kings 18:46. This is a reference to the sudden miraculous endowment of Elijah with the physical ability to run ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to Jezreel which was around seventeen miles away, 1 Kings 18:46. We see this supernatural empowerment happening with Samson, Judges 16:3.
When Ahab finally met up with Jezebel and told her everything Elijah had done, 1 Kings 19:1. It appears that Jezebel had a more domineering character than Ahab. After hearing the report, Jezebel is now determined that she wants to kill Elijah, 1 Kings 19:2.
It’s incredible to think that after everything that God had done through Elijah, most of Israel repented and turned back to God, 1 Kings 18:30-40, but Jezebel totally refuses to repent. She is so blinded by the truth, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and instead of repenting, she takes her anger out on Elijah.
We must understand that Elijah thought he was the only true prophet of God at this time; he didn’t know that seven thousand others didn’t bow down to Baal, 1 Kings 19:18, and so, it’s understandable that Elijah ran for his life from Jezebel at this time.
He, therefore, ran away to Beersheba, which was ninety-five miles from Jezreel for several days, 1 Kings 19:3. He is obviously feeling very low and very tired, 1 Kings 18:46, and because of this, he almost contradicts himself with his prayer request.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Elijah did not feel himself safe until he was beyond the territory of Judah, for Ahab might demand him of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 18:10, with whom he was on terms of close alliance 1 Kings 22:4. He, therefore, proceeds southward into the desert, simply to be out of the reach of his enemies.’
He had just run for his life from Jezebel, but now he’s asking God to take his life. Notice that Elijah came to a ‘broom bush and prayed that he might die’, 1 Kings 19:4. This is what Jonah did too, Jonah 4:3, and just like the case of Jonah, God didn’t grant Elijah’s request to die. Notice the angel touched him twice, 1 Kings 19:5 / 1 Kings 19:7.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The friendly ministration of angels, common in the time of the patriarchs, Genesis 18:2-16 / Genesis 19:1-22 / Genesis 28:12 / Genesis 32:1 / Genesis 32:24-29, and known also under the Judges, Judges 6:11-21 / Judges 13:3-20, was now extended to Elijah.’
After being prompted to eat twice by an angel, 1 Kings 19:5-7, and after the angel miraculously makes and supplies food for him, Elijah took the forty-mile trip from Hebron to Mount Sinai, 1 Kings 19:8.
He then goes into a cave and spent the night,’ 1 Kings 19:9 / Exodus 33:22. It appears that God always sends great men of faith to deserts to enjoy the tranquillity the desert offers but also to prepare them for a great movement which is coming up. He did this with Moses, Exodus 2:11-15 / Exodus 2:16-25 / Exodus 3:1-15 / Exodus 3:19-20, Jesus, Matthew 4:1-11, and Paul, Galatians 1:11-18.
After spending some time in the desert, being prepared by God for what was coming up, God asked him, what he is doing there? 1 Kings 19:9. This tells us that Elijah has a mission ahead of him, but that mission wasn’t to be in the desert. Elijah explains to God how he was zealous for the Lord, but Israel has gone from bad to worse, 1 Kings 19:10.
He again feels that he is all alone, 1 Kings 19:10 / 1 Kings 18:22, and he’s possibly thinking that the restoration of Israel should happen straight away, but as we all must learn, great things often take a great deal of time, and in God’s timetable, Ecclesiastes 3:1 / Habakkuk 2:3. God tells him to stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by, 1 Kings 19:11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God was now treating Elijah nearly in the same way that he treated Moses; and it is not unlikely that Elijah was now standing in the same place where Moses stood, when God revealed himself to him in the giving of the law, Exodus 19:9 / Exodus 19:16.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind and after the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake, 1 Kings 19:11.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire and notice, after the fire a ‘gentle voice’ spoke to Elijah, 1 Kings 19:12. Some translations use the words, a ‘still small voice’.
We learn here that God doesn’t need to appear in great physical events such as earthquakes and fires in order to start His work. His power can be concealed behind a whisper.
God wanted Elijah to know that while force and spectacular demonstrations are sometimes necessary, God’s real work is accomplished by the ‘still small voice’ calling men to do God’s will.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It appears that the passing by of the Lord occasioned the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire but in none of these was God to make a discovery of himself unto the prophet, yet these, in some sort, prepared his way, and prepared Elijah to hear the still small voice.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It appears that another instruction to be derived from the contrast of the wind, the earthquake, and the fire with the ‘still small voice’ is that many of the problems related to God’s dealings with his rebellious human children cannot be solved quickly. Elijah demanded an immediate solution to the problem of idolatry.’ He demanded of the people, much the same prompt decision as did Joshua, who said, ‘then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve’, Joshua 24:15, but neither Joshua nor Elijah could force the issue to a conclusion in one day, or even in one generation. The nearly infinite patience with man’s sins is a mark of God’s love of the human creation.’
Elijah heard it, pulled his cloak, Matthew 3:4, over his face, Exodus 3:6, and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave and then a voice asks him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 1 Kings 19:13. He repeats what he said earlier, how he was zealous for the Lord but Israel has gone from bad to worse, and he feels that he is all alone, 1 Kings 19:14 / 1 Kings 19:10.
There’s no to waste sulking around in the desert; God has work for Elijah to do, and it begins with anointing three people to be anointed, Hazael, 2 Kings 8-9, Jehu, 2 Kings 9:20 / 2 Chronicles 22:7, and Elisha, 1 Kings 19:15-16.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is almost the only place where we hear of the anointing of prophets, 1 Chronicles 16:22 / Psalms 105:15.’
There is now a great change coming, but sadly, it wouldn’t come in Elijah’s lifetime. The time was coming when all the kings of Israel and Judah would change, there’s a time coming when God’s leading prophet would change from Elijah to Elisha, 1 Kings 19:16. God tells him that Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu, 1 Kings 19:17.
God tells Elijah that He ‘reserve seven thousand in Israel’, 1 Kings 19:18. Later in the New Testament the apostle Paul referred to this passage as proof that, despite the general apostasy of the whole of Israel, God still retained the loyalty of seven thousand persons who had not bowed the knee to Baal, Romans 11:4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Seven thousand is a perfect number and probably should be understood as a larger but indefinite multitude. This is the beginning of the doctrine of the ‘Righteous Remnant’ which receives so much attention in Isaiah, Isaiah 6:13 / Isaiah 10:20-23.’
He didn’t know that seven thousand others didn’t bow down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him, 1 Kings 19:18. The worship of Baal not only included throwing kisses at the idol but also included literally kissing the idol itself, Hosea 13:2 / Job 31:26-27.
Here we read of Ahab’s selfishness. There’s a vineyard in Jezreel which belongs to a man named Naboth, and Ahab asks him for it, 1 Kings 21:1-2. Many years ago, Samuel had prophesied that when Israel got a king of their own choosing, then that king would take their fields and their vineyards, 1 Samuel 8:14, and it appears that Ahab is fulfilling that part of the prophecy.
Ahab wants to give Naboth in exchange for his vineyard, a better vineyard or, if he prefers, he will pay him whatever it is worth, 1 Kings 21:2. Naboth couldn’t sell his vineyard to Ahab because it was part of his inheritance, 1 Kings 21:3. God’s law forbids him from selling the inherited land, Leviticus 25:23-28 / Numbers 36:1-9.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No man could finally alienate any part of the parental inheritance; it might be sold or mortgaged till the jubilee, but at that time it must revert to its original owner, if not redeemed before; for this God had particularly enjoined, Leviticus 25:14-17 / Leviticus 25:25-28.’
Ahab was well aware of this law, but he selfishly still wanted the land; all he was thinking about was himself and not Naboth. After being told he couldn’t have the vineyard, he goes home ‘sullen and angry’, 1 Kings 21:4 / 1 Kings 20:43, because he couldn’t get what he wanted. He threw himself a pit party by sulking in bed and refusing to eat, 1 Kings 21:4.
Jezebel, who was from Sidon, 1 Kings 16:31, comes and asks Ahab why he is so sullen and refusing to eat, and he tells her it’s because Naboth refused to give him his vineyard, 1 Kings 21:5-6. Here we see the selfishness of Ahab’s wife; she had absolutely no respect for God’s laws, and we also see that she had absolutely no respect for Naboth and his life.
The domineering factor of Jezebel is seen in what she says to Ahab, ‘is this how you act as king over Israel?’ 1 Kings 21:7. As far as she is concerned, Ahab was king, and he could do whatever he wanted, regardless of what God’s laws say and regardless of who he hurt in the process, Judges 17:6 / Judges 21:25 / Proverbs 21:2.
After writing letters in Ahab’s name and sealing them, she sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth, 1 Kings 21:8. They are to proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people, 1 Kings 21:9. Notice that she arranges for two scoundrels to bear false witness against Naboth, 1 Kings 21:10.
This tells us that she has some knowledge of God’s laws because, in any trial, where the death penalty could be applied, there had to be at least two witnesses, Numbers 35:30 / Deuteronomy 17:6-7 / Deuteronomy 19:15.
We see the same thing happened to David, Psalm 27:12, and centuries later with Jesus, Matthew 26:60 / Mark 14:56, and Stephen, Acts 6:13. Jezebel also knew what the law said concerning the death penalty, Leviticus 24:13-16.
The elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed and proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place, 1 Kings 21:11-12. They took Naboth outside the city and stoned him to death and sent word to Jezebel that he had been stoned to death, 1 Kings 21:13 / 2 Kings 9:26.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘As they pretended to find him guilty of treason against God and the king, it is likely they destroyed the whole of his family, and then the king seized on his grounds as confiscated, or as escheated to the king, without any heir at law. That his family was destroyed appears strongly intimated, 2 Kings 9:26.’
It appears that even those who knew Naboth were terrified of Jezebel and submitted to her idea of killing Naboth. It appears that even the elders were terrified of Jezebel and submitted to her idea of killing Naboth. This shows us just how evil Jezebel is; she is selfish and ambitious and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.
Coffman, in his commentary, asks and answers the following question.
‘What about Naboth’s heirs? ‘Jezebel’s knowledge of the Books of Moses enabled her to take care of that also. The pretence of that false trial was modelled after the example of Joshua and the stoning of Achan, Joshua 7:1-25, and it will be remembered that not only Achan but his wife and all of his sons and daughters were also stoned with him. Yes, Jezebel took care of everything. They stoned all of Naboth’s sons, 2 Kings 9:26, at the same time as the stoning of Naboth, so that there would not be any heirs!’
Nothing goes unnoticed by God, nothing is hidden from His eyes, Proverbs 15:3 / Hebrews 4:13. God knew exactly what Ahab had done and sent Elijah to him to tell him his and Jezebel’s fate, 1 Kings 21:17-18. The message which Elijah brought to Ahab wasn’t good.
Because they had murdered Naboth and taken his property, Ahab and Jezebel were to die, but their death was going to be a horrible death, 1 Kings 21:19. Elijah tells him, ‘in the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ 1 Kings 21:19.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Now dogs did lick the blood of Ahab but it was at the pool of Samaria, where his chariot and his armour were washed, after he had received his death wound at Ramoth-Gilead but some think this was the place where Naboth was stoned, 1 Kings 22:38. And how literally the prediction concerning his son was fulfilled, 2 Kings 9:25, where we find that the body of Jehoram his son, just then slain by an arrow that had passed through his heart, was thrown into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; and there, doubtless, the dogs licked his blood, if they did not even devour his body.’
Ahab knows that Elijah is now his enemy, 1 Kings 21:20 / Romans 7:14, and because he was God’s prophet, he would also know that God is now his enemy, James 4:4. Notice that their death was to be a very public affair.
The reason for this public death was to send a powerful message to the Israelites and let them know that when this prophecy was fulfilled, everyone would know that Elijah was a true prophet of God and God Himself was their God.
God is going to bring disaster on Ahab, and He will remove his descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel, slave or free, 1 Kings 21:21. Ahab’s household would become like that of Jeroboam and Baasha, 1 Kings 21:22.
In other words, his dynasty would come to an end. Jezebel will be devoured by dogs by the wall of Jezreel, 1 Kings 21:23 / 2 Kings 9:36, and the dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country, 1 Kings 21:24.
We are told by the author that there was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel, his wife, 1 Kings 21:25. We are also told that Ahab behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel, 1 Kings 21:26.
It appears that Ahab still had some kind of conscience because he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted, 1 Kings 21:27. Jezebel probably thought the words of Elijah were a bunch of rubbish. Ahab also ‘went around meekly’, 1 Kings 21:27, which possibly means he went around barefoot.
Elijah’s words of judgment must have had a big impact on Ahab because God spared his life. However, the judgment wouldn’t come in his lifetime, 1 Kings 21:28-29; it would come later as his sons would have to pay the price for Ahab stealing Naboth’s vineyard.
Joram, who carried the blood of Ahab, was the last of Ahab’s house, and he was thrown by Jehu upon the very plot of ground where the dogs licked Naboth’s blood at Jezreel, 2 Kings 9:26.
Because Ahab died, 1 Kings 22:37 / 2 Chronicles 18:34, this was the fulfilment of God’s judgment upon him because of his sinfulness and the way he treated Naboth and in the taking of his vineyard.
They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, just as God said they would, 1 Kings 22:38 / 1 Kings 21:19 / 1 Kings 20:42.
Josephus, in his writings, says the following.
‘The pool of Samaria,’ which was stained with Ahab’s blood by the washing of his chariot in it, was the usual bathing-place of the Samaritan harlots. A large tank or reservoir, probably identical with this pool, still remains on the slope of the hill of Samaria, immediately outside the walls.’
The other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory, Amos 3:15, and the cities he fortified, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel, 1 Kings 22:39 / 1 Kings 14:19 / 1 Kings 15:31 / 1 Kings 16:5 / 1 Kings 16:14 / 1 Kings 16:20 / 1 Kings 16:27. Ahaziah his son now succeeded him as king, 1 Kings 22:40.
We don’t know much about Ahaziah, but we do know that he became king of Israel and he reigned for two years, 1 Kings 22:51. Notice that he ‘followed the ways of his mother’, 1 Kings 22:52 / 1 Kings 16:31. This is the only place in the Scriptures where we find this phrase, but this tells us that he continued in the ways of Jezebel, even after Ahab had died.
He continued to encourage sacrifices to be made at the altars that Jeroboam set up in Bethel and Dan, 1 Kings 12:29, and he continued to encourage sacrifices to Baal, 1 Kings 22:53. It was because of these actions that the northern kingdom would eventually be led into captivity by the Assyrians in 722/21 B.C. When we read 2 Kings 1, we see that these final verses of 1 Kings 22 are very closely related.
Notice when Jehu went to Jezreel, Jezebel prepared herself to look good, 2 Kings 9:30 / Jeremiah 4:30 / Ezekiel 23:40. She was probably thinking that if she did this, she would receive some kind of mercy from Jehu. It appears that she knew that Jehu was going to kill her, too, and so she reminds him of Zimri, 2 Kings 9:31, who was also murdered in order to seize the throne, 1 Kings 16:8-10.
At that point, two eunuchs appeared at the window near Jezebel, and then a third. It was then that Jehu asked for loyalty to him, 2 Kings 9:32, and they had no hesitation in doing so. This resulted in Jezebel being thrown out of the window, 2 Kings 9:33, and to show how much they hated Jezebel, they trampled over her body with horses, 2 Kings 9:33.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘What a terrible death! She was already, by the fall, almost dashed to pieces, and the brutal Jehu trampled her already mangled body under his horse’s feet!’
Since she was the daughter of a king, Jehu wanted to bury her, 2 Kings 9:34, but it was too late because the dogs had already eaten most of her body, 2 Kings 9:35-36. Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel,’ 2 Kings 9:37. This was the fulfilment of Elijah’s prophecy concerning Jezebel’s death, 1 Kings 21:23.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Leaving the mangled body on the bare earth, Jehu went to the banquet. It was, no doubt, important that he should at once show himself to the court as king. In calling Jezebel ‘this cursed one,’ Jehu means to remind his hearers that the curse of God had been pronounced upon her by Elijah, 2 Kings 9:36, and so to justify his own conduct.’
Jezebel’s sin was that she brought her own gods to Israel, namely Baal and Astarte, 1 Kings 16:31, and she ordered the murder of God’s prophets, 1 Kings 18:4. Sadly, Jezebel’s influence was still very much alive metaphorically by the time we get to the New Testament, Revelation 2:20.
We were first introduced to Elisha back in 1 Kings 19:19-21, when Elijah was preparing him to take over as God’s prophet. God was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, and now was the time when Elisha was to take over as God’s main prophet for His people, 2 Kings 2:1.
Gilgal was about fifteen miles north of Lydda, in the country of Ephraim, not far from Bethel. It was known as the seat of false worship, Amos 4:4 / Hosea 4:15. Elijah tells Elisha to stay where he is because God has sent Elijah to Bethel, but Elisha doesn’t have any of it and refuses to leave him, and so, they go to Bethel, 2 Kings 2:2.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This double oath, repeated three times, 2 Kings 2:4 / 2 Kings 2:6, is very remarkable. The two clauses of it are separately used with some frequency, Judges 8:19 / Ruth 3:13 / 1 Samuel 1:26, etc., but it is comparatively seldom that they are united.’
The company of prophets at Bethel, 2 Kings 2:3, weren’t false prophets but true prophets of God who were under Elijah’s leadership, 1 Samuel 10:9-13. There’s a strong possibility that this was a school for prophets which began with Samuel and continued after his death, 1 Kings 18:4 / 1 Kings 20:35 / Isaiah 8:16.
The company of the prophets come to Elisha and asked him if he was aware that God is going to take Elijah from him today, and Elisha tells them that he is aware but then tells them to be quiet, 2 Kings 2:3. Then Elijah tells Elisha to stay where he is because God sent Elijah to Jericho, but once again Elisha isn’t having it, he won’t stay and so they travel to Jericho, 2 Kings 2:4.
The company of the prophets appear to travel in groups, and their main homes may have been cities like Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho, 2 Kings 2:5. This is the first mention of a prophetic community in Jericho, 2 Kings 2:5. Jericho hadn’t long been rebuilt by Hiel, 1 Kings 16:34, in disobedience to Joshua’s words, Joshua 6:26.
The company of the prophets came back to Elisha and asked him once again if he knew that God was going take Elijah away from him today, and once again, Elisha tells them that he is aware and once again, he tells them to be quiet, 2 Kings 2:5 / 2 Kings 2:3.
Then Elijah, once again tells Elisha to stay where he is because God has sent Elijah to the Jordan, and once again, Elisha is having none of it, he won’t stay and so the two of them walked on together, 2 Kings 2:6. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan, 2 Kings 2:7.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘They fully expected this extraordinary event, and they could have known it only from Elijah himself, or by a direct revelation from God.’
Elijah takes his cloak, rolls it up and strikes the water with it, and the water is divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground, 2 Kings 2:8. It’s here we read that they received a revelation from God that Elisha was to take the place of Elijah.
When they had crossed the Jordan, Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him before he was taken away, and Elisha asked to inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, 2 Kings 2:9. I don’t believe we’re to believe that Elisha has twice as many miraculous powers as Elijah had; only God could grant such a thing.
He was simply asking Elijah for the ‘double portion’ as someone would receive as the firstborn son, Deuteronomy 21:15-17. Elisha obviously saw himself as the firstborn son of Elijah, hence why he asks for the firstborn privileges. Elisha was asking to be recognised as the ‘heir’ of Elijah in relation to the other prophets.
Elijah tells Elisha that he has asked a difficult thing, yet if he sees Elijah when he is taken from him, it will be his, otherwise, it will not, 2 Kings 2:10. As they walked on together talking suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, 2 Kings 2:11.
Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, 2 Kings 2:12 / Exodus 19:16-25 / Psalm 18:7-15, and it appears that God wanted Elisha to witness this miracle, as a way of confirming the start of his ministry.
Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind to heaven, and Elisha saw it and cried, ‘My Father, my Father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen, and he saw him no more, 2 Kings 2:12. This basically means that one prophet had done more for Israel than all the earthly kingdoms’ chariots and horses.
Significantly, these same words were uttered upon the occasion of the death of Elisha, 2 Kings 13:14. Elisha then took hold of Elijah’s garment and tore it in two, 2 Kings 2:12.
Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan, 2 Kings 2:13.Elisha takes Elijah’s cloak and struck the water and asks, ‘where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ 2 Kings 2:14.
He asks this question because he had been given the responsibility of being God’s prophet but he needed the power of God to demonstrate that God was working through him as He did with Elijah. When Elisha struck the water, Elijah’s cloak divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over, 2 Kings 2:14.
Elisha had asked for a ‘double portion’ from Elijah, and Elijah’s cloak was the sign of the responsibility that was given to Elisha. In doing so, Elisha was ‘anointed’ and appointed to take Elijah’s place as God’s prophet. God’s power would now come upon Elisha as it did with Elijah, 2 Kings 2:15.
This was going to be demonstrated when Elisha performed miracles, and the people would now know that God was with him and working through him. Here, the fifty prophets now knew that the spirit of Elijah was with Elisha, 2 Kings 2:15.
The prophets, 2 Kings 2:7, now go to meet Elisha and bow to the ground before him, 2 Kings 2:15, and it appears that they wanted to go and look for Elijah, 2 Kings 2:16, simply because no one else had witnessed Elijah being taken up to heaven.
They suggest that the Spirit of the LORD has picked Elijah up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley, but Elisha refuses to let them go, 2 Kings 2:17. They persisted until Elisha was too embarrassed to refuse, and so, Elisha tells them to go and look for Elijah’s body, 2 Kings 2:17-18.
Doing this would remove any doubts about Elisha’s account of what happened to Elijah. When they returned to Elisha, he asked them, didn’t he tell them not to go? 2 Kings 2:18. They searched for three day but because they didn’t find Elijah’s body, this would reinforce the fact that Elijah’s departure was miraculous.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Elijah had finished his work as God’s prophet; it was an intense work of judgment that became symbolic, Malachi 4:5-6, even idealised, John 1:21, and seen again at the end of the Jewish era in the person of John the Baptist, Matthew 3:1-10.
After the work of Moses and Elijah, God had nothing fundamentally new to say to his rebellious people, until the coming of that Holy One whom Moses and Elijah would meet upon the mount of transfiguration, Matthew 17:1-8 / Mark 9:2-8 / Luke 9:28-36 / 2 Peter 1:16-18.’
In New Testament times, there was a general expectation that the Day of the Lord was near, Malachi 4:56. John the Baptist called people to repent, and Jesus proclaimed the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Anxious Jews were able to believe that either John or Jesus might be Elijah returned, John 1:19-21 / Matthew 16:13-14 / Luke 9:7-8.
Because of the vagueness of Malachi, it was possible that Elijah could return at any time. And because no one knew what Elijah looked like, he could be anyone. Actually, John the Baptist was a good guess, because John dressed as Elijah had (John had camel hair clothes and a leather belt, and Elijah had a sheepskin cape and a leather girdle) and lived in the wilderness, Matthew 3:4.
The Gospels reveal that there was indeed a connection between John and Elijah. Before John was born, an angel said the following about him in Luke 1:13-17. Then came the day when Zacharias, while burning incense at the temple, saw an angel, that is, Gabriel, Luke 1:11 / Luke 1:19. The altar of incense was part of the furniture within the temple and was situated near the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple, Exodus 30:2 / Exodus 27:2.
Zacharias was startled by the appearance of the angel, Luke 1:12, but perhaps he was even more surprised by what the angel told him. Elizabeth would bear a child in her old age! They would name him John, Luke 1:13 / Luke 1:57 / Luke 1:60 / Luke 1:63, and he would be set apart for a special purpose.
When John is born, many people will rejoice because of the miraculous events surrounding his birth, Luke 1:14-15. They would rejoice because his birth signified the hope of Israel was about to come, Malachi 3:1 / Luke 1:58.
John would be great in the sight of the Lord because he was going to be the greatest of all of God’s prophets, Luke 1:15, he was the forerunner of the Messiah, that is Jesus, Matthew 11:11. John would conform to some of the Nazarite laws, Numbers 6:1-21, he would not drink any strong wine or drink, Luke 1:15 / Ephesians 5:18.
Ash, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Some facets of the Nazarite vow are not specified here, e.g., allowing the hair to grow.’
John would have a miraculous relationship with God from the time of his conception, Luke 1:41. He was filled with the Spirit, Luke 1:15, in terms of God revealing to Him the message he was to deliver.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is impossible to avoid the significance of the contrast in this verse between intoxicating ‘spirits’ which John would renounce and the ‘Spirit’ who would be in him, filling him, even from his mother’s womb, and for his whole life. The same contrast was evident on Pentecost when the apostles were not ‘drunk with wine’ but filled with ‘the Spirit’. Paul wrote, ‘And be not drunken with wine wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit’, Ephesians 5:18. Strong drink is an unqualified curse upon the earth and, although Christ did not require the kind of abstinence which marked the life of John the Baptist, drunkenness is forbidden, as well as an association with a drunkard, 1 Corinthians 5:11.’
John’s mission was simple: he had to prepare the way for the Lord and call the people to repentance, Luke 1:16-17 / Matthew 3:1-12. John would be the fulfilment of Malachi 4:5-6 / Matthew 3:2 / Matthew 17:9-13, in reference to Elijah.
John will turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, Luke 1:17 / Malachi 4:5-6. In other words, John will prepare the hearts of people for the coming of the Messiah, Luke 1:7 / John 1:35-51.
Jesus confirmed that spiritual connection when he explained the following to his disciples. By the appearance of Elijah on the mountain, their thinking was focused on the prophecies of the coming of Elijah, Matthew 9:10 / Mark 9:11 / Mark 4:5, but Elijah had already come in the sense that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, Matthew 17:11-12 / Mark 9:12-13 / Luke 1:17.
The teachers of the Law had correctly understood and interpreted the Old Testament law concerning the prophecies that a messenger must first come before the coming of the Messiah, Matthew 17:10-12 / Isaiah 40:3 / Malachi 3:1 / Malachi 4:5 / Matthew 11:14.
These prophecies were of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, Luke 1:16-17. He came preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, Mark 1:1-4, but the teachers of the Law failed to understand and accept that these prophecies were fulfilled in John Himself.
As it is with most people who don’t understand one thing, this leads to another misunderstanding about something else. The disciples understood that Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist, Matthew 17:13.
The Jews didn’t recognise John as the fulfilment of prophecy in preparation for the Messiah, so they wouldn’t recognise Jesus, John 1:11. This is clearly seen later because they will eventually want to crucify Christ, because of their refusal to believe who He was, the Son of God, the Messiah, Mark 9:12.
Let’s not forget the appearance of the actual Elijah in the Gospels, in a section called the Transfiguration, Luke 9:28-36. It was fitting that Elijah appeared alongside Moses in the Transfiguration. Elijah represents the prophets, and Moses represents the Law, were similar in many ways, and many parallels may be found in their stories.
For example, both men confronted rulers, fled to the wilderness, ate in the wilderness through miracles, spoke for God, gathered the people at a mountain, encountered God on Mount Sinai, and parted waters.
It is also fitting that both prophets are made aware of the true mission of Jesus. This connects the main figures of the Old and New Testaments, affirming that they are part of the same narrative and that they work together in God’s plan.
Many Jews continue to hope that every Passover, Elijah will return to usher in the Messianic age. A cup of wine is even set on the table for him to drink, should he walk through the open door. This all goes to show that the mystery of Elijah goes on and on, like the prophet himself; it has never died.