THE STORY OF PROPHET ELIJAH

Hello 👋 friends.it’s a privilege to see you again. Let us take a look at THE STORY OF PROPHET ELIJAH

Prophet Elijah was from Tishbe in Gilead and he was a faithful man serving the Lord wholeheartedly. There was a king who ruled Israel named king Ahab, he was the son of king Omri and his wife’s name is Jezebal, and his palace was built in Samaria. The king built altars for Baal and made the people worship Canaanite deity and God was not pleased with his role in making the Israelites to forget the living God.

Prophet Elijah appeared to king Ahab as the Lord’s commanded after the prophet had prayed earnestly that it would not rain in Israel for the next two or three years as a punishment for idolatry. There was no rain or dew in Israel and prophet Elijah was staying at the Cherith Brook which dried up because of lack of rain, while he was there, he drank from the brook and fed by ravens morning and evening. 

Prophet Elijah was meant to leave Cherith Brook and lived with a widow in Zarephath. The prophet said to the woman as she was gathering some firewood “please bring me a cup of water..... and please bring me some bread too” and the widow answered “I don’t have any bread, I swear by the living God” and all I have is a small floor and olive oil...which I want to prepare for my son and I before we starve to death “. Elijah said, “first make a small loaf for me and prepare the rest for you and your son, “for the Lord had commanded you will not run out of food before He will send rain”, and the woman did as the prophet Elijah had instructed.

The widow’s son becomes sick and finally died and he laid the boy on his bed and prayed to God....stretching himself on the boy three times as he continued praying “Oh Lord, restore this boy to life” and the boy started breathing as he was revived. The widow confessed after seeing his son back to life “now I know you are a man of God for I am convinced that God speaks through you”.

In the third year of the drought, prophet Elijah appeared to king Ahab as God had promised to send rain. The drought/famine was terrible in Samaria and on his way to meet the king, Elijah saw Obadiah who was a devout Christian and was in charge of the king’s palace. Elijah said to Obadiah, go and informed your master the king that “Elijah is here” but Obadiah was afraid of the king because he was aware the king had searched for Elijah everywhere but couldn’t find him. 

The king said to the prophet “the worst trouble maker in Israel, there you are....I am not a trouble maker declared the prophet. Gather all the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of goddess asherah supported by Queen Jezebal, the prophet said to the king. So the king summoned all the Israelites and prophets of Baal to meet at Mount Carmel. Prophet Elijah said to the people, how long will you continue to have two options “if Lord is God serve Him and if Baal is god, serve him”. Elijah ordered for two bulls, one for him as a sacrifice to God and the other as a sacrifice for the prophets of Baal.... the bulls were meant to be cut into pieces and put on wood without putting any fire, the duty of the prophets of Baal are to pray to Baal to consume the (bull) sacrifice with fire and Elijah was to pray to God to consume the (bull) sacrifice with fire. 

Whichever consumes the sacrifice won the contest and whom the people should worship. The prophets of Baal gets ready their sacrifice and called on Baal to consume it but there was no answer, they danced around the altar they built till noon....Elijah mocked them by saying “pray louder maybe he was day-dreaming or relieving himself, or he is on a trip or sleeping and must be waking up”, they performed their rituals by cutting themselves with knives and daggers with blood gushing out but Baal refused to answer. 

Prophet Elijah said to the people “come closer” and he repaired the Lord’s altar which had been broken with twelve stones representing the tribes of Israel and dug a trench around it which can contain about four gallons of water. The prophet placed the wood on the altar and laid the pieces of bull on it and they watered the altar till the trench was full. Elijah prayed “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, proven now that only you is God in Israel and that I am your servant and does these things at your commands” and the Lord sent fire which consumes the sacrifice and dried up the water in the trench. The amazement made the people to drew themselves to the ground and worship God “the Lord is God, the Lord alone is God”they shouted. Elijah took hold of the prophets of Baal and killed them at Kishon brook. 

The prophet had won a great victory and he said to the king “now go...eat and drink, make merry because I heard the sound of abundance of rain”. Elijah went up to Mount Carmel and bowed down to the ground with his head between his knees. He sent his servant to look towards the sea and the servant went but didn’t see a thing, Elijah continued sending him until the seventh times and he returned saying “I saw a little cloud not bigger than a man’s hand, coming up from the sea”. 

Where the king was making merry, he received a message from Elijah, get ready and go home before the rain stop you, and finally it rained heavily. King Ahab told the Queen everything Elijah had done and she was bitter about the killing of the prophets of Baal and sent message to kill Elijah before 24 hours, he fled with his servant to Beersheba in Judah. He was so tired and was sleeping alone when an angel touched him and said “get up and eat”. He eat and sleep again, and the angel brought food to him the second time “get up and eat or the trip will be too much for you” said the angel. After eating the loaf and drinking water, he was equipped with strength to walk 40 days to holy Mount Sinai (where Moses received the Ten Commandments).

The Lord spoke with him and he complained that the people wanted to kill him. The Lord commanded him to anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel and Elisha as his successor. There was seven thousand people in Israel that had not worshiped Baal and God promised to keep them alive. On his way to Damascus, he saw Elisha plowing a team of oxen and he took off his cloak and put it on Elisha, who followed Elijah as his helper. 

After the death of king Ahab, king Ahaziah succeeded him and Moab rebelled against Israel. King Ahaziah sent his servants to Ekron to inquire from baalzebub the gods of the Philistines if he will survive the injuries he sustained when he fall from his balcony. The servants were met by Elijah who ordered them to return and informed the king, he will die since he thought there was no God in Israel, and when king Ahaziah heard about Elijah, he sent an officer with 50 men to get the prophet, who was relaxing on a hill. The officer said to the prophet “man of God, the king ordered you to come down”, and he replied “if I am man of God, may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men”, and immediately fire killed them all. King Ahaziah sent another officer with 50 men and the same thing happened to them and the king was not giving up, so he sent another officer with 50 men to get Elijah. When the third group arrived, they kneeled down and pleaded with the prophet to have mercy on them and Elijah went with them to meet the king. 

Elijah and Elisha was in Gilgal, and he said to his servant, wait for him here because I was sent to Bethel for an assignment from the Lord but Elisha refused knowing it’s time for his master to ascend into heaven. Elijah said to him again, the Lord sent me to Jericho, please wait for me here and Elisha replied “I swear by my loyalty to the living God, and to you, I will not leave you”, so they went together. Again Prophet Elijah said to Elisha to stay while he go over to the River Jordan and Elisha refused, so they went together accompanied by group fifty prophets. 

As they reached the river, he rolled up his mantle and struck the river and it divides and they crossed on dry ground. Elijah said to him “tell me what you want me to do for you before I am taking away from you” “let me receive the share of your power” he answered. It’s a difficult request but nevertheless “if you see when I was taken, you will receive it but if you don’t see me when I am taken, you will not receive it” Elijah said. They were walking and discussing, suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind and Elisha saw it and shouted “my father! my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone and he never saw Elijah again.

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