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1 Kings 17-19

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1 Kings 17-19; Proverbs 12
 
In 1 Kgs 17-19 the author wished to show at least in part the situation of Israel through the eyes of the prophets. Some prophets spoke their words, primarily to Israel’s leaders—these are labeled ‘pre-classical’ prophets; others wrote or had a secretary record their words for future generations (e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea)—these are often called the ‘classical’ prophets.  God occasionally called His spokesmen to perform miracles and symbolic acts which confirmed that their message was indeed the word of the LORD. Elijah would be categorized as a pre-classical prophet; his ministry is remembered for the mighty acts he performed when he preached the word of the LORD. 
 
Elijah ministered during the reign of Ahab, the wicked Israelite king (16.29-34). The full significance of Elijah’s prophetic message hinges on understanding his place in redemptive history. One should recall when Moses gave his final sermons to Israel in the book of Deuteronomy; there he said, “Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods. Then the LORD’s anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the LORD is giving you” (11.16-17). Elijah’s first recorded words thus reveal that the LORD was indeed faithful to His word of judgment upon His people; the prophet told Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!” (17.1). Despite the famine that would come on the land, the text records that the LORD provided in a special way for (17.4-24):
  1. Elijah (vv. 4-7). The prophet drank from a small river and some ravens brought him bread and meat, “in the morning and in the evening” (v. 6)
  2. A faithful widow (vv. 8-16). Once the stream was dry, the LORD told Elijah to arise and go to the home of a widow in Zarephath. This account is arranged in such a way as to show the severity of the famine: a widow (most often the poorest in society) was so destitute that when the prophet asked for a piece of bread, she replied, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die” (v. 12)! On the whole, the story of the widow reveals the blessing that came to those who trusted in the word of the LORD’s prophet; she made food for Elijah and, “The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the LORD he had spoken through Elijah” (v. 16). Although the widow’s son was sick unto death (vv. 17-24), the boy’s illness served to further confirm Elijah’s prophetic ministry. When the LORD raised the boy to life, the widow spoke concerning him, “Now I know that you are a man of God and the LORD’s word in your mouth is the truth” (v. 24)
 
Perhaps Elijah’s greatest miracle occurred because of the LORD’s jealousy for the affections of His people (ch 18). While Elijah was traveling to Ahab with the news that the LORD was going to send rain on the land (v. 1), Obadiah—who remained faithful to the LORD even while on Ahab’s palace staff—found the prophet as he himself was seeking grass for Ahab’s cattle (vv. 2-7). Yet, when the prophet told Obadiah to announce that he had come to meet with Ahab, Obadiah came unglued, saying: “What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?...when I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off to some place I don’t know” (vv. 9, 12). Assured that Elijah would remain until the king arrived, Obadiah brought Ahab to meet the prophet of the LORD—whom King Ahab accused of being “the destroyer of Israel” (v. 17). In reality, Ahab had destroyed the nation with drought because he and his father’s house led Israel to abandon the LORD’s commandments and follow the Baals (v. 18). This was Elijah’s contention when he stood before the 850 pagan prophets Ahab brought to Mt. Carmel. In fact the entire miraculous scene on Mt Carmel was occasioned by Israel’s wavering opinion between the supremacy of the LORD and Baal; Elijah would have none of it, saying, “If Yahweh is God, follow Him. Bit if Baal, follow him” (v. 21). When the people would not answer the prophet’s exhortation, he initiated the showdown between the LORD and Baal, praying: “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their heart back” (vv. 36-37). When his prayer was answered, the Israelite bystanders assisted Elijah in slaughtering the pagan prophets (v. 40), and he announced that rain was coming (vv. 42-46).
 
But Elijah was not perfect; he endured failures of faith, and eventually passed the mantle to Elisha (ch 19). While Elijah had demonstrated remarkable courage before the pagan prophets, the imminent threat of Jezebel made his knees knock, and he “immediately ran for his life” (v. 3). Elijah became so despondent that in the southern wilderness he even prayed to the LORD that he might die (vv. 4-5)! But the LORD was not done with Elijah:
  1. He provided the prophet with food and strength (vv. 5-9). After being refreshed the prophet was able to travel the great distance to Mt Horeb!
  2. He encouraged Elijah with His presence (vv. 9-18). The wonder of the soft whisper is not just that the LORD was not in the mighty wind or earthquake, but the fact that the One who whispered was absolutely sovereign over the affairs of Israel, Aram, and even Elijah’s successor (vv. 15-18)! The LORD left a remnant of 7,000 for Himself; Elijah was not alone (vv. 19-21)
  3. He told Elijah of his successor (vv. 19-21). Elijah was the first of Israel’s distinguished prophets, and Elisha would follow in his steps. Elijah’s disciple was determined to the degree that he kissed his parents good-bye and even drastically forsook his livelihood (cf. Mt 8.18-22).
 
Elijah’s devotion to the LORD and courage before opponents set him apart as a prophet during the days of the divided kingdom. He was so prominent that he became a paradigmatic figure in the storyline of Scripture. Many thought Jesus was Elijah come back to life (cf. Mt 16.14; Mk 6.15). Jesus rather likened John the Baptist to Elijah. John’s ministry paralleled Elijah’s, He said, and signaled the changing situation in redemptive history: “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come” (Mt 11.13-14; cf 17.12). Elijah is thus best understood not only as a prototype for John or Jesus, but as one whose ministry pointed forward to theirs—a lesson Peter learned at the Transfiguration:
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
     Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it’s good for us to be here! If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’
     While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said: ‘This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him!’” (Mt 17.1-5; italics added).
 
 
*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com