39 - Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

1 Kings 16:29-19:18

In a series of delightful stories, we meet the prophet Elijah, who is a refreshing change from the dreary kings of Israel and Judah.  And we see further evidence of the most fundamental teaching of Hebrew scripture:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

This is a direct reference to the first commandment, repeated in Deuteronomy as:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

Elijah fed by ravens

We start with one of the worst kings ever, Ahab.  Despite being king of Israel, he builds an altar to Baal.  Elijah calls him out, and in the name of God declares there will be no water in the land.  Elijah departs, and miraculously survives the ensuing drought with the aid of ravens.

He is then dispatched to the widow in Sidon, who has nothing, and asks her to bake a little cake for him, promising in the name of God that she will have meal and oil as long as the drought lasts.  She believes, bakes the cake, and the promise is kept.

Later her son falls ill and stops breathing.  By holding him close to his body, Elijah is able to return him to life and health.  The widow knows by this act that Elijah is "a man of God and that the word of the Lord is truly in your mouth."

The Lord sends him to confront Ahab, promising that the rains will come.  Elijah challenges Ahab to summon all Israel, including their priests.  Elijah challenges the priests of Baal  to a "my God is better than your God" elimination tournament, and wins.  The priests of Baal are....eliminated.  And the rain poured down.

Elijah calls on God to light the fire for the sacrifice

More than Baal or Ahab, however, Elijah fears Jezebel.  He flees to the wilderness, and is sent by God to the mountain at Horeb, or Mount Sinai. He then spent the night in the cave. The next morning, the dispirited Elijah stands at the mouth of the cave, and the Lord passes by him:

1911 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

"Sheer silence" is sometimes translated "soft murmuring" or "a gentle whisper" or "a still small voice."

The appearance of the Lord gives Elijah the strength to carry on to his next task, to appoint his successor, Elisha.

Do you recall when you have heard the "still small voice", or the "gentle whisper"?