Bible in one year 6/11/ 2022 1Kings Chapter 18-20 Elijah
By Rev.Katherine Liu
Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
1Kings Chapter 18 Elijah’s challenge
to the 450 prophets of Baal
“I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets
left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them
cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not se fire to it. I will prepare
the other bull and put it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will
call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire – He is
God.”(vv.22-24).
The
prophets of Baal put on their frenzied show from noon until 3pm. They called on
the name of Baal from morning till noon, but there was no response, no one
answered, no one paid attention. Then, Elijah took twelve stones one for each of
the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying,
“ Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of
the Lord and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he
said to them, “Fill
four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” He ordered them “do
it a third time.” Elijah
stepped forward and prayed,
“ O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac
and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your
servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord,
answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you
are turning their hearts back again.”(vv.36-37).
Then the
fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the
soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell
prostrate and cried, “The Lord –He is God! The Lord –He is God”. (vv.38-39). The sky grew black with clouds, the
wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.(vv.45-46). The
power of the Lord came upon Elijah and tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran
ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. A winter residence of Ahab, about
seventeen miles from Carmel. Elijah was granted supernatural power to run this
distance.
1Kings 19 Elijah ran for life, and
anointed Elisha
Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “ …if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”(vv.1-2). Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he lift his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “ I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestor.” Then, he fell asleep.(v.3-5). An angel touched him and said, “ Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “ Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (v.7). So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night (v. 8). The journey to Horeb (Sinai,Ex.3:1) took forty days because Elijah was alternately wandering and hiding due to his despondent condition. A word of the Lord came to him, “ what are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “ I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”(vv.9-10). The Lord said, “ Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the is about to pass by.”(v.11). after the wind there was an earthquake. After earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. Then Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him,
“What are you doing here,
Elijah?... Go back the way you came,
and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi
king over Israel, and anoint Elisha
son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 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. Yet, I reserve
seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all
whose mouths have not kissed him.” (vv.15-18).
Elijah was instructed to anoint (commission
for the purpose of destroying Baal worship in Israel) Hazael as king of Syria
(Aram;2Kings 8:7-15;10:32-33;13:3,22-25), Jehu as king of
Israel(2Kings9:1-3;10:1-36), and Elisha as his own successor. Elisha mean “ God
is salvation” His ministry spanned the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and
Jehoash of the Northern Kingdom. He headed schools of prophets (2Kings
4:38-44;6:1-7) and performed more recorded miracles than anyone other than
Jesus Christ. When called by Elijah he was plowing, and responded by immediately
sacrificing a pair of oxen (v.21).
1
Kings Chapter 20 Ahab’s Syrian victories
Now Ben-Hada king of Aram
mustered his entire army. Besieged Samaria and attacked it. Ben-Hada is a
dynasty of kings of Syria, though this particular king was likely the same
mentioned in 15:18, who now renewed his war against Israel. Ben-Hada sent the
messengers to king of Israel Ahab. The condition of peace Ben-Hada offered were
rejected by Ahab and the elders of Israel.(vv.2-9). If enough dust remains in
Samaria. (v.10), if each soldier took only a handful of earth, Samaria would be
leveled. A prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the
Lord says, “ Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today,
and then you will know that I am the Lord.(v.13). So Ahab summoned the young
officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of
the Israelites, 7,000 in all. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32
kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. (vv.15-16). Attacking
at noon, when the Syrians (Arameans) and their allies were drinking and resting,
Ahab’s forces routed the enemy. The young officers of the provincial commanders
marched out of the city with the army hehind them and each one struck down his
opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But
Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. The king
of Israel advanced and overpowered the houses and chariots and inflicted heavy
losses on the Arameans. (vv.19-21).
The
next spring Ben-Hada mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against
Israel second time. But the Lord delivered Ben-Hada into the hand of Ahab, king
of Israel. Ben-Hada asked for his life with sackcloth, and made a treaty with Ahab.
Ahab agreed and did not kill Ben-Heda. Ahad disobeyed the prophet’s commands. Just
as a soldier must not allow a prisoner of war to escape, so Ahab should not have
allowed Ben-Hadad to live.
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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