Elijah Confronts Ahab
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah that told him to show himself to Ahab. If he did, then the Lord would send rain. So Elijah went to Ahab.
The famine was severe in Samaria and Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave. He fed them with bread and water.
Ahab told Obadiah to go out and search for grass so they could try to save their horses and mules. They divided the land to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.
As Obadiah was on his way, he met Elijah. Obadiah recognized him and fell to his face. Elijah told him to go and tell his lord that he was there, and he promised that he would be there when Ahab arrived.
When Ahab met Elijah, Elijah told him to gather all of Israel to meet him at Mount Carmel. There would be 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, all those who ate at Jezebel’s table.
The Prophets of Baal Defeated
So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah told them that they must choose their God. If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then they should follow him. The people did not answer him.
Elijah told the people that he was the only prophet of the Lord left, but Baal’s prophets were 450 men. They were to take two bulls, one for themselves and one for Elijah. They were to cut it in pieces and lay it on wood, but put no fire to it. Elijah would so the same with the other bull.
Elijah told them to call upon the name of their god, and he would call upon the name of the Lord. “The God who answers by fire, he is God.” So they did all that Elijah had told them and they called upon Baal all day, but there was no voice and no one answered them.
Then Elijah called all the people to come close to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord.
He made a trench about the altar, put the wood in order, and cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he told the people to fill four jars with water and pour it over the burnt offering and the wood. They did that three times and the water ran around the altar and filled the trench with water.
At the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said,
“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
1 Kings 18:36-37
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When the people saw it, they fell to their faces and said,
“The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
Elijah told them to seize the prophets of Baal so that none of them could escape. They seized them and took them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them all. And with that, the Lord sent rain.
Elijah Flees Jezebel
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah telling him that he would be killed also the way he had killed the prophets. He was afraid and ran for his life.
He came to a tree and lay down under it. An angel came and touched him and told him to arise and eat. When he looked, he saw that there was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water before him. He ate and drank and laid down again.
The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and told him to rise and eat and drink. This time he regained his strength, and went on that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God.
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
Elijah came to a cave and lodged in it. The word of the Lord came to him and asked him what he was doing there. Elijah said how his life was in danger, and the Lord told him to go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. The Lord told him to return on his way to the wilderness of Damascus, where he would anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. Jehu the son of Nimshi would be anointed king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah would be anointed prophet in his place.
So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. He sacrificed the oxen to feed everyone, kissed is parents, and ran after Elijah to assist him.