Elijah’s Message to Ahab
February 9, 2021
Commentary
Soon after Elijah’s experience with the widow at Zarephath, the Word of the Lord came again to him. About three years into the famine God directs Elijah to present himself to King Ahab. There was a great famine in the land. Down in Samaria where the king lived the famine was very bad. The cattle were dying because there was no grass or water.
Caring more for their horses than for the people Ahab had gone out into the country to see if he could find any pasture land. One of his servants (Obadiah) met Elijah and was told to tell the king that he was coming to see him. Obadiah was fearful because he had hid 100 prophets in a cave to protect them from Jezebel, Ahab’s wife. When King Ahab saw Elijah he blamed him for the famine and said, “Are you the one who is bringing all of this trouble upon Israel?”
In response Elijah spoke sternly to the king. He told him that he was the one who had brought the famine on the land because he had turned away from the living God and led the people to worship Baal. Then Elijah challenged Ahab to gather the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and promised to meet him there. Mount Carmel was about 30 miles southeast of modern day Haifa. This was regarded by the people as the sacred dwelling place of Baal. This would have given the bad prophets a definite advantage; but this didn’t worry Elijah.
Application
Such peace and tranquility is possible only when Christ reigns over the earth.
Isaiah 11:1– 16 (NET)
1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots.
2 The Lord’s Spirit will rest on him — a Spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a Spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a Spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.
3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by mere appearances, or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.
4 He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and order the wicked to be executed.
5 Justice will be like a belt around his waist, integrity will be like a belt around his hips.
6 A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads them along.
7 A cow and a bear will graze together, their young will lie down together. A lion, like an ox, will eat straw.
8 A baby will play over the hole of a snake; over the nest of a serpent an infant will put his hand.
9 They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea.
10 At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, and his residence will be majestic. 11 At that time the Lord will again lift his hand to reclaim the remnant of his people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the seacoasts.
12 He will lift a signal flag for the nations; he will gather Israel’s dispersed people and assemble Judah’s scattered people from the four corners of the earth.
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, and Judah’s hostility will be eliminated. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.
14 They will swoop down on the Philistine hills to the west; together they will loot the people of the east. They will take over Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be their subjects.
15 The Lord will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind; he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria for the remnant of his people, just as there was for Israel, when they went up from the land of Egypt.
Illustration: Don Richardson The Peace Child
Missionary Don Richardson who served for many years among the primitive tribes in Papua New Guinea wrote a book entitled “The Peace Child.” He tells the story of two tribes in Papua New Guinea who maintained a blood feud between themselves for several generations. Each generation fought and nursed their wounds only to fight again killing and maiming more and more people. After years of struggle the two tribes realized that they must stop fighting or nothing would be left of their peoples. But what could they do to end years of warring between the two tribes? Don Richardson goes on to tell that the chiefs of the two tribes came together and brought with them a child they called “The Peace Child” This child was the son of one of the opposing chiefs which was adopted into the family of the opposing chief. As long as that child lived the two chiefs promised to cease their fighting so that all could live. Richardson had finally found a perfect picture of God’s love for us in sending His Son, the Prince of Peace to die for us. (Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author).