1 Kings Chapter 18
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
A. Elijah meets Ahab.
1. The end of the drought.
1 Kings 18:1-2 (KJV)
And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab, and there was a sore famine in Samaria.
Elijah received the word of the Lord after an extended period, and God told him that the time had come to appear before Ahab. The Lord also declared that He would send rain upon the earth, signaling that His judgment of drought was nearing its end. Elijah obeyed at once and went to show himself to Ahab. The narrative describes the severity of the famine that had overtaken Samaria, reminding the reader of the devastating effects of God’s judgment. This drought endured three and one half years, demonstrating the weight of divine discipline and the seriousness of Israel’s apostasy.
a. In the third year
The third year marks the period from Elijah’s departure into hiding. James later explains that the drought lasted three years and six months, which reveals that Elijah’s first confrontation with Ahab and his departure to the brook Cherith likely occurred before the official counting that began when he left the nation. This length of time underscored the reality of God’s judgment. The absence of rain was not a natural accident, it was the direct result of the covenant curses promised when Israel turned to idols.
b. Go, present yourself to Ahab
Earlier the Lord had commanded Elijah to hide himself. Now the Lord commanded him to present himself. Both seasons were necessary. A time of seclusion strengthens the servant of God, and a time of public obedience demonstrates the fruit of that hidden fellowship. Elijah did not resist. He did not question the dangers of facing Ahab again. He obeyed because he recognized that the drought began and would end at the command of the Lord, not by the will of Elijah. The prophet’s prayers aligned with the leading of God, proving that his intercession followed God’s initiative rather than attempting to impose his own desires upon heaven.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
A. Elijah meets Ahab.
2. Elijah meets Obadiah.
1 Kings 18:3-14 (KJV)
And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks, peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it, Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah. And he answered him, I am, go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me. As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee, and when they said, He is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not, and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me, but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here, and he shall slay me.
Elijah’s reappearance in Israel brings him immediately into contact with Obadiah, the steward who governed Ahab’s household. Scripture describes Obadiah as a man who feared the Lord greatly, an unusual testimony considering his position within the corrupt court of Ahab and Jezebel. The historical note explains that Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, slaughtering the faithful servants of God in her campaign to establish Baal worship. During this dark season, Obadiah risked his life by hiding one hundred prophets and sustaining them with bread and water. This single act displays both courage and conviction, revealing a man who honored God even in the most hostile environment.
Ahab and Obadiah searched the land for any remaining water sources in an attempt to preserve the royal livestock. The king was so desperate that he personally went out to scour the land. His concern was not repentance, nor the suffering of the people, but the preservation of horses and mules. Ahab’s priorities expose the selfishness and blindness of a ruler under judgment. While Obadiah was fulfilling his search, God arranged a providential meeting between him and Elijah. When Obadiah recognized the prophet, he fell on his face out of reverence, acknowledging Elijah as a true servant of the Lord.
Elijah then instructed Obadiah to return to Ahab with the message, Elijah is here. Obadiah immediately reacted in fear, believing that such a message would endanger his life. He explained that Ahab had searched every kingdom and nation for Elijah and had forced foreign rulers to swear oaths that Elijah was not hiding in their borders. Obadiah feared that if he announced Elijah’s presence and the prophet was then taken by the Spirit of the Lord, Ahab would kill him for allowing Elijah to escape once more. He pleaded his case by reminding Elijah of his long standing devotion to the Lord and the risk he took to save one hundred prophets during Jezebel’s purge. The tension in Obadiah’s response shows the weight of fear under which he lived, even while remaining faithful in a corrupt and violent court.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
A. Elijah meets Ahab.
3. Elijah assures Obadiah that he will meet with Ahab.
1 Kings 18:15-16 (KJV)
And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
Elijah responded to Obadiah with a solemn oath grounded in the character of the Lord of hosts, the God who commands the armies of heaven. The prophet declared that he would certainly present himself to Ahab that very day. This assurance removed Obadiah’s fear that Elijah might vanish again by the power of the Spirit and leave him to suffer Ahab’s wrath. Elijah dealt kindly and wisely with Obadiah, acknowledging the servant’s legitimate fears and refusing to allow him to become a casualty on Elijah’s behalf. Obadiah then fulfilled the message, reported Elijah’s presence to the king, and Ahab went out to confront the prophet who had pronounced the drought.
4. Elijah and Ahab trade accusations.
1 Kings 18:17-19 (KJV)
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel. And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
When Ahab finally met Elijah, the king immediately accused him of being the troubler of Israel. This was a remarkable display of blindness and arrogance. Ahab, the worst king Israel had ever endured, refused to acknowledge his own sin and instead blamed the righteous prophet who delivered the word of the Lord. Elijah responded with bold clarity, declaring that he had not troubled Israel, but that Ahab and his father’s house were responsible because they had forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed Baal. Ahab had embraced idolatry, persecuted the worship of the true God, and actively promoted Baal worship as a state sponsored religion. The drought was the covenant judgment of God, not the result of Elijah’s ministry.
Ahab’s accusation fit his own theology. As a devotee of Baal, the supposed storm and fertility god, Ahab believed that Elijah had angered Baal and thereby caused the sky to withhold rain. He likely imagined that Baal would continue the drought until Elijah was arrested and executed. Instead of turning to the Word of God, which warned clearly in Deuteronomy 28:23-24 that drought would come upon a disobedient Israel, Ahab clung to superstition and hardened his heart.
Elijah then challenged Ahab to gather all Israel to Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of the groves, meaning the prophets of Asherah. Elijah commanded that the people and the false prophets be assembled so that the Lord could reveal Himself publicly. Elijah did not conceive this plan on his own. Later in the chapter, 1 Kings 18:36 makes it clear that everything he did on Mount Carmel was commanded by God. This was a divine strategy designed to expose idolatry, vindicate the true God, and end the drought by demonstrating that Baal had no power to send rain. Before rain could return, the false prophets had to be confronted and removed so that all Israel would see that the blessing came from the Lord alone.
The text notes that these prophets ate at Jezebel’s table, indicating that they were paid, supported, and protected by the royal court. Jezebel was not content with a private devotion to Baal. She sought to replace the God of Israel entirely and establish Baal worship as the state religion. Her goal was the eradication of the worship of Yahweh from Israel, a hostile takeover of the nation’s spiritual life. This official sponsorship of idolatry made the confrontation at Carmel not only a spiritual crisis but a national one, requiring a decisive and public demonstration of the true God.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
B. Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel.
1. Elijah challenges Israel to make a decision.
1 Kings 18:20-21 (KJV)
So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions. If the Lord be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Ahab obeyed Elijah’s command and summoned all the children of Israel along with the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel. It is difficult to determine Ahab’s motive in submitting so fully to Elijah’s instructions. He may have hoped that the people, frustrated with the long drought, would blame Elijah and turn against him. Gathered on Mount Carmel were the prophets of Baal, men who hated Elijah with bitter hostility. They enjoyed the royal favor of Ahab and Jezebel and had supported the violent persecution of the true prophets of the Lord. Yet for three years they had been utterly humiliated, praying endlessly to Baal, the supposed storm god, without a single response. Their powerlessness was exposed by the ongoing drought sustained through Elijah’s prayers.
The scene on Carmel bristled with hostility and tension. The prophets of Baal watched Elijah with fierce resentment. Their hatred was sharpened by years of failure. As one writer noted, they watched him like tigers eyeing a victim, longing for an opportunity to destroy him. Another observer captured the scene well, describing Elijah as a solitary man of heroic faith who stood like a rock in the midst of a raging river of idolatry. Alone, he stood against hundreds of false prophets, as one lion might stand against a flock of sheep.
Elijah stood before the gathered nation and issued a direct challenge. The people had been faltering between two opinions, attempting to honor both Yahweh and Baal. Elijah confronted their divided loyalties with clarity. If the Lord was God, then He must be followed without reservation. If Baal was god, then they should follow him. There could be no middle ground. Elijah exposed the spiritual compromise of the nation. They were like an unfaithful spouse who wanted to keep the security of marriage while also indulging an illicit relationship. The Lord, like a faithful spouse, demands exclusive devotion.
Elijah’s question, How long halt ye between two opinions, employed a Hebrew word that describes limping, hopping, or wavering. The same word appears later in the chapter when the prophets of Baal leap around their altar. Elijah may have intentionally used a word that evoked the image of their frenzied but futile worship. Another interpretation presents the picture of a bird hopping from branch to branch, unable to decide where to settle. Both images reflect instability, indecision, and spiritual confusion.
Elijah insisted that there was a real and absolute difference between the worship of Yahweh and the worship of Baal. Many in Israel had adopted the common idea that the particular deity chosen did not matter, so long as one was sincere and religiously involved. Elijah rejected this entirely. The people must choose because there could be no blending of the two. Their delay in choosing was itself a sinful act. Spurgeon observed that Elijah’s question presses the matter of time. How long will this indecision continue. How many warnings, how many sermons, how many calamities, how many reminders of death would they ignore before choosing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
The people offered no answer. They stood silent, unwilling to defend their compromise and unwilling to repent of it. Their silence revealed spiritual cowardice. Elijah understood their hearts because he saw their actions. They had not followed Baal with full devotion, nor had they followed the Lord with wholehearted obedience. Their indecisive practice exposed their undecided hearts.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
B. Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel.
2. Elijah proposes a test between God and Baal.
1 Kings 18:22-24 (KJV)
Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under, and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Elijah declared before the people that he alone remained a prophet of the Lord, while the prophets of Baal numbered four hundred and fifty. This statement reflected Elijah’s perception of his isolation, though it was not technically accurate, since Obadiah had already revealed that he had hidden one hundred prophets of the Lord. Elijah was emphasizing the visible reality, because he stood alone on Mount Carmel with no fellow prophet publicly supporting him, while hundreds of Baal’s prophets stood united on the opposite side.
Elijah proposed a simple yet decisive test. Two bullocks would be provided, and the prophets of Baal were allowed to choose the bull they preferred to sacrifice. Elijah deliberately placed the advantage in their hands. They would select the animals, they would prepare their own altar, and they would go first. No fire was to be placed under the sacrifice. The demonstration would hinge upon divine intervention. Each side would call upon its deity, and the God who answered by fire would be recognized as the true and living God.
This test was not arbitrary. Fire from heaven was understood in the ancient world as a display of divine power. Moreover, Baal worshipers regarded Baal as the sky god, the god of lightning and storm. If Baal were real, this challenge would favor him. Elijah willingly stepped into a position that seemed naturally disadvantageous, because he knew that the Lord Himself had commanded this plan, as revealed later in verse thirty six.
Elijah’s confidence was not reckless. It was anchored in God’s explicit word and in God’s past deeds. Elijah knew from Scripture that God had previously answered by fire, as He did in the days of Gideon in Judges 6:20-21 and again at the dedication of Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles 7:1-7. Elijah also stood in faith strengthened by his years of dependence at the brook Cherith and in the widow’s house at Zarephath, where he witnessed daily miracles and even the raising of the widow’s son by the power of God. For these reasons, Elijah could confidently establish the test before the nation without hesitation. The people, hearing the fairness and clarity of the proposal, answered that it was well spoken.
3. The prophets of Baal pray for fire from their god.
1 Kings 18:25-27 (KJV)
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god, either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
Elijah instructed the prophets of Baal to select their bull and prepare it first. Since they were many, he allowed them to begin the test and showcase their efforts. The prophets prepared their sacrifice and began calling upon Baal from morning until noon. Their cry, O Baal, hear us, was filled with passion and repetition. They prayed earnestly, loudly, and with great zeal. Yet their fervor produced nothing. There was no voice and no answer because Baal did not exist. Their devotion, though sincere and intense, was directed toward a false god and therefore had no power.
Their worship grew more frantic. They leaped about the altar they had constructed, engaging in wild and energetic movements meant to provoke a response from their deity. Their activity exposed the emptiness of Baal worship. They had an enthusiastic prayer life, but enthusiasm without truth is worthless.
At noon, Elijah began to mock them. His words were sharp, cutting through their religious theatrics. Elijah suggested that their god might be talking or pursuing, meaning occupied with other matters. He added that Baal might be on a journey or even sleeping and needing to be awakened. His irony exposed the absurdity of their beliefs. Some of Elijah’s statements may have included euphemisms pointing to bodily functions, further underscoring the humiliating contrast between the living God and the powerless idol they served. Ancient commentators noted how degrading the implications were. Elijah’s sarcasm was deliberate and strategic. He was publicly exposing the emptiness of idolatry before the entire nation of Israel.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
B. Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel.
4. The prophets of Baal work harder at their prayer.
1 Kings 18:28-29 (KJV)
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
The prophets of Baal intensified their efforts after Elijah mocked them. They lifted their voices even louder and began to cut themselves with knives and lances, shedding their own blood in hopes of provoking a response from their god. This violent ritual was part of their religious custom. Their sincerity was unquestionable, for they gave their own blood as an offering. Their zeal, however, was tragically misplaced because it was devotion without truth. Passion, sincerity, and even sacrifice cannot give life to a false god. Their ritual reflected the practices of surrounding pagan cultures, where men bathed in their own blood to stir a deity to action. They believed that if the blood of the bull was not enough, their own blood might move Baal to pity.
Despite their passionate shouting, frenzied movements, and bloody displays, there was no voice, no answer, and no regard. The silence on Mount Carmel revealed the emptiness of Baal worship. Their devotion ascended into a void. There was no god to hear and no deity to respond. It was the tragic outcome of worshiping an imaginary god, a god shaped by human imagination rather than divine revelation.
5. Elijah prepares his altar.
1 Kings 18:30-35 (KJV)
And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water.
When the prophets of Baal had exhausted themselves, Elijah summoned the people to come near. His intention was not self display but clarity. The people needed to witness firsthand the contrast between Baal’s impotence and the Lord’s power. Elijah first repaired the altar of the Lord that had been broken down. This act was symbolic. The altar represented the covenant with God that Israel had abandoned. Elijah was restoring something that once stood firm but had been neglected and ruined during the years of idolatry. By rebuilding the altar, he visibly declared that the worship of the Lord must be restored before blessing could return.
Elijah constructed the altar with twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel. Though the kingdom was divided into north and south, God still regarded Israel as one people under one covenant. Each stone testified to the original identity of the nation, the name Israel that God Himself had given to Jacob. Elijah then prepared the sacrifice in an orderly manner, laying the wood, cutting the bull, and arranging everything according to the proper pattern.
To eliminate any suspicion of trickery, Elijah commanded that four waterpots be filled and poured over the sacrifice and the wood. Then he required it to be done a second time, and then a third time. Water flowed over the altar, soaked the sacrifice, and filled the trench around it. Elijah made the test as difficult as possible from a human perspective. He had not demanded that the prophets of Baal wet their sacrifice even once, yet he drenched his own three times. Elijah did this because he had full confidence that the Lord could ignite a soaked sacrifice just as easily as a dry one. This thorough saturation removed any possibility of deception. The people were close enough to observe everything and could not accuse Elijah of using flammable liquids or hidden fire. All eyes were fixed on the altar, awaiting the moment when the true God would reveal Himself.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
B. Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel.
6. Elijah’s prayer.
1 Kings 18:36-37 (KJV)
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
Elijah approached the altar at the exact time of the evening sacrifice. Even though the northern kingdom had rejected temple worship for more than fifty years under Jeroboam, Elijah still honored the divinely appointed worship schedule given through Moses. This timing linked his prayer to the worship that God established in Jerusalem, reminding Israel that their covenant obligations had not changed simply because they had abandoned the temple.
Elijah addressed God as the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. By using Israel instead of Jacob, Elijah invoked the covenant name given by God Himself after Jacob wrestled with the angel. Elijah’s prayer focused on two essential truths. First, that the Lord alone is God in Israel. Second, that Elijah was His servant. The people needed clarity about both. They needed to know who the true God was, and they also needed to recognize who was speaking for that God.
Elijah then declared that he had done all these things at God’s word. This statement unveils the heart of the entire confrontation. Elijah did not invent this challenge on Mount Carmel. He was not acting from personal ambition or creative strategy. Every step he took, from rebuilding the altar to calling down fire, proceeded from divine command. As one preacher observed, it was not Elijah’s idea to send drought upon the land, nor was it Elijah’s idea to challenge Baal through a supernatural fire. Elijah moved only as God spoke.
Elijah’s final plea centered on the spiritual restoration of Israel. Hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Elijah recognized that only God could turn the heart of a nation. His prayer sought revival, repentance, and a renewed recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty. Elijah prayed not for personal vindication but for the glory of God and the salvation of the people.
7. The result: Yahweh answers by fire.
1 Kings 18:38-40 (KJV)
Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, The Lord, he is the God, the Lord, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
The Lord immediately answered Elijah’s prayer. Fire fell from heaven, descending downward contrary to the natural behavior of earthly fire. This fire did not merely ignite the sacrifice. It consumed the bull, consumed the wood, consumed the stones, consumed the dust, and even evaporated the water that filled the trench. The display exceeded every expectation. God answered not simply to vindicate Elijah but to magnify His own glory before a wavering nation. Elijah’s brief prayer, lasting less than a minute, achieved far more than the hours of frantic cries from the prophets of Baal. The power lay not in the length or volume of the prayer but in the One to whom Elijah prayed.
When the people witnessed the fire, they fell upon their faces in awe and terror. Their cry, The Lord, he is the God, repeated twice for emphasis, revealed that the evidence was undeniable. The people who had hesitated between two opinions now openly acknowledged the Lord’s supremacy. Yet this moment of conviction did not become a lasting revival. Their hearts were moved for a moment, but they did not remain in steadfast obedience.
Elijah then commanded that none of the prophets of Baal escape. The people seized them, and Elijah led them to the brook Kishon where they were executed according to the Law of Moses. The false prophets had led the nation into idolatry, supported by the sponsorship of Ahab and Jezebel. The law required that such seducers to idolatry be put to death. Elijah simply enforced the law they themselves had sought to impose upon the prophets of the Lord. Their judgment was righteous, consistent with the covenant, and necessary to purge the land of the false worship that had brought such devastating judgment.
Elijah’s Victory at Carmel
C. Elijah goes to Jezreel.
1. Elijah prays for rain.
1 Kings 18:41-44 (KJV)
And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
Elijah announced to Ahab that the sound of abundance of rain was already present. Though no clouds were yet visible, Elijah knew that the purpose of the drought had been fulfilled now that Baal worship had been publicly defeated. Ahab responded by going to eat and drink, while Elijah ascended to the top of Mount Carmel to pray. Each man acted according to the inclination of his heart. Ahab indulged himself, while Elijah sought the face of God.
Elijah’s posture of prayer was unusual. He bowed down on the ground and placed his face between his knees. This manner of prayer was neither kneeling nor standing nor lying prostrate. It reflected a burdened spirit and an intensity that reached beyond physical posture. Elijah had stood boldly before Ahab and before eight hundred and fifty prophets of idolatry, yet now he bent low in humility before the Lord. The prophet who stood tall before sin bowed deeply before God. This is always the way of a true servant of the Lord.
Elijah then sent his servant to look toward the sea. The servant returned with the report that there was nothing. Elijah persisted and sent him again. Seven times Elijah repeated this command. This was stubbornly persistent prayer, grounded in the certainty that God intended to send rain. Elijah would not relax his intercession until the promise was fulfilled. God’s promises are designed to incite prayer, not replace it. They reveal the direction and scope of what we may expect from God, and they become the mold into which fervent prayer is poured.
On the seventh trip the servant reported a small cloud rising from the sea, no larger than a man’s hand. This detail was the first evidence that God was answering by storm as surely as He had answered by fire. The cloud was small, but it was the beginning of a mighty work. Elijah acted immediately. He instructed the servant to tell Ahab to prepare his chariot and depart before the rain made the roads impassable. Elijah’s confidence was based solely on this tiny sign, yet he knew that a torrent was coming. The small beginning would soon become an overwhelming downpour.
2. Elijah’s amazing fourteen mile cross country run.
1 Kings 18:45-46 (KJV)
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
The sky rapidly filled with black clouds and strong winds. The great rain Elijah had foretold descended upon the land. The drought that had lasted three and one half years ended exactly as Elijah declared. His prayers had withheld the rain according to God’s command, and now his prayers brought the rain according to that same divine will. Ahab mounted his chariot and raced toward Jezreel to escape the storm.
Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah. The prophet gathered his garments and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to the entrance of Jezreel, a distance of approximately fourteen miles over uneven terrain. This was no natural feat. It was a supernatural enabling by the Spirit of God. Elijah arrived before the king, perhaps to present himself before Queen Jezebel first, to demonstrate boldness in the face of danger, or simply to show that God’s prophet feared neither king nor queen.
Elijah’s arrival ahead of Ahab displayed courage. He was not ashamed of what he had done on Mount Carmel, nor afraid of Jezebel’s hostility. Like ancient desert runners who could cover impressive distances, Elijah was strengthened by divine power. His arrival at Jezreel concluded the dramatic day in which God answered by fire, sent rain by prayer, and empowered His prophet by His own hand.
