THE DIVIDED KINGDOMSAhab and Elijah

KINGS OF ISRAEL The northern kingdom of Israel

struggles to find stability – it goes through several kings in the space of just a few years One guy, Zimri, reigned for 7 days as king

The northern kingdom fights its own brief civil war, and Omri takes over He’s a bad, bad dude.

AHAB, KING When Omri dies, his son Ahab takes

over the throne. “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the

God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him….” 1 Kings 16:33

WHAT MAKES HIM SO BAD? Ahab acted “as if it had been a light thing for him to

walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat…” 1 Kings 16:31 He married a Philistine Priestess of Baal (Jezebel) Built temples to Baal Built Asherah poles Reinstituted child sacrifice o.O Didn’t just introduce false gods like the other kings, he

actively encouraged people to turn from the Lord to the Baals and Asherahs

Jezebel has hundreds of God’s priests and prophets killed because they would not turn to Baal

ENTER ELIJAH Because of Ahab’s sin, and that of his

wife, God sends Elijah with a message Elijah tells Ahab that in the coming years,

there would be a drought so bad there wouldn’t even be dew on the ground, until Elijah says it’s time.

God tells Elijah to beat feet to the wilderness, to escape Ahab

THE WIDOW OF ZERAPHATH God tells Elijah to go to Sidon, to live

there. A Widow and her son are there, starving.

Elijah tells her to make some food for him and for herself and her son. Miraculously the jar of flour and the jug of oil do not run out.

The son falls ill and dies though. Elijah resurrects him through the power of God.

Now the widow believes that Elijah is a true prophet of God.

ELIJAH AND OBADIAH Ahab had sent Obadiah to find grass for

horses when Elijah finds him. Obadiah is a follower of YHWH’s, and

recognizes that Elijah is a sign that God is about to punish Israel, and he is afraid.

Elijah uses God’s name in a vow to get Obadiah to go (Aren’t you not supposed to do that?)

THE ULTIMATUM Ahab calls Elijah the “troubler of Israel”

when they meet Elijah calls out to Ahab to meet him on

Mount Carmel with 850 priests of Baal and Asherah plus all the people of Israel.

When they get there, Elijah calls them out for trying to “limp between two opinions,” if God is God, follow Him, if not, give yourself fully to Baal.

BAAL BROUGHT DOWN Build an altar – call to Baal, and if he accepts

your offering with fire, great. They call and call, Elijah makes fun of them (“Maybe

he’s pooping!”) but Baal does not answer Elijah’s altar built with 12 stones and a trench.

He has them soak the bull, the stones, and the wood three times with water God consumes the altar, wood, bull, and water in one

giant gout of flame, in response to Elijah’s tiny prayer. Elijah has the prophets of Baal and Asherah

slaughtered.

JEZEBEL RETALIATES Jezebel vows to kill Elijah

He killed all her priests of Baal, after all. Elijah flees, afraid for his life.

He heads into the wilderness, falls under a tree, and passes out.

An angel appears to him, and tells him to eat. He wakes up, and there is food at his head, which

he eats. This happens twice. The food lets him go to all the way to Mount

Horeb in forty days

THE VOICE OF GOD Elijah is in a cave on the mountain

The Word of God comes to him – “What are you doing?”

Elijah pours out his heart “I’m the only one that follows you!”

God sends him outside, and blasts the mountain with wind “But God was not in the wind”

He does the same with an earthquake, and with fire

He hears a low whisper, wraps his face, and goes back to the cave

ELIJAH’S INSTRUCTIONS Elijah wraps his face with his cloak, and

plunks himself back down in his cave God asks him again what he’s doing, and

Elijah repeats his story. God tells him to go back up north, and

appoint some people to be kings and prophets.

What the heck just happened?

AHAB AND THE VINEYARD Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for his

own He offered to buy it for any price – Naboth

said no: it had been in the family too long Jezebel has Naboth framed and killed, now

his belongings can be claimed by the king Elijah goes to Ahab and tells him that

because he killed to get the vineyard, dogs would lick up his blood on that very vineyard. Not only that, but dogs would eat Jezebel too….

AHAB KILLED Syria and Israel have been at war for years

Ahab and Jehoshaphat from Judah actually work together to drive off Syria.

Ahab disguises himself, knowing the Syrians want him dead

They attack Jehoshaphat, but realize it isn’t Ahab. Someone randomly shoots Ahab with a bow, hitting

him between the plates of his armor in the back Ahab flees to the land near his vineyard, and

bleeds to death. Dogs lick up his blood.

AHAZIAH TAKES OVER With Ahab gone, Ahaziah takes over

the throne He rules exactly as his mother and father

did Ahaziah has a boo-boo.

He falls from an upper-floor balcony, through a lattice screen on a lower floor ceiling.

As he lays injured from his wounds, he sends messengers to priests of Baal-zebub in Ekron to ask if he’ll get better.

When they can’t answer, he asks Elijah.

CAPTAINS OF FIFTY Captains of fifty and their men go to

get Elijah “Hey, The king wants you!”

They get eaten by fire. “Hey! The king wants you NOW!”

They get eaten by fire. “Please oh please, oh please don’t kill

me!” “Okay, I’ll go with you…”

Elijah tells Ahaziah he won’t recover because he lived a sinful life. He doesn’t.

ELIJAH TAKEN Elijah knows his time has nearly come

He tells Elisha, his disciple, to stay put. Elisha refuses to.

At every town they come to, the priests there ask Elisha if he knows Elijah will be taken, which of course he does.

Elisha asks Elijah to bless him – “give me a portion of your spirit!”

When Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha can see him, which is the sign that God honored the blessing.