Continuation….
7th King of Israel: Ahab (875-854) 1 Kings 16:29-22:40: 2nd king of 4th dynasty. Ahab was the worst king in Israel.
Draught Ends. (18:41-46): Prayer of Elijah and God sends rain.
V. 41:… sound of abundance of rain… Elijah, as a man of God, could hear the sound of abundance of rain even before his servant could see the handful of cloud, and King Ahab could see the outpouring of rain.
V.42-44:… PRAYER OF ELIJAH:
V. 42: So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; Duty bound Prophet Elijah went up to pray as Ahab went down to eat.
Lessons to learn:
1. Even though we have promises of God for our provision, we have to pray for the fulfilment.
2. We see one of the postures of prayer. bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,… (v. 42)
3. The importance of persistence in prayer. Elijah did this prayer seven times. On the other hand he prayed until he say the sign for God answering prayers V. 43).
V. 45:… sound of abundance of rain… This is another and final proof that It was the LORD God of Israel is the supreme and able to give rain and not Baal.
V. 46:… Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he…ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. … Elijah ran from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel, ad distance of about 25 miles only by the divine empowerment. He outran Ahab’s chariot. The phrase “the hand of the Lord came upon” is used in the Bible repeatedly. This phrase is used in an interchangeable manner to denote “Divine inspiration to speak” and “Divine empowerment to act and demonstrate.”
Elijah flees Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-10)
Elijah challenged, defeated and executed the prophets of Baal (1 kings 18:40) and confronted Ahab. Jezebel was not there. NOW, JUST ONE THREAT from her sent Elijah running, and he ran to Beersheba, the southernmost city of southern Kingdom, Judah. The distance between Jezreel and Beersheba is in excess of 100 miles. Jezebel, more formidable opponent than Ahab. She has a track record of killing the LORD’s prophets (18:4, 13). So, her threat to Elijah’s life was to be taken seriously.
Elijah has won a mighty battle on the mountain, but a still more formidable opponent than Ahab awaits him in the form of Queen Jezebel. Victory now becomes defeat as Elijah retreats, both physically and mentally, and ultimately arrives not at Mount Carmel but at another mountain to confront not Baal but the Lord himself, whom Elijah serves but whose ways he only partly understands and accepts.- ESV Study Bible
JEZEBEL: The most heartless woman with a bloody history. The meaning of her name is “CHASTE, FREE FROM CARNAL CONNECTION” but by nature she was the most wicked and licentious woman.
Her family connection: She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and both king and priest of Baal worshipers. The Phoenicians were a remarkable race, and outstanding as the great maritime peoples of the ancient world, but they were idolaters who regarded Jehovah as only a local deity, “the god of the land.” Their gods were Baal and Ashtaroth or Astarte, with their innumerable number of priests, 450 of whom Ahab installed in the magnificent temple to the Sun-god he had built in Samaria. Another 400 priests were housed in a sanctuary Jezebel erected for them, and which she fed at her own table. Cruel and licentious rites were associated with the worship of Baal. Jezebel sprang from an idolatrous stock, the same source which afterward produced the greatest soldier of antiquity, Hannibal, whose temper was not more daring and unforgiving than hers.It was this heathen woman who married Ahab, king of Northern Israel, and who in so doing was guilty of a rash and impious act which resulted in evil consequences. As a Jew, Ahab sinned against his Hebrew faith in taking as his wife the daughter of a man whose very name, Ethbaal, meant, “A Man of Baal.” How or where the strong-minded idolatrous woman and the weak and spineless king met we are not told. Doubtless seeing her, Ahab was fascinated by her beauty and forcefulness of character and fell for her, and Jezebel, ambitious and proud, eagerly seized the opportunity of sharing the throne of a king. Any man, able to resist the wiles of a beautiful but wicked woman possesses true heroism. Joseph succeeded against the lovely yet lustful wife of Potiphar. –https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Jezebel-No-1