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1 Kings Chapter 18

By Bro David Petersen

18:1 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.

2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

Obadiah

  1. Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. (he feared the LORD greatly).
  2. How Obadiah could be devout while serving in the house of wicked Ahab?
    1. He was in the world but not of the world.
  3. There were saints in Nero's household.
  4. We are called to be in the world but not of the world.

4 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.)

  1. Obadiah's faith was not dead faith. Instead he showed his faith by his works.
  2. He took no thought for his own life, being willing to risk his life for his faith.

 

Zero Tolerance: The Prophets Of The LORD

  1. The priests and Levites had migrated to Judah when the kingdom divided (2 Chron 11:13-14).
  2. In their place God raised up prophets who taught the law in informal assemblies since there were no synagogues at this point in history.
  3. Jezebel oppressed the prophets, killing them.
    1. The world today has tolerance for everything except the true faith.
    2. The proponents of tolerance tolerate everything except Christianity.
    3. Perversion is tolerated and even embraced.
  4. The prophets had gone underground (literally, in caves).

5 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.

6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

In Quest Of Grass

  1. Ahab was willing to spend great effort to look for grass but not to repent.
  2. Ahab's worry was to not lose all the beasts, many being already lost; but he took no care about the people or his own soul, not to lose that.
  3. He took a deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God.
  4. He would gain the whole world but lose his own soul.
  5. He sought to how mitigate the effect, but not how to remove the cause. He wanted to treat the symptoms and not the cause.
  6. Ahab "spent his money for that which is not bread".

    As the prophet Isaiah later said "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Isaiah 55:2.

7 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?

Is it really you my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 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.

Ahab sought Elijah not so much that he could punish him but rather so that he would make it rain again. He did not want to repent and turn to the LORD. He only wanted things to go well for himself.

We infer this because Ahab was willing to meet with Elijah on Mt. Carmel. Elijah would revoke the sentence allright, but not in the manner that Ahab expected.

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

Today there are people in the world who seek the Lord for the wrong reasons. They want the Lord to water their gardens for them. But the Lord never promised you a rose garden. They are in quest of grass. But they do not want to do what the Lord requires of them: repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

Elijah Is Here

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Elijah presented himself to Ahab because the time appointed by the LORD had come. He was not captured by Ahab or turned in for a reward. God is in charge and the rain would come only by Elijah's word, not by Ahab's insistence.

It is ironic that Elijah, whom Ahab had so long sought and not found, was now right there seeking him. Ahab went in quest of grass, and found him from whose word, at God's mouth, he must expect rain.

The Bible here is pointing out a great contrast. For 3 1/2 years, Ahab is searching the world over for Elijah and then for grass. They can't find him but then he just appears and says "Behold, Elijah is here".

You can't always get what you want from the Lord, but you will get what you need.


12 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.

Verse 12 shows that Obadiah recognized that the LORD protects his own. He knows that Elijah is under the protection of the Spirit and is virtually untouchable. That was the reputation that Elijah had. It is part of the mystery of Elijah. See 2 Kings 2:16.


13 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?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

There is humor in the Bible and this is one of those humorous occasions.

It's like in 1 Samuel 21 where David goes down to Gath to hide from King Saul. He took advantage of the superstitions of the Philistines and acted insane in their presence so they wouldn't kill him. Then the Philistine king Achish said to his servants, "Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?"

Verses 9 through 14 are very humorous. Ahab is searching all over the country and the region for Elijah. Then Elijah just shows up and says "Go tell your Master, behold, Elijah is here." Obadiah's response is "Go say Elijah is here?! What have I done wrong that you are sending me to be killed by Ahab?".

His behavior had been faithful and had not been such that he expected the judgment of God to come down on him.


15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.


17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

He That Troubleth Israel

The world judges religion purely on the basis of works. This became clear to me while listening to talk radio, in particular the Dennis Prager Show and the Michael Savage Show. The perception is that good religions are those that do good deeds. It is true that James said "I will shew thee my faith by my works." James 2:18. But works alone do not prove that a religion is the true religion ordained by God. Faith without works is dead, but works without faith are the works of our hands.

When Pope John Paul II died there was a lot of talk on the radio about what a good man and great Christian leader he was. I do not know what John Paul's relation with the LORD was. I am not in a position to judge his salvation.

One Is Your Master

However I do know one thing. Jesus told his disciples not be called "master" "for one is your master, even Christ." Matthew 23:10. He also said "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Matthew 23:9.


A Flat Organization

When asked who would be greatest in the kingdom he said "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant." Luke 22:24. So Jesus described his church as a flat organization, not hierarchical, where each local assembly reports directly to the Lord himself. There was to be no middle management, no vice-presidents and no CEO on this earth.

Also Paul told the Ephesians "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." Christ is the head of the church. He did not appoint a vicar to run the church in his absence. How many of you husbands appoint a substitute husband to rule your wife while you are away?

They Are Spiritually Discerned

So how do people come to this conclusion that JP was such a good man? These comments were all based on natural observations of his life work. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14. The good works equals good religion mind set makes sense to the natural, unregenerate mind.

Kingdom Of Heaven

Self-professed agnostic Ridley Scott, the director of the movie "Kingdom Of Heaven" believes that the problem with religion is, in his words, “fanaticism.” For example, in a column he penned for a British publication, The Guardian, Scott calls the Knights Templar “the right wing or Christian fundamentalists of their day.” He also told London’s Evening Standard, “Religious difference, right now, is causing a great lack of understanding.” For Scott, religion should consist solely of “good actions, of doing the right thing by others, whatever their beliefs. That’s what we show with Balian in Kingdom of Heaven. If we could just take God out of the equation for a second, concentrate on how you live. If we could abide by that, there’d be no f---ing problem.”

Paul And The Mob

When Paul and Silas went to Thessalonica they went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews from the scriptures showing that Jesus was the Christ. Some believed but some jealous Jews got some gangsters after Paul and Silas.

The mob went to where Paul was staying at Jason's house but did not find him there. So they dragged out Jason and some of the brothers and accused them to the city officials saying "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house." Acts 17:1-9.

A Sore Famine

Ahab called Elijah "troubler of Israel". What accomplishments did Elijah have on his resume at this point in his career? He had caused a 3 1/2 year drought. The famine was severe. The crops failed because of the drought and many people and animals suffered as a result. People were hungry. The widow of Zarephath was on the verge of starvation. Elijah would probably be considered evil by the same people who consider the pope and the Mormons to be good.


18 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.

Ye Have Forsaken The Commandments Of The Lord

So any man no matter how good they appear to the world, even a man like John Paul is not worshipping in spirit and in truth because he is in direct violation of the Lord's commandments. He is attempting to usurp Christ's authority over his church.

Why Do You Call Me Lord?

It doesn't matter how much he speaks out against same sex marriage or how much of a stand he takes against abortion. Jesus said "Why do you call me Lord, Lord and don't do what I say?"

He also said "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock." Matt 7:21-24.

The problem with the worldly point of view regarding the works based merit of religion disregards the Lord's commandments. The Lord has spelled out how we are to serve him. That's what the title "Lord" means. Jesus gives commandments. He doesn't make suggestions.

"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt 15:6.

The problem is that a works based merit system for religion doesn't take truth or the lack of it into consideration. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph 2:8-9. Salvation comes through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as one's savior, not through doing good deeds.

Baalim is the plural form of Baal. There were many forms of Baal worship by the various Canaanite nations.


19 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.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

Ahab and the people expected that Elijah would, in this assembly, bless the land, and pray for rain; but he had other work to do first. The people had to repent before they could be blessed.

MOUNT CARMEL


A mountain range stretching about 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the Mediterranean coast southeast to the Plain of Dothan (see Map 3, B-2). At the Bay of Accho (Acre), near the modern city of Haifa, this mountain range juts out into the Mediterranean Sea in a promontory named Mount Carmel. It rises sharply from the seacoast to a height of 143 meters (470 feet) near Haifa. The mountain range as a whole averages over 1,000 feet above sea level, with 530 meters (1,742 feet) being the summit.

The Canaanite's built sanctuaries to pagan weather deities on this mountain. Thus, Carmel was an appropriate site for a confrontation between Elijah, the prophet of Jehovah, and the "prophets of Baal" (1 Kings 18:19-20), the idolatrous Canaanite priests. It was also from the top of Mount Carmel that Elijah saw a sign of the coming storm: "a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea" (1 Kings 18:44), a cloud which signaled the end of a prolonged drought. The prophet Elisha also visited Mount Carmel (2 Kings 2:25; 4:25).
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

Which Eat At Jezebel's Table

It's interesting that Elijah characterized the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth as those who "eat at Jezebel's table". Apparently they were well-fed. Their hallmark is not any of their prophetic works. Eating together was considered an intimate form of fellowship in Bible times. When David took the invalid Mephibosheth into his care he said that Mephibosheth "will eat bread at my table always." 2 Sam 9:6.

Their Own Belly

I think that what Elijah is implying is similar to what Paul said about false teachers who taught contrary to the New Testament doctrine: "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Romans 16:18.

Stuffing Their Faces

Elijah is saying that the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth were all about what was in it for them. They were consumers feasting on the sumptuous fare so abundantly provided by Jezebel, the architect of Baal worship in Israel. Stuffing their faces was what really mattered to them.


21 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.

Verse 21 pretty much sums up the entire message of the book of 1 Kings. Elijah rebukes the people for mixing the worship of Yahweh with the worship of Baal. As Joshua said "Choose this day whom ye will serve."

Verse 21 Definitions: Halt = waiver.

The response. Did the people say:

  1. “Religious difference, right now, is causing a great lack of understanding?”
    1. Elijah, don't you know that all religions teach basically the same thing?
  2. "The problem with religion is fanaticism?"
  3. "If we could just take God out of the equation for a second, just concentrate on how you live?"
  4. "Religion should consist solely of “good actions, of doing the right thing by others, whatever their beliefs?"
  5. "Your fundamentalist viewpoint is bigoted and dangerous?"

No, the people answered him not a word.

If The LORD Is God

The implication is "Why would you follow something that is not God?"

The assumption is that there can only be one God: one infinite, supreme, omnipotent God. Who is that all-sufficient benefactor? Will Baal bless them better than the LORD? Is Baal a superior Master?

Why follow a "god" that cannot save?

Luke 9:50
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

There is no middle ground with the Lord. The sheep are on his right hand and the goats are on his left. You are either for him or against him. There is no being neutral on Jesus.

These Are They Which Testify Of Me

How does this apply to you? By the way, everything in the Bible does not have to apply directly to you. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but the Bible is not all about you. It is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Pharisees "These are they which testify of me." So it is arrogant to think that in order for something to be interesting or useful it has to apply directly to you.

Now if you want a religion that is all about you try Eastern religion. The quest in all these religions is for self-realization. The goal is an esoteric experience. The idea is to look within yourself for fulfillment. That is a large part of the appeal and the reason why new ageism is on the rise in the United States.

His-Story

For example, when you read the Bible and try to understand it instead of asking yourself "How does this apply to me?" ask yourself "How does this reveal Jesus Christ?" "What does it teach me about him?" Now when you learn about him you will find out that he did some things for you. It is his-story. so the scripture does apply to you in some way.

Nevertheless, how does this apply to you? You might say "I don't worship Baal, so this doesn't apply to me." Baal was all about the party that accompanied the worship. The worship was sensuous, licentious and debacherous. They had a big time worshipping Baal. It was oodles more fun than the austere worship of Yahweh.

We may not follow Baal, but there are many Christians who follow the false gods of this age. There are the gods of entertainment, sports, vanity, materialism, career, family. Are all those things bad in and of themselves? No. However if they interfere with our service to the Lord, they take the place of God in our lives and become idolatry.

Jesus wants it all. The Lord's admonition to the church at Laodecia was "because you are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm I will spue you out of my mouth". Rev 3:16. Then he said "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and repent".

22 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.

Elijah was a true prophet of God. The word of the LORD came to him and he spoke it forth. However, verse 22 shows that we don't have to be right all the time in order to serve the LORD faithfully. Yes, it was true that Elijah was the only prophet of the LORD there standing up to Jezebel. But Elijah was not the only remaining prophet of the LORD. The LORD had reserved seven thousand "who had not bowed the knee to Baal or kissed him." 1 Kings 19:18.


23 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:
24 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.

The Power To Forgive Sins

Wait a minute! I thought they needed rain, not fire. Elijah does not say, "The God that answers by water" (though that was the thing the country needed), but "that answers by fire, let him be God;"

That's because this passage is all about the atonement. An atonement for sin was to be made by sacrifice, before the judgment could be removed in mercy. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to prove it by consuming the sin-offering, is the God that can relieve us against the calamity. He that can give fire can give rain.

In Matthew 9 Jesus said that his power to heal the man sick of the palsy was evidence of his own power to forgive sins.

Matthew 9:1-8
9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

25 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.

The Baal worshippers were in the habit of attributing lightning and thunder to Baal and so had no excuse not to accept the test by fire. Why did the LORD condescend to this test? It would provide a testimony not only for that time but for all ages.


26 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.

That's when the dancing started. "They leaped upon the altar" actually refers to wild dancing. They danced and leaped around the altar.


27 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.

This was a ridiculous, absurd display that fully merited mockery: frantic prophesying, wild dancing and leaping for hours and hours. The idea in Elijah's mocking is that "surely you are not mistaken in regarding him as a god."


28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

It Is Finished

The prophets of Baal hoped to gain Baal's favor by cutting themselves. It is common even today for religions that do not have a perfect, complete once and for all sacrifice for sins to do this type of self-humiliation in an attempt to seek God's favor. But all such attempts are vain. As the Lord's people we don't need to do penance to gain the Lord's favor because Jesus has already paid for all of our sins. It's an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ and his redeeming work on the cross to try and add to it. It is foolishness to try to do so. That's what Paul said: "Are ye so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Galatians 3:3.

How are imperfect believers going to add anything to that. Jesus said "it is finished" and he meant it.

An Epidemic that cuts to the bone

C.W. Nevius

The San Francisco Chronicle, Tuesday, April 19, 2005

"Her parents wondered why she was always so cold. Their daughter insisted on wearing a sweatshirt, even on the sunniest of afternoons. It was strange. Probably another one of those teen fashion things, they figured. That would explain why she pulled the sleeves down over her hand and stuck her thumb through a loop she'd cut in the cuff. Just another offbeat style trend. But the girl, whose identity was withheld by her counselor for obvious reasons, was a textbook example of a bloody epidemic among American teenage girls. When these girls are identified, often by concerned friends, their parents are horrified to find their arms slashed with parallel gashes, each 2 to 3 inches long, cut into their flesh with razors or knives."

"It's called "cutting,'' the practice of self-injury and self-mutilation, and it is a scary trend among troubled teenage girls. If you have a daughter and this surprises you, it only confirms that you are out of the loop."

A Last Days Phenomena

Am I saying that cutters are worshipping Baal? No. Am I saying that cutters are demon-posessed? No. What I am saying is that the similarity between the prophets of Baal cutting themselves and the modern phenomena of cutting is remarkable. Cutters may not be possessed but it is very likely that the phenomena of cutting is satanically inspired. If not, where did it come from then? It is startling that this practice appeared on the scene so suddenly. The article goes on to say that estimates of the number of cutters in the US range from 800,00 to 2 million. When I was a teenager, just some 30 years there was no such thing as cutting. No one had ever heard of it. It is a "last days phenomena".


29 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.
30 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.
31 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:

Apparently the altar of the LORD hadn't been used for awhile. No one had bothered to keep it up. There wasn't a lot of demand for it. You didn't need to take a number if you wanted to use it.


32 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.
33 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.
34 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.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

No one was going to be able to say that the fire started by spontaneous combustion or that Elijah had a secret fire under the altar. No one could say "Ok, so he can burn up a dry sacrifice, but what if it were soaked?"


36 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.
37 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.

Let It Be Known

Notice that Elijah prayed for five things. The number five signifies God's grace in the scriptures.

  1. That thou art God in Israel. (God's glory)
  2. That I am thy servant. (Who really is God's servant?)
  3. That I have done all these things at thy word. (Doing the work of God. Carrying out his commission).
  4. That this people may know that thou art the LORD God. (As a witness to the people for the LORD).
  5. That thou hast turned their heart back again. (Notice that Elijah spoke in the past tense indicating faith. Caused them to repent and to turn to the LORD).

38 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.

There was nothing left but a scorched crater in the earth. This may indicate that this was to be a one-time sacrifice. The people were not to sacrifice in the high places.


39 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.

They had acheived clarity.


40 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.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 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,
43 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.
44 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.
45 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.
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

JEZREEL


The palace of King Ahab of Israel was situated in Jezreel. Here Jezebel and all the others associated with Ahab's reign were assassinated by the followers of Jehu (2 Kings 9-10). (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Here the kings of Israel had a palace (2 Sam 2:8-9), and here the court often resided (1 Kings 18:45-46; 2 Kings 10:11). In or near the town was a temple of Baal and an Asherah (1 Kings 16:32-33). The palace of Ahab was on the eastern side of the city, forming part of the city wall (cf. 1 Kings 21:1; 2 Kings 9:25,30,33). The palace in which Jezebel lived was on the city wall, with windows facing to the E (2 Kings 9:30). Nearby was the vineyard of Naboth, coveted by King Ahab, and secured by Jezebel through the cruel death of its owner (1 Kings 21:1-16). (From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)

The Book of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles
Introduction | 1 Kings 1 | 1 Kings 2 | 1 Kings 3 | 1 Kings 4 | 1 Kings 5 | 1 Kings 6-7 | 1 Kings 8 | 1 Kings 9 | 1 Kings 10 | 1 Kings 11 | 1 Kings 12 | 2 Chronicles 13 | 1 Kings 13 | 1 Kings 14 | 1 Kings 15 | 2 Chronicles 15 | 1 Kings 16 | 1 Kings 17 | 1 Kings 18 | 1 Kings 19 | 1 Kings 20 | 1 Kings 21 | 1 Kings 22

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