I Kings 16:21-19:21
Today we meet wicked King Ahab and his adorable wife, Jezebel. Together they strongly institute Baal worship in Israel, furthering Israel’s descent into idolatry.
We also meet Elijah, who appears quite suddenly, with no backstory, no build up to establish who he is or what authority he might have. Elijah just appears on the scene and confronts Ahab saying, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (I Kings 17:1) Like the plagues on Egypt during the Exodus, this drought serves to demonstrate the LORD’s superiority over Baal. Who controls the weather, anyway? Hint: It’s not Baal!
The showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel proves the same point, and the people there get the message, proclaiming, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” (I Kings 18:39) But Ahab and Jezebel remain unmoved. Jezebel instead issues a death warrant for Elijah, who flees for his life.
Feeling utterly alone and exhausted, Elijah prays to die (I Kings 19:4), but the LORD instead feeds him and leads him on to Mount Horeb (aka Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments). There at Horeb, the LORD asks him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah complains that he has stood strong for the LORD but that he is alone, and all his efforts have only earned him a death sentence. So the LORD gives Elijah an object lesson, sending a strong wind, a powerful earthquake, and fire. But the LORD is not in any of these awesome displays of power. The LORD is instead in a still, small voice, a whisper of silence.
The LORD again asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah responds with the same words as before, but I think his attitude is now much different. His response is less of a complaint about his own trials, and more just a statement of perceived fact. (At least, that’s how I see it.) The LORD then sends Elijah on his way with a fresh assignment to anoint new leadership. And in the process He corrects Elijah’s perception: Elijah is not, in fact, alone; the LORD still has 7,000 faithful followers in Israel.
So how about us? Are we looking for dramatic victories? Are we frustrated that the world continues in unbelief despite clear demonstrations of truth? Do we feel all alone against the world? Do we feel sorry for ourselves and mope about our trials?
Perhaps we should ask ourselves, What are you doing here?
One more thing…
In I Kings 16:24 we learn that King Omri builds a new city, Samaria. This city becomes the capital of the northern kingdom, Israel. As the capital, Samaria is often used as a synonym for the entire northern kingdom of Israel, just as we today speak of Washington, Beijing, or Moscow in place of the U.S.A., China, or Russia, respectively.