Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Leviticus 16

I Kings 18

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

I Kings 18:¹ And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”

I Kings 18:² So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.

I Kings 18:³ And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge (Lit. over the house) of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) greatly.)

I Kings 18:⁴ For so it was, while Jezebel massacred (Lit. cut off) the prophets of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.

• A half of anything means that something is broken. See Topic: Numbers Symbolism

 I Kings 18:⁵ And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”

 I Kings 18:⁶ So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

• Again, the land was also divided. Half of anything means something is broken. Ahab’s kingdom is cruel and broken.
• Notice they went different “ways” both literally and spiritually.

I Kings 18:⁷ Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”

I Kings 18:⁸ And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”

• Elijah, God’s prophet, is going to face everything that is wrong with Ahab and his rule. God is going to use Elijah like super glue to try to put broken things back together.

I Kings 18:⁹ So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me.

• Obediah was in charge of Abah’s “house” (overseeing all his matters) and yet he was terrified of him.

I Kings 18:¹⁰ As the Lord your God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.

• Woe to the nation which might be hiding Elijah.

I Kings 18:¹¹ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here” ’!

I Kings 18:¹² And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) from my youth.

• The Spirit of the Lord carries Elijah from place to place. Remember, he appeared to Obediah seemingly from nowhere.

I Kings 18:¹³ Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), how I hid one hundred men of the Lord’s (Yᵊhōvâ‘s) prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

I Kings 18:¹⁴ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here.” ’ He will kill me!”

• Ahab “seethes” because Evil cannot dwell with Righteousness.

I Kings 18:¹⁵ Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’ ) lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”

I Kings 18:¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

I Kings 18:¹⁷ Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

I Kings 18:¹⁸ And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) and have followed the Baals.

• Cultic gods “divide”.

I Kings 18:¹⁹ Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah (A Canaanite goddess), who eat at Jezebel’s table (are provided for by Jezebel).”

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory

I Kings 18:²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.

I Kings 18:²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) is God (‘ĕlōhîm), follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

• Two opinions cut a nation in half. One truth heals it.

I Kings 18:²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ); but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

I Kings 18:²³ Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.

I Kings 18:²⁴ Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ); and the God (‘ĕlōhîm) who answers by fire, He is God (‘ĕlōhîm).”

• One God, One Truth.

So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken (Lit. The word is good).”

I Kings 18:²⁵ Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

I Kings 18:²⁶ So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us! (answer)” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about (Lit. limped about, leaped in dancing around) the altar which they had made.

• From morning until noon Jesus hung on the cross of wood.

I Kings 18:²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud (with a loud voice), for he is a god; either he is meditating (literally: on the toilet), or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

• At noon there was darkness over the face of the earth. Jesus is still on the cross.

I Kings 18:²⁸ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives (swords) and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

• Jesus was pierced until blood gushed out of him.

I Kings 18:²⁹ And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

• Jesus died at midday (3 PM).

I Kings 18:³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) that was broken down.

• There you have it, an entire nation is broken because the altar of the Lord was broken down.

I Kings 18:³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

• The twelve stones represent God’s covenant with Israel.

I Kings 18:³² Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ); and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

I Kings 18:³³ And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”

I Kings 18:³⁴ Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.

I Kings 18:³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

I Kings 18:³⁶ 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 (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God (‘ĕlōhîm) in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

I Kings 18:³⁷ Hear me, O Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm), and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

I Kings 18:³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

I Kings 18:³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), He is God (‘ĕlōhîm)! The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), He is God (‘ĕlōhîm)!”

I Kings 18:⁴⁰ And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.

The Drought Ends

I Kings 18:⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

• Ahab didn’t kill Elijah.
  
• I Kings 8:35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, ³⁶ then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
• • James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
    
  • Luke 4:25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;

Rain is both literal and symbolic of the Messiah

Joel 2:23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain (môrê teacher) faithfully (ṣᵊḏāqâ literally righteous, justice), And He will cause the rain (gešem violent rain) to come down for you— The former rain (môrê teacher), And the latter rain (malqôš spring, refreshing rain) in the first (resurrections).

[The three orders of the first resurrections of believers: First Fruits of Jesus, Main Harvest of the Rapture, and the Gleanings of the Tribulation Martyrs]

[Jesus’ first and second advent on earth-The spring and autumn feasts]

• The drought ENDS. Not only was there a drought of water but a drought of the Word of God.
  
• Famines and droughts are a sign that God has withdrawn. God had withdrawn from Israel.
• In the future, during the seven year tribulation there will also be a famine and no rain for 3-1/2 years.

• Amos 8:¹¹ “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
  “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.

• Revelation 11:6 These (two witnesses) have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy (the days of their prophecy is 3-1/2 years), then they are killed); and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

I Kings 18:⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,

I Kings 18:⁴³ and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

I Kings 18:So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

• Seven is the number for perfection, righteousness, and completeness.

I Kings 18:⁴⁴ Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ^‘Prepare (Lit. Bind or Harness) your chariot, and go down before the rain (gešem violent rain) stops you.’ ”

I Kings 18:⁴⁵ Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain (gešem violent rain). So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

• Heavy rain is a sign of judgment.

I Kings 18:⁴⁶ Then the hand of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins (Tucked the skirts of his robe in his belt in preparation for quick travel) and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

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