Biblical Prophets - Bible Study OnlineLocated at the Bottom of Page In the last article we learned that Jezebel's patience with the current "famine judgment" had begun to wear thin on her. And because of this, she unleashes a vengeful season upon the Lord's Prophets. It would be at this time where we would be introduced to one of God's faithful servants that was named Obadiah.
He served as a governor from within Ahab's household, and it was because of Obadiah's efforts, 100 prophets were spared from Jezebel's wrath. However as we move forward, we now find ourselves within the third year of the three-and-a-half drought that the Lord had released upon Samaria. And this was due in part because Ahab and Jezebel had caused Israel to sin and turn away from the One True God. As we begin to move forward, we'd discovered that God tells Elijah that rain will soon come and fall upon Samaria. The Lord also tells the prophet that this would be a good time for him to go and show himself to king Ahab. Elijah obeys God, and he tells Obadiah to go and tell his master that the prophet is here and that he wants to meet him face-to-face. Obadiah goes and delivers the message to Ahab and after the king had heard what Obadiah had to say, he immediately sets out to go and meet with the prophet. Now upon his arrival Ahab immediately blames Elijah for the problems and hardship that Israel had been going through for the last three years: "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" Ahab calls out. Elijah responds by saying: "I have not made trouble for Israel. But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals." Note: Ahab's father was king Omri and his account can be found at (1 Kings 16:21-28) - know that the Scriptures states that he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. Omri had also built the city of Samaria and he reigned for twelve years. Now we find his son Ahab following in his father footsteps, and is found to be doing more evil than all before him, including his father. However, Elijah tells Ahab to go and summon the people from throughout the land of Israel and meet him at Mount Carmel. The prophet made sure to specify that the king was to bring the 450 prophets that were serving the storm god Baal; and the 400 prophets that were serving the goddess Asherah as well.
Soon after Ahab had heard Elijah's demands, he'd sent word throughout all the lands and assemble the prophets at Mount Carmel. Now it's presumed that Ahab had fulfilled Elijah's demands, simply because he felt that the prophet would have been able to bring an end to the "famine judgment" that was devastating the land of Samaria for so long. Be that as it may, we now move forward and it's at this time we find Elijah going before the people that had been gathered, and he'd spoke out to them saying: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." Elijah also points out that he's the only prophet that was their representing the Holy One of Israel. And he'd also mentioned that Baal had 450 prophets representing him. Now after hearing this, the people said nothing.
Then Elijah sends out a request for two bulls that would be used for sacrifices, one would be offered to God and the other would be offered to Baal. These offerings would be cut into pieces and set on the wood altars that were dedicated between God and Baal. Then the two parties would call on the deity that they were serving - and the deity that answers by setting the offering on fire would be considered the true God. Note: Understand that the people believed that Baal was the god of rain and fertility of the field. Now this is very interesting being that for the last three years they were in a very serious drought, there was no rain and the fields had dried up. So the question would have to be asked: "Where was their god Baal?" I mean after all, here you have God coming on his so-called territory and causing all kinds of havoc, and yet, Baal was nowhere to be found. Now Elijah told the prophets of Baal to call upon their god, so he could set fire to the offering that was on the wood altar before him. So the Baal prophets proceeded to call on their storm god. The Baal prophets did this by calling out to their god in one great voice. And know that they kept calling out his name over and over again, and yet, there was no answer. Then the Baal prophets proceeded to dance around the altar leaping and jumping all over the place, and yet, Baal was nowhere to be found. After seeing this Elijah begins to taunt them: "Shout louder! Surely he is a god? Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." And after hearing Elijah's taunts the prophets of Baal began to shout louder, and they started slashing themselves with their swords until blood began to flow from their bodies. They did these things from the morning and through the evening, and yet, there was still no answer from their god. Now Elijah called the people that were watching over towards his area. He began by repairing an old altar to the Lord which was found to be in ruins, and he did this by using twelve stones. Know that each stone would represent one of the twelve tribes of Israel. And after doing this he proceeded to dig a 3ft wide trench around the altar. Know that this trench would be able to hold twelve barrels of sea water. Next the prophet would arrange the wood and the offering, and he had the people pour four large jars of water onto the wood and the offering. Next he would have the people pour four more large jars of water onto the wood and offering two more times (which made three in total) - and this caused the water to flow down around the bottom of the altar, which filled the trench in the process. Then Elijah begins to pray: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all of these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then immediately the fire had fell from the heavens and in the process, brunt up the offering and the wood, along with the twelve stones and water that had surrounded the altar. And after seeing this, the people fell on their knees and proclaimed that Elijah's God is the One True God! Then Elijah told the people to have every prophet of Baal seized. And after they had seized the Ball prophets, Elijah had them taken down to the Kishon Valley so they could be executed. Note: And of course, by Elijah executing the prophets of Baal may have seemed cruel and unnecessary to most. But one must remember that Jezebel had already slaughter many of God's very own prophets, and thanks to Obadiah 100 would be spared. Also keep in mind that Elijah was not acting own his own, he was being lead by the Spirit of the Lord. So we find that Elijah has now executed the Baal prophets - and by doing so, how will Ahab respond to this? And what about his wife Jezebel, for she was already bringing vengeance against the servants of the Lord because of the "famine judgment" - how will she respond. And what about the rain - will it now fall and provide relief for the city of Samaria?
**YOUR CURRENT BIBLICAL PROPHETS SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 02) Obadiah and the Caves of Refuge 03) <-CURRENT BIBLICAL PROPHETS PAGE-> 04) The Gift of Rain That Came From The Heavens 05) Elisha The Prophet Apprentice 06) The Thirty Two Kings of Mass Destruction 07) Ben-Hadad The Drunken King 09) The Prophets of the Groves 10) Micaiah The One True Prophet 13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire 14) Elisha the Miracle Prophet 
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