Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online
After Elijah had executed the Baal prophets by the sword, he then proceeded to tell Ahab to go and eat and drink for there is the sound of heavy rain approaching. A short while later, Elijah retires himself to the top of Mount Carmel and falls on his knees praying and giving thanks to the Lord for what He had just did during the fire contest between Him and Baal. In the meantime, Elijah sends his servant out to the Mediterranean Sea to see if he see's any type of sign that rain is approaching? Up to this point, Elijah was going on faith that rain was near, but he needed a natural sign of some sort, which would be a confirmation for the people to see. The prophet had sent his servant out to the sea six different times and each trip ended with no natural signs of rain. But Elijah would send his servant out again for the seventh time and finally the servant would bring good news. There was a very small cloud that was about the size of a man's hand that had risen from the sea. After hearing this report, Elijah tells his servant to send word to Ahab, for him to head back to Jezreel before the rain makes the travel more difficult or impossible to venture out in. In the meantime, the sky had grown black and with the clouds and wind came a heavy rain. Ahab immediately rides off in his chariot back to Jezreel. As for Elijah, the spirit of the Lord had fallen upon him as he ran the six miles back to Jezreel ahead of Ahab. A while later, Ahab makes it back to Jezreel after Elijah; and joins his wife Jezebel. He starts to tell her all that Elijah had done during the fire contest between God and Baal. He also had mentioned that Elijah had the Baal prophets executed by the sword afterwards. After hearing these things Jezebel becomes very angry and sent word by messenger to Elijah: "May the gods deal with me, but it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." After hearing this, Elijah had become very afraid and ran for his life. He ended up traveling one hundred and fifty miles to the southern Palestine city called Beer-sheba. This is where he decides to leave his servant while he continues on for an extra day into the desert. Elijah would not rest until he becomes exhausted and decides to rest under a juniper tree. While he was under the tree he starts praying to God, telling the Lord that he had enough and that he was no better than his ancestors. He wanted God to take his life for he was giving up on his purpose. Elijah would soon fall asleep while praying to God and a short while later an angel comes to visit him. This angel would touch Elijah and ask that the prophet would get up and eat. Elijah awakes and looked around and saw that the angel had brought him a loaf of hot bread and a jar of water. The prophet would eat what the angel had brought him and then he laid back down and went back to sleep. The angel would come back for a second time and touch Elijah and told him to get up and eat. Now the angel goes a little farther by telling the prophet that he would need to eat for the journey that he was about to take. For if the prophet did not eat, the journey that he was about to take would be too much for him. Elijah would wake up for a second time and eat and drink some more while gaining the much needed strength to make the journey that the Lord had set before him. Now this journey would take the prophet forty days and forty nights to complete. He would find that God had led him to Horeb which was also known as "The Mountain of God." This was the mountain where Moses first presented the Law (Ten Commandments) to his people. After arriving and still battling his state of discouragement the prophet would go into a cave and rest for the night. While Elijah was resting in the cave the Lord came to him and asked him a question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The prophet answers the Lord by saying this: "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death by the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." Then God tells Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain for he was about to pass by. Now Elijah was still resting in the cave after the Lord had told him to get up and go to the entrance of the cave, when all of a sudden a mighty wind started shattering the rocks and tearing the mountain apart. Elijah continued to lie in the cave and then came an earthquake followed by fire. Elijah still stayed in the cave until he heard a gentle whisper. Then the prophet gets up and pulled his cloak over his head and stood at the mouth of the cave like the Lord had instructed him to do. Then a voice said to him: "What are you doing here Elijah?" Then Elijah repeated his earlier reply: "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death by the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." After hearing Elijah's reasoning for giving up, the Lord replied to the prophet by saying: "Go back the way you came, and go to the desert Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu." Now God addresses Elijah's concern that dealt with him being the last of the Lord's prophets. After letting Elijah know that Israel will still suffer further punishment for their idolatry and sinful ways. God continues to tell the prophet that he is not alone in his faith and servitude towards Him: "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all who knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
**YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 02) Obadiah and the Caves of Refuge 03) The Fire Contest Between God & Baal 04) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 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  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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