THE RUNAWAY PROPHET

The prophet Elijah was a very bold person who has done some very amazing things. Yet James seems to think that your prayers can be as effective as the prayers of Elijah. You can read that in James 5:16-17

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crop.

James makes here this interesting statement “ Elijah was a man just like us…” Now, to be honest, I don’t think you really believe these words, do you now? After all, you may well have prayed at times that the rain would stop but that does not mean your prayer was answered at that time. And you certainly have never prayed for the rain to stop for three years and then to pray again for the rain to start and for the heavens to respond by pouring out rain. So, I think, that deep in your heart you think, “Excuse me, James, Elijah might be like you, but after all, you were the half-brother of Jesus and that made you a special person. But James, you do not know me. I am just an ordinary person. I try to hold on to my faith and there are many times when I doubt God and struggle with issues in my life for I know that I am not supposed to behave in the way that I do and yet I continue to do these very things I know I am not supposed to. So, how can you possibly tell me that Elijah was just like me….?” If James could know what you might be thinking he may well suggest that you study the life of Elijah to see whether or not he is right so why don’t you start by reading I Kings 17:1-6

Now Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

We don’t seem to know anything about Elijah’s beginnings. All we know is that he is from a place called Tishbe. By the time we get to know him ,most likely, he is already established as a prophet and is known by king Ahab. What he has to say to the king is not very encouraging but it does happen. In fact, his words to the king will have caused the king to become very angry with him so God tells him where to hide from the king. But in time even Elijah is affected by the drought he has pronounced because the brook where he stays dries up. Now, I am sure that God could have done something supernatural so that the water in the brook would have continued to flow but God does not do this for He has a better plan in mind for His prophet. So He tells Elijah to go to a widow who lives outside Israel, even though there will have been many widows in Israel. Elijah may well have questioned God’s choice of this widow. Nevertheless, in obedience to God’s command he goes to Zarephath and seeks out this widow whom he knows has been prepared by God to take care of him, as you can read in I Kings 17:7-13

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food. So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat – and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t’ be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.”

Just imagine that you are Elijah. Would you not feel very uncomfortable after your encounter with this widow? You may well question yourself if you still have the same prophetic ability you used to have when you accurately predicted to king Ahab that there would be no rain for three years. That word has proven to be all too true. However, in the case of the widow, you may initially believe you have approached he right widow but then she tells you she plans on dying. So either you have picked the wrong widow or, dare you think it, God has not done what He has promised He would do; He has not commanded this widow to take care of you. But then you are not Elijah and it seems Elijah has no such doubts.

At the same time you might like to say to him, “Elijah how can you ask this poor widow to bake you a cake first? How can you be so selfish? You must know that she has no spare flour left for you so how can you insist that she not only make a cake for you besides making a cake for herself and her son, but you insist that she makes a cake for you before making one for her and son? You ought to realise that this poor woman may not have enough flour for three people. It will mean, therefore, that, very likely, she will end up giving her portion to you and that will surely mean death for her.” But, it seems, Elijah knows something that you may not be not aware of as, you can read in I Kings 17:14-16

For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day  the Lord gives rain on the land.” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

It is very clear from these words that Elijah has great faith and you  don’t think you can match his faith so you may well want to say to James, “See James, look at the faith of this man. You know I don’t have this kind of faith. And James, have you read what Elijah did do next?” This is recorded in I Kings 18:1- 1-2

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

The meeting between Ahab and Elijah is arranged by a man named Obadiah. He is in charge of the palace and is a devout man who has been able to protect one hundred of God’s prophets from Ahab’s wife, queen Jezebel. Apparently, she does not like God’s prophets very much and has shown that by having them killed off, as you can read in I Kings 18:3-16

And Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets,Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water). Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals. So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognised him, bowed down to the ground, and said, ”Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”  “Yes,” he replied, “Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here.” “What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom that my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or a kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. But now, you tell me to go to my master and say, “Elijah is here.” I don’t know where the spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshipped the Lord since my youth. Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, “Elijah is here.” He will kill me!” Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.” So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

Obediah is very reluctant to do what Elijah asks of him and that is not surprising. After all, Ahab is very angry with Elijah, blaming him for the famine. Nevertheless, Obadiah does go and tell the king that Elijah is back in the land and wants to meet with him. You can read of the encounter between king Ahab and the prophet in I Kings 18:17-19

When he (king Ahab) saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You abandoned the Lord’s command and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 

After three long years of drought the king and the prophet finally meet up again. God is going to send rain once again. It is clear from Ahab’s words that he has no idea as to why there has been no rain for three years. According to him, this dreadful situation the nation finds herself in is entirely the fault of the prophet. It has nothing whatsoever to do with him. But Elijah sets the record straight by telling the king that he and his fathers are to be blamed for the misery the whole nation finds herself in: they have forgotten the God of Israel and have followed other gods. And it is time for an encounter between the God of Elijah and Ahab’s god, Baal, as you can read in I Kings 18:20-22

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”

The king has all the people assembled together and Elijah shows them that they are compromised in their faith. His words are very powerful. Yet, in this section you can see a glimpse of Elijah’s humanity, which you might easily miss and you can see it in his words “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left….”  It looks like Elijah is throwing a kind of a pity-party, as all human beings can do at times, because he really wants to say, “People, look at me. I am the only one who still loves God. There is no one else who cares about Him.”  But what about all the prophets Obadiah has been taken care of? Elijah seems to have forgotten that fact and this continues to play a role in his view of things, as you will find out a little later on.

He then tells the people to get two bulls ready to be sacrificed. One bull is to be sacrificed by the prophets of Baal and the other is to be sacrificed by him, as you can read in I Kings 18:23-24

“Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire –He is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah then gives specific instructions to the prophets of Baal in preparation for their sacrifice to their god, as you can read in I Kings 18:25-26

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “ Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no-one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

The prophets of Baal are giving a big display of their loyalty to Baal. But there is no response from their god. At noon-time Elijah begins to urge them on to greater action for it may be that their god is too busy, as you can read in I Kings 18:27-29

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said, “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. May be he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention.

No matter what the prophets of Baal try, their god does not respond. He does not even respond when they slash themselves with swords and spears! These prophets must have felt very despondent for their god does not seem to care about them, no matter what they do to try and appease him.

By the evening, Elijah takes over and begins to prepare the altar for his sacrifice, as you can read in I Kings 18:30-35

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “ Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench round it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood. Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

The altar is in ruins. This means it has not been used for a very long time because the people of Israel have been worshipping Baal instead of worshipping the God of Israel.  So Elijah re-builds the altar using twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. He has the wood placed on it and the bull that has been cut in pieces. What he does next is very unusual; he orders for water to be poured over the wood and the sacrifice and he has it done not just once but three times. You may well think, “Why do you do that, Elijah? Don’t you know that it is now impossible for your sacrifice to be burned? Do you want to be the laughed at by the Baal prophets? Don’t you realise that they are waiting their turn to humiliate you as you have humiliated them?” If that is what you are thinking, then Elijah would like to say to you, “It is true that, naturally speaking, it is impossible for this sacrifice to be burned. But just wait and see what God will do in this impossible situation.” After all, Luke writes in Luke 1:37

For nothing is impossible with God.

Having prepared the sacrifice, Elijah next turns to prayer knowing that it is only God who can do what no man or false god can do, as you can read in I Kings 18:36-38

At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “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 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 the fire of the Lord fell and burned up he sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

Elijah does not need to follow the example of the prophets of Baal to try and attract the attention of his God by shouting, dancing around the altar or even slashing himself with a sword or a spear. No, he just prays a simple but powerful prayer and God hears his prayer and answers by sending fire on the altar. And the people, seeing this, know who is the true God as you can read in I Kings 18:39

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord –He is God! The Lord – He is God!”

It is a good day for Elijah and the people, but it is not a good day for the prophets of Baal. They are shown to be false prophets and God’s judgement falls on them that day; they are killed off, as you can read in I Kings 18:40

Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

It is only then that Elijah begins to intercede for the rain to come. Meanwhile the king returns to his palace, as you can read in I Kings 18:41-46

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look towards the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time, the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

God has told Elijah He is going to send rain today but it does not happen right away. In fact, Elijah has to pray seven times before a little cloud appears in the sky. The prophet could have said after praying one time, “God, I don’t understand. You have told me that today You are going to send rain so why is it not coming?  But he does not say that. Instead, he continues to pray for he knows that God will be true to His word and send the rain as promised. And He does. Once it arrives, Elijah makes a run for it, enabled by the power of the Lord, for he knows that it is not just going to rain, it is going to pour.

It has been quite a day for Elijah. He has shown himself to be a true prophet of God, full of faith and power. Nothing and no-one has been able to stand in his way. It has been a very good day for him. He plans to have a good dinner followed by a good night’s sleep.

Ahab, at his return to the palace, tells his wife Jezebel everything that has happened. No doubt, she will have flown into a rage after she has heard that all the prophets of Baal have been killed off for she is a worshipper of Baal and it is through her that Ahab and the people have begun to worship Baal. And now her prophets have been slaughtered by Elijah! It is time for revenge and she knows exactly how she is going to do it; she is going to send a threatening message to this prophet who dared to do what no man in this nation, including her own husband, had dared to do; kill off the prophets of Baal. After having sent her message to the prophet Elijah, she feels much better and can settle down for a good night’s sleep for tomorrow promises to be a much better day for her with the removal of this prophet.

Elijah is, no doubt, quite surprised to receive a note from the palace at this late hour of the day when he is about to go to bed. His initial thought may well have been that it is a thank you note from the king, inviting him for breakfast at the palace to show him his appreciation. However, once he has a good look at the addressee, he realises the note has come from the queen, as you can read in I Kings 19:1-2

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow, I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

We could say this is a somewhat frightening message. But surely the prophet will have dismissed it, as nonsense. Or has he….? You can read Elijah’s response to queen Jezebel’s message in I Kings 19:3-4

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

The note so upsets him that sleep evades him. What is he to do? He does not see a way out of his predicament, apart from running away. So, after a restless night, he gets up very early in the morning and hastily makes his departure. It does not matter where he is going. All he knows is that he wants to be as far as away as possible from queen Jezebel. What has happened to this mighty prophet of God? Is this the same Elijah, the one who the day before told Ahab to his face that he was the source of Israel’s problems?

Is this the Elijah who only yesterday mocked the Baal prophets and later that day had all 450 of them killed? What has happened to him that this one woman causes him to become so afraid that he has begun to run for his life? In fact has become suicidal?

Whatever it may have been, God is aware of the goings on in His prophet’s life and knows that His servant needs some rest and some food so He sends an angel to bake  a special angel cake for him, as you can read in I Kings 19:5- 9a

Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Having been fed by the angel twice Elijah is sufficiently strengthened to travel a long distance. It is only then that God speaks to him, as you can read in I Kings 19:9b-10

And the word of the Lord came to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, have broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword, I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

God asks the prophet an interesting question. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” No doubt, God knows why he is there, but Elijah needs to know why he is there. Elijah answers him in quite a melodramatic fashion. “God, You may not realise this so I better tell You that Your people are not good, except me, and I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me too.”  Elijah’s answer sounds very dramatic, is it not? After all, it is only one woman who is trying to kill him. But God is very patient with His prophet, as you can see from I Kings 19:11-13a

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

The Lord tells His prophet to wait for Him to pass by and then He speaks to Elijah again, as you can read in I Kings 19:13b

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The Lord repeats His question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” because He wants to confront Elijah that he is not in the place where God wants him to be. But Elijah once again ignores the question and gives God the same reply he has given Him earlier on, as you can read in I Kings 19:14

He replied, “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 with the sword. I am on the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

It seems Elijah thinks God is not aware of the situation in Israel as it really is and the danger he, Elijah, is facing, so he better inform God. However, God, does not take any notice of Elijah’s complaints, nor does He take any notice of his earlier death wish. Instead he tells him what his next assignment is, but he has to go back first, as you can read in I Kings 19:15-18

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of 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. Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The journey Elijah has been on has been by his own choice and is not part of God’s plan for him. Therefore, he needs to go back to where he came from and he can then fulfill the assignments God has for him. God has not yet finished with him. There is still work for him to do regardless what the prophet may think or want. Moreover, God corrects Elijah by telling him that there are still seven thousand people left in Israel who worship Him, which are six thousand and nine hundred more than even Obediah may have known about.

So what do these chapters tell you about Elijah? It tells you that at times Elijah had great faith and at such times displayed great boldness. Yet, at other times he displayed great fear, suffered from depression and became even suicidal.

What may have been the reasons for his sudden fear, his sudden depression? I can think of a few reasons:

1. One thing could be that as part of his personality, he was inclined to perhaps overreact at times to situations as we have seen him do a few times.

2. Secondly, he may still have been very tired the day after his victories. His tiredness would not just have been a physical tiredness but an emotional and a mental tiredness. He may well have needed to take some time off. Even prophets of God are still human beings who are in need of sufficient food and rest, like the rest of us and Elijah may not have realised these things sufficiently.

3. Thirdly, the enemy would have been very angry and would have prepared a counter attack. It seems Elijah was not prepared for that to happen. Therefore, he was very vulnerable and completely broke down when the counter attack came.

Looking at these things perhaps you can now begin to agree with the words of James that “Elijah was a man just like us” for you too at times may display great faith and great boldness, while at other times you may be afraid, feel depressed and perhaps even get so depressed about life and its challenges that you would rather be in heaven with Jesus than   continue on in this life.

Like Elijah, you too may need to consider that the reasons for your depression, your bouts of fear may be because

1. You have a certain personality which might make you inclined to overreact at times. If that is the case then you need to ask God to help you change in these areas.

2. Secondly, you must make sure you take sufficient rest and eat properly.

3. Thirdly, you must be aware that you too have an enemy who will want to launch a counter attack any time you have been victorious in your walk with God.

Peter says that so clearly in I Peter 5:8-9

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…

As for the assignments God had for Elijah, you most probably will never be called to stop the rain for three years. But you are called to be as obedient as Elijah was to fulfil the assignments God has for you, whatever they may be. And you can trust God to answer your prayers for you too are righteous in God’s eyes because you are clothed with the righteousness of God in Christ, as Paul writes in II Corinthians 5:21

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So having had a closer look at Elijah’s life, I believe, you can now at least begin to agree with James that, yes, Elijah was a man just like us…

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question 1: Does James seem to think that your prayers can be as effective as the prayers of Elijah?

Answer: James seems to think that your prayers can be as effective as the prayers of Elijah.

Question 2a: According to James 5:16-17 what does James tell you to do?                        Answer: According to James 5:16-17 James tells you to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other. 

Question 2b: According to James 5:16-17 why does James want you to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 James wants you to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Question 2c: According to James 5:16-17 what does James say about the prayer of a righteous man?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 James says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Question 2d: According to James 5:16-17 who does James say was a man like you?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 James says Elijah was a man like you. 

Question 2e: According to James 5:16-17 what did Elijah earnestly pray for?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain.

Question 2f: According to James 5:16-17 was Elijah’s prayer answered?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 Elijah’s prayer was answered because it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Question 2g: According to James 5:16-17 what else did Elijah pray for?

Answer: According to James 5:16-17 Elijah prayed for rain and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crop.

Question 3: Do you really believe James’s statement that Elijah was a man like you?

Answer: You may not really believe the words of James that Elijah was a man like you.

Question 4: Have you sometimes thought that James might be like Elijah because he was the half-brother of Jesus?

Answer: You may have sometimes thought that James might be like Elijah because he was the half-brother of Jesus and that made him a special person.

Question 5: Have you sometimes thought that you are just an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith?

Answer: You may sometimes have thought that you are just an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith.

Question 6: As an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith, are there times when you doubt God and struggle with issues in your life?

Answer: As an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith, there may have been times when you doubt God and struggle with issues in your life.

Question 7: As an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith, do you at times continue to do the very things you know you are not supposed to do?

Answer: As an ordinary person who tries to hold on to your faith, you continue at times to do the very things you know you are not supposed to do. 

Question 8: Have you sometimes thought that James cannot possibly tell you that Elijah was just like you?

Answer: You may have sometimes thought that James cannot possibly tell you that Elijah was just like you.

Question 9: If James knew what you might be thinking, what would he possibly suggest you do?

Answer: If James knew what you might be thinking, he may well suggest that you study the life of Elijah to see whether or not he is right.

Question 10a: According to I Kings 17:1-6 who is Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 Elijah is a Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead.

Question 10b: According to I Kings 17:1-6 who does Elijah go to see?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 Elijah goes to see king Ahab.

Question 10c: According to I Kings 17:1-6 Who does Elijah serve?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 Elijah serves the Lord, the God of Israel.

Question 10d: According to I Kings 17:1-6 what does Elijah say to Ahab?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 Elijah says to Ahab that there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years, except at his word.

Question 10e: According to I Kings 17:1-6 where does the Lord tell Elijah to hide?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 the Lord tells Elijah to hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

Question 10f: According to I Kings 17:1-6 where does the Lord say Elijah will drink from?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 the Lord says to Elijah he will drink from the brook.

Question 10g: According to I Kings 17:1-6 who does the Lord say will feed Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 the Lord says the ravens will feed Elijah.

Question 10h: According to I Kings 17:1-6 do the ravens feed Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:1-6 the ravens bring him bread and meat in the evening.

Question 11: Do you know anything about Elijah’s beginnings?

Answer: All you know is that Elijah is from a place called Tishbe.

Question 12: By the time you get to know Elijah is he already established as a prophet?

Answer: By the time you get to know Elijah he is, most likely, already established as a prophet.

Question 13: Is Elijah already known by king Ahab?

Answer: Elijah is already known by king Ahab.

Question 14: Is what Elijah says to king Ahab very encouraging?

Answer: What Elijah says to king Ahab is not very encouraging, but it does happen.

Question 15: Will Elijah’s words to king Ahab have made the king angry?

Answer: Elijah’s words to king Ahab will have made king Ahab angry.

Question 16: How does God protect Elijah from king Ahab’s anger?

Answer: God protects Elijah from king Ahab’s anger by telling him where to hide.

Question 17: How is Elijah affected by the drought?

Answer: Elijah is affected by the drought when the brook where he stays dries up.

Question 18: Why does God not do anything supernatural?

Answer: God does not do anything supernatural because He has a better plan in mind for Elijah.

Question 19: Who does God send Elijah to?

Answer: God sends Elijah to a widow who lives outside Israel.

Question 20: Why does Elijah obey God?

Answer: Elijah obeys God because he knows that God has prepared a widow to take care of him.

Question 21a: According to I Kings 17:7-13 where does the Lord tell Elijah to go?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the Lord tells Elijah to go to Zarephath of Sidon.

Question 21b: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what has God commanded a widow in Zarephath of Sidon to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 God has commanded a widow in Zarephath of Sidon to supply Elijah with food.

Question 21c: According to I Kings 17:7-13 when Elijah arrives at the town gate who is there?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 when Elijah arrives at the town gate a widow is at there.

Question 21d: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what is the widow doing?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow is gathering sticks.

Question 21e: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what does Elijah ask the widow to do for him?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-`13 Elijah asks the widow to bring him a little water.

Question 21f: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what else does Elijah ask the widow to do for him?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 Elijah asks the widow to bring him a piece of bread.

Question 21g: According to I Kings 17:7-13 how does the widow address the God of Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow addresses the God of Elijah as the Lord his God.

Question 21h: According to I Kings 17:7-13 is the widow able to give Elijah a piece of bread?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow does not have any bread for Elijah.

Question 21i: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what does the widow have?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow has a handful of flour and a little oil.

Question 21j: According to I Kings 17:7-13 why is the widow gathering some sticks?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow is gathering some sticks to make a meal for herself and her son to eat.

Question 21k: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what does the widow plan to do after she and her son have eaten?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 the widow and her son plan to die after they have eaten.

Question 21l: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what does Elijah suggest the widow do first?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 Elijah suggests that the widow first make a small cake for him from what she has.

Question 21m: According to I Kings 17:7-13 what does Elijah suggest the widow do next?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:7-13 Elijah suggests the widow next make something for herself and her son.

Question 22: Suppose you were Elijah would you question your prophetic ability after meeting the widow?

Answer: If you were Elijah you may well question your prophetic ability since the widow plans on dying.

Question 23: Does Elijah seem to have such doubts?

Answer: Elijah does not seem to have such doubts.

Question 24: Why would you want to ask Elijah how he can be so selfish in asking the widow to make a cake for him first?

Answer: Elijah ought to realise that the widow will end up giving her portion to the prophet and that will surely mean death for her.

Question 25: Does Elijah seem to know something that you may not be aware of?

Answer: It seems Elijah is aware of something that you may not be aware of.

Question 26a: According to I Kings 17:14-16 what does the Lord, the God of Israel say?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:14-16 the Lord, the God of Israel says that the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.

Question 26b: According to I Kings 17:14-16 what does the widow do?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:14-16 the widow goes home and prepares food as asked by Elijah.

Question 26c: According to I Kings 17:14-16 what happens to the food supply of the widow?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:14-16 there is food every day for Elijah, the woman and her family.

Question 26d: According to I Kings 17:14-16 why is there food every day for Elijah, the widow and her son?

Answer: According to I Kings 17:14-16 there is food every day for Elijah, the widow and her son because the jar of flour is not used up and the jug of oil does not run dry.

Question 27: Is it very clear from these words that Elijah has great faith?

Answer: It is very clear from these words that Elijah has great faith.

Question 28: Do you perhaps want to say to James that you do not have the kind of faith that Elijah had?

Answer: You may well want to say to James that you don’t have the kind of faith that Elijah had.

Question 29a: According to I Kings 18:1-2 when does the word of the Lord come to Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:1-2 the word of the Lord comes to Elijah after a long time, in the third year.

Question 29b: According to I Kings 18:1-2 what does the Lord tell Elijah to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:1-2 the Lord tells Elijah to present himself to king Ahab.

Question 29c: According to I Kings 18:1-2 what does the Lord promise He will do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:1-2 the Lord will send rain on the land.

Question 29d: According to I Kings 18:1-2 what does Elijah do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:1-2 Elijah goes to present himself to king Ahab.

Question 29e: According to I Kings 18:1-2 is the famine severe in Samaria?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:1-2 the famine is severe in Samaria.

Question 30: Who arranges the meeting between king Ahab and Elijah?

Answer: A man named Obadiah arranges the meeting between king Ahab and Elijah.

Question 31: How many of God’s prophets has Obadiah been able to protect?

Answer: Obadiah has been able to protect one hundred of God’s prophets.

Question 32: From whom has Obadiah been able to protect God’s prophets?

Answer: Obadiah has been able to protect God’s prophets from king Ahab’s wife, queen Jezebel.

Question 33: What has queen Jezebel done to God’s prophets?

Answer: Queen Jezebel has had God’s prophets killed off.

Question 34a: According to I Kings 18:3-16 how has Obadiah protected God’s prophets?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:13-16 Obadiah has protected God’s prophets by hiding them in two caves, fifty in each cave.

Question 34b: According to I Kings 18:3-16 who does Obadiah meet?

Answer: According to I Kings 18: 3-16 Obadiah meets Elijah.

Question 34c: According to I King 18:3-16 what does Elijah tell Obadiah to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-16 Elijah tells Obadiah to tell king Ahab that Elijah has come.

Question 34d: According to I Kings 18:3-16 what is Obadiah’s response to Elijah’s request?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-16 Obadiah tells Elijah that king Ahab will kill him if the king cannot find Elijah.

Question 34e: According to I Kings 18:3-16 how does Elijah reply?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-16 Elijah says to Obadiah that he will present himself to king Ahab that day.

Question 34f: According to I Kings 18:3-16 does Obadiah arrange a meeting between king Ahab and Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-16 Obadiah goes to meet king Ahab for him to see Elijah.

Question 35: Why is Obadiah very reluctant to do what Elijah asks of him?

Answer: Obadiah is very reluctant to do what Elijah asks of him because king Ahab blames Elijah for the famine.

Question 36: Does Obadiah go and tell king Ahab that Elijah is back in the land?

Answer: Obadiah does tell king Ahab that Elijah is back in the land and wants to meet with him.

Question 37a: According to I Kings 18:17-19 what does king Ahab call Elijah when he sees him?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-19 king Ahab calls Elijah troubler of Israel when he sees him.

Question 37b: According to I Kings 18:17-19 who does Elijah tell king Ahab are responsible for Israel’s trouble?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-19 Elijah tells king Ahab he and his family are responsible for Israel’s trouble,

Question 37c: According to I Kings 18:17-19 why are king Ahab and his family responsible for Israel’s trouble?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-19 king Ahab and his family are responsible for Israel’s trouble because they have abandoned the Lord’s command and followed the Baals.

Question 37d: According to I Kings 18:17-19 who does Elijah want king Ahab to summon?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-18 Elijah wants king Ahab to summon the people from all over Israel. 

Question 37e: Acording to I Kings 18:17-19 where are the people from all over Israel to meet Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-19 the people from all over Israel are to meet Elijah at Mount Carmel.

Question 37f: According to I Kings 18:17-19 who is king Ahab to bring to Mount Carmel?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:17-19 king Ahab is to bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at queen Jezebel’s table.

Question 38: Does king Ahab have any idea as to why there has been no rain for three years?

Answer: King Ahab thinks the dreadful situation the nation finds herself in is entirely the fault of Elijah.

Question 39: Does Elijah set the record straight?

Answer: Elijah tells king Ahab that he and his fathers are to be blamed for the misery the whole nation finds herself in.

Question 40: What is the reason for the misery the nation finds herself in?

Answer: the reason for the misery the nation finds herself in is that king Ahab and his fathers have forgotten the God of Israel and have followed other gods.

Question 41a; According to I Kings 18:20-22 what does Elijah ask the people?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:20-22 Elijah asks the people how long they will waver between two opinions.

Question 41b: According to I Kings 18:20-22 what does Elijah tell the people to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:20-22 Elijah tells the people to follow the Lord God, if He is God, or to follow Baal, if he is God.

Question 41c: According to I Kings 18:2-22 how do the people respond?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:20-22 the people do not say anything.

Question 41d: According to I Kings 18:20-22 what does Elijah say to the people about himself?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:20-22 Elijah says to the people that he is the only one left of the Lord’s prophets.

Question 41e: According to I Kings 18:20-22 how many prophets does Baal have?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:20-22 Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

Question 42: What does Elijah do when the people are assembled together?

Answer: Elijah shows the people they are compromised in their faith.

Question 43: How can you see a glimpse of Elijah’s humanity?

Answer: You can see a glimpse of Elijah’s humanity in his words that he is the only one of the Lord’s prophets left.

Question 44: What does Elijah want to say?

Answer: Elijah wants to say that he is the only one who still loves God.

Question 45: What fact has Elijah forgotten?

Answer: Elijah has forgotten about all the prophets that Obadiah has been taken care of.

Question 46: What does Elijah tell the people to get ready?

Answer: Elijah tells the people to get two bulls ready,

Question 47: What are the two bulls to be used for?

Answer: The two bulls are to be used for sacrifice.

Question 48: Who are to sacrifice the two bulls?

Answer: One bull is to be sacrificed by the prophets of Baal and the other bull is to be sacrificed by Elijah.

Question 49a: According to I Kings 18:23-24 what are the prophets of Baal to do with the bull?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 the prophets of Baal are to cut the bull into pieces and put it on the wood.

Question 49b: According to I Kings 18:23-24 are the prophets of Baal to set fire to the wood?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 the prophets of Baal are not to set fire to the wood.

Question 49c: According to I Kings 18:23-24 what will Elijah do with the other bull?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 Elijah will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood.

Question 49d: According to I Kings 18:23-24 is Elijah to set fire to the wood?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 Elijah is not to set fire to the wood.

Question 49e: According to I Kings 18:23-24 who are the prophets of Ball to call on?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 the prophets of Baal are to call on their god.

Question 49f: According to I Kings 18:23-24 Who is Elijah to call on?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 Elijah is to call on the name of the Lord.

Question 49g: According to I Kings 18:23-24 who is God?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:23-24 the God who answers by fire is God.

Question 50: What does Elijah say to the prophets of Baal?

Answer: Elijah gives specific instructions to the prophets of Baal in preparation for their sacrifice to their god.

Question 51a: According to I Kings 18:25-26 who is to prepare a bull first?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 the prophets of Baal are to prepare a bull first.

Question 51b: According to I Kings 18:25-26 why are the prophets of Baal to prepare a bull first?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 the prophets of Baal are to prepare a bull first because there are so many of them.

Question 51c: According to I Kings 18:25-26 what do the prophets of Baal do next?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 the prophets of Baal call on the name of Baal.

Question 51d: According to I Kings 18:25-26 for how long do the prophets of Baal call on the name of Baal?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 the prophets of Baal call on the name of Baal from morning till noon.

Question 51e: According to I Kings 18:25-26 is there a response from Baal?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 no one answers.

Question 51f: According to I Kings 18:25-26 what else do the prophets of Baal do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:25-26 the prophets of Baal dance around the altar.

Question 52: Are the prophets of Baal loyal to Baal?

Answer: The prophets of Baal give a big display of their loyalty to Baal.

Question 53: What does Elijah urge them to do at noon-time?

Answer: At noon-time the prophet Elijah urges them on to greater action.

Question 54a: According to I Kings 18: 27-29 when it is noon what does Elijah tell the prophets of Baal to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:27-29 Elijah tells the prophets of Baal to shout louder.

Question 54b: According to I Kings 18:27-29 why does Elijah tell the prophets of Baal to shout louder?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:27-29 Elijah tells the prophets of Baal to shout louder because Baal is perhaps deep in thought, or busy, or travelling, or sleeping and needs to be awakened.

Question 54c: According to I Kings 18:27-29 what do the prophets of Baal do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:27-29 the prophets of Baal shout louder and slash themselves with swords and spears.

Question 54d: According to I Kings 18:27-29 until what time do the prophets of Baal continue their prophesying?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:27-29 the prophets of Baal continue their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice.

Question 54e: According to I Kings 18:27-29 is there any response from Baal?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:27-29 there is no response, no-one answers, no-one pays attention.

Question 55: Why will the prophets of Baal feel despondent?

Answer: The prophets of Baal will feel despondent because their god does not seem to care about them, no matter what they do to try and appease him.

Question 56: What does Elijah begin to do by the evening?

Answer: Elijah begins to prepare the altar for his sacrifice by the evening.

Question 57a: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what does Elijah say to all the people?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah says to all the people to come to him.

Question 57b: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what does Elijah do next?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah repairs the altar.

Question 57c: According to I Kings 18:30-35 why does Elijah repair the altar?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah repairs the altar because it is in ruins.

Question 57d: According to I Kings 18:3-35 what does Elijah use to build an altar?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-35 Elijah takes twelve stones to build an altar.

Question 57e: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what do the twelve stones represent?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 the twelve stones represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

Question 57f: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what does Elijah dig around the altar?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:3-35 Elijah digs a trench around the altar.

Question 57g: According to I Kings 18:30-35 hoe much seed can the trench hold?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 the trench can hold two seahs of seed.

Question 57h: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what does Elijah do next?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah next arranges the wood, cut the bull into pieces and lays it on the wood.

Question 57i: According to I Kings 18:30-35 what does Elijah tell the people to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah tells the people to fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering.

Question 57j: According to I Kings 18:30-35 how many times does Elijah tell the people to pour water on the offering and the wood?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 Elijah tells the people to pour water on the offering and the wood three times.

Question 58: Why is the altar in ruins?

Answer: The altar is in ruins because it has not been used for a very long time.

Question 59: Why has the altar not been used for a very long time?

Answer: The altar has not been used for a very long time because the people of Israel have been worshipping Baal instead of worshipping the God of Israel.

Question 60: It is usual for water to be poured over the wood and the sacrifice?

Answer: It is unusual for water to be poured over the wood and the sacrifice.

Question 61: Is it now possible for the sacrifice to be burned?

Answer: It is now impossible for the sacrifice to be burned.

Question 62: Do you think the Baal prophets are waiting their turn to humiliate Elijah?

Answer: You may well think that the Baal prophets are waiting their turn to humiliate Elijah as he has humiliated them.

Question 63: What might Elijah say to you in response?

Answer: Elijah might like to say to you in response that, naturally speaking, it is impossible for this sacrifice to be burned. But wait and see what God will do in this impossible situation.

Question 64: According to Luke 1:37 with whom is nothing impossible?

Answer: According to Luke 1:37 nothing is impossible with God.

Question 65: After having prepared the sacrifice what does Elijah do next?

Answer: After having prepared the sacrifice Elijah turns to prayer.

Question 66: Why does Elijah turn to prayer?

Answer: Elijah turns to prayer because he knows that it is only God who can do what no man or false god can do.

Question 67a; According to I Kings 18:36-38 Who does Elijah prays to?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 Elijah prays to the Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.

Question 67b; According to I Kings 18:36-38 what does Elijah want the people to know about the Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 Elijah wants the people to know that the Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is the God in Israel.

Question 67c: According to I Kings 18:36-38 what does Elijah want the people to know about him?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 Elijah wants the people to know that he is God’s servant and has done all these things at God’s command.

Question 67d: According to I Kings 18:36-38 why does Elijah want God to answer his prayer?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 Elijah wants God to answer his prayer so that the people will know that He is God.

Question 67e; According to I Kings 18:36-38 what does Elijah expect God to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 Elijah expects God to turn the hearts of the people back again.

Question 67f: According to I Kings 18:36-38 what happens in response to Elijah’s prayer?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 the fire of the Lord falls in response to Elijah’s prayer.

Question 67g: According to I Kings 18:36-38 what does the fire of the Lord burn up?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:36-38 the fire of the Lord burns up the sacrifice, the stones and the soil.

Question 67h: According to I Kings 18:36-38 what happens to the water in the trench?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:30-35 the fire of the Lord licks up the water in the trench.

Question 68: Does Elijah need to follow the example of the prophets of Baal to try and attract the attention of his God?

Answer: Elijah does not need to follow the example of the prophets of Baal to try and attract the attention of his God by shouting, dancing around the altar or even slashing himself with a sword or a spear.

Question 69: What does Elijah do?

Answer: Elijah just prays a simple but powerful prayer.

Question 70: Does God hear Elijah’s prayer?

Answer: God hears Elijah’s prayer and answers by sending fire on the altar.

Question 71: Do the people know who is the true God?

Answer: The people know who is the true God.

Question 72a: According to I Kings 18:39 what do the people do when they see the fire of the Lord fall on the altar?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:39 the people fall prostrate when they see the fire of the Lord fall on the altar.

Question 72b: According to I Kings 18:39 what do the people say at that time?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:39 the people cry out that the Lord – He is God! The Lord - He is God!

Question 73: For whom is it a good day?

Answer: It is a good day for Elijah.

Question 74: For whom it is not a good day?

Answer: It is not a good day for the prophets of Baal.

Question 75: Why is it not a good day for the prophets of Baal?

Answer: It is not a good day for the prophets of Baal because they are shown to be false prophets.

Question 76: Whose judgement falls on the prophets of Baal that day?

Answer: God’s judgement falls on the prophets of Baal that day.

Question 77a: According to I Kings 18:40 what does Elijah tell the people to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:40 Elijah tells the people to seize all the prophets of Baal.

Question 77b: According to I Kings 18:40 where has Elijah brought the prophets of Baal?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:40 Elijah has brought the prophets of Baal to the Kishon Valley.

Question 77c: According to I Kings 18:40 what happens to the prophets of Baal?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:40 the prophets of Baal are slaughtered.

Question 78: What does Elijah begin to do then?

Answer: Elijah begins to intercede for rain.

Question 79a: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does Elijah say to king Ahab?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah says to king Ahab to go, eat and drink.

Question 79b: According to I Kings 18:41-46 why does Elijah say to king Ahab to go, eat and drink?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah says to king Ahab to go, eat and drink because there is the sound of heavy rain.

Question 79c: According to I Kings 18:41-46 does king Ahab go to eat and drink?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 king Ahab goes to eat and drink.

Question 79d: According to I Kings 18:41-46 where does Elijah go?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah climbs Mount Carmel.

Question 79e: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does Elijah do after he has climbed to the top of Mount Carmel?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah bends down to the ground and puts his face between his knees after he has climbed to the top of Mount Carmel.

Question 79f: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does Elijah tell his servant to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah tells his servant to go and look toward the sea.

Question 79g: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does the servant say to Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 the servant says to Elijah that there is nothing there.

Question 79h: According to I Kings 18:41-46 how many times does Elijah say to the servant to go back?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah says to the servant to go back seven times.

Question 79i: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does the servant tell Elijah the seventh time?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 the servant tells Elijah the seventh time that a cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.

Question 79j: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what does Elijah say to the servant to tell king Ahab?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah says to the servant to tell king Ahab to hitch up his chariot and go down.

Question 79k: According to I Kings 18:41-46 why does king Ahab have to hitch up his chariot and go down?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 king Ahab has to hitch up his chariot and go down for the rain may stop him.

Question 79l: According to I Kings 18:41-46 where does king Ahab ride off to?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 king Ahab rides off to Jezreel.

Question 79m: According to I Kings 18:41-46 what comes upon Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 the power of the Lord comes upon Elijah.

Question 79n: According to I Kings18:41-46 what does Elijah do?

Answer: According to I Kings 18:41-46 Elijah runs ahead of king Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Question 80: Has God told Elijah He is going to send rain that day?

Answer: God has told Elijah he is going to send rain that day.

Question 81: Does the rain come right away?

Answer: The rain does not come right away.

Question 82: How many times does Elijah have to pray before a little cloud appears in the sky?

Answer: Elijah has to pray seven times before a little cloud appears in the sky.

Question 83: What could Elijah have said after praying one time?

Answer: Elijah could have said that he does not understand why the rain is not coming.

Question 84: Why does Elijah continue praying?

Answer: Elijah continues praying because he knows that God will be true to His word and send the rain as promised.

Question 85: What does Elijah do, once the rain arrives?

Answer: Elijah makes a run for it, once the rain arrives for it is going to pour.

Question 86: Has Elijah shown himself to be a true prophet of God?

Answer: Elijah has shown himself to be a true prophet of God, full of faith and power.

Question 87: What does king Ahab do when he returns to the palace?

Answer: King Ahab tells his wife queen Jezebel everything that has happened that day.

Question 88: Why will queen Jezebel have flown into a rage after she has heard that all the prophets of Baal have been killed off?

Answer: Queen Jezebel will have flown into a rage after she has heard that all the prophets of Baal have been killed off because she is a worshipper of Baal.

Question 89: Through whom have king Ahab and the people begun to worship Baal?

Answer: King Ahab and the people have begun to worship Baal through queen Jezebel.

Question 90: Who have queen Jezebel’s prophets been slaughtered by?

Answer: Queen Jezebel’s prophets have been slaughtered by Elijah.

Question 91: How is queen Jezebel going to take revenge?

Answer: Queen Jezebel is going to take revenge by sending a threatening message to Elijah.

Question 92: Why can queen Jezebel settle down for a good night’s sleep?

Answer: Queen Jezebel can settle down for a good night’s sleep because tomorrow promises to be a much better day for her.

Question 93: Why will tomorrow be a much better day for Queen Jezebel?

Answer: Tomorrow will be a much better day for queen Jezebel with the removal of Elijah.

Question 94: Is Elijah surprised to receive a note from the palace at this late hour of the day?

Answer: Elijah is, no doubt, quite surprised to receive a note from the palace at this late hour of the day.

Question 95: Will Elijah have initially thought that the note is a thank you note from king Ahab?

Answer: Elijah may have initially thought the note is a thank you note from king Ahab but , once he has had a good look at it, he will have realised the note has come from the queen.

Question 96a; According to I Kings 19:1-2 does king Ahab tell queen Jezebel how the prophets of Baal have been killed?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:1-2 king Ahab tells queen Jezebel that Elijah has killed the prophets with the sword.

Question 96b: According to I Kings 19:1-2 how does queen Jezebel respond to king Ahab’s words?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:1-2 queen Jezebel sends a message to Elijah.

Question 96c: According to I Kings 19:1-2 what does queen Jezebel say to Elijah in her message?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:1-2 queen Jezebel says to Elijah in her message that tomorrow she will make his life like one of the prophets of Baal.

Question 97: What could you say about this message?

Answer: You could say that this is a somewhat frightening message.

Question 98: Can you expect Elijah to dismiss this message?

Answer: You can expect Elijah to dismiss this message as nonsense.

Question 99a: According to I Kings 19:3-4 how does Elijah feel?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah is afraid.

Question 99b: According to I Kings 19:3-4 what does Elijah do since he is afraid?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah runs for his life because he is afraid.

Question 99c: According to I Kings 19:3-4 where does Elijah go to?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah goes to Beersheba.

Question 99d: According to I Kings 19:3-4 who does Elijah leave behind in Beersheba?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah leaves behind his servant in Beersheba.

Question 99e: According to I Kings 19:3-4 where does Elijah travel to next?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah travels a day’s journey into the desert.

Question 99f: According to I Kings 19:3-4 under what tree does Elijah sit down?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah sits down under a broom tree.

Question 99g: According to I Kings 19:3-4 what does Elijah pray?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah prays that God will take his life.

Question 99h: According to I Kings 19:3-4 why does Elijah pray that God will take his life?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:3-4 Elijah prays that God will take his life because he is no better than his ancestors.

Question 100: Does queen Jezebel’s note upset Elijah?

Answer: Queen Jezebel’s note so upsets Elijah that he gets up early in the morning and hastily makes his departure.

Questions 101: Do you know what has happened to Elijah to cause him to become so afraid of this one woman?

Answer: You do not know what has happened to Elijah for him to become so afraid of this one woman that he has begun to run for his life.

Question 102: Who is aware of the goings on in Elijah’s life?

Answer: God is aware of the goings on in Elijah’s life.

Question 103: What does Elijah need?

Answer: Elijah needs some rest and some food.

Question 104: Who does God send to Elijah?

Answer: God sends an angel to Elijah.

Question 105a: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does Elijah do when he is under the broom tree?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah lies down under the broom tree and goes to sleep.

Question 105b: According to I Kings 19:5-9a who comes to him and touches him?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a an angel comes to him and touches him.

Question 105c: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does the angel say to Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a the angel says to Elijah to get up and eat.

Question 105d: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does Elijah see?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah sees a cake of bread and a jar of water.

Question 105e: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does Elijah do after he has eaten the cake of bread and drunk the water?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah lies down again after he has eaten the cake of bread and drunk the water.

Question 105f: According to I Kings 19:5-9a who comes to Elijah a second time?

Answer: According to I King 19:5-91 the angel of the Lord comes a second time and touches Elijah again.

Question 105g: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does the angel of the Lord say to Elijah this time?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a the angel of the Lord says to Elijah this time that he is to get up and eat for the journey is too much for him.

Question 105h: According to I Kings 19:5-9a what does Elijah do in response to the words of the angel?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah gets up and eats and drinks in response to the words of the angel.

Question 105i: According to I Kings 19:5-9a How many days does Elijah travel?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah travels for forty days and forty nights.

Question 105j: According to I Kings 19:5-9a to which mountain does Elijah travel?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah travels to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Question 105k: According to I Kings 19:5-9a where does Elijah spend the night?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:5-9a Elijah spends the night in a cave.

Question 106: How many times has Elijah been fed by the angel?

Answer: Elijah has been fed twice by the angel.

Question 107: What is Elijah able to do after having been fed twice?

Answer: Elijah is sufficiently strengthened to travel a long distance after having been fed twice.

Question 108: After Elijah has traveled a long distance who speaks to him?

Answer: After Elijah has traveled a long distance God speaks to him.

Question 109a: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 what does the Lord ask Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 the Lord asks Elijah what he is doing there.

Question 109b: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 what does Elijah say to the Lord?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 Elijah says to the Lord that he has been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

Question 109c: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 what does Elijah accuse the Israelites of having done?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 Elijah accuses the Israelites that they have rejected God’s covenant, have broken down God’s altars and have put to death God’s prophets with the sword.

Question 109d: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 what does Elijah claim about himself?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 Elijah claims he is the only one left of the prophets.

Question 109e: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 what does Elijah complain to God the people are trying to do to him?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:9b-10 Elijah complains to God the people are trying to kill him too.

Question 110: Why does God ask Elijah what he is doing there?

Answer: God asks Elijah what he is doing there because Elijah needs to know why he is there.

Question 111: Does Elijah sound very dramatic when he answers God?

Answer: Elijah answers God in quite a dramatic fashion when he tells God that His people are not good, except him.

Question 112: Does Elijah remember there are still many prophets in Israel?

Answer: Elijah believes he is the only prophet left.

Question 113: Are many people trying to kill Elijah?

Answer: One woman, queen Jezebel, is trying to kill Elijah.

Question 114a: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what does the Lord say to Elijah?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a the Lord says to Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain, in the presence of the Lord.

Question 114b: According to I Kings 19:11-13a why does God want Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain, in the presence of the Lord?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a God wants Elijah to stand on the mountain, in the presence of the Lord because the Lord is about to pass by

Question 114c: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what tears the mountains apart?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a a great and powerful wind tears the mountains apart.

Question 114d: According to I Kings 19:11-13a is God in the wind?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a God is not in the wind.

Question 114e: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what happens next?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a there is an earthquake.

Question 114f: According to I Kings 19:11-13a is God in the earthquake?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a God is not in the earthquake.

Question 114g: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what comes then?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a a fire comes.

Question 114h: According to I Kings 19:11-13a is God in the fire?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a God is not in the fire.

Question 114i: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what comes after the fire?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a a gentle whisper comes after the fire.

Question 114j: According to I Kings 19:11-13a what does Elijah do when he hears the gentle whisper?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:11-13a Elijah puts his cloak over his face and goes out and stands at the mouth of the cave.

Question 115: What does God tell Elijah to do?

Answer: God tells Elijah to wait for Him to pass by.

Question 116: What does God do when He passes by?

Answer: God speaks to Elijah when He passes by.

Question 117: According to I Kings 19:13b what does God ask Elijah again?

Answer: According to I Kings19:13b God asks Elijah again what he is doing there.

Question 118: Why does God repeat His question as to what Elijah is doing there?

Answer: God repeats His question as to what Elijah is doing there because God wants to confront Elijah that he is not in the right place.

Question 119: Does Elijah answer God’s question?

Answer: Elijah ignores God’s question and gives Him the same reply he has given Him earlier on.

Question 120a: According to I Kings 19:14 what does Elijah say to God?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:14 Elijah says to God that the Israelites have rejected His covenant, broken down His altars and have put His prophets to death with the sword.

Question 120b: According to I Kings 19:14 does Elijah remember by now that there are still prophets left?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:14 Elijah still seems to think he is the only prophet left.

Question 120c: According to I Kings 19:14 does Elijah now realise there is only one person who wants to kill him?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:14 Elijah still believes many people want to kill him, not just one woman; queen Jezebel.

Question 121: Does God take any notice of Elijah’s complaints?

Answer: God does not take any notice of Elijah’s complaints, nor his earlier death wish.

Question 122: What does God speak to Elijah about?

Answer: God tells Elijah what his next assignment is.

Question 123a: According to I Kings 19:15-18 where does the Lord tells Elijah to go?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 the Lord tells Elijah to go back the way he came and go to the desert of Damascus.

Question 123b: According to I Kings 19:15-18 what is Elijah to do once he gets to the desert of Damascus?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 Elijah is to anoint Hazael king over Aram.

Question 123c: According to I Kings 19:15-18 who is Elijah to anoint king over Israel?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 Elijah is to anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi king over Israel.

Question 123d: According to I Kings 19:15-18 who is Elijah to anoint as prophet to succeed him?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 Elijah is to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet to succeed him.

Question 123e: According to I Kings 19:15-18 what does Jehu have to do?

Answer; According to I Kings 19:15-18 Jehu has to put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael.

Question 123f: According to I Kings 19:15-18 what will Elisha have to do?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 Elisha is to put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

Question 123g: According to I Kings 19:15-18 how many prophets has God reserved?

Answer: According to I Kings 19:15-18 God has reserved seven thousand prophets in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal.

Question 124: Why does Elijah have to go back to where he came from?

Answer: Because the journey Elijah has been on has been of his own choice and is not part of God’s plan for him.

Question 125: Has God finished with the prophet Elijah?

Answer: God still has work for him to do regardless what Elijah may think or want.

Question 126: How does God correct Elijah’s thinking?

Answer: God corrects Elijah’s thinking by telling him that there are still seven thousand people left in Israel who worship Him.

Question 127: How many prophets has Obadiah been taken care of?

Answer: Obadiah has been taken care of 100 prophets.

Question 128: what do I Kings 17, I Kings 18 and I Kings 19 tell you about Elijah?

Answer: I Kings 17, I Kings 18 and I Kings 19 tell you that at times Elijah had great faith and at such times he displayed great boldness.

Question 129: What else do I Kings 17, I Kings 18 and I Kings 19 tell you about Elijah?

Answer: I Kings 17, I Kings 18 and I Kings 19 tell you that at other times Elijah displayed great fear, suffered from depression and became even suicidal.

Question 130: What may have been one of the reasons for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression?

Answer: One of the reasons for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression could be that, as part of his personality, he overreacted at times to situations.

Question 131: What may have been another reason for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression?

Answer: Another reason for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression may have been that he was still very tired the day after his victories. His tiredness would not just have been a physical tiredness but an emotional and mental tiredness. He may well have needed to take some time off. Even prophets of God are still human beings who are in need of sufficient food and rest, like you, and Elijah may not have realised these things sufficiently,

Question 132: What may have been a third reason for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression?

Answer: A third reason for Elijah’s sudden fear, sudden depression may have been that the enemy would have been very angry and would have prepared a counter attack. It seems Elijah was not prepared for that to happen. Therefore, he was very vulnerable and completely broke down when the counter attack came.

Question 133: Looking at these things can you now begin to agree with the words of James, that Elijah was a man like us?

Answer: Looking at these thing you may now begin to agree with the words of James that Elijah was a man like us.

Question 134: Do you at times display great faith and boldness?

Answer: At times you may display great faith and boldness.

Question 135: Do you at other times feel afraid, feel depressed and perhaps get so depressed about life and its challenges that you would rather be in heaven with Jesus than continue on in this life?

Answer: At times you may feel afraid, feel depressed and perhaps even get so depressed about life and its challenges that you would rather be in heaven with Jesus than continue on in this life.

Question 136: What could one of the reasons for your depression, your bouts of fear be?

Answer: One of the reasons for your depression, your bouts of fear could be that you have a certain personality which might make you inclined to overreact at times.

Question 137: What are you to do if you have a personality which might make you inclined to overreact at times?

Answer: You are to ask God to help you change in these areas if you have a personality which might make you inclined to overreact at times.

Question 138: What must you do as well?

Answer: You must make sure to take sufficient rest and eat properly.

Question 139: What else must you be aware of?

Answer: You must be aware that you too have an enemy who will want to launch a counter attack any time you have been victorious in your walk with God.

Question 140a: According to I Peter 5:8-9 what are you to do?

Answer: According to I Peter 5:8-9 you are to be self-controlled and alert.

Question 140b: According to I Peter 5:8-8 why are you to be self-controlled and alert?

Answer: According to I Peter 5:8-9 you are to be self-controlled and alert because your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Question 140c: According to I Peter 5:8-9 how are you to deal with your enemy, the devil?

Answer: According to I Peter 5:8-9 you are to resist your enemy, the devil, standing firm in the faith.

Question 141: Will you be called to stop the rain for three years?

Answer: You most probably will never be called to stop the rain for three years.

Question 142: Why are you called to be as obedient as Elijah was?

Answer: You are called to be as obedient as Elijah was in order to fulfill the assignments God has for you.

Question 143: Why can you trust God to answer your prayers?

Answer: You can trust God to answer your prayers for you too are righteous in God’s eyes.

Question 144: Why are you righteous in God’s eyes?

Answer: You are righteous in God’s eyes because, as a believer, you are clothed in the righteousness of God in Christ.

Question 145a: According to II Corinthians 5:21 what does Paul write about Christ?

Answer: According to II Corinthians 5:21 Paul writes that Christ who had no sin became sin for you.

Question 145b: According to II Corinthians 5:21 what does Christ becoming sin for you mean for you?

Answer: According to II Corinthians 5:21 Christ becoming sin for you means that you might become the righteousness of God in Christ.

Question 146: Having had a closer look at Elijah’s life can you now at least begin to agree with James that Elijah was a man just like you?

Answer: Having had a closer look at Elijah’s life you may now at least begin to agree with James that Elijah was a man just like you.

Chapter 9