Elijah’s Story Series

Elijah’s Story

Opening Video Illustration from sermonspice.com/sermoncentral.com “Elijah”

Thesis: Elijah gave all to serve God and to be His prophet to a lost generation. His story reminds us of how adversity drives us deeper into God and develops us into the man or women God wants us to be.

Quote: From Book by Kilpatrick - “Chariot of Fire”: “The story of Elijah is the story of Jezebel and the saga of Ahab. Elijah’s long fought war, and his spectacular rapture . . . both hinged on his victory over evil, a triumph that had to be personal before it could be national.”

Scripture texts: 1 Kings 16, 17, 18, 19; 2 Kings 1, 2

Key verses:

1 Kings 16:29-33: Ahab Becomes King of Israel

29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.

30Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.

31He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

32He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

33Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

1 Kings 17:1-6: Elijah prophecies no rain to Ahab and he is led by the Lord to a place where he is fed by Ravens

1Now 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.”

2Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:

3“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

4You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

5So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.

6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

1 Kings 17: 7-24: The widow of Zarephath and her son (summary)

22The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

23Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

24Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”

1 Kings 18:1, 2: Elijah returns with another word from the Lord for Ahab and confronts the sins of the nation and the problem of drought.

1After 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.”

2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

1 Kings 18:16-46: Elijah on Mount Carmel

16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

18“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals.

19Now 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.”

20So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

21Elijah 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.

22Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

23Get 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.

24Then 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.”