1 Kings 16.29-17.1 Elijah: the Weatherman
This morning we begin a series of sermons on Elijah and then Elisha. Two characters from the OT which you may or may not know something, or a lot, about. We had a fantastic week teaching our children about them at the Holiday Bible club and just as way of encouragement to let you know that one of our children at the end of the week put their faith and trust in Christ. This morning’s sermon is going to be way of introduction to some of the general history and setting the stories of Elijah and Elisha and then a look at 17:1 and the statement of Elijah concerning the weather.
I want you to imagine the scene in Samaria. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel are holding court in the “ivory house.” The “ivory house” is completely inlaid and overlaid with ivory. If it were a house today we would say it was over the top and flaunting wealth for the sake of flouting wealth. A little bit like that chef, Salt Bae, who puts gold leaf on hist steaks and charges something like £350 a time for them. That is Ahab and Jezebel. A caravan laden with riches has just arrived from Sidonia, from Jezebel’s father. It is laden with gold, silver, fine jewels and the finest Persian chariot horses for Ahab. In return for such ahah sends wine, barley, wheat, olives, olive oil and grapes to Sidon. It seems a fair trade to him and to Ethbaal, Jezebel’s father. However, things are about to change but we will come to that in a moment but keep that imagery of opulence untold. If you are struggling to imagine such think of Smaug, the dragon in The Hobbit, lying on his hoard of treasure in the film.
Let me set, briefly, the history of how we have arrived at this moment in the life of Israel. Ahab is the 10th king of Israel. The book of 1 Kings opens with David on the throne. Although he was sinful and disobedient he was described as man after God’s heart. I think I am correct in saying he is the only one described thus in the Bible. David is followed by his son Solomon. Solomon starts brightly enough but because he took 700 foreign wives, in disobedience to God’s command, his heart was laid astray and he worshipped pagan gods. He is followed by Rehoboam, his son, but Jeroboam, a commander of the army, leads and unsuccessful rebellion and the kingdom is divided in to the 10 Northern tribes, Israel, with its capital Samaria. Jeroboam built shrines at Bethel and Dan. He is followed by his sone Nadab and we read in 1 Kings 15:26 that, like Jeroboam, he sinned against the Lord God. He was assassinated and replaced by Basha who we read of in 1 Kings 15:34 as a king who sinned against the Lord God. Elah succeeds Basha and is likewise described in 1 Kings 16:13. He was assassinated by Zimri, who only reigned for 7 days but is similarly described in 1 Kings 16:14. A king for seven days and the only epitaph of his reign “he sinned against the Lord God.” Omri succeeds Zimri and what a dreadful epitaph he is given in 1 Kings 16:25 - he sinned more against the Lord God than any of the kings before him. Omri is the father of Ahab and if it were possible 1 Kings tells us that he sinned even more against the Lord God. It is not the greatest picture is it?
Ahab marries Jezebel, a Sidonian, who worships Baal. ahah built a temple to Baal in Samaria and raised Asherah poles to the goddess Asherah. We are going to encounter Ahab and Jezebel quite a few times over the next few weeks as we follow the story of Elijah. This temple to Baal is an affront to the Temple of God in Jerusalem and by raising Asherah poles it just adds injury to insult. We are told that Ahab did all of this to please his wife.
In 1 Kings 21:25 we are told that no one else had devoted themselves so completely to doing wrong in the eyes of the Lord God as Ahab had. All of this because of Jezebel who arrived in her marriage with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah in tow. We also read in 1 Kings 18:4 that she persecuted, ie martyred, the prophets of the living God. All in all this is not a nice portrait of the kings of Israel till this point.
Baal - was a fertility god of the ANE. He was not just the god of the Sidonians but widespread in the ANE. In Deuteronomy 6:14-15 we read that the Lord God tolerates no rivals and in Deuteronomy 32:37-39 Did had given His people this warning upon entering the Promised Land. Baal worship was easy to understand and very attractive to the people of the Age, and even todayIn essence the more you gave to Baal in terms of sacrifice and worship the more he was expected to bless you, a very materialistic bargain. Sound familiar? Baal was considered the god of the weather and the weather was of key importance to an agricultural based society. He was also considered the god of fertility and his shrines had temple prostitutes both male and female. Baal worship appealed to human price and human lust. One further aspect of Baal worship, which no doubt will horrify us, was that human sacrifice was also part of the worship. Mostly infants were sacrificed for fertility blessings.
If you look for a moment at verse 34 of our passage this morning. It is possible that this is what is referenced here. Hill, rebuilding Jericho, sacrificed both his first born and his youngest at the beginning and end of the works. Fulfilling the word of God spoken in Joshua 6:26. Such sacrifices at the building of houses etc still occurs today. I remember hearing of such happening in Uganda. All to bring luck and prosperity.
Well that is the history and the scene in to which enters a man called Elijah. We know nothing of his parents but i believe we can deduce that they were godly people because their son’s name, Elijah, means The real God is YHWH. We know he was a Tishbite. Elijah was from Tishbi a region in upper Galilee and he lived in Gilead. From the NT we know that Galilee was an area that was looked own upon by many in Israel. It was considered a place of uneducated and uncouth people.
Elijah enters the scene. Opening lines are important. “It was the best of times and it was the worst of times…” so Dickens begins A Tale of Two Cities. Elijah’s opening lines surpass Dickens. this strange little man, wearing strange clothings, speaking with a thick Galilean accent, speaks two oaths and a weather forecast.
First Oath: - I”n the Name of the Lord, the living God of Israel.” Can you imagine Ahab and especially Jezebel’s reaction. We worship Baal and this little man is speaking of the living God of Israel. I want you to take a moment and consider what Elijah has just done and said here.
He claims God’s authority for what he is about to speak. In the very citadel of Baal he speaks the Word of God. In thee most hostile of environments Elijah speaks the Word of God. It has been 20 years since the deaths of Baasha and Elah (1 Kings 6:1-12) where Jehu had said their death was punishment by God for their sinful kingship. We have heard how Ahab was worse than any king before him in the eye of the Lord God. Was God powerless against Baal and therefore against Ahab. Elijah is about to warn Ahab that the delay in his punishment is about to come to an end. It is not going to be a popular message. Ahab is not going to call Elijah to the front and tell him to take his choice from the wealth of the Sidonian caravan before them.
Elijah tells them he speaks in the Name of God. The Name of God is God’s character and who He is. Hence we are commanded not to take God’s Name in vain. I know I have told you before but I am going to tell you again. when Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord God in Exodus 33, God hides him in the cleft in the rock and pass by and Moses request is answered when God reveals His glory by declaring His Name. It is in that Name, the glory of God, that Elijah speaks to Ahab, Jezebel and the people fo Israel who have gone after Baal and Asherah.
The second part of his opening line is so important. Elijah says the Lord God, Yahweh, is the living God of Israel. He is reminding them that they belong to God through the Covenant, signed and sealed in circumcision. They do not belong to Baal but to the living God of Israel. That is a timely and important reminder to Ahab, to the foreign queen Jezebel, and to all who are gathered before Elijah at this moment. You belong to Yahweh he announces.
Second oath - Whom I serve. Having reminded them of the Covenant with the true and living God Elijah now places himself as the servant of the living God. The Covenant promise is reaffirmed by him in these words. The people of Israel were called in the Covenant to serve the true and living God and no other. They have gone off after Baal and Asherah and Elijah by stating “whom I serve” is reminding them of where they should be also. Elijah is not there speaking his own words and he is not there on his own authority or courage. He is standing there as the servant of the true and living God of Israel. He defines himself as the servant of the Lord God whilst all around him are worshipping Baal and Asherah.
The weather forecast. I do not know about you but after such an introduction I was expecting hell fire, brimstone, sulphur and damnation to be the next words out of the mouth of Elijah. However, Elijah pronounces judgement on the weather.
Elijah tells them you worship Baal, the god of the weather, depicted as “sun god” well great you can have all the sun you want. No rain for three years. Baal the god of fertility in your eyes - well let us see how he copes and how your harvests goes with no rain for the next three years? Where did Elijah get the idea to speak such words. Let me suggest to you he got them from Deuteronomy 28:20, 23-24 - READ. Here was God’s solemn word in the Covenant with Israel. James 5 tells us that Elijah prayed and it did not rain for three years. Literally James says: “he prayed in prayer” which is a Jewish idiom for saying he was earnest in prayer. No dew nor rain for three years. They worshipped Baal whom they believed controlled the weather and therefore the success or failure of their harvest - now the test has come.
Application
You might be sitting there this morning thinking Alan what on earth has this go to do with us in 2022 facing a cost of living crisis and an unprecedented period of dry weather leading to water rationing in many parts the UK?
Well let me as I close draw out some things for you.
Godly parents - we know nothing of Elijah’s parents and yet from his name we can deduce that they lived in the fear of the Lord God and brought Elijah up to do the same. He certainly knew the Covenant and the Torah. The importance that we all play in our children and grandchildren’s lives cannot be underestimated.
Secondly, Elijah lived in a hostile environment for those who served the true and living God. Baal worship and Asherah worship dominated. Not like the UK today. You do not believe me? Ask yourself this question - what dominates the lives of people today? What dominates entertainment, the TV, films, internet etc? would you not say our society is dominated by the following: Sexual identity and behaviour, superstition, violence and the sacrificing of our children to every ungodly and anti-God idea, philosophy and whim of society. You don’t think we sacrifice children any longer? Abortion? Children being sexualised and exposed to material that only a few decades ago would have had you up before a judge and sentenced to imprisonment.
We live in the days of Baal and Asherah - where superstition and all that follows it are rampant. Where astrology is mainstream and to say “God says…” is absolutely ridiculed and mocked. Think for a moment the significance of the phrase “The Bible says…” we use that phrase when we teach a memory verse to our children at the Holiday Bible club. Do you realise how counter-cultural that phrase actually is today? How by using that phrase we are stating, against this world, that the Bible has authority to speak in to our lives and in to this world.
Thirdly, I learn from Elijah that there is no favourable place in which to serve the living God except where He has planted you. God is sovereign and therefore it is no accident the family in which you were born and live, the job you have, the marriage, the children, the society in which you live and the fact that you worship here at Holy Trinity. So serve Him exactly where He has planted you. Elijah described himself as a servant of God. Your identity is in Christ, bought and sealed with His precious blood, you are His servant. We are all called to serve Him, not just those in leadership here at HT.
Speak the Word of God, even in to the hostile situation. Elijah spoke what God called Him to speak - the Word of God from Deuteronomy. we are called to speak, not our words, but God’s Word - Christ Jesus. Our words are - repent and believe in the only true Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Lastly, my fear for our nation is not a drought from a shortage of water but the spiritual drought from knowledge of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. That drought leads to a lost eternity.
Amen.
