The Signs of God’s Presence

After his initial meeting with King Ahab, in which he declared a drought over Israel, Elijah appeared before Ahab again in 1 Kings 18. In this meeting, Elijah arranged one of the most memorable showdowns in Scripture—a firefight on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal to prove once and for all who is the real God. This boldness contrasts sharply with what we find in 1 Kings 19: the mighty Elijah melted with despair. Here God showed Himself not only to be mighty but also merciful as He strengthened His servant in some very particular ways.

This portion of 1–2 Kings encourages us in knowing our God is the living God and the loving God.

Session Outline

++God moves the hearts of His [wayward] people to return to Him [whatever it takes](1 Kings 18:31-39).

++God [always] provides strength for His servant [people] to obey Him (1 Kings 19:5-8).

++God [continually] reveals a remnant [of hope] to His servant [people] to encourage him [them] (1 Kings 19:15-18).

Background Passage: 1 Kings 18–19

Session in a Sentence

God provides the strength and encouragement His people need to return to and stand up for Him.

Missional Application

Elijah was called, strengthened and encouraged as a prophet to proclaim the Word of the Lord to the rebellious and wordly nation of Israel. In the same way we are called, strengthened and encouraged as children of God to proclaim the Word of the Lord to a rebellious and wordly society.

Ask:

What is your favorite movie with a “showdown”?

Many Westerns, like those with John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, climax with a dramatic gunfight at the end. Or, Marvel movies, the Matrix, and Superman might come to mind. Sometimes, against all odds, the outnumbered guy or group wins. Sports movies, like Hoosiers, also tell classic stories of underdog victories.

The Bible contains showdowns, and in many cases, the underdog triumphs. Of course, none of these were “underdog” stories in the strictest sense because God’s presence was with His people and fighting for them. But from a human perspective—whether against enemies, observers, or at times even the people of God—the faithful rarely seemed positioned to win. And yet, they did time and time again.

Ask:

What are some “showdown” stories that have already occurred in the biblical storyline up to this point?

(Moses faced off against mighty Pharaoh; Gideon and his army of three hundred won a shocking victory over the Midianites’ 120,000-man army; David and Goliath)

Summarize: After his initial meeting with King Ahab, in which he declared a drought over Israel, Elijah appeared before Ahab again in 1 Kings 18. In this meeting, Elijah arranged one of the most memorable showdowns in Scripture, a real “David and Goliath” moment—a firefight on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal to prove once and for all who is the real God. This boldness contrasts sharply with what we find in 1 Kings 19: the mighty Elijah melted with despair. When these 2 chapter are combined, it is clear that God showed Himself not only to be mighty but also merciful as He strengthened His servant in some very particular ways.

This portion of 1–2 Kings encourages us in knowing our God is the living God and the loving God.

Point 1: God moves the hearts of His [wayward] people to return to Him [whatever it takes](1 Kings 18:31-39).

The contest Elijah proposed involved the real God sending fire from heaven to burn up a sacrifice. The prophets of Baal went first but failed in their hours-long attempt to cause their god to act.

1 Kings 18:20-30 “So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel, and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.“Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox, and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered and said, “That is a good idea.” So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing [thinking], or he is relieving himself [busy], or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”

Old Testament 18:1-46: The Contest on Mount Carmel

These can be compared to some of the activities in which Baal is engaged in the Ugaritic texts. When the goddess Anat comes to look for Baal, she is told he has gone hunting. Ugaritic literature that portrays the death of Baal features the repeated strain that he needs to be awakened. The classical source used by Josephus, Menander of Ephesus, reports that the Tyrian king, Hiram, contemporary of David, instituted the ritual for the awakening of Herakles (=Melqart, see comment on 16:31). The mythology of the ancient world understood the gods to be involved in a variety of activities similar to those that engage human beings. Though Elijah’s words are meant to be taunts, they are not unrealistic depictions of Canaanite beliefs. The prophets of Baal would not have viewed his suggestions as ridiculous or unworthy of deity.

So these were not just meaningless taunts, they were meant to conjure thoughts of their own mythology about Baal and his interaction with people and their surroundings.

Verse 28 continued:

28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

The word “oblation” or “evening” is not in the text, but is inferred by the Jewish sacrifice that would come at the end of the day. The text simply says, “the time of the sacrifice.”

Next was Elijah’s turn.

Read 1 Kings 18:31-39 (DDG p. 21).

31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

DDG (p. 21)

Baal’s prophets prayed from morning till evening, but Elijah’s prayer was short and effective. Prayer isn’t about length, volume, or eloquence but praying to the right God in genuine faith. Furthermore, Elijah’s prayer was all about the glory of God, so he prayed for rebels to turn to God, to respond to the truth with repentance and faith.

· Elijah built an altar on Mount Carmel using twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. This was an act of reassembling what Ahab and Jezabel had torn down. Elijah was calling the people to come back in repentance and unity to the covenant God.

· Elijah requested four jars of water be used to pour water three times on the burnt offering and on the wood. This was significant for two reasons: 1) water was scarce and precious (especially at the top of the mountain) given the famine proclaimed by Elijah; 2) Elijah wanted everyone to know for sure that what was about to happen—fire burning up the soaked offering and altar—could only be explained by the power of God.

Ask:

What should Christians keep in mind and believe as they pray to God?

(God is good and He listens to His people; God does answer the prayers of His children; God’s glory is the most important subject in our prayers; we should pray to God for the repentance and faith of others; ask God to proclaim Himself to those we are with; ask for boldness to proclaim Him ourselves)

DDG (p. 21)

The fire from heaven was a sure sign that God accepted Elijah’s sacrifice. God proved to everyone that He alone is God, He alone answers prayer, and He must be approached in a particular way: through faith and sacrifice. In response to God’s show of fire, the people fell facedown and acknowledged God’s singular status as God—the only proper response to God’s power and grace.

· This story shows us God’s grace in inviting us to approach Him through faith and humility. Praise God, today we get to approach Him through a better means—by the perfect sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus, God reconciles sinful rebels to Himself, forgives their sin, and invites them to call on Him by the name of Jesus.

Let’s never stop thanking God for the cross.

So, Previously in Israel’s history, God sent fire at the inauguration of the tabernacle worship, signifying Yahweh’s acceptance of the sacrificial system (Lev. 9:24). Later, Yahweh responded to a sacrifice of David and answered his prayer with fire, signifying His acceptance of the offering (1 Chron. 21:26). Similarly, when Solomon completed and dedicated the temple, fire again fell, showing God’s acceptance of their worship (2 Chron. 7:1-3).

Fill in the blanks: DDG (p. 21)

God Is One: The people of God knew, based upon God’s self-revelation, that Yahweh, the Lord, is the only one true God.

Essential Doctrine “God Is One”: The Bible affirms that God is one, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, otherwise known as the Shema. In both Old and New Testament times, the advocacy of monotheism (belief in one God) was contrary to the surrounding culture. Where most cultures practiced polytheism (belief in multiple gods) or henotheism (the worship of one god with the belief in multiple gods),

the people of God knew, based upon God’s self-revelation, that Yahweh, the Lord, is the only one true God.

So far, we can see that:

1. God moves the hearts of His [wayward] people to return to Him [whatever it takes](1 Kings 18:31-39). With Israel, it took a display of His omnipotence, faithfulness, and imminence to bring His people to their knees.

Ask:

Do you think that these that fell to their faces actually repented, why or why not?

Point 2: God [always] provides strength for His servant [people] to obey Him (1 Kings 19:5-8).

Read: 1 Kings 19:5-8 (DDG p. 22).

5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lordcame again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

DDG (p. 22) Note once again that Elijah was a human being like us (Jas. 5:17), which means he experienced the same temptations and struggles that we face, including spiritual discouragement and despair.

Elijah triumphantly confronted the false prophets of Baal, proving that Yahweh alone is the living God. Chapter 19, however, does not begin the way we expect, with Israel turning back to God and Elijah standing tall. Instead, we see Elijah on the run from Jezebel and depressed. What caused Elijah to despair?

First, Elijah lost perspective. Much like Peter (Matthew 14:22-33) who was walking on water already, but then was distracted by the world around him and started to sink, before looking back to Jesus, His faithful rescuer, Elijah was already “walking on the water” after the fire from heaven came down, but then he got distracted by what he thought was around him. In this moment, all he needed to do was look back to God, his rescuer who is greater than any “storm” Elijah might find himself in the midst of.

Second, Elijah lost perspective on his commitment to follow God’s word. This was not an abandonment, but it was a moment when Elijah was not meditating on nor standing on the promises of God.

Third, Elijah lost his vision of the greatness of God, at least for that moment. Keep in mind:

God often gives us just what we need for any given moment, but not always more than what we need.

Here is Elijah, the part of him that we can relate to, having emptied Himself of what God had given him for the moment, now facing the emotions and reality of his present context.

Finally, Elijah lost his desire to live. This is a desperate emotional response to a despondent child of God who thought that maybe he had fought, with God’s help, through the last of his battles before God would be done. He “grew weary in well doing” (Gal. 6:9).

Voices from Church History

“He did not tremble before the king because [God’s] providence assisted him. But when he slightly turned away from him, he could not resist before Jezebel’s threats.” 1 –Isho‘dad of Merv (d. 852, emphasis added)

· Elijah lost perspective. He lost sight of the fact that a short-term victory doesn’t mean the war is over. After losing her prophets of Baal at Elijah’s hand (18:40), Jezebel vowed to make Elijah dead like one of them, and he became afraid (19:1-3).

· Elijah lost his commitment to focus and count on God’s word. He didn’t allow God’s word to direct his path, as he had done previously (17:2-5,8-10; 18:1-2). Without a word from the Lord, Elijah ran away upon hearing Jezebel’s threat (19:3). The “word of the Lord” to Elijah doesn’t appear again until verse 9.

· Elijah lost his vision of the greatness of God. Previously, he was fearless before Ahab and the false prophets of Baal, but he grew afraid of Jezebel (19:3). Because he grew afraid and lost his vision of God, his strength and protector, he lost his drive to fight.

· Elijah lost his desire to live. He was physically and emotionally drained. He was also disappointed. He probably expected a revival to occur after the events at Mount Carmel, but that didn’t happen. He was also isolated, which is never healthy or wise (19:3-4). The text goes on to show that Elijah also believed half-truths, which led to self-pity, self-righteousness, and self-importance. All of these factors together led Elijah to pray, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” (19:4).

Ask:

In what ways can we identify with Elijah’s struggle?

(be prepared to give an answer of your own to jump-start the conversation)

DDG (p. 22)

God’s first response to Elijah wasn’t rebuke but to eat and drink. How encouraging and tender it is that God fed His runaway prophet in grace instead of actually answering Elijah’s prayer for death!

God would rebuke him later, but first we see His gentleness and care.

When you are drained and dejected like Elijah, consider the message of Elijah and of Jesus own words.

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.“For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

God nature is to give spiritual rest, physical rest, and companionship for our weary lives.

· Spiritual Rest: Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:35), offers rest to the weary and burdened (Matt 11:28-29). In Him we find forgiveness and joy. When you have had enough, look to Jesus—He is enough.

· Physical Rest: Good food and good sleep are wonderful medicines for spiritual depression. They are gifts from our kind God, after all (Pss. 104:14-15; 127:2). After Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus made him breakfast before He addressed his failure (John 18; 21). He renewed Peter physically and spiritually.

· Companionship: The angel may also have provided some companionship for this lonely servant. Later he will receive a wonderful companion in Elisha. Maybe you need some companionship. Don’t run from this need. Be active in a local body of believers in Christ with whom you can fellowship. Perhaps God wants to use you to minister to lonely, depressed servants. Take them a cake and spend some time with them. Acknowledging one needs companionship in their quest of serving the Lord is a deeply humbling risk to do, but has a return that far exceeds the risk.

Fill in the blanks: DDG (p. 22)

Christ’s Humiliation: God the Son left His glorious state and came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and He experienced a humiliating death on a cross by becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Essential Doctrine “Christ’s Humiliation”: Although God the Son was equal with God and worthy of all the glory God receives, He chose to humble Himself by taking on human flesh. He left His glorious state and came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3), and He experienced a humiliating death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8) by becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).

So far, we have seen:

Point 1: God moves the hearts of His [wayward] people to return to Him [whatever it takes](1 Kings 18:31-39).

++Point 2: God [always] provides strength for His servant [people] to obey Him (1 Kings 19:5-8).

++Point 3: God [continually] reveals a remnant [of hope] to His servant [people] to encourage him [them] (1 Kings 19:15-18).

Point 3: God [continually] reveals a remnant [of hope] to His servant [people] to encourage him [them] (1 Kings 19:15-18).

Elijah arrived at Horeb, the mountain of God, and rested in a cave. Then he wallowed in self-pity and complained about the Israelites, even though God displayed His power and spoke with the prophet (1 Kings 19:9-14). Elijah was slow to understand and change his attitude, perhaps because he did not want to, yet God still spoke to him and gave Elijah a new vision for the future.

Read 1 Kings 19:15-18 (DDG p. 23).

15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

DDG (p. 23)

God demonstrated mercy here in that He kept dealing with Elijah and gave him a new assignment—to anoint some new leaders in the land. The defeat of Baal and his worshipers in Israel would not happen by Elijah alone, nor would it happen in his lifetime. Elijah’s job involved more than fighting well in the present; it also involved preparing others for the future.

Application: In the midst of his depression, Elijah continued to talk to God. If you ever sink as low as Elijah in your own life, whatever the reason, remember to keep speaking to God, who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love (Ps. 103:8).

Elijah left Mount Horeb as he was instructed and immediately found Elisha to anoint him as his future replacement (1 Kings 19:19-21). Elisha served under and with Elijah until his predecessor was taken from the earth (2 Kings 2). There is no record of Elijah anointing Hazael or Jehu as the kings over Aram and Israel, respectively. Elisha, however, does fulfill this command, perhaps on Elijah’s behalf after his departure. Hazael is told by Elisha that he will be king over Aram, which leads him to assassinate his ailing predecessor (2 Kings 8:7-15). Jehu is anointed king of Israel by a servant at the command of Elisha, and according to the word of the Lord delivered to him, Jehu assassinates King Joram and eliminates the whole house of Ahab, including Jezebel and all of the remaining prophets of Baal (2 Kings 9–10).

Ask:

What are some steps we can take to prepare others for kingdom work in the future?

(be active in kingdom work now and invite others to participate with you; study the Word and teach it to others; share the gospel, make disciples, and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded; pray for opportunities to mentor younger believers)

DDG (p. 23)

Part of Elijah’s depression stemmed from his perception that he alone remained faithful to God in Israel (1 Kings 19:10,14). But God corrected his misperception—he wasn’t the only one left; God had preserved a remnant of people faithful to Him, seven thousand, in fact. God’s sovereign saving grace among humanity was a word of assurance to Elijah, and it should be a wonderful word of assurance to us as well (Rom. 11:2-5).

No matter how lonely you feel, Jesus has a people for you and for His service with you, not just from Israel but also from the nations, who have been saved by grace through faith in His name.

· God preserved a remnant of His people in keeping with His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, especially His promise to bless the whole world through their descendants. By His grace, the Lord preserved people from idolatry that they would be devoted to Him (Rom. 11:2-5).

· God’s faithfulness to the remnant of His people would lead to the coming of His promised Savior, His blessing to the world—Jesus Christ. Unlike Elijah, Jesus was truly alone in His dark hour, and those who sought His life took it from Him on the cross. But He rose again, triumphant over the powers of sin and death, and He has redeemed a people for God by His blood to constitute a new kingdom comprised entirely of holy priests devoted to the Lord and His kingdom here on earth (Rev. 5:9-10). When you are discouraged in life, look away from yourself and look in faith to Jesus, who said, “It is finished” (John 19:30)—your eternal salvation has already been won.

Ask:

Why is a gospel community so important during seasons of despair?

(to help us keep our priorities in the correct order; so we can be encouraged to keep our perspective oriented toward that which matters most, our eternal home with God; so we are reminded of the grace God has given to us in Jesus Christ, that our sins are forgiven and counted against us no more; so we experience God’s love for us through brothers and sisters in Christ even when we feel unlovable)

My Mission

· Elijah left Mount Horeb having heard the gentle whisper of the Lord, but later he would stand on a mountain face to face with the Lord Jesus, God in the flesh. On the mountain of Jesus’ transfiguration, along with Moses, Elijah saw and spoke with the fulfillment of his prophetic ministry about His upcoming sacrificial death for the salvation of the world. The disciples who were present with Jesus saw the dazzling glory of Christ unveiled for a moment and heard God’s mighty voice declare the identity of the Son, and they were told to listen to Him (Luke 9:28-35).

Until we gaze upon the face of Jesus in the fullness of His kingdom, let’s heed the voice of God and listen to and obey the voice of Jesus, and like Elijah, let’s be spurred on by a glorious future that awaits all of His now suffering saints.

Because Christ suffered and died on our behalf, we rely on God for the strength we need to deliver His message no matter the hardships we may face.

Voices from the Church

“The depressed don’t simply need to feel better. They need a Redeemer who says, ‘Take heart, my son, my daughter; what you really need has been supplied. Life no longer need be about your goodness, success, righteousness, or failure. I’ve given you something infinitely more valuable than good feelings: your sins are forgiven.’ ” 2 –Elyse Fitzpatrick

Session Outline

++God moves the hearts of His [wayward] people to return to Him [whatever it takes](1 Kings 18:31-39).

++God [always] provides strength for His servant [people] to obey Him (1 Kings 19:5-8).

++God [continually] reveals a remnant [of hope] to His servant [people] to encourage him [them] (1 Kings 19:15-18).

Session in a Sentence

God provides the strength and encouragement His people need to return to and stand up for Him.

Look unto Jesus!” These words are the secret of encouragement and strength when the race gets difficult. We need to get our eyes off of ourselves, other people, and circumstances and get our eyes on Christ alone.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Close in prayer:

References

1. Isho‘dad of Merv, Books of Sessions 1 Kings 19.2, quoted in 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Marco Conti, vol. V in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2001) [Wordsearch].

2. Elyse Fitzpatrick, “The Gospel Cure,” Ligonier Ministries, March 1, 2008, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/gospel-cure.

3. “1 Kings,” in Africa Study Bible (Oasis International, 2016), 505.

4. Iain W. Provan, “1 and 2 Kings,” in ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008), 635, n. 18:38-39.

5. Katie McCoy, ed. “1 Kings,” in The Study Bible for Women (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2014), 441, n. 19:3-8.

6. Havilah Dharamraj, “1 Kings,” in South Asian Bible Commentary, gen. ed. Brian Wintle (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 438.

7. Andrew C. Bowling, “1, 2 Kings,” in CSB Study Bible (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2017), 542, n. 19:5-8.

8. Musa Gotom, “1 and 2 Kings,” in Africa Bible Commentary, gen. ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 439.

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