Day 21

Hanini received a message from God for Baasha. His message was, "I took you from nothing-you complete nobody-and set you up as the leader of my people Israel, but you plodded along in the rut of Jeroboam, making my people Israel sin and making me seethe over their sin. An now the consequences. I will burn Baasha and his regime to cinders, the identical fate of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Baasha's people who die in the city will be eaten by scavenger dogs; carrion crows will eat the ones who die in the country." Elah, son of Baasha, was the next king of Israel when Baasha died.

Asa, king of Judah, was in his 26th year of reigning when Elah became king. He only reigned for 2 years because Zimri, captain of half the chariot force, knocked him to the ground and killed him. It didn't help that Elah was plastered either. Zimri became king of Tirzah. He cleaned out Baasha's family, killing them off right and left. The reign of these kings seem to get shorter and shorter! Zimri was king for a week and then killed himself by setting the citadel on fire when he realized he was under attack. Half the Israelites liked Tibni and the other half liked Omri. The Omri supporters proved stronger and Tibni ended up dead. Omri ruled Israel for 12 years. Asa was in his 31st year of reigning when he became king. Omri sinned and made Israel sin. He died and was buried in Samaria, whic started as a hill he bought for 150 lbs of silver from Shemar. Ahab, his son, was appointed king and reigned for 22 years. Apparently he took sinning to a whole new level. He committed the sins of Jeroboam, but then he married a Sidonian woman who went by the name Jezebel. They served and worshiped Baal. A temple was built for Baal in Samaria and an altar was set up. Ahab and Jezebel also built a shrine to Asherah. Ahab ticked God off more than all the other kings combined! He ritually sacrificed his 1st born son, Abiram, at the foundation of Jericho and also sacrificed his youngest, Segub, at the city gates just as Joshua predicted years prior. What is the matter w/ these people??

One day, Elijah confronted Ahab and told him a terrible drought was coming. Elijah left quickly as God told him to and went to the Kerith Ravine. God ordered ravens in the area to feed him and he could drink the water from the brook. After the brook dried, God told Elijah to go to Zarephath in Sidon for there was a widowed woman there who was instructed by God to feed him. When he arrived, Elijah asked for a drink and something to eat. The widow told him she only had a handful of flour and a little oil, not enough to even make a biscuit. Elijah found her gathering firewood for her and her son's last meal. He instructed her to make a small biscuit with what she had and make a meal for her and her boy. God said, "The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empnty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought." The widow was able to make food daily like God promised. Unfortunately, her son because very ill and stopped breathing. She exclaimed, "Why did you (Elijah) ever show up here in the first place-a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing my son?" Elijah took the boy and prayed to God, asking him why He had brought this horrible thing upon the diwo and why the boy was dead. He prayed fervently 3 times and God put breath back into the boy's body. The widow said, "I see it all now, you are a holy man. When you speak, God speaks-a true word."

The drought was in it's 3rd year and God's word came to Elijah. He was to go back to Ahab and tell him rain was coming. Ahab summoned Obadiah, a God fearing and devout follower. When Jezebel wanted to kill all the prophets, he hid 100 of them in a cave and gave them food and water to survive. Ahab said to Obadiah, "God through the country;locate every spring and every stream. Let's see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying." They parted ways. Obadiah met Elijah on his journey and bowed in reverence. He was instructed to tell Ahab what he saw but feared for his life. Ahab sent out search parties to look for Elijah when he told him about the drought and Obadiah was afraid he would tell Ahab where Elijah was and then he'd disappear, making him look like a liar. However, Obadiah obeyed and Ahab came out to meet Elijah, calling him a troublemaker. Elijah put the blame back on Ahab for ignoring God's commands. Ahab was instructed to assemble the people of Israel at Mount Carmel. The 450 prophets of the local god's, the Baals, and the 400 prophets to the whore goddess Asherah were there. Elijah challenged the people saying, "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Elijah was the only prophet of God left in Israel and challenged the 450 Baal prophets to bring 2 oxen. They were to take one and butcher it, put it on an altar of wood, but not set it on fire. Elijah would take the other ox, do the same thing, but wouldn't light it either. Both sides were to pray to their higher power and the real God would ignite the altar. Nothing happened when the prophets prayed to Baal. By mid day, Elijah taunted them with insults. Perhaps Baal was involved with a project or on vacation..maybe he was meditating or slept in. Their prayers grew louder and louder and they began to cut themselves with swords and knives until they were covered in blood. Apparently this was a common practice. Elijah had everyone gather around, repaired altar, and built 12 stones into the altar, signifying the 12 tribes of Jacob. A wide trench was also dug around the altar. I wonder if God had instructed him prior. The ox was put on the altar. He told the people to fill four buckets with water and pour it on the altar 3 times. Elijah prayed to God and immediately the fire of God fell on the altar, burned the ox, the wood, the stones, and even the dirty and water surrounding it! The people were in awe and exclaimed, "God is the true God!" Elijah instructed the people to capture the Baal prophets and kill them all at Brook Kishon.

Elijah told Ahab to eat and drink for rain was coming. While he did this, Elijah climbed Mount Carmel and prayed to God. God told him to look at the sea. On the 7th time he looked, he actually saw a small cloud the size of a hand coming out of the water. Elijah was to tell Ahab to saddle up and he needed get off the mountain before the rain stopped him from doing so. Ahab grabbed his chariot and set out to Jezreel. All the sudden God's might came upon Elijah! He tied his robe around his waist and ran faster than Ahab's chariot until they reached their destination.