Sermon Follow-up

Elijah's Retreat: 1 Kings 1 Summary Elijah had just witnessed the extraordinary triumph of the LORD on Mount Carmel, yet when Jezebel threatened his life, the prophet became afraid and fled. Exhausted and discouraged, he traveled into the wilderness, sat beneath a juniper tree, and asked the LORD to take his life. Yet God did not abandon His frightened servant. He provided Elijah with rest, food, water, and strength for the journey to Horeb. At Horeb the LORD demonstrated that ...

Summary Elijah’s confrontation on Mount Carmel brought Israel face-to-face with the fundamental question of allegiance: “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). Israel had become spiritually crippled by idolatry, attempting to live in rebellion against the God who had chosen, preserved, and blessed them. Elijah therefore proposed a demonstration that would expose the difference between the living God and the inventions of fallen men. ...

The Ministry of Elijah the Prophet: Confrontation with Ahab 1 Kings 18:1–19 Summary God often accomplishes His purposes through servants who appear hopelessly outmatched. Noah, Moses, Joshua, and David all illustrate that the decisive factor is never human strength or favorable circumstances, but the presence and will of God. Elijah now stands in that same tradition. One prophet is sent to confront the powerful and wicked King Ahab after a prolonged drought has brought Samaria to desperation. Ahab himself is ...

Summary First Kings 17 introduces Elijah during one of the darkest periods in Israel's history. Ahab has promoted idolatry, but Elijah appears before the king as the representative of “the LORD, the God of Israel…before whom I stand” (17:1). He announces a devastating drought and then, at God's command, travels to the brook Cherith, where the LORD miraculously preserves him. The opening verses establish a theme that will dominate Elijah's ministry: the LORD is the living and sovereign God, and ...

Summary First Kings 13 records God’s response to Jeroboam’s brazen corruption of worship. Having established a religious system according to his own desires rather than the command of God, Jeroboam was confronted by an unnamed man of God from Judah. The prophet announced judgment against the altar at Bethel and specifically foretold the coming of Josiah, through whom that altar would eventually be destroyed. When Jeroboam attempted to seize the prophet, God withered the king’s hand and splits the altar. ...