1 Kings 18
1 Kings 18 is a dramatic chapter where Elijah confronts King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Israel has turned away from God under Ahab’s rule, following the pagan gods, particularly Baal. Elijah challenges the people and the false prophets to a contest on Mount Carmel to demonstrate that Yahweh is the true God. This chapter emphasizes God’s sovereignty and power, as well as the importance of loyalty to Him.
1 Kings 18:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.
4 For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”
Elijah, after three years of drought, receives God’s command to return to Ahab, promising that rain will soon come. The famine has ravaged Samaria, and Ahab is desperate to save what remains of the kingdom's livestock. Obadiah, a man who feared God, had secretly saved prophets from Jezebel’s purge, showing his devotion in contrast to Ahab's idolatry. Ahab sends Obadiah to search for water, reflecting the kingdom's dire situation.
1 Kings 18:6-9 (NKJV)
6 So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”
8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
9 So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?”
Obadiah, while searching for water, encounters Elijah and is overwhelmed to see the prophet again. Elijah instructs him to inform Ahab of his arrival. However, Obadiah is fearful, knowing Ahab’s fury toward Elijah, and worries that delivering this message might result in his own death if Elijah were to disappear again, as he had done before.
1 Kings 18:10-14 (NKJV)
10 As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.
11 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here!"’
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth.
13 Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid one hundred men of the Lord’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here."’ He will kill me!”
Obadiah reveals his fear that Elijah will vanish again, as he has in the past. He explains the exhaustive search that Ahab had conducted to find Elijah and how his disappearance would bring certain death upon him if Ahab’s anger were unleashed. Obadiah also reminds Elijah of his faithfulness, particularly in protecting God’s prophets from Jezebel.
1 Kings 18:15-19 (NKJV)
15 Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.
19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Elijah reassures Obadiah that he will indeed face Ahab, so Obadiah reports to the king. When Ahab meets Elijah, he accuses him of causing Israel’s troubles. Elijah boldly responds that the true cause of Israel’s suffering is Ahab’s idolatry, specifically his promotion of Baal worship. Elijah challenges Ahab to a contest on Mount Carmel, summoning the prophets of Baal and Asherah for a showdown before all of Israel.
1 Kings 18:20-21 (NKJV)
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
Ahab accepts Elijah’s challenge and gathers the people and the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah then confronts the people with a powerful question: will they serve Yahweh, the true God, or continue in their indecision by following Baal? The silence of the people demonstrates their confusion and fear, as they are hesitant to make a stand for God.
1 Kings 18:22-24 (NKJV)
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.
24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
Elijah points out that he is vastly outnumbered by the prophets of Baal, setting the stage for a dramatic contest. He proposes that each side offer a bull as a sacrifice but without lighting the fire. The true God will reveal Himself by sending fire to consume the offering. The people agree to this fair test, acknowledging the terms Elijah has set.
1 Kings 18:25-26 (NKJV)
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull 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 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.
Elijah allows the prophets of Baal to go first, giving them every advantage, as there are many of them. They begin their rituals, calling out to Baal from morning until noon, but nothing happens. Despite their frantic efforts and dancing around the altar, there is no response. Their cries are met with silence, demonstrating Baal’s powerlessness.
1 Kings 18:27-29 (NKJV)
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
At noon, Elijah mocks the prophets of Baal, suggesting that perhaps their god is distracted or asleep. His taunts expose the futility of their worship. In response, they intensify their rituals, even resorting to self-mutilation, but despite their extreme efforts, Baal remains silent. By evening, it is clear that Baal has no power.
1 Kings 18:30-32 (NKJV)
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
After the failure of the prophets of Baal, Elijah calls the people to gather around him. He repairs the altar of the Lord, which had been neglected, using twelve stones to symbolize the unity of the twelve tribes of Israel. Elijah’s actions reflect a restoration of proper worship to Yahweh. He also digs a trench around the altar, preparing for the miraculous event to come.
1 Kings 18:33-35 (NKJV)
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34 Then 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 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
Elijah takes deliberate steps to make the miracle undeniable. He drenches the altar, the sacrifice, and the wood with water, not once, but three times, ensuring that everything is soaked. The water even fills the trench around the altar, making it clear that no human effort could light this fire. This act heightens the drama of what is about to occur.
1 Kings 18:36-37 (NKJV)
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah offers a simple, heartfelt prayer to God. He asks God to reveal Himself as the true God of Israel and to vindicate His servant. Elijah’s prayer emphasizes the need for the people to return to God, showing that his actions are not for personal glory, but for the purpose of leading Israel back to their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
1 Kings 18:38-39 (NKJV)
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
God responds dramatically by sending fire from heaven that consumes not only the sacrifice, but also the wood, stones, dust, and even the water in the trench. This powerful display leaves no doubt about who the true God is. The people, overwhelmed by the miracle, immediately fall in worship, declaring that Yahweh alone is God. Their hearts are turned back to Him in this moment of realization.
1 Kings 18:40 (NKJV)
40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
Following the miraculous demonstration, Elijah orders the people to seize the prophets of Baal, ensuring that none escape. These false prophets, who had led Israel into idolatry, are taken to the Brook Kishon and executed. This act is a decisive step in cleansing Israel from Baal worship, as Elijah removes the leaders of this false religion from the nation.
1 Kings 18:41-42 (NKJV)
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
After the victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah tells Ahab to prepare for rain, which had been absent for three years. Elijah’s faith is unwavering as he perceives the coming rain even before any physical signs. While Ahab eats and drinks, Elijah climbs to the top of the mountain and humbles himself in prayer, pleading with God to send the promised rain.
1 Kings 18:43-44 (NKJV)
43 And said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”
Elijah instructs his servant to look toward the sea for signs of rain. Despite seeing nothing six times, Elijah persists in prayer. On the seventh attempt, the servant finally sees a small cloud rising from the sea, a tiny but significant sign of God’s answer. Elijah immediately acts on this, sending a warning to Ahab to prepare for the heavy rain that is about to come.
1 Kings 18:45-46 (NKJV)
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Soon after, the sky darkens, and a heavy rainstorm begins. Ahab departs for Jezreel, but Elijah, empowered by God, miraculously outruns Ahab’s chariot, arriving at Jezreel first. This final act underscores God’s presence with Elijah, even in the midst of natural elements, as Elijah is given supernatural strength to complete his mission.