Introduction
I have been listening again to The Mountain series of podcasts from the Bible Project. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins discussed the ancient Middle Eastern concept of the Cosmic Mountain as portrayed in the Bible. One of these is Mt. Carmel, where Elijah confronted Israel with the reality of Yahweh’s power. He killed hundreds of false prophets brought in by Jezebel when she married King Ahab. Elijah prayed seven times for the end of the drought brought on by his prophetic word. Then he ran to Jezreel to proclaim Yahweh’s victory over Jezebel’s gods. It’s as if he knew Jezebel embodied the unfaithful people of Israel. Despite the great victory, when she declared her intent to slay him, this powerful prophet of Yahweh turned tail and fled.
Whence Came Elijah’s Power and Authority?
Elijah the Tishbite came from a priestly clan east of the Jordan River. His folks taught him the Law of Moses and the history, so far, of Yahweh’s faithfulness to His people. He was introduced in the dramatic scene in which he made a proclamation to the evil King Ahab. He said that neither rain nor dew would fall on Israel for a few years until he called for it to resume (1 Kings 17:1). The blessings of Yahweh would dry up because the king, along with the people of Israel, worshipped the foreign god of rain, among others.
How did the prophet know to make such a proclamation? Moses had been sent by Yahweh to speak to Pharaoh and the people of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 3). Other men of god had been sent with messages from Yahweh (Judges 6:7-10). No story exists of Elijah being sent. He simply appeared to speak to the king.
The Bible proclaims that Ahab was an evil king, worse than his forefathers (1 Kings 16:30-33). He married the daughter of the king of Sidon, who brought with her the worship of foreign gods. She began a campaign of killing the prophets of Yahweh. Only the efforts of Obadiah to hide them kept a hundred of Yahweh’s spokesmen alive (1 Kings 18:4).
The Bible doesn’t say so, but it’s obvious that Yahweh sent Elijah to the king of Israel to declare His removal of His blessings from the land. It’s interesting that the prophet didn’t speak to Jezebel. Only after the victory on Mt. Carmel did Elijah run to Jezreel to declare that victory over the queen’s gods.
War Among the Gods
I can imagine that for years Elijah despaired over Israel’s lack of trust and obedience to Yahweh. This was led by Ahab and his queen and her gods. I can see the prophet standing among the divine council before the throne of Yahweh and calling on Him to do something. I can imagine Elijah calling on Yahweh to restrain those foreign gods. Yahweh sent the prophet to speak His word of judgement against Israel and her king.
The people of Israel suffered for years from the lack of water, though Yahweh provided for Elijah at the Kerith Ravine and in the home of a foreign widow. Then the time came for Elijah to act. He told Ahab to assemble all the people of Israel at Mt. Carmel (Garden – of Eden?). He challenged the priests of Báal to a contest of the gods (1 Kings 18:16-46). Each side would set up a sacrifice to his or their god but not set fire to it. Let the One who is truly God provide the fire.
I imagine Elijah called on Yahweh to restrain the efforts of the divine council. The Almighty prevented Báal from answering with fire from Heaven. Yahweh alone sent a bolt of lightning to consume Elijah’s sacrifice, the stone altar, and the twelve jars of water poured over his offering.
The people cried out in fear, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!” However, when the prophet proclaimed to Jezebel Yahweh’s victory over her gods, she became murderously unconvinced. Elijah fled because he realized Yahweh’s victory over Báal and Elijah’s slaughter of the false prophets had not convinced the embodiment of Israel. Elijah realized Yahweh’s powerful victory over the foreign gods had not really moved the hearts and minds of Israel.
Yahweh had to demonstrate to His prophet that His presence is not so much in the power of the wind, earthquake, or fire. His presence is known in the sound of sheer silence. Yahweh revealed to His prophet that he was not the sole surviving believer in Him. He commissioned Elijah to anoint three men to continue the work the prophet had started (1 Kings 19:9-18).