1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:1 Elijah and Ahab. Other prophets had addressed earlier kings (see 1 Kings 14:7; 1 Kings 16:1). Until now no one had addressed the house of Omri. But now Elijah is introduced. His first task is to tackle the problem of the Baal worship that Ahab has introduced into Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:5 Elijah hides in a harsh area EAST OF THE JORDAN, where there is no normal food supply. God is nevertheless able to provide for him. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:9 ZAREPHATH, WHICH BELONGS TO SIDON. The heartland of Baal worship is in Sidon, a region over which some thought Israel’s God had no authority. Yet the Lord is God of all lands. He even COMMANDED a WIDOW of the region to feed Elijah. (“Command” here might mean “ordained.”)... [ Continue Reading ]
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:13 FIRST MAKE ME A LITTLE CAKE. Against all parental instinct, the woman is asked to give Elijah something to eat, even before feeding herself and her SON. This would be a great step of faith for her. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0,... [ Continue Reading ]
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:18 The widow appears convinced of the truth of Elijah’s religion by seeing God’s power in vv. 1 Kings 17:8. When death comes, she knows it must be the Lord’s doing. She blames God’s prophet for reminding God of her sin. ELIJAH agrees with her about who is the ultimate caus... [ Continue Reading ]
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 17:21 HE STRETCHED HIMSELF UPON THE CHILD THREE TIMES. The purpose of this action is not made clear. Biblical prophets often “act out” their messages (e.g., Ezekiel 4:1), and Elijah’s actions here appear to be part of his prayer. When faced with the “god of death,” the Lord,... [ Continue Reading ]