Study Desk

So King Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the Temple and the palace, and sent it by some of his officials to Damascus, to King Benhadad of Syria, the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion, with this message:

"Let us be allies, as our fathers were. This silver and gold is a present for you. Now break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will have to pull his troops out of my territory."

This happened during the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. And so Baasha succeeded Nadab as king of Israel.

and so I will do away with you and your family, just as I did with Jeroboam.

And so, in accordance with what the Lord had said against Baasha through the prophet Jehu, Zimri killed all the family of Baasha.

So in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he ruled for twelve years. The first six years he ruled in Tirzah,

A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, "In the name of the Lord , the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so."

So Elijah went to Zarephath, and as he came to the town gate, he saw a widow gathering firewood. "Please bring me a drink of water," he said to her.

She said to Elijah, "Man of God, why did you do this to me? Did you come here to remind God of my sins and so cause my son's death?"

So Elijah started out. The famine in Samaria was at its worst,

so Ahab called in Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the Lord ,

So how can you order me to go and tell the king that you are here? He will kill me!"

So Obadiah went to King Ahab and told him, and Ahab set off to meet Elijah.

When Ahab saw him, he said, "So there you are—the worst troublemaker in Israel!"

So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal to meet at Mount Carmel.

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Since there are so many of you, you take a bull and prepare it first. Pray to your god, but don't set fire to the wood."

So the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed.

Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood." They did so,

Answer me, Lord , answer me, so that this people will know that you, the Lord , are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself."

So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second." The messengers left and then returned with another message