Study Desk

Baasha and his son Elah sinned and led the people of Israel to sin, and they made the Lord , the God of Israel, angry because of their worthless idols.

Everything else Omri did and all his successes are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

So Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king in his place.

During the time of Ahab, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt the city of Jericho. It cost Hiel the life of Abiram, his oldest son, to begin work on the city, and it cost the life of Segub, his youngest son, to build the city gates. This happened just as the Lord , speaking through Joshua son of Nun, said it would happen.

Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah:

Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah,

As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, "Please bring me a piece of bread, too."

Elijah carried the boy downstairs and gave him to his mother and said, "See! Your son is alive!"

During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: "Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain."

While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, "Elijah? Is it really you, master?"

As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every country to search for you. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country.

You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord . The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea.

So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his head between his knees.

Then Elijah said to his servant, "Go and look toward the sea." The servant went and looked. "I see nothing," he said. Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times.

The seventh time, the servant said, "I see a small cloud, the size of a human fist, coming from the sea." Elijah told the servant, "Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him."

After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.

The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

When Elijah heard this, he was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there.

Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep.

There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night. Then the Lord spoke his word to him: "Elijah! Why are you here?"