Jo’s Place

The Contest on Mount Carmel Obadiah went to tell Ahab, that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah.  When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed,  “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”  “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.  “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused, to obey the commands, of the Lord, and have worshiped the images, of Baal, instead.  Now, summon all Israel, to join me, at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets, of Baal, and the 400 prophets, of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel.”  So, Ahab summoned all the people, of Israel, and the prophets, to Mount Carmel.  Then, Elijah stood in front of them and said,  “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him!  But if Baal is God, then follow him!”  But the people were completely silent.  Then, Elijah said to them,  “I am the only prophet, of the Lord, who i...

The Lord told Elijah to appear before Ahab.  In the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah,  “Go and present yourself, to King Ahab.  Tell him that I will soon send rain!”  So, Elijah went to appear, before Ahab.  Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe, in Samaria.  So, Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.  (Obadiah was a devoted follower, of the Lord.  Once, when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them, in two caves.  He put fifty prophets, in each cave, and supplied them with food and water.)  Ahab said to Obadiah,  “We must check every spring and valley, in the land, to see if we can find enough grass, to save at least some, of my horses and mules.”  So, they divided the land between them.  Ahab went one way, by himself, and Obadiah went another way, by himself.  As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah, coming toward him....

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath Some time later  (after the widow had fed Elijah and the Lord had provided boundless flour and oil for her and her son)  the woman’s son became sick.  He grew worse and worse, and… finally he died.  Then, she said to Elijah,  “O man of God, what have you done to me?  Have you come here to point out my sins… and kill my son?”  But, Elijah replied,  “Give me your son.”  And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs, to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed.  Then, Elijah cried out to the Lord,  “O Lord, my God, why have You brought tragedy to this widow, the one    who has opened her home to me, …why are You causing her son to die?”  And he stretched himself out, over the child …three times, and cried out to the Lord,  “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”  The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the ...