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Elijah (3 Kgs. 17-8)


When Ahab was king of Samaria he disobeyed the Lord and worshipped Baal.

Elijah said to him, "As the Lord lives before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years." Then the Lord told Elijah, "Go, hide yourself by the brook Cherith before Jordan. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."

So he went and did accordingly and the ravens brought him bread and meat morning and evening. After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain. Then the Lord said to him, "Arise. Go to Zareohath in Zidon. There I have commanded a widow to provide for you."

He went as the Lord commanded. When he came to the gate of the city he saw a woman gathering sticks and asked her, "Please give me water to drink and bread to eat."

She said, "I have no cake but a handful of meal and little oil. See, I am gathering sticks so I may cook it for my son and me so that we may eat and die."

Elijah said, "Fear not. Do as you said but make me a little cake first for the Lord says, 'The barrel of meal shall not waster, neither shall the cruse of oil fail until the Lord sends rain on earth."

She did as she was told. She, Elijah and her son did  eat many days. Then the son got sick and wasabout to die. She went to Elijah for help. He said to her, "Give me your son." He took him from her and laid him on his bead. He asked the Lord for help, "O Lord my God, I pray you. Let the child come to life again." The Lord heard him and restored his soul to the child.

Elijah took the child to his mother and the woman said, "Now, I know that you are a man of God."

On the third year the Lord said to Elijah, "Go to Ahab and I will send rain on earth." So Elijah went. There was famine in Samaria. King Ahab sent his Governor Obadiah to look for grass for their beasts.

On his way Obadiah met Elijah, bowed to him and asked, "Are you Elijah?"

Elija answered, "Yes. Go, tell the King I am here."

Obadiah pleded, "Please do not let me do it because he sent people to seek you. When you could not be found he took an oath that you should not be found. So if I find you, he will kill me." Later, Elijah met Ahab.

Ahab said, "Are you he that troubled Israel?"

Elijah answered, "No, it was you because you disobeyed God and followed Baal. Now, therefore, send for all the children of Israel, and the 450 prophets of Baal." The king did.

Then Elija said to all: "Why do you believe in different Gods? I am the only remaining prophets of the Lord, and Baal's prophets are 450. Give us two bullocks and let them choose one, cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood without fire under; I will do the same with the other. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god that comes with fire, let him be God." All the people said, "It is well said."

The prophets of Baal called on Baal first, but there was no answer. Elijah mocked them, "Cry louder." They did, but there was no answer.

Then Elijah called the people to him. He took twelve stones and built an altar with them. He cut wood and placed the meat of his bullock on the wood and said, "Fill your barrels with water and put it on the sacrifice. Do it the second time, and then the third time." Then at the time of the offering of evening sacrifice, Elijah said, "Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am your servant." Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice. When the people saw it they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord, He is God."

Elijah said to them, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not once of them escape." Elijah brought them to the brook of Kishon and slew them there.

Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, drink and eat, for there is a sound of abundance of rain." He did.

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