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King Ahab had been doing just about everything possible to anger God (1 Kings 16:29-33), and because of this God told Ahab through Elijah that it wouldn’t rain for years until God said so (1 Kings 17:1). God then told Elijah to go somewhere else (presumably to hide from Ahab and his wife Jezebel), and God took care of him there (1 Kings 17:2-6). Once the brook near Elijah dried up, God told Elijah to go stay with a widow for a while (1 Kings 17:7-24).

In the third year, God told Elijah to meet with Ahab (1 Kings 18:1-19). It would be time for it to rain soon, and God was going to show the people of Israel who the real God was. Elijah told Ahab to get the prophets of Baal together and meet him on a specific mountain. The prophets of Baal were to build an altar to Baal, and Elijah would build an altar to God, and whichever deity answered by setting the sacrifice on fire was the real one (1 Kings 18:20-25). The prophets of Baal got their sacrifice ready and spent a long, long time calling out to Baal to answer them. It seems Elijah started having a little fun here. He started making fun of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:26-29). There are a few “excuses” Elijah came up with for Baal not answering, and one or two of them may be different depending on the translation you have. “Maybe he’s busy talking. Maybe he’s out hunting. Maybe he’s going potty. Maybe he’s sleeping and you need to yell louder to wake him up.”

Eventually the prophets of Baal gave up, and it was Elijah’s turn. He dug a trench around his altar, and once everything was in order, he had some people pour four barrels of water over it (1 Kings 18:30-33). Mind you, it hasn’t rained for about three years so I’m not sure how they felt about “wasting” the water. Then again, no one seems to have said anything about it. Elijah was ready for God to prove a point, and I wonder how he felt telling the people to pour four barrels of water on the sacrifice and altar two more times after that. The water had even filled up the trench around the altar (1 Kings 18:34-35).

Once that was all done, Elijah prayed aloud. Because it’s text and I can’t actually hear Elijah’s voice, I wonder how much attitude is coming across and also how much serious pleading is going on as Elijah pointedly talks about how God’s people need to turn their hearts back to him (1 Kings 18:36-37).

Suddenly fire fell and burned up everything! And I mean everything: the sacrifice, the altar, the dirt under it, and the water in the trench around it (1 Kings 18:38). At that point, everyone acknowledged that God was indeed God (1 Kings 18:39).

After some clean up (1 Kings 18: 40), Elijah told Ahab he’d better head home before he got rained on. Like, a lot of rain (1 Kings 18:41). Elijah then went to pray (1 Kings 18:42). As he prayed, he told his servant to go look out over the sea and tell him what was there. At first the servant saw nothing, and Elijah sent him to look seven times (1 Kings 18:43). Finally the servant saw a little cloud on the horizon that looked like a hand. At that point, Elijah sent his servant to hurry and tell Ahab that he’d better hurry and get his chariot ready or the rain would stop him (1 Kings 18:44).

This is what I think might be the most fun part. God gave Elijah super speed. Elijah tucked his robe up to free up his legs, and he outran Ahab’s chariot! (1 Kings 18:45-46) I wonder if Ahab saw Elijah from his chariot. Imagine his face! Imagine Elijah’s face!

Elijah’s story doesn’t end there. You can keep on reading in 1 Kings. It wasn’t all fun and run, but God was always there to encourage Elijah.