Prophet Elijah
Elijah stood up boldly for God in
a time when idolatry had
swept his land. In fact, his name
means "My God is Yah(weh)."
The false god Elijah opposed
was Baal, the favorite deity
of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab of
Israel. To please Jezebel, Ahab
had altars erected to Baal, and
the queen murdered God's prophets.
Elijah appeared before King Ahab to announce God's curse: "As the LORD, the
God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few
years except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1, NIV)
Then Elijah fled to the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan River, where ravens
brought him bread and meat. When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to live
with a widow in Zarephath. God performed another miracle there, blessing the
woman's oil and flour so it did not run out. Unexpectedly, the widow's son died.
Elijah stretched himself on the boy's body three times, and God restored the child's
life.
Confident of the power of God, Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and
the 400 prophets of the false god Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel. The
idolaters sacrificed a bull and cried out to Baal from morning until nightfall, even
slashing their skin until blood flowed, but nothing happened. Elijah then rebuilt the
altar of the Lord, sacrificing a bull there.
He put the burnt offering on it, along with wood. He had a servant douse the
sacrifice and wood with four jars of water, three times, until all was thoroughly
soaked.
Elijah called on the Lord, and God's fire fell from heaven, consuming the offering,
the wood, the altar, the water, and even the dust around it.
The people fell on their faces, shouting, "The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God."
(1 Kings 18:39, NIV) Elijah ordered the people to slay the 850 false prophets.
Elijah prayed, and rain fell on Israel. Jezebel was furious at the loss of her prophets,
however, and swore to kill him. Afraid, Elijah ran to the wilderness, sat under a
broom tree, and in his despair, asked God to take his life. Instead, the prophet
slept, and an angel brought him food. Strengthened, Elijah went 40 days and 40
nights to Mount Horeb, where God appeared to him in a whisper.
God ordered Elijah to anoint his successor, Elisha, whom he found plowing with 12
yoke of oxen. Elisha killed the animals for a sacrifice and followed his master. Elijah
went on to prophesy the deaths of Ahab, King Ahaziah, and Jezebel.
Like Enoch, Elijah did not die. God sent chariots and horses of fire and took Elijah
up to heaven in a whirlwind, while Elisha stood watching.
Lesson Learned:
The life of Elijah is a big challenge to me in that, he was bold enough to stand
before Ahab and tell him of the prolonged drought endangering his life. He
obeyed and was patience with God to direct him the way forward, which is
difficult with me at time to wait on God’s direction.
The Bible tells us that Elijah was a man like the rest of us. He struggled with the
same passions and doubts that we have This does not necessary mean he was
involved in passionate sins, it simply means that he had the same temptations we
have. Yet, through prayer and faith, he was able to trust the Lord. There were
times when Elijah wasn’t sure what the Lord’s leading was. He did not always know
how God was going to work, but he knew enough to trust.
King Solomon
SOLOMON is a teen-ager
when he becomes king.
He loves Jehovah, and he
follows the good advice
that his father David gave
him. Jehovah is pleased
with Solomon, and so one
night he says to him in a
dream: ‘Solomon, what
would you like me to give you?’
At this Solomon answers: ‘Jehovah my God, I am very young and I don’t know
how to rule. So give me the wisdom to rule your people in a right way.’
Jehovah is pleased with what Solomon asks. So He says: ‘Because you have
asked for wisdom and not for long life or riches, I will give you more wisdom than
anyone who has ever lived. But I will also give you what you did not ask for, both
riches and glory.’
A short time later two women come to Solomon with a hard problem. ‘This
woman and I live in the same house,’ explains one of them. ‘I gave birth to a
boy, and two days later she also gave birth to a baby boy. Then one night her
baby died. But while I was asleep, she put her dead child next to me and took
my baby. When I woke up and looked at the dead child, I saw that it was not
mine.’
At this the other woman says: ‘No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is
hers!’ The first woman answers: ‘No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is
mine!’ This is the way the women argue. What will Solomon do?
He sends for a sword, and, when it is brought, he says: ‘Cut the living baby in
two, and give each woman half of it.’
‘No!’ cries the real mother. ‘Please don’t kill the baby. Give it to her!’ But the
other woman says: ‘Don’t give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two.’
Finally Solomon speaks: ‘Don’t kill the child! Give him to the first woman. She is
the real mother.’ Solomon knows this because the real mother loves the baby so
much that she is willing to give him to the other woman so he won’t be killed.
When the people hear how Solomon solved the problem, they are glad to have
such a wise king.
During the rule of Solomon, God blesses the people by making the soil grow
plenty of wheat and barley, grapes and figs and other foods. The people wear
fine clothes and live in good houses. There is more than enough of everything
good for everybody.
Lesson Learned:
Solomon was a great king, and he was also a very wise man. In fact, he became
famous across the world for his wisdom. Solomon did not study in order to become
wise. He studied because he was wise. A wise person always wants to learn more.
Solomon taught the people many things like how to give importance in such a
thing, he uses wisdom and knowledge in everything he do because in reality you
need to be wise and in the other hand you should have faith in God at the same
time.
