Elijah & King Ahab (Northern Kingdom)
Elijah Confronts Ahab (1 Kings 17:1-24)
While there is no book in the Bible that bears Elijah’s name, he is given more space in the Deuteronomist's history than any other prophet, including Isaiah and Jeremiah.
King Ahab of Israel was worse than his father, King Omri (16:30). He married Jezebel, a worshiper of the Canaanite god Baal. Not only did he allow her to worship Baal, he also worshiped her gods. He also built altars to Baal and made an idol to represent Asherah, Baal's mistress. The implication is that he gave approval to human sacrifice as part of worship (16:31-34). Ahab is confronted by Elijah for his misdeeds. Elijah issued a challenge to Ahab: Bring the people and all the Baal prophets to Mt. Carmel for a test of strength (18:17-19).
On Mt. Carmel, Elijah stages a contest between Yahweh and Baal. Each side builds an altar. Each takes a bull and slaughters it and places it on an altar of wood. Each is not to light the altar. Rather Elijah says that each side will call on the name of their god to light the altar. The prophets of Baal go first, calling on Baal all day. At noon, Elijah begins to make fun saying to call Baal louder. He suggest that Baal must be using the restroom. They even cut themselves as part of this ritual, but at the end of the day nothing has happened. Elijah digs a trench around the altar to Yahweh and then has people pour water over the alter until the trench fills up. Elijah then prays to God.
God sends down fire which consumes the burnt offering, the wood of the altar, the twelve stones used in the altar, the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. Triumphant, Elijah slaughters the priests of Baal and announces that Yahweh is ending the long drought that has afflicted Israel. (1 Kings 18)
He is driven from his homeland by Jezebel's death threats. Arriving at Mt. Horeb/Sinai, Elijah rested in a cave. While he was there, he had a theophany.
The LORD appeared with an accusing question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (19:9). Instead of answering the question, Elijah complained that he was the only faithful servant of the LORD left. Told to go stand on the mountain, he does not encounter God in wind, earthquake, or fire. Instead, he encounters God in the "sound of a gentle breeze" (19:11-12). God tells him "Get up and get busy. There are seven thousand people in Israel who are still faithful" (19:9-18). On his return, he found a new disciple named Elisha. (1 Kings 19:9-21)
Ahab, Naboth, and Elijah (1 Kings 21:1-29)
King Ahab wanted the vineyards of Naboth. When Naboth refused to sell his vineyards, Jezebel sets out to help Ahab get them by any means necessary. She bribes witnesses to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy. Naboth is tried and convicted of this crime and is stoned to death as punishment. His property is then forfeited to King Ahab (Chapter 21). When Ahab goes to inspect the property, Elijah is there and denounces the king's sin. Ahab repents, causing Yahweh to delay his punishment. However, shortly after this time, the king is killed at the Battle of Ramoth-gilead (Ch. 22).
Not only does Elijah survive the prosecution and persecution by Ahab and Jezebel whose deaths he helps to hasten, but he soon receives the most spectacular validation of any Israelite prophet: a public ascent to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-12).