![]() Israelites who worshiped Baal in order to get rain to make their crops succeed were foolish indeed, for not even this god of the storm could bring water to the earth once Yahweh decided to close the heavens (17:1–7). For God to announce drought to a group of Baal worshipers, as He did when Elijah confronted Ahab, revealed who truly had the power. Many ancient Near Eastern cultures worshiped Baal, who was associated with fertility since he was the god of the storm and the rain. Elijah would demonstrate the glory of Yahweh over Baal and become the paradigm for the Hebrew prophets after him. Although we know almost nothing about his background, his name, which means “my God is Yah,” tells us almost everything we need to understand about his mission. We meet Elijah for the first time in today’s passage (17:1). ![]() Just when it appeared that Baal had won over the people of Israel, Yahweh sent His prophet to prove who was the true God. Paganism became so prevalent in the north that one man, Hiel, offered up his son Segub as a sacrifice while he rebuilt Jericho (v. However, Ahab gave state support to the worship of Baal, the Canaanite deity whom his wife Jezebel served (16:31–33). Jeroboam I’s introduction of images and unapproved shrines into the worship of Yahweh was bad enough (12:25–33). In fact, Ahab was the most notoriously wicked ruler in the northern kingdom’s history. Immediately, Ahab showed himself as one who rejected Yahweh, the Lord of Israel and one true God of all. Ahab the son of Omri ascended the throne of Israel in about 874 BC, ruling from Samaria, the new capital city built by his father (1 Kings 16:24, 29). ![]()
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