God’s Story... For My Life
Sin’s Consequence
Read 1 Kings 17:1-7
Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”
Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”
So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
(1 Kings 17:1-7)
Reflect
Elijah was the first in a long line of important prophets God sent to Israel and Judah. Israel, the northern kingdom, had no faithful kings throughout its history. Each king was wicked, actually leading the people in worshiping pagan gods. Few priests from the tribe of Levi were left, most having gone to Judah, and the priests appointed by Israel’s kings were corrupt and ineffective. With no king or priests to bring God’s word to the people, God called prophets to try to rescue Israel from its moral and spiritual decline.
King Ahab and his wife Jezebel led the people of Israel in the worship of Baal, the chief god worshiped by the Sidonians—Jezebel’s people. Those who worshiped Baal believed he was the god who brought the rains and bountiful harvests. So when Elijah walked into the presence of this Baal-worshiping king and told him there would be no rain for several years, Ahab was shocked. Ahab had built a strong military defense, but it would be no help against drought. He had many priests of Baal, but they could not bring rain. Elijah bravely confronted the man who led his people into evil, and he told of a power far greater than any pagan god—the Lord God of Israel. When rebellion and heresy were at an all-time high in Israel, God responded not only with words but with action.
Respond
You can respond with words and action as you take a stand for truth. Ask God for the courage to share the gospel message with a coworker or family member.