Session 15: 1 Kings 18

Session 15: 1 Kings 18

Summarize:

I. Ahab and Obadiah search for food for cattle(1-6)

A. God commands Elijah to come out of hiding and tell Ahab about God providing rain.

B.  Obadiah a servant of Ahab protects the prophets of God.

C.  Ahab and Obadiah divide to search the land for food.

II.  Elijah sends Obadiah to deliver Ahab a message(7-15)

A.  Obadiah fears reporting to Ahab will cost him his life if Elijah disappears.

B.  Elijah promises to wait and meet Ahab

III.  Elijah sets the stage for the challenge(16-20)

A.  Ahab accused Elijah of destroying Israel

B.  Elijah tells Ahab his house's disobedience to the Lord have caused the famine.

C.  Elijah tells Ahab to assemble the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel.

IV. Elijah challenges the people of Israel to follow God(21-29)

A.  Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a demonstration to see who serves the true God.

B.  Elijah mocks the prophets of Baal when their sacrifice is not consumed.

V. The Lord Reveals Himself by consuming the sacrifice (30-40)

A.  The people recognize Yahweh is God

VI. The land is cleansed and God sends rain(40-46)

A. Elijah commands that all the false prophets be put to death.

VII. Elijah waits for the Lord to send rain and warns Ahab to go home before the rain comes(41-46)

A. Elijah tells Ahab to refresh himself because rain is coming

B.  Elijah isolates himself and waits on God to fulfill His promise of rain

C.  God sends rain and Elijah and Ahab go to Jezreel

Analyze

Read 1 Kings 18:1-6

1. Why does Elijah have to present himself to Ahab? What caused Elijah to hide himself from Ahab?(1 King 17)

a. What does the text tell us about Obadiah? How is the bible's description of him relate to what the bible describes of his deeds? How does knowing the land was in famine color his deeds?

The Kingdom of Israel is largely wicked and most people who fear God have fled to Judah. Obadiah is a person who fears God but is in a position where he is also bound to serve an ungodly and corrupt king.

b. How can confidence in God’s sovereignty help you to live a life of righteous integrity? Even if it may cost you? (Matt 10:28, Luke 12:5, Jn 15:18)

Read 1 Kings 18:7-15

2. Does fear or respect/humility characterize Obadiah’s reception of Elijah? What reasons would he have to fear him? What reasons would he have to respect/humble himself before him? (7, 9, 14)

a. How does Obadiah’s fear of the Lord affect the way he treats Elijah?

b. Do you fear the Lord? What are your difficulties in relating to that statement and fearing God?

c. Have you met someone who has the marks of reverence/fear for God? Would people you know characterize you as someone who fears and reveres God?

Obadiah has long tried to straddle pleasing God while still pleasing Ahab. His encounter with Elijah pits his two masters against each other leaving him with the decision of whom he will place first.(Matt 6:24-34)

d. When a person does fear God, does that affect your trust in that person? How is fear of God related to trust both in your interpersonal relationships and your relationship with God?

Read 1 Kings 18:16-20

3. How does Ahab greet Elijah? What is Elijah’s response?

a. Why do people have the tendency to blame others and absolve themselves of responsibility?(Gal 6:7-8)

b. What areas of your life are you prone to avoiding guilt or responsibility?

c. What does Elijah tell Ahab to do?

Elijah’s request for Ahab to summon the prophets of Baal is a response to Ahab’s accusation. Their exchange of words will be validated by this contest to see both who is responsible for the drought and whose god is sovereign.

Read 1 Kings 18:21-29

4. What question does Elijah ask as a challenge to the people of Israel?

Elijah serves as an antitype to the person of Christ. God had made a covenant with Israel that if they would obey them He would bless them with rain, however if they didn’t follow Him then He would withhold the rain.(Deut 28, Lev 26) Rain was crucial to the survival of Israel because this was the only way their crops could be watered. Obedience/trust in God meant life. Disobedience meant death. This challenge echoes the sentiments Jesus later expresses in John 10. Following anything other than God will lead to destruction, but true blessing and life come from the Lord.(Jn 10:10)

a. What are the two worlds you are straddling? Who are the two masters you are trying to please? (Matt 6:24, 33)

b. What areas of life are you having trouble trusting God with so that you can be fully devoted to Him?  

Read 1 Kings 18:30-40

5. How do the ways the prophets of Baal present their sacrifice differ from the way the prophet of God sacrifices?

a. How does the way Elijah present his sacrifice demonstrate faith? (Eph 2:8-9) How does this enhance your understanding of salvation by faith and walking in faith?

b.  How do the Israelites react to God’s revelation of sovereignty and power?

c. What does Elijah instruct the people to do to the prophets of Baal? (Deut 13)

Read 1 Kings 18:41-46

6.   Why does Elijah tell Ahab to eat? What does Elijah do after predicting a rainstorm?(41)

a. How is Elijah’s prediction related to the killing of the prophets of Baal?(Deut 28:12, 1 Kings 18:1)

b. What would cause Elijah to be anxious or fearful about sending rain?(Deut 13)

c. What are some things God has revealed to His people that we are told to proclaim?  What kind of assurances do we have that what God tells us to proclaim will actually happen?

d. How does Elijah handle the anxiety of waiting? How does Elijah’s example teach us to handle uncertainty and anxiety?

Contextualize:

1. God desires total devotion of His people

2. Man can not truly serve God if God is not the number one priority of his life.

3. God is faithful to those who love/obey Him.

Actualize:

Spend this week identifying the “masters” of your life and write them down. Write down the reasons why you serve those masters and the fears you have about allowing God to be your only Master. Surrender them to God and tell someone you trust to encourage you and keep you accountable.