I KINGS 16-20 OBSERVATIONS

CHAPTER 16

Baasha Reigns in Israel

• 3^rd year of Asa: Judah
• Reigned 24 years
• Did evil: walked in ways of Jeroboam, made Israel sin

Elah Reigns in Israel

• Son of Baasha
• 26^th year of Asa: Judah
• Reigned 2 years
• Drunkard
• Zimri killed him while drinking

Zimri Reigns in Israel

• 27^th year of Asa: Judah
• 7 days
• Committed treason, sinned, evil like Jeroboam

Israel Divided in Two

• Half follow Tibni; half follow Omri
• Lmri prevailed

Omri Reigns in Israel

• 31^st year of Asa: Judah
• 12 years
• Built Samria
• Did evil in eyes of Lord, worse than all before him, followed in ways of Jeroboam

Ahab Reigns in Israel

• Son of Omri
• 38^th year of Asa
• 22 years
• Did evil in sight of Lord, more than all before him.
• Did more to provoke the Lord than all before him.
• Wife: Jezebel (daughter of king of Sidonians)
• Served and worshiped Baal in temple he made in Samaria
• Built Jerico

CHAPTER 17

Elijah Proclaims Drought

• Word of the Lord came to him
• Drought is coming
• God: I will provide for you via Brook Cherith and ravens
• Then brook dried up.

Elijah and the Widow

• God: go to Zarephath (Sidon)—which was the center of Baal worship
• I’ve got a widow prepared to provide for you.
• He found woman
• Asked her for a little bread in her hand, which was all she had
• She gave it
• God provided flour for them and her son until rain came

Widow’s Son Revived

• Son became sick and stopped breathing
• Woman’s question: “Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
• Elijah took son upstairs, prayed three times and God revived him.
• Woman’s response: “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

CHAPTER 18

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

• After 3 years of drought—severe famine in Samaria
• Word of Lord comes to Elijah: “Go present yourself to Ahab, I will send rain.”
• Note: Elijah called Obadiah who had taken 100 prophets of God and hidden them in two caves because Ahab was killing them for Jezebel.
• When Elijah called him to go to Ahab and announce that Elijah wanted to speak to him, he was afraid Ahab would kill him as well.
• Elijah calmed him and Obadiah went to Ahab.
• Ahab: “Is that you O troubler of Israel?”
• But the real source of the trouble was Ahab, and his wife Jezebel
• Elijah:
• I have not troubled Israel, but you have by forsaking God’s commandments and worshiping Baal.
• Bring your 850 prophets to Mt Carmel (450 for Baal; 400 for Asherah)

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory

• Elijah boldly sets the challenge: to prophets: “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him. If Baal, follow him.”
• How long are you going to sit on the fence—make a decision and get off the fence!!
• The prophets: No answer
• Elijah frames the test: “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord”
• Bring two bulls
• I’ll prepare one, you prepare the other
• We’ll see whom God answers
• People agreed (note: people are already effectively following Elijah’s lead)

RESULT:

• By noon, no fire under prophet’s sacrifice
• Elijah taunts them
• By evening, still no fire
• Elijah
• took 12 stones,
• repaired the altar in the name of the Lord,
• built altar saying, “Israel shall be your name”
• Poured water over it 3 times so it was flooded with water (which is used to put fire OUT!!)
• At time of evening sacrifice, called the people near then called on God saying:
• 1 Kings 18:36 - 37 (NASB) ³⁶ … “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”
• Then the FIRE FELL!
• Consumed sacrificeàwoodàstonesàdustàwater
• NOTE How God’s fire burned from the TOP DOWN, not bottom up like a normal fire would do.

DROUGHT ENDS

• Elijah to Ahab and people: Go eat and drink, rain is coming
• Elijah went back to Mt Carmel:
• Looked 7 times to sea…no sign of cloud
• 7^th time he saw a small cloud
• Elijah to Ahab: get out of here and head to Jezereel, and Elijah took off as well and out ran Ahab.

CHAPTER 19

Elijah Escapes from Jezebel

• Elijah had strong confidence in the Lord, but was scared of a woman, why?
• When Ahab reported to her what Elijah had done, she wanted his life.
• Elijah then ran for his life to Beersheva, then left his servant there and went another day further into the wilderness.
• Exhausted, he lay down depressed
• Angel comes and feeds him
• He went 40 more days/nights in the strength of that food…all the way to Horeb.
• Begins to feel sorry for himself, thinking he is the only prophet of God left.

God Reveals Himself to Elijah

• Elijah: I have done what You ask and now they want to kill me.
• 1 Kings 19:14 (NASB) ¹⁴Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
• Lord comes to him in a still small voice:
• 1 Kings 19:18 (NASB) ¹⁸“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

CHAPTER 20

Ahab Defeats the Syrians

• Ben-Hadad king of Syria with 32 kings besieged Samaria
• Ahab seeks counsel of elders of land
• Prophet of God: I will deliver this multitude into your hand
• After 7 days, the battle results: 100,000 soldiers killed; 27,000 killed when wall of city of Apek fell on the rest.

Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad

• Ben-Hadad seeks mercy
• Ahab gives him mercy and makes a treaty with him

Ahab Condemned

• Prophet to Ahab:
• 1 Kings 20:42 - 43 (NASB) ⁴²He said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’” ⁴³So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.