The story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 is the account of a prophet who boldly confronts the false prophets of Ba’al and calls down fire from heaven. This passage also contains a powerful message about the impact one person can have in the face of overwhelming opposition. Elijah’s unwavering faith in God and his willingness to stand up and be counted as God’s messenger serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, one man can make a difference.
Many people are familiar with the background of 1 Kings 18. After King Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel slid into political and spiritual decline. The nation split into two separate kingdoms: Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. In the northern kingdom, from King Jeroboam’s reign onwards and until the reign of King Ahab, the people turned away from God and his commandments and started worshipping idols. Elijah was God’s messenger to the northern kingdom King Ahab and his Phoenician Queen, Jezebel, established Ba’al worship as the official religion of the state.
God sent Elijah to confront Ahab, Jezebel, and the people of Israel. As God’s messenger, Elijah announced a punishment from God: a drought in Israel. The drought lasted for three and a half years and resulted in a severe famine affecting the entire region. For Elijah’s protection – and because Ahab sought his life in response to God’s discipline – God placed Elijah in hiding.
Finally, after three and a half years, God called Elijah out of hiding to once again confront Ahab. Elijah reprimanded Ahab for leading the Israelites away from God and into the worship of Ba’al. He further publicly challenged the prophets of Ba’al to a contest of sacrifices on Mount Carmel: the deity whose sacrifice was consumed by fire would be recognized as the true God.
It was one against many. But God vindicated His prophet, and His power, by sending fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice.
Elijah’s confrontation at Mount Carmel brought the nation back to acknowledge Yahweh as the true God of Israel. Today, his example reminds us that even if we are alone, against an entire nation, God promises to stand with us in our faithful obedience to Him, and to use that faithful obedience for His glory. God’s commission to Elijah – to confront an entire nation for its sin – was seemingly impossible. But because he obeyed God, God used Elijah to do the impossible.
Elijah’s example is also an encouragement that God can (and often does) use just one person to bring change. You may be alone, but you may be the one God uses to bring revival to your community. It may seem impossible. It may require more endurance, courage, and conviction than you have. It may take far longer than you imagined. You might even have to go into hiding (like Elijah)! But God will provide what you need for faithful obedience. As the apostle Paul reminds his readers in 1 Corinthians 15:58:
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.”
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