Divided kingdom · around 870–850 BC
Elijah in the Bible
The prophet of fire. Name meaning: “My God is the LORD” (Hebrew Eliyahu)
Elijah the Tishbite bursts onto the scene in the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, when the worship of Baal floods Israel. Through prayer he shuts up the sky, then calls down the fire of the LORD on Mount Carmel to prove who the true God is. After a deep crisis of discouragement, God restores him at Horeb; he is finally taken up to heaven in a whirlwind and reappears with Moses at the transfiguration of Jesus.
Key moments
- He announces the drought to Ahab 1 Kings 17:1
- Fed by ravens at the brook Cherith 1 Kings 17:6
- He raises the widow’s son 1 Kings 17:22
- The fire of the LORD falls on Carmel 1 Kings 18:38
- The still small voice at Horeb 1 Kings 19:12
- He throws his mantle over Elisha 1 Kings 19:19
- He goes up to heaven in a whirlwind 2 Kings 2:11
- He appears at the transfiguration Matthew 17:3
Strengths
- Zeal for God
- Courage
- Fervent prayer
- Obedience
- Lonely faithfulness
Weaknesses
After the triumph on Carmel, Elijah collapses before Jezebel’s threat: he flees, asks to die, and believes he is the only faithful one left, when God had kept seven thousand men for himself (1 Kgs 19:3-4, 10, 18).
Lessons for today
- We cannot “halt between two opinions”: we must clearly choose to follow the Lord (1 Kgs 18:21).
- The prayer of a man “subject to like passions as we are” can accomplish much (Jas 5:16-18).
- God cares for his worn-out servants: rest, food, then a fresh word and a new mission (1 Kgs 19:5-8, 15).
- God often reveals himself in a whisper rather than in the spectacular (1 Kgs 19:12).
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
People around Elijah
- Elisha — Disciple and successor
- Ahab — The king of Israel he confronts
- Jezebel — The idolatrous queen who wants to kill him
- The widow of Zarephath — The woman who feeds him during the famine
- Obadiah — Head of Ahab’s household, faithful to the LORD
- John the Baptist — Came “in the spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17)
Stories with Elijah
Quiz: how well do you know Elijah?
Who fed Elijah by the brook Cherith?
“The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening.” The widow of Zarephath came later. 1 Kings 17:5–6
On which mountain did Elijah confront the prophets of Baal?
Elijah had all Israel and the prophets of Baal gather “unto mount Carmel.” He would later flee all the way to Horeb. 1 Kings 18:19–20
According to the text, how did Elijah go up to heaven?
A chariot of fire and horses of fire parted Elijah and Elisha, “and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” 2 Kings 2:11
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