A key question we all have to answer is “Who is our authority?” The “gods” of our day or the Lord of the Bible? These questions have been asked for millennia and today we’ll read a powerful account of how the Lord answers this question through His prophet Elijah. Join us!
DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:
1. Three years have transpired between 1 Kings 17 and 1 Kings 18. What has been happening since 1st Kings 17? How should this have affected the spiritual climate in Israel during this time?
2. What does verse 3 say about Obadiah’s fear of the Lord? What kind of spiritual effort would it have required to follow the Lord in the midst of King Ahab’s reign? Do you know anyone in today’s day and age who follows the Lord faithfully in a hostile situation? What keeps them going?
3. In verse 17, how was Ahab’s greeting of Elijah as the “Troubler of Israel” a tacit admission that Elijah was having an impact on Ahab and the nation? How should he have responded to Elijah’s rebukes over the past couple of chapters? How did he respond instead?
4. In verse 18, where does Elijah lay the blame for Israel’s difficulties? What truths do these words contain about what has happened to the spiritual life of Ahab and the people?
5. What was Elijah’s suggestion in verse 19? What was Mount Carmel? According to the podcast, why was Elijah’s suggestion to have this “duel” at Mount Carmel a demonstration of his spiritual courage? Where do you think this courage came from? Do you have this kind of courage? Why or why not?
6. According to verse 22, what were Elijah’s odds? Why was he still in the “majority” (spiritually speaking), even with these numbers?
7. What did Elijah have the prophets of Baal do in verses 23-26? What was Baal’s “response” to his prophet’s cries of distress? What did they try to do in verses 28-29? What does all of this tell us about Baal’s true nature?
8. What did Elijah say to the Baal prophets in verse 27? Why could he be so confident, while so outnumbered?
9. What did Elijah do in verses 30-35? Why?
10. What did Elijah pray in verses 36 & 37? What does this prayer show that Elijah was trusting in?
11. How did the Lord answer his prayer in verse 38?
12. How did the people respond in verses 39 & 40? The podcast gave some reasons why, in their day, this wasn’t a severe reaction. What were some of those reasons?
13. What was the Lord’s final demonstration of His power in verses 41-45? What should this have caused Ahab to do? Does Ahab respond this way? Why or why not?
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Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.
