A Journey through the Bible with Tiglath

61. The 1st Book of Kings, Chapter 19, v 15 to 2nd Book of Kings, Chapter 1

After hearing the ‘still, small voice’ at the mouth of the cave, Elijah is given

several tasks by God. One of these is to anoint Elisha to be his companion and

a prophet. When Elijah finds Elisha he is ploughing with twelve oxen and

Elijah makes him a prophet by throwing his cloak round him. Read verses 20

and 21, which tell what Elisha did after being made a prophet.

Chapter 20 need not detain us as it concerns fighting between Israel and

Syria. Chapter 21 contains far more human interest. It is a dispute over land.

A man named Naboth had a vineyard next door to King Ahab’s

palace at Jezreel. Ahab wished to

acquire this vineyard and made an offer

to Naboth. Either he would obtain a

better vineyard for Naboth, or he would

pay him money for his existing

property. Naboth refused to part with

his vineyard. This so upset Ahab that

he went to bed in a sulk. His wife

Jezebel, who was of much tougher

fibre, tells him to get up, stop sulking

and have something to eat.

She would get Naboth’s vineyard for the king. Verses 8 to 16 tell of how

Jezebel accomplished this. God must have been very angry over this because

he instructed Elijah to confront Ahab in the vineyard. He instructed Elijah to

say to Ahab in verse 19 ‘In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth

shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.’ Verses 20 — 22 show the extent of

God’s anger. In verse 23 God says ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of

Jezreel’. Ahab had a very wicked reputation but when he heard the words of

Elijah he rent his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. Because he humbled

himself God told Elijah he would not bring the evil in the king’s days but

would bring it in his son’s days.

Chapter 22 tells how Ahab was killed fighting to regain a place called

Ramoth-in-Gilead. When Ahab died the blood ran out of his wounds into the

middle of his chariot and later the dogs licked it up, as God had over Israel.

foretold. The 1st Book of Kings ends by describing the good reign of

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and the evil reign of Ahaziah. At the beginning of

the 2nd Book of Kings Ahaziah has had a fall and is sick. The king sent

messengers to the pagan God Baal-zebub to find out if he would recover from his

illness. God instructed Elijah to meet these messengers and ask them why the

king is consulting Baal. God told Ahaziah he would not arise from his bed, but he

would die there. After this, the messengers returned to the king, bearing this

news. The king knew that they had met Elijah. Verse 8 gives us a taste of what

Elijah was like. Ahaziah sends three companies of 50 men to try to persuade

Elijah to visit the king. The first two companies are consumed by fire. It is only

with the third company that Elijah visits the king to tell him he will surely die

(verse 17).

In the next part of our journey Elijah divides the Jordan and is taken

up to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Ahab & Jezebel meet Elijah and

Naboth in the vineyard