Kings 18:41-46
After the Lord had sent fire to burn the sacrifice on the mountain, the wicked men who prayed to Baal and told the people what was not true were punished, as God had said, for He knew how dreadful their evil was. Deuteronomy 13. Then Elijah told the king that there would be rain.
But the rain did not come until Elijah prayed to God for it. Ahab went to eat his meal, but Elijah went to the top of the mountain to pray. He sent a man to a place on the mountain where he could look toward the great sea which this mountain was near, to watch for a cloud in the sky.
People who have visited that land say that usually the sky is very, very clear, and one can see a long way. The man looked, then came back and told Elijah he could not see anything in the sky, all was clear.
Seven times Elijah sent him, while he prayed to God, but each time the man said there was nothing to see, until the last time; then he said he could see a little cloud, so small, it looked no larger than a man’s hand.
Elijah knew then, that the rain was coming, and he sent the man to tell King Ahab to hurry to his city before the storm would stop him.
That little cloud grew until all the sky was dark and the wind blew and a heavy rain came.
The king rode fast in his chariot, while Elijah ran before him all the way to the city gate. We do not know how far that was, but God gave him swiftness and strength to rejoice that He had sent the rain. Surely all the people were happy to have rain, so the grain and grass would grow again.
The Lord does not always keep rain from a land when His people disobey Him. But rain is one of His blessings, and wind and rain show us His power. Perhaps sometimes you are afraid of the dark clouds in the sky and of the hard storms. A good verse to think of is this, “The Lord Hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm.” Nahum 1:3. We can trust His wisdom as we see His power. Read also Acts 14:17.
We learn from the New Testament just how long this dry time lasted in Israel (Luke 4:25 and James 5:17,18).
What is the name of the mountain where Elijah prayed? 1 Kings 18:42. Perhaps you can find it marked on a map of Palestine. It is still called by the same name and is very near to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
ML 03/19/1939