Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
(1Kings19:1~8)

Elijah was an Israelite prophet God used in a remarkable way. He was the one who proved that only Yahweh is the true God when the whole nation fell into the idolatry of Baal under the influence of Ahab and Jezebel. Also through his prayer, rain came down from heaven. Even such a great man of God, however, had a time when he asked God to have him die.

1. Fire came down from heaven by prayer
1)When the whole nation fell into idolatry, Elijah the servant of God confronted 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah to demonstrate Yahweh as one true God. (1Kings 18:19~20)
2) Elijah built an altar on Mount Carmel and prayed to God. Then the fire of the Lord fell from heaven and burned up the sacrifice. The whole Israel witnessed what happened that day.(1Kings 18:36~38)


2. Rain came down from heaven by prayer
1)When Elijah prayed to God for the Israelites suffering from a prolonged drought, God answered his prayer and sent a heavy rain. (1Kings 18:41~45)
2) As the power of God came upon Elijah, he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot at one burst all the way to Jezreel, which was several dozen kilometers away. (1Kings 18:46)

3. Elijah’s despair and God’s comfort
1) Upon hearing what had happened, Jezebel threatened to take Elijah’s life.(1Kings 19:2)
2) Then Elijah, in his physical and mental exhaustion, was terrified all of a sudden and ran away. Under a broom tree deep in the wilderness, Elijah asked God to take his life and then fell asleep. God sent his angel and comforted Elijah.(1Kings 19:3~4)
3) We are not alone in any conditions. God understands all our circumstances. If only we come to Him, He will feed and comfort us.(1Kings 19:5~8)

Conclusion
In life, we all are likely to experience physical and mental exhaustion to the extent we cannot do anything. In those times, we need God’s comfort. If only we come to God, we will find true rest and comfort. We will be empowered to rise again from the place of despair. In this year, always look to the Lord. All believers of God will renew their strength and live a victorious life by looking to and relying on Him.