I Kings 22 records the death of Ahab. During a battle with Syria, an enemy soldier shot an arrow “at a venture” (.34, randomly) and struck Ahab between the joints of his armor. Ahab, bleeding from the wound, was taken from the battle field and returned to Samaria where he died. A man washed the chariot of Ahab in the pool of Samaria and the dogs came and licked his blood just as Elijah had promised. Following his death, his son Ahaziah came to the throne to rule in his father's place, and he did all the wicked things that his father and mother had done.^[1]

The last time we saw Elijah, he was at Naboth’s vineyard, rebuking Ahab for his wickedness and pronouncing judgment on him and his whole family.

In today’s passage, we find Elijah continuing his battle against the worship of Baal. Remember that Baal was the storm god that the Canaanites worshipped, and there were various Baals associated with different locations. The Israelites had largely turned away from the true God and were worshipping the regional Baal gods. Ahab and Jezebel had done much to promote the worship of Baal in Israel, and Elijah had done much to oppose the worship of Baal.

In this passage, we see that God uses Elijah to prove once again that the God of Israel is the only true and living God, and one ignores/neglects him at his own peril. Judgment is the result when you turn away from the true and living God.

Let’s take a look at the text and see what we can learn about the causes of God’s judgment.

^[1] Wayne Vawter, Elijah and Elisha Messages, n.d.