A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                         THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART II

"I, Elijah, am a prophet of the God of Israel...I live in Tishbe in Gilead.... Our king is a man named king Ahab.... Unfortunately, he is not a good king.... In fact, he is a very bad king.... The other day God spoke to me... He told me to go to king Ahab.... I had to deliver a message to him from my God.... I obeyed my God and went to see the king.... I told him that there would be no rain for the next few years except at my word.... I then left the king.... I knew I could not go back home for it would not be safe to do so.... The Lord knew that as well.... So He told me to go and hide myself in a ravine.... I went there.... As a matter of fact I am still there.... My God is so good for He has made sure I have water....And twice a day food is brought to me by ravens....Only my God is able to command them to do so.... I may well stay here until the Lord tells me that He will send rain once again....."...... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the prophet Elijah's visit to king Ahab....


                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                        THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART

To help us begin to learn that Elijah was a man just like us let's start reading I King 17:1-6

Now Elijah the Tishbite fromTishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, "Leave here, turn eastwards, and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to fee you there." So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

We don't seem to know anything about Elijah's beginnings. All we know is that he is from a place called Tishbe. By the time we get to know him, he is, most likely, already established as a prophet and is know by king Ahab. What he has to say to the king is not very encouraging, but it does happen. In fact his words to the king will have caused the king to have become very angry so God tells him to hide from the king.