Bio – Elijah

9^th century BC

Elijah was a mighty prophet of the Lord. Not much is known of the background of this man from Tishbe, in Upper Galilee, but he stood out as a champion of the Lord in a time of great wickedness. He confronted Ahab, who was the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel at the time, and Ahab’s wife Jezebel, who was a priestess of the false god Baal. Because of their evil actions, Elijah told them, there would be a dreadful drought throughout the land that would not end until he said so.

God told him to flee to a ravine. There, he was brought food by ravens and survived on the water from the brook, until God sent him to speak to a widow in Sidon. The widow and her young son were on the point of starvation, but Elijah told them that as long as the drought lasted, her flour and oil would not run out. When the widow’s son fell ill and died, Elijah called out to God, and the child was brought back to life.

Later, Elijah instigated a huge contest on Mount Carmel with the numerous priests of Baal, to show the people who was the true God. He told them that they had to commit to either one or the other. “If the Lord is God,” declared Elijah, “follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” The priests of Baal were unsuccessful in their attempts to call upon their god, but when Elijah’s water-logged sacrifice was consumed in flames, the people fell to their knees and acknowledged that the Lord was God. This was the end of the period of drought.

There was a time in his life when Elijah was plagued with feelings of despair and hopelessness. He spoke to God of his feelings of worthlessness, and God reassured him and restored him in his courage. At the end of his life, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire drawn by fiery horses. His spirit was passed on to his disciple, Elisha, who went on to perform many miracles. When Jesus was transfigured, it was Elijah who joined Moses by his side.

Elijah was bold and devout. The very name Elijah means “my God is Yahweh (or Jehovah)”, and in everything he did Elijah showed his devotion to God, never turning from his duty to pass on the Lord’s message, no matter the danger in which he found himself. He exposed hypocrisy, condemned idolatry, and confronted kings and queens. He put his heart and soul into his prayers—and God listened and took action. In spite of the evil times in which he lived, the opposition that he faced, and the doubts he had, Elijah was filled with commitment and zeal, and always turned to God.

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