For 40 Days – Day 22: Man’s End: Content

Key Episode Scripture: 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19 and 2 Kings chapter 2

“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21 ESVUK)

The mission of God is not easy. People called by God can feel under the strain of events and circumstances. Even the best can reach the end of themselves. What happens then? Elijah understands this very well. Having established the context for this episode that saw Elijah engage on a 40-day journey, this looks to outline the content. This is not a substitute for reading it for yourselves. This is an outline that, in places, merely looks to summarise and, in other places, looks to point to some key features of action that will be the basis to explore later on key concepts God wants us to appreciate in the mission.

1 Kings 18

1-6 – As the drought hits year three, God instructs Elijah to meet Ahab to tell him it’s going to be over. Meanwhile, the severity of the famine has King Ahab and his household overseer, Obadiah (a sympathiser of those who worship God), sorting out a way to look for supplies to feed the livestock. They agree to go in different directions, searching for water.

7-16 – Obadiah meets Elijah. Elijah tells him to holler at Ahab for a meeting. Obadiah is petrified because Elijah is such an enemy of the state that anyone who doesn’t give him up is sworn to not harbour Elijah at risk of bloodshed. Obadiah protests that he’s looked out for God’s prophets, hiding them from Jezebel’s wipeout policy. Elijah reassures Obadiah that he’ll stick around to meet Ahab.

17-19 – Ahab meets Elijah and calls him a nuisance. Elijah says Ahab is a nuisance for selling out God to follow Baal. He says there should be a meeting between Baal/Asherah prophets against him live on Mt. Carmel.

20-25 – The clash is set up. Elijah tells the audience that this is about who is the real God. To sort it out, he suggests a test by fire, where whichever God can set a sacrifice alight is the real one. The people are a bit quiet about being spiritual adulterers but are up for the contest.

26-29 – The Baal prophets have the first go, setting up the sacrifice and then doing their jigs and rituals to see if Baal will answer. Elijah mocks them for their lack of response, which only agitates them to be more eager to get Baal to answer—all to no avail.

30-40 – After a while and in time for the evening offering, Elijah calls the people and sets up an altar to reference God’s relationship with Israel. He sets things up so that the altar is thoroughly drenched. Then, he prays to God, looking for God to win the fire trial. Fire from God consumes everything. The people acknowledge that Yahweh is the real God. Elijah uses the revelation to have the Baal prophets seized and slaughtered in a brook.

41-46 – Elijah tells Ahab that he better sort himself out because rain is coming. Ahab does that. Elijah goes back up Mt Carmel to pray and get regular updates on any developments on the sea. When he’s told there’s a little cloud ahead, he instructs his servant to tell Ahab to move on, or the rain will stop him. Before long, great rain hits the land, and God gets Elijah to reach Jezreel ahead of Ahab even though the king has a headstart.

1 Kings 19

1-3 – Ahab tells Jezebel what happened, including the departure of Baal’s prophets. Jezebel gets a message to Elijah saying that he’s gonna join them. Elijah, afraid, does a runner going as far as Judah to drop off his servant.

4-8 – Elijah goes to the wilderness, sits under a broom tree, and asks God to end his life. As he sleeps, an angel wakes him to have something to eat and drink, which the angel provides. Elijah does that and goes back to sleep. The angel wakes him again with more food because of the journey ahead. Elijah eats and drinks and then journeys to Horeb, God’s mountain. The journey takes 40 days and 40 nights.

9-12 – Arriving, God asks Elijah what he’s doing there. Elijah outlines his plight—he’s the last man standing, and now he’s not going to be standing for long. God tells Elijah to pop out on the mountain, where great acts of nature indicate the presence of power without God being in them. It’s a whisper that gets Elijah to pop out.

13-18 – God asks Elijah what he’s doing there. Elijah outlines his plight—being the last man standing. Wait a minute—we’ve been here before, no? God responds to Elijah with a series of instructions—anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha to replace him. God will sort out everyone between those three. Oh, and he’s got about 7,000 in Israel who don’t worship Baal.

19-21 – Elijah finds Elisha doing his farming business. Elijah puts the cloak on him. Elisha says he needs to say buy to his folks before following. Elijah wants to know what’s bugging him. Elisha has a goodbye meal featuring the cattle he uses for work; then, he becomes Elijah’s assistant.

2 Kings 2

1-3 – It’s time for God to take Elijah. Elijah and Elisha are in Gilgal. Elijah encourages Elisha to stay as he has to go beyond Bethel. Elisha says nope, he isn’t leaving him. They get to Bethel, and prophets tell Elisha that today God is taking Elijah. Elisha says he knows, and they can be quiet.

4-5 – Elijah and Elisha are in Bethel. Elijah encourages Elisha to stay as he’s got to go to Jericho. Elisha says nope, he’s not leaving him. They get to Jericho, and prophets tell Elisha that God is taking Elijah today. Elisha says he knows, and they can be quiet.

6-8 – Elijah encourages Elisha to stay as he’s got to go to Jordan. Elisha says nope, he isn’t leaving him. Prophets observe the two of them in Jordan. Elijah gets the river to split by his rolled-up cloak so the two can cross on dry land.

9-14 – On the other side, Elijah offers Elisha a final offer before he’s taken. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah says that’s a tough ask, but he gets his desire if he sees how he’s taken. If not, then he won’t. Chariots of fire take Elijah; Elisha observes it in amazement and gets Elijah’s cloak to use as his own. He gets to see if what worked for Elijah works for him at the Jordan, and it does.

15-18 – The prophets who watched the two go across the Jordan see one return and acknowledge that Elisha is Elijah’s successor. They beg Elisha to go looking for Elijah’s body despite Elisha saying it’s not worth it. When he permits them, they subsequently discover it wasn’t worth it, with Elisha saying, “Told you so”.

19-22 – Elisha is told about a place that looks great but is unfruitful, especially because of bad water. He asks for a bowl of salt, throws it in the water, and says the water’s fine. And the water was indeed fine.

23-25 – In Bethel, a group of boys mock him about his bald head. Elisha curses them in God’s name, and two bears maul 42 of the boys. Elisha travels on to return to Samaria.

Next, we will examine a few fascinating concepts that help us understand what’s happening and why it’s so important in this episode of what happens at Man’s End.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom