Elijah

Elijah was a prophet of God in the northern kingdom of Israel during the ninth century BCE. He lived when King Ahab and Queen Jezebel encouraged the people to worship Baal instead of the Lord. Elijah’s name means “The Lord is my God,” and his life matched his name. He bravely delivered God’s messages, even when rulers became angry with him. Elijah sometimes felt tired, afraid, or alone, but God protected him and showed that he was not forgotten.

Elijah’s story is found mainly in 1 Kings 17 through 19 and 21, and 2 Kings 1 and 2. During a long drought, God sent Elijah to the brook Kerith, where ravens brought him bread and meat. Later, a widow in Zarephath shared her last food with him. God kept her flour and oil from running out, and Elijah prayed when her son died. The boy’s life was restored. On Mount Carmel, Elijah faced the prophets of Baal before a watching crowd. They prepared sacrifices, but Baal gave no answer. Elijah repaired the Lord’s altar, placed his sacrifice upon it, and had water poured over everything. God sent fire that consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the water. Soon rain returned to the land. Later, when Elijah fled from Jezebel, God cared for him and met him at Mount Horeb in a quiet, gentle way. At the end of Elijah’s earthly ministry, a fiery chariot and horses separated him from Elisha, and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind.

Elijah’s life teaches children that God can provide in surprising ways, hear sincere prayer, and give courage when doing what is right feels lonely. It also shows that faithful people may become frightened or discouraged and still receive God’s patient care. Mount Carmel stands near the Mediterranean coast in what is now northern Israel. After Elijah was taken away near the Jordan River, Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak and continued his work as God’s prophet. Elijah is also remembered later in the Bible, including at Jesus’ transfiguration in the Gospels.