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I lodge, by killing her son?” And he stretched
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himself out on the child three times, and cried
out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I
17:1 Elijah.His name means “the LORD is God.” pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
The prophet Elijah’s ministry corresponded to 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and
his name: He was sent by God to confront the soul of the child came back to him, and he
Baalism and to declare to Israel that the Lord revived.
was God and there was no other. Tishbite. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him
Elijah lived in a town called Tishbe, east of the down from the upper room into the house, and
Jordan River in the vicinity of the Jabbok River. gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See,
not be dew nor rain. The autumn and spring your son lives!”
rains and summer dew were necessities for 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by
the crops of Israel.The Lord had threatened to this I know that you are a man of God, and that
withhold these from the Land if His people the word of the LORD in your mouth is the
turned from Him to serve other gods (Lev.
26:18,19; Deut. 11:16,17; 28:23,24). Elijah had truth.”
prayed for the drought (James 5:17) and God And it came to pass after many days that
answered. It lasted 3 years and 6 months. The 18 the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in
drought proved that Baal, the god of the rains the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to
and fertility, was impotent before the Lord. Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab;
and there was a severe famine in Samaria. And
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water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge
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was going to get it, he called to her and said, of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD
“Please bring me a morsel of bread in your greatly. For so it was, while Jezebel massacred
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hand.”
12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I
do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a
bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gath- 18:3 Obadiah. His name means “servant of
ering a couple of sticks that I may go in and the LORD.”He was the manager of Ahab’s royal
prepare it for myself and my son, that we may palace and a devout worshiper of the Lord,
eat it, and die.” who had demonstrated his devotion to the
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and Lord by protecting 100 of the Lord’s prophets
do as you have said, but make me a small cake from death by Jezebel (vv. 4,13), which had
from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward put him on tenuous ground with Ahab.
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make some for yourself and your son. For
thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of
flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had
oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain taken one hundred prophets and hidden them,
on the earth.’ ” fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and
15 So she went away and did according to the water.) And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go
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word of Elijah; and she and he and her house- into the land to all the springs of water and to
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hold ate for many days. The bin of flour was all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to
not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, keep the horses and mules alive, so that we
according to the word of the LORD which He will not have to kill any livestock.” So they
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spoke by Elijah. divided the land between them to explore it;
17 Now it happened after these things that Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah
the son of the woman who owned the house went another way by himself.
became sick. And his sickness was so serious 7 Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly
that there was no breath left in him. So she Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and
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said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord
man of God? Have you come to me to bring Elijah?”
my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” 8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your
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And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
he took him out of her arms and carried him 9 So he said, “How have I sinned, that you
to the upper room where he was staying, and are delivering your servant into the hand of
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laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to Ahab, to kill me? As the LORD your God lives,
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the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You there is no nation or kingdom where my mas-
also brought tragedy on the widow with whom ter has not sent someone to hunt for you; and
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