Yahweh Did Not Communicate With Eliyah Daily
1 Melakhim 18: 1 reads, "18:1It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Eliyah, in the third year, saying, 'Go, show yourself to Ach'av; and I will send rain on the earth.'"
It should be noted that the word of Yahweh did not come to Eliyah every single day that Eliyah lived. There were times that it was interspersed by many days, as shown above. It should also be noted that it is Yahweh who sends his word, and he chooses when to send it and when not to send it, even to his prophets who are serving him.
1 Melakhim 18: 2-16 reads, "18:2Eliyah went to show himself to Ach'av. The famine was sore in Shomron. 18:3Ach'av called `Ovadyah, who was over the household. (Now `Ovadyah feared Yahweh greatly: 18:4for it was so, when Izevel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that `Ovadyah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) 18:5Ach'av said to `Ovadyah, 'Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.' 18:6So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ach'av went one way by himself, and `Ovadyah went another way by himself. 18:7As `Ovadyah was in the way, behold, Eliyah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, 'Is it you, my master Eliyah?' 18:8He answered him, 'It is I: go, tell your master, "Behold, Eliyah is here."' 18:9He said, 'Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ach'av, to kill me? 18:10As Yahweh your Mighty One lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my master has not sent to seek you: and when they said, "He is not here," he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you. 18:11Now you say, "Go, tell your master, Behold, Eliyah is here." 18:12It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don't know where; and so when I come and tell Ach'av, and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I your servant fear Yahweh from my youth. 18:13Wasn't it told my master what I did when Izevel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 18:14Now you say, "Go, tell your master, Behold, Eliyah is here; and he will kill me."' 18:15Eliyah said, 'As Yahweh-Tzva'ot lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.' 18:16So `Ovadyah went to meet Ach'av, and told him; and Ach'av went to meet Eliyah."
Eliyah Was Known All Over the Earth
It should be noted that Eliyah was a public figure, known all over the earth where there was a nation or kingdom. For all nations and kingdoms knew of him, and had sought for him within their borders.
Ovadyah Understood the Power of the Spirit of Yahweh
It should also be noted that Ovadyah understood the power of the Spirit of Yahweh. For he understood that the Spirit of Yahweh could carry Eliyah to some other geographic location in a very short period of time, such that if he was sought in the vicinity of the location where he was last seen he would not be found.
It should also be noted that Ovadyah feared Yahweh greatly. And he manifested his great fear of Yahweh by protecting in safety Yahweh's servants, and providing for them in their time of need. It should therefore be clear that the fear of Yahweh is manifested in providing for Yahweh's servants in their time of need, even when one's life is at risk for so providing for Yahweh's servants.
Again it is asked, how did Eliyah stand before Yahweh-Tzvaot? What is the meaning of his standing before Yahweh-Tzvaot?
1 Melakhim 18: 17-40 reads, "18:17It happened, when Ach'av saw Eliyah, that Ach'av said to him, 'Is it you, you troubler of Yisra'el?' 18:18He answered, 'I have not troubled Yisra'el; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the Ba`alim. 18:19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Yisra'el to mount Karmel, and the prophets of Ba`al four hundred fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Izevel's table.' 18:20So Ach'av sent to all the children of Yisra'el, and gathered the prophets together to mount Karmel. 18:21Eliyah came near to all the people, and said, 'How long go you limping between the two sides? If Yahweh be the Mighty One, follow him; but if Ba`al, then follow him.' The people answered him not a word. 18:22Then said Eliyah to the people, 'I, even I only, am left a prophet of Yahweh; but Ba`al's prophets are four hundred fifty men. 18:23Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. 18:24Call you on the name of your mighty one, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the mighty one who answers by fire, let him be the Mighty One.' All the people answered, 'It is well spoken.' 18:25Eliyah said to the prophets of Ba`al, 'Choose you one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your mighty one, but put no fire under.' 18:26They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Ba`al from morning even until noon, saying, 'Ba`al, hear us.' But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made. 18:27It happened at noon, that Eliyah mocked them, and said, 'Cry aloud; for he is a mighty one: either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleeps and must be awakened.' 18:28They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 18:29It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded. 18:30Eliyah said to all the people, 'Come near to me.' And all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh that was thrown down. 18:31Eliyah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Ya`akov, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, 'Yisra'el shall be your name.' 18:32With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 18:33He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, 'Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.' 18:34He said, 'Do it the second time.' And they did it the second time. He said, 'Do it the third time.' And they did it the third time. 18:35The water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 18:36It happened at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Eliyah the prophet came near, and said, 'Yahweh, the Mighty One of Avraham, of Yitzchak, and of Yisra'el, let it be known this day that you are the Mighty One in Yisra'el, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 18:37Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are the Mighty One, and that you have turned their heart back again.' 18:38Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 18:39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, 'Yahweh, he is the Mighty One; Yahweh, he is the Mighty One.' 18:40and Eliyah said to them, 'Take the prophets of Ba`al; don't let one of them escape.' They took them; and Eliyah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there."
It should be noted from 1 Melakhim 18: 17-18 that those who trouble Yisrael, those who trouble the people of Yahweh, are those who forsake the commandments of Yahweh, those who worship other mighty ones!
Follow Yahweh Wholeheartedly, or Not At All
1 Melakhim 18: 21 shows that it is not acceptable before Yahweh for us to limp between two sides! Either we follow Yahweh wholeheartedly, or we follow other mighty ones wholeheartedly. There is no halfway house with Yahweh. It is not acceptable before him to refrain from committing ourselves either way. Therefore, if we do not commit ourselves to follow fully after him we are not following him, and have forsaken his commandments. Therefore, if we do not fully follow after Yahweh, we become troublers of Yisrael, troublers of the people of Yahweh.
The Purposes of the Contest Between Eliyah and the Prophets of Baal
It should be noted, as 1 Melakhim 18: 24 shows, that the purpose for the contest between the prophets of Baal on one side, and Eliyah the prophet of Yahweh on the other side, was for ascertaining who indeed was the Mighty One. If Baal answered by fire, he indeed was the Mighty One. If Yahweh answered by fire, he indeed was the Mighty One.
It should also be noted that the people understood that there was only ONE Mighty One, such that they approved of this contest between the prophets of Baal representing Baal and Eliyah the prophet of Yahweh representing Yahweh.
1 Melakhim 18: 36-37 shows the purposes of the contest between Eliyah and Baal's prophets. It was to: (a) show that Yahweh was the Mighty One, the Mighty One in Yisrael, (b) show that Eliyah was Yahweh's servant, (c) show that Eliyah did all the things he did at Yahweh's word, and (d) show that Yahweh had turned the heart of the people back again, turning their hearts back again to himself, and from the Baalim and Asherahs.
1 Melakhim 18: 41-46 reads, "18:41Eliyah said to Ach'av, 'Get you up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.' 18:42So Ach'av went up to eat and to drink. Eliyah went up to the top of Karmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 18:43He said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' He went up, and looked, and said, 'There is nothing.' He said, 'Go again seven times.' 18:44It happened at the seventh time, that he said, 'Behold, there arises a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand.' He said, 'Go up, tell Ach'av, "Make ready your chariot, and get you down, that the rain not stop you."' 18:45It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ach'av rode, and went to Yizre`el: 18:46and the hand of Yahweh was on Eliyah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ach'av to the entrance of Yizre`el."
It should be noted that Eliyah had a servant, someone who attended to his various needs.
Meaning of "The Hand of Yahweh"
It should also be noted that when "the hand of Yahweh" came upon Eliyah, he outran Achav to the entrance of Yizreel, despite Achav having commenced his ride upon his chariot before Eliyah commenced his run. It should also be noted that "hand of Yahweh" is the same as the "Spirit of Yahweh" that Ovadyah, Yahweh's servant, had spoken about earlier on when he met with Eliyah.
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