But his faith is again put to a sore test, for he found her engaged in a way which was well cal culated to discourage all his hopes; she was gath ering sticks for the purpose, as she assured him, of cooking the last meal, and now that the famine prevailed there, as it did in Israel, she saw noth ing before her and her only son but starvation and death. How then could the prophet ask for, and how could she think of giving, a part of her last morsel? The same Divine Spirit inspired him to assure her that she and her child should be even miracu lously provided for during the continuance of the famine; and also influenced her heart to receive, without doubting, the assurance. The kindness of this widow in baking the first cake for Elijah was well requited with a prophet's reward (Matt. x: 41, 42). She afforded one meal to him, and God afforded many to her (see r Kings xvii:16).
(4) Answered Prayer. God saw fit to visit them with a temporary calamity which is narrated as follows: 'And it came to pass that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick ; and his sickness was so sore that there was no life left in him' (1 Kings xvii :17). Verse 18 contains the expostulation with the prophet of this be reaved widow; she rashly imputes the death to his presence. Elijah retaliates not, but calmly takes the dead child out of the mother's bosom, and lays it on his own bed (verse 19), that there he may, in private, pray the more fervently for its restora tion. His prayer was heard, and answered by the restoration of life to the child, and of gladness to the widow's heart.
(5) Message to Ahab. Since now, however, the long-protracted famine. with all its attendant horrors, failed to detach Ahab and his guilty peo ple from their abominable idolatries. God merci fully gave them another opportunity of repenting and turning to Himself. For three years and six months (James v:17) the destructive famine had its deadly influence over the whole nation of Israel. Such was the state of things in Israel when Elijah once again stood before Ahab. Wish ing not to tempt God by going unnecessarily into danger, he first presented himself to good Obadiah (1 Kings xviii:7). This principal serv ant of Ahab was also a true servant of God; and in recognizing the prophet he treated him with honor and respect. Elijah requested him to announce to Ahab that he had returned. Obadiah, apparently stung by the unkindness of this request, replied. 'What have I sinned, that thou shouldest thus expose me to Ahab's rage, who will certainly slay me for not apprehending thee, for whom he has so long and so sought in all lands and in all confederate countries, that they should not harbor a traitor whom he looks upon as the author of the famine,' etc. More
over, he would delicately intimate to Elijah how he had actually jeoparded his own life in securing that of one hundred of the Lord's prophets, and whom he had fed at his own expense. Satisfied with Elijah's reply to this touching appeal. where in he removed all his fears about the Spirit's carrying himself away (as 2 Kings ii :11-16; Acts viii :39), he resolves to be the prophet's messenger to Ahab.
(6) Meeting with the King. Intending to be revenged on him. or to inquire when rain might lie expected. Ahab now came forth to meet Elijah. He at once charged him with being the main cause of all the calamities which he and the nation had suffered. But Elijah flung back the charge upon himself, assigning the real cause to be his own sin of idolatry. Regarding, however, his maps terial position, while he reproved his sin, he re quests him to exercise his authority in summon ing an assembly to Mount Carmel, that the con troversy between them might be decided, whether the king or the prophet was Israel's troubler.
(7) Mount Carmel. Whatever the secret motives which induced Ahab to comply with this proposal, God directed the result. Elijah offered to decide this controversy between God and Baal by a miracle from Heaven (1 Kings xviii :19). As fire was the element over which Baal was sup posed to preside, the prophet proposes (wishing to give them every advantage), that, two bullocks being slain, and laid each upon a distinct altar, the one for Baal, the other for Jehovah, which ever should be consumed by fire must proclaim whose the people of Israel were, and whom it was their duty to serve.
(3) Priests of Baal. Elijah wills to have sum moned not only all the elders of Israel, but also the four hundred priests of Baal belonging to Jezebel's court, and the four hundred and fifty who were dispersed over the kingdom (verse 19). Confident of success, because doubtless God had revealed the whole matter to him, he enters the lists of contest with the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal. Having reconstructed an altar which had once belonged to God, with twelve stones—as if to declare that the twelve tribes of Israel should again be united in the service of Jehovah—and having laid thereon his bullock, and filled the trench by which it was surrounded with large quantities of water, lest any suspicion of deceit might occur to any mind, the prophet gives place to the Baalites—allows them to make trial first. In vain did these deceived and deceiv ing men call, from morning till evening, upon Baal —in vain did they now mingle their own blood with that of the sacrifice : no answer was given— no fire descended (verse 26).