Why No Rain?

"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1).

Elijah’s message is short but filled with meaning. The Lord is the true God of Israel, not Baal. The Lord lives and does not die. God controls the rain, not Baal, the "rider of the clouds." There will not be dew—the only source of rain in the summer. There will not be rain--the season that falls from October to March. These are called the early and the latter rains.

The message is a direct affront to the Baal-worshipping King and Queen. Do you believe your god controls the rain? He does not.

In addition to the message being an attack against Baal, it is also a return to the covenant that God gave in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Deuteronomy 11:16 & 17 promised that worshipping other gods would cause the Lord to "shut up the heavens so that there be no rain." In other places God said that He would "change the rain of your land to powder and dust" (Deut. 28:24), and He would "make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze." (Lev. 26:19).

Elijah would undoubtedly have known what the Lord’s law taught. As the nation fell further away, his appeals to God were reminders for Him to invoke the covenant. God eventually answered and made him the messenger of those stern remembrances.

Whether negative discipline or positive affirmation, God always answers according to His word. Elijah knew that in his prayer life and so can we.
　
　
　
　
　
　

Provoking God

　

"He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord,… to anger than all…who were before him." (1 Kings 16:32, 33).

Baal worship was no innocent religion, no misguided belief, no slight error which some may think God overreacted to. It was first of all a stench to God because of the false gods it worshipped. It was also infuriating because of what the worshippers did.

Baal worship celebrated how Baal, "rider of the clouds," was supreme god over the rain and storms. When the earth was dry, it was because Mot, the god of sterility and death had slain Baal. Baal was then rescued by his sister Asherah, the goddess of love and war.

The sexual union between the gods was celebrated by the gross immorality of the worshippers with temple prostitutes of both sexes. These acts promised fertility for agriculture, beasts, and humans. One of Baal’s rites was the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings (Jer. 19:5).

We may think that God holds no anger for us. Perhaps we comfort ourselves with the thought that we today do not believe such idle tales as Baal, Mot, and Asherah. But does this truly change how God views us? We do not need gods today to justify our sexual conduct outside of marriage. We do not burn children with fire, but abortion kills them just as finally as if there was some vile god to serve.

God is never provoked without reason. Let us not forget that. If He did not overlook Ahab, He will not disregard us.