_ELIJAH, BY THE COMMAND OF GOD, PROMISES AHAB THAT THERE SHALL BE RAIN. THE PRIESTS OF BAAL ARE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO MOUNT CARMEL, AND ELIJAH AGREES THAT THE GOD WHO ANSWERS BY FIRE SHALL BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THE TRUE GOD; AFTER WHICH HE SLAYS ALL THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, AND A GREAT RAIN DESCENDS FRO... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ELIJAH IN THE THIRD YEAR— St. James, speaking of this event, says, that _it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months._ Our blessed Saviour makes mention of a like compass of time, Luke 4:25.; and yet neither of these are contradictory to what t... [ Continue Reading ]
AHAB CALLED OBADIAH— The Jews have many strange stories respecting Obadiah, very little to be relied upon. It is plain from what he says to Elijah, that he was a truly religious man, who worshipped God alone, and had a singular affection for his servants; enough, one would think, to have made Ahab d... [ Continue Reading ]
I, EVEN I ONLY, REMAIN A PROPHET OF THE LORD— From these words one can hardly imagine, that all those _hundred_ whom Obadiah preserved, 1 Kings 18:13 were men actually inspired, and invested with a prophetic character. There is little doubt but that even in Jezebel's time there were remaining in Isr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOD THAT ANSWERETH BY FIRE, LET HIM BE GOD— This was not the first time that God had declared his approbation of his worshippers, by sending down fire to consume their sacrifices (see Leviticus 9:24 and Judges 6:21.); and though, perhaps, it may be possible for evil spirits, who may have great k... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY LEAPED UPON THE ALTAR THAT WAS MADE— Or, _leaped up and down at the altar._ Margin. The marginal rendering seems by far the best: and the reference appears plainly to be a custom very common among heathen worshippers, of dancing round the altars of the deity whom they worshipped; and this s... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIJAH MOCKED THEM, AND SAID, CRY ALOUD, &C.— Nothing can be imagined more poignant and sarcastic than these words of the prophet, in which he ridicules in the finest manner possible their wretched, false, and derogatory ideas of the Deity. The two last notions of _being asleep,_ and _not at home,_... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT THEMSELVES AFTER THEIR MANNER, &C.— A strange method, one would think, to obtain the favour of their gods! And yet, if we look into antiquity, we shall find, that nothing was more common in the religious rites of several nations, than this barbarous custom. Plutarch, in his book _de Superstition... [ Continue Reading ]
HE REPAIRED THE ALTAR OF THE LORD THAT WAS BROKEN DOWN— The altar, which the sacred author here calls _the altar of the_ LORD, was certainly one of those which were built in the time of the judges and first kings of Israel, when, for want of a fixed place of worship, such structures were permitted.... [ Continue Reading ]
FILL FOUR BARRELS WITH WATER, &C.— The prophet did this to make the miracle more conspicuous and convincing, to shew that there was no fallacy in it, no fire concealed in or about the altar; but that the lightning, which was to consume the sacrifice, came from heaven, and at his invocation; and so J... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR ME, O LORD, HEAR ME— Elijah, according to Abarbanel, was more urgent and fervent in his prayer, because he had undertaken to make the experiment of God's power of his own accord, and without any particular command from him; nothing doubting but that he would appear, to vindicate his own honour,... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIJAH SAID—TAKE THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, &C.— It appears from the course of the divine history of this people, that the Israelites had ever a violent propensity to mix with the neighbouring nations, and to devote themselves to the practices of idolatry. This would naturally, and did in fact, absorb la... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEAVEN WAS BLACK WITH CLOUDS AND WIND— When rain falls in the eastern countries, it is often preceded by a squall of wind; so the ingenious editor of the Ruins of Palmyra tells us, that they seldom have rain there, except at the equinoxes; that nothing could be more serene than the sky all the t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GIRDED UP HIS LOINS, AND RAN BEFORE AHAB— In this country long and loose garments were in use, and therefore when people were inclined to run, or make any great expedition, their custom was to gird them round their waist. The eastern princes used frequently to be preceded by running footmen,... [ Continue Reading ]