The Sound of a Heavy Rain | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Sound of a Heavy Rain | Previous Challenge Entry
By Brenda Kern
04/25/19
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As Ahab ate, he heard Elijah’s words echoing in his mind. “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

Why should I believe that?, he thought. It hasn’t rained in three years. I’m not aware of any signs of rain--no clouds, no smell in the air, no cooling of the temperature. And sounds? None. What did Elijah hear? Why did he say such a thing?

But I shouldn’t forget that he was the one who declared that we would have a drought. What had he said exactly? Oh, yes: “neither dew nor rain.” I scoffed at that, Ahab remembered, but that prediction had been oh-so-accurate, and the kingdom he’d inherited was in desperate need of any form of moisture now.

And Ahab had gotten word of two amazing things Elijah had done--things that made him nervous and made Jezebel angry. A woman had a miraculous supply of flour and oil, and Elijah had declared that the Lord, the God if Israel, had done this. Ahab and Jezebel had turned to Baal as their god, so mentions of Elijah’s God were troubling.

And the other thing. If reports were correct, Elijah had raised a dead boy back to life. And, again, his God was involved in the miracle. Ahab was very afraid of what this might mean for his country, his kingship, and even his life. If Elijah’s God could give life, he could take it as well, and Ahab was worried. The drought, the provision miracle, and a resurrection all came from a God whose prophets Jezebel was killing in an ugly campaign sweeping across the land.

Then came the humiliating day-long incident on Mount Carmel. All our prophets of Baal and Asherah spent a day praying, shouting to Baal, then slashing themselves and dancing, and nothing. Ahab, in the most private corner of his mind, had known there would be no answer, no fire from the sky. But he’d watched and hoped anyway, hating Elijah’s taunting words: “Shout louder! Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened!”

Then, after rebuilding a crumbled altar, Elijah had ordered a trench to be dug around the altar, and had commanded such an insane thing that Ahab had almost stepped in to override his request. Elijah had ordered that twelve large jars of water, our most precious resource at the moment, should be poured over the sacrificed bull and altar. Ahab had been furious at the waste--so much water that it had filled the trench around the altar. Ahab had smirked to himself, though, knowing that fire from Elijah's God to burn the sacrifice was very unlikely now.

Elijah had prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

The smirk had been wiped away when my jaw dropped, Ahab thought. Fire came down, and impossibly burned up the drenched sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, and all of the wasted water in the trench.

The reaction of the people was immediate, and Ahab knew the balance had tipped in favor of Elijah’s God in their hearts and minds, then Elijah had ordered a slaughter of the prophets of Baal. Ahab didn’t want to tell Jezebel this terrible news, but he knew he must, and he had to travel to Jezreel to do it in person.

A man was escorted into his presence, Elijah’s servant. What now?, Ahab wondered. The man said, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”

Ahab pondered this. Could Elijah’s God bring rain today, finally? If he can provide endless flour and water, if he can raise a child from the dead, and if he can send fire from heaven, how many more signs do I need?

Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. I Kings 18:45, NIV.

* * * * *

Look around you. Are you experiencing drought, figuratively, in your life? How many signs must God show you before you’ll finally believe that there is the sound of a heavy rain?

* * * * *

See I Kings chapters 17 and 18.

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